CompuServe Thread

Hello George: The first 2 tutorials in the manual focus on the interface. The first tutorial (Quickstart) is kind of an interface overview. The second tutorial (Creating a Project) shows how the interface is used to create a project. Basically, there are 5 different areas in the main interface: The resource area to the left of the viewport shows all the views, objects, material, lights and images that are in the project: The Wells along the left side are used to perfrom actions on a resource. Drag a view resource and drop it into the View Well to activate that view in the viewport. Drag an object or light resource and drop it int he View Well on top of a view to add that resource to the that view. Drop an image there to make it the background in the view. Drag a material resource and drop it into the Edit Well to open up a Material Designer window, in which you can modify color, texture and transparancy settings. Each of the different resource types has their own designer window. Drag a view, object or light resource into the Move Well to activate that resource for movement in the viewport. Each of these 3 resources can be moved and rotated in 3D space. The Command Bar at the top of the interface contains the main commands for loading and saving projects, changing and zooming the viewport, and selectin ghte "Toolbox" that is currently displayed. The Toolboxes, located directly below the Command Bar, allow you to do things in the viewport. When you drop a view into the View Well, the Render Toolbox appears so you can render the view. When you drop a view, object or light into the Move Well, a Move Toolbox appears so that you can move or rotate the camera, object or light. Other toolboxes are used for color selection and material assignment. The Viewport is where wireframe objects are oriented in 3D space. You can also position lights and the camera in there. When you render a vew, the rendering is generated in this viewport. When you assign materials to objects, you do so int he viewport. Basically, the Toolboxes are used to work in the viewport, and the Toolbox that is displayed depends on what you want to do. I hope this helps more than it hurts! Best regards, Nick Josephs Visual Software

George: Have you been able to do anything with the program yet? If not or if you are having problems, I'll tell you how and what I've done so far… (If Nick doesn't get mad at me for posting it here…) }:> Jinny

Hi, Jinny – Have read the book about three times up to p.54, have done the tutorial to that point about a dozen times. Feel as though I am just going through motions and not learning anything. Made a cube and a sphere in a 3D CAD modelling package, saved 'em in DXF, loaded them into RL, and started to work on them but got just as frustrated as before. Wanted to make the cube and sphere into glass. Read pp. 140-142 in manual, got stymied right away by first instruction ("Re-open the Material Designer with "goblet.") Material Designer wasn't open before. Didn't have a goblet, had a cube. Loaded it. Now what? Where's the image? (Over there, in the far corners of 3D space). Got it into the viewport. Filled viewport up completely. Wanted to zoom out. Didn't understand the wells at the time (as if I do now) and couldn't get the zoom to work. Could only rotate the image. Still wanted to change material. Now what? Where's the Material Designer? There it is, behind that weird little checkerboard button. OK, I hit the button. Now what? I think I have to drag something into some well. What do I drag? Into what well would I drag it if I knew? Arrrgh!! File Exit Don't worry, I'll be OK. Nick pulled up the shades and let some light in Monday night (his message #2228). Am starting over, this time with a better understanding of the program (better compared to zero). See ya in Renderland – — gtm — — gtm —