CompuServe Messages

>>I'm really clueless, and there isn't any documentation in your NURBS.LHZ file. >>I'm seriously interested in any modeling tool for 3DS, so if there's any guidance >>you can give me I'd appreciate it. Mike, the handbook.txt resides in a different file in the library. Here is an actual copy: |\ | o o | \ | \ / \ | \ | / \ |_/ |_/ | | \| | | | \ | \ -\ | | \ / | \ |_/ \_/ NURBS PATCH MODELLER release 1.0 This software is produced and developed by CAS Peter Klose Gruenberger Strasse 26 D-10245 Berlin Germany FONFAX */49/30/7074018 CompuServe 100412,1036 all rights reserved. Chapter 1 Basics 1.1 Introduction: The Nurbs patch modeller is a stand-alone modelling program. It can be used in the DOS-shell of 3D studio or AutoCad as an add-on. Nurbsobjects are always surfaces. These can be flat or rounded in every direction. The basic object is a so-called patch, that is defined and edited by 16 controlpoints. These controlpoints have the same functionality like B-SPLINE controlpoints. The four edges of the patch are 4 B-Splines, which are defined by 4 controlpoints each. The patchsurface is controlled in addition by the 4 controlpoints in the middle of the patch. It is important to know, that only the 4 controlpoints in the 4 corners of the patch are always connected directly to the patch. All other controlpoints do affect the patch indirectly, as if they were connected with a flexible to the patch. You will soon find out that you need more than one patch to create complex objects. That's the reason why you can add patches to your basic patch in all directions. Neighbour patches then have 4 common controlpoints, defining the common edge. You can add as many patches as you wish in every direction and they will always stay connected. As a special feature you can break the connection between two patches. Every added patch is automatically aligned with the existing patches, you will always get smooth edges. The edges will stay smooth during editing, if you keep the following rule in mind: If you don't want sharp edges, so-called neighbour-controlpoints have to be aligned with the corresponding edgecontrolpoint. | neighbour [] . . . .[]edge . . . [] neighbour | 1.2 Hardware required DOS-PC 3.3 or higher, minimum 386SX with Coprocessor 4MB Memory VGA 16 colors 640/480 3 MB free Disk DOS-extender is included 1.3 Installation Make a directory like "C:\NURBS" and copy all the files from the floppy into it. In the 3DS config file "3DS.SET" change the following: USER-PROG1="C:\NURBS\NURBS.EXE","NURBS MODELLER" USER-PROG2="C:\NURBS\MPATCH_I.PXP","META PATCH" In your autoexec.bat or batch-file to start 3DS add the following: SET NURBS=C:\3DS3\MESHES The specified directory will be used by NURBS and MPATCH as the working directory. You can use every directory you want The NURBS.CFG file will be automatically written and loaded from this directory. Add the directory wherein you copied the files from the disc to your system path: e.g. PATH=C:\DOS;D:\anything\; … ;C:\NURBS 3D studio must be startet with the 3DSHELL command instead of 3DS, otherwise there will not be enough memory to run NURBS in the DOS shell. The best configuration to work with is: drop all memory managers like QEMM, HIMEM or similar from your config.sys. NURBS (like 3D studio) has its own build-in memory manager. Chapter 2 Main description 2.1 How to start the program To start NURBS from DOS you only have to type NURBS and <enter>. To start NURBS inside of 3D studio push the <F6>-key and then Y, but 3D studio MUST have been started with the 3DSHELL command (not 3DS). To start MPATCH push the <F7>-key and Y. It is important that there is enough free memory. The STATUS command in the INFO menu of 3D studio will show you. When you have been working in a long 3D studio session you will find out that 3D studio will never give free memory it has once used, instead it will use the harddisk. This is the reason why 3D studio is getting slower and slower the longer you are in a session . So when the STATUS command reports more than 0 page faults, save your work, quit 3D studio and restart it to get best performance. 2.2 How to quit the programm To quit the program click on the systembutton in the upper left corner to see the menu, then click on 'Quit' and 'Ok' to leave. For quick ending you can use the 'Alt + <F4>' keys, but there will be NO warning or saving of unsaved work, so be careful. 2.3 Basic Display On the basic display you can see the 4 windows with different views of the object. The object is one patch represented by a white 10 x 10 mesh, via the 16 red controlpoints it can be edited. There is one active viewport with a colored border. To change the active viewport you only have to click in the new one. 2.4 How to edit a patch You can edit the actual patch by activating one or more controlpoints and move it. 2.5 How to activate controlpoints On the upper right of the display, on the toolbar, you can see 16 equal controlpoint-buttons which can each activate the corresponding controlpoint. Activated controlpoints become filled red. You can activate up to 16 controlpoints at the same time. They stay activated until the corresponding button is pushed again. 2.7 How to move controlpoints Click in the active viewport to set the first point. Move the cursor until the desired movement and click again. You can see the coordinates on top of the screen. You cannot click in the isometric viewport to avoid unpredictable results. 2.8 The 16-button The 16-button left under the controlpoint-buttons deactivates all activated controlpoints with a single click. Or if no controlpoint is activated it will activate all 16 controlpoints with a single click. 2.9 The undo-button The undo-button right under the controlpoint-buttons will undo the last movement of controlpoints no matter which controlpoint is activated. Immediately pushed a second time it will work as a redo. Chapter 3 Multiple Patches 3.0 Creating patches To create complex objects you have to work with more than one patch. You only have to push one of the 4 arrow-buttons to create a new patch in the desired direction. This patch will be connected to all the other patches. It is now the active patch. 3.1 Deleting patches or connections To delete the active patch push the button in the middle of the arrow-buttons. Now you can see a window with different toggles to delete the whole patch or only the desired connections. You cannot restore a connection. If you want to do so delete the isolated patch and create a new one which will automatically be connected to its neighbors. 3.2 How to activate a patch With the arrow-buttons you can navigate through all existing patches, add new patches and make the desired patch actual. 3.3 How to restart To restart click on the system button in the upper left corner and click on LOAD. Select the file STANDARD.dxf. Chapter 4 Display options The seven buttons in the lower right on the toolbar are used to change the display, e.g. zooming. We have styled them very close to the 3D studio buttons to make the handling easiest for 3D studio user. The functions are 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 1. ZOOM window 2. PAN 3. ROTATE isometric view 4. ZOOM in 5. ZOOM out 6. ZOOM extends Chapter 5 main menu The main menu is opened by clicking on the system button in the upper left corner of the display 5.0 LOAD With the LOAD command you can replace the actual object by a object from a dxf-file. The dxf-file must content controlpoints in the appropriate format. Only objects created with MPATCH.pxp or the NURBS-modeller can be loaded. 5.1 SAVE With the SAVE command you can save the actual object in a file. After giving a filename you are asked if you want to save the object as a mesh, only the controlpoints or both in the same file. To load it in 3D studio you must select the mesh or mesh+controlpoints option. To reload it in the NURBS modeller you must select the controlpoints or the mesh+controlpoints option. With the controlpoints only option you can save your work in a very small file. 5.2 SETTINGS netdensity In the settingswindow you can change the density of the mesh. This setting is used for display and for saving a mesh-file. For very smooth surfaces you can set it up to 100 but this will decrease performance. It is always a good idea to set it as low as possible while working on an object and to increase only for saving of the object. 5.3 SETTINGS colors After pushing on the COLORS..button in the settingswindow you can select different colors for the background and for the border of the actual window. Every change is automatically saved in the file NURBS.CFG together with the netdensity. Chapter 6 3d studio tools 6.0 MPATCH.PXP This is a tool to create patchobjects inside of 3D studio and save them in the appropriate format for the NURBS modeller. First create an object inside the 3D editor. A good idea is to make a box that will help you keep the overwiew in all three dimensions. Next start "MPATCH.pxp" and choose the CREATE(Neues Patch)option You will be asked to click any existing object get "X" and "Y" dimensions. Now select how many patches are used in horizontal and vertical direction to create the so-called Metapatch. You can edit this Metapatch with all existing 3D studio commands like rotate, size, move vertex …., but do not delete or add any vertices. With the MPATCH (Sichern)SAVE command you can save the Metapatch in a file that can be loaded in the NURBS PATCH MODELLER. The objectname is automatically set as the filename. Before saving you are ask