CompuServe Thread

#need program

7 messages in this thread
#75363From: jeffrey morrisJan 10, 1994 7:45 PM
Dear Dave, I am still using AutoCAD to make 3D drawings of objects. I didn't have problems using AutoCAD. If I did, I would leave messages in the ACAD forum. I got 3D Studio on the day before Thanksgiving. Even after going through 3D Studio Tutorial Guide a few times, I still have some problems using 3D Studio to make realistic materials, renderings, and animations. I rendered a 3D drawing of a 1957 Cheverolet Belair convertible and it looked realistic. I wish I know how to make curved windshields. 3D Studio can take a long time to render some drawings and animations, especially if the drawings and animations need bitmap files and/or if I use Automatic Reflection Maps. How can I set up lights inside a drawing of a New York City subway station so that it is not too bright or too dim? Subway stations have tiled walls. How can I simulate tiled walls when I don't have a camera or a scanner? I have PhotoFinish program. I worked on the drawing of a kitchen and used SXP processes to assign WOOD.SXP materials to cabinets, drawers, doors, chairs, and table, MARBLE.SXP materials to counter, and CHECK.SXP materials to floor. When I rendered the drawing, it looks realistic but it needs dishes, pans, pots, flowers, etc. Does Autodesk has a forum or something on Internet? Jeffrey.
#75426From: John TissavaryJan 11, 1994 2:00 AM
PMJI, but for tiled surfaces you may be able to find a tiled bitmap on the World Creating Toolkit CD-ROM (if you have a CD-ROM player). There are lots of good bitmaps on it that were designed to be used as texture maps as well as reflection and opacity maps in materials. Otherwise, you could paint your own tile in a paint program and use that. You could even create a square in 3D Studio and play around with smoothing group settings to get slightly rounded edges, then give it an appropriate color, render it, and use it as a "tile" texture map.
#75616From: jeffrey morrisJan 11, 1994 7:04 PM
Dear John, I have a CD-ROM drive. I will look at the bitmaps on the CD-ROM disk. I tried rendering some of the drawings in the \GEOMETRY\SCENES directory but some of them are too dim. Since files on CD-ROM disks are read-only, I can't edit them unless I move them to my hard disk. I thought PhotoFinish would be good for making materials because it has some drawing tools. I had a choice between PhotoFinish and PaintBrush in an Electronic Boutique store and I chose PhotoFinish because it can read and write *.TGA files and it can read and write 24-bit color bitmaps. Jeffrey.
#75713From: John TissavaryJan 12, 1994 2:14 AM
I've checked out all the images on the CD-ROM and they seem fine. Perhaps you could just turn up your monitor brightness while viewing them. I think you'll be happy with some of the maps on the CD-ROM. I have used a few of them quite successfully. Ralph Frantz uploaded files to this forum's libraries with postage stamp sized samples of the maps on the CD-ROM to be used as a guide to the contents. I don't know what they're called, but try and find them as they will save you a lot of time finding "just the right one". have fun, John Tissavary (La Luna cie)
#75849From: jeffrey morrisJan 12, 1994 6:19 PM
Dear John, It is Mommy's fault that I have a defective brain. I want to create realistic materials, renderings, and animations in 3D Studio but I can't do it. On the "Star Trek" movies, Mr. Spock puts his hands on someone's head and transfer his mind from his brain to someone's brain. If it can be done, I would like to do it with someone who is experienced with AutoCAD and 3D Studio. I rendered some of the drawings on the CD-ROM disk that have lamps and the materials for some light bulbs have very light blue tint which I think is not realistic. Regular light bulbs have very light yellow tint and fluorescent light tubes are white. I worked on the drawing of the subway station and I still can't get the lighting right and the ceiling is dark gray instead of light gray. I put the omni lights under the ceiling. My monitor's brightness isn't too dark. Jeffrey.
#75551From: Dave Byrnes [AEC TM]Jan 11, 1994 1:42 PM
Jeffrey – sorry, I'm way behind you with 3D Studio so I can't answer ANY of your questions… but it sounds like you are doing some pretty neat stuff! Is the NY subway thing for some kind of project? As to the Internet, nope; as far as Autodesk forums goes, these (ACAD, ASOFT and ARETAIL) are them. I have no doubt, however, that you could find lots of interested users via the Internet. Dave
#75617From: jeffrey morrisJan 11, 1994 7:05 PM
Dear Dave, I am trying to work on the drawing of the subway station but I can't make it so realistic that people would think that I used a camera to take the picture of the subway station, used a scanner to scan the picture into PhotoFinish program, and display the picture on the computer screen. I have the CD-ROM drive. I tried rendering some of the drawings in the \GEOMETRY\SCENES directory but some of them are too dim. Since files on CD-ROM disks are read-only, I can't edit them unless I move them to my hard disk. I thought PhotoFinish would be good for making materials because it has some drawing tools. I had a choice between PhotoFinish and PaintBrush in an Electronic Boutique store and I chose PhotoFinish because it can read and write *.TGA files and it can read and write 24-bit color bitmaps. Jeffrey.