CompuServe Messages

/* I'm working with AA Version 12.12. (12.14 is the current shipping version) AA draws walls directly with 3D polyfaces, in addition to extruded lines, and in addition to the ability to convert extruded lines to faces. */ I can see how basics like walls would translate, but have you had troubles with doors and windows? /* visualization. Wall Styles, especially after you figure out they are good for a _lot_ of stuff besides walls, can make you forget about AME real quick. <g> */ For rectilinear stuff, I see the implications, but so much of our stuff gets round-filleted. I haven't found a good alternative for curvilinear surfacing. Are there features in AA which construct round-filleted surfaces? /* But, hey, you're happy with your methods, go for it. <g> No question, there are certain things you can do with AME and booleans that nothing else will do, but I find that to be a minor part of _most_ architectural work, and comparatively very tedious and slow when you need to do it. I'm not selling anything – I just thought you came on a little strong, and a little ill-informed, to the person who asked about rendering models created with ACAD/AA… */ Michael, I don't want you to get the wrong idea about me either here. I really appreciate your feedback, and I'm the last guy who will ever subscribe to the "there's one way to do things right" philosophy. I am exploring AA's surface-generating capabilities, but the greatest obstacles I run into are organics and smooth geometries. I don't want my visualizations to look "rectangular", like something out of the 50's-modern era. I like fluffy cushions on my sofas, rounded jamb-framing, and rounded walls to look rounded. I like shiny bathroom fixtures and mountings which really show off metallic materials in 3DS. Most of the bathroom libraries just don't seem to translate well, at least within a short period of time I get far superior results with generating them by scratch (or by using AA as guide templates) to draw them from. Does this make any sense? I'm one of those guys who probably overkills the presentation with attempted realism, but for light to play its magic off any bathroom surface, I haven't been able to use AA's stuff much. /* I know NAAUG isn't the final word on Adesk U – that's up to Autodesk and Miller-Freeman. I just think they made a mistake this year in saying absolutely no third-party apps. That's a step backwards, and it's just flat wrong if people get the idea that that's how to work with AutoCAD. */ Or any other Adesk software package. Look at 3DS… can you imagine saying "no IPAS"? 🙂 Education is a mutual situation here… personally I think all courses should be dictated from a wishlist by users.That would optimize attendance. -dave