#Using VR with DesignCAD
14 messages in this thread
George,
In an earlier posting, you mentioned that you use DesignCad 3D. Have you had
much success loading DXF files from DesignCad 3D into VR for rendering? Is
the process reliable? Are there any pitfalls?
Thanks,
Michael Katz
Michael,
Please use the user's PPN. You know, the number after the name. That is the
only way that CIS has of telling who you are. Just putting the name of the
person means nothing to CIS and also means that the person that should have
received it doesn't get a message waiting notice and has to scan thru all the
messages to find it. I've forwarded your message to George Manos.
Richard Lindner
Forum Staff
Michael –
For the most part, the translation from DCAD to Renderize Live is
reliable, but the degree of reliability depends on the nature of the original
3D model.
RL will on occasion get confused by solids with openings in them created by the
SOLID SUBTRACT command (which works weirdly anyway). Also, objects which to
DCAD are clearly solid are not always solids to RL. A DCAD cylinder, for
example, may appear to RL as a tube. However, RL has a neat feature which lets
you tell it to put ends on shapes which should have them but for some reason
don't.
Another thing – I always leave Layer zero empty in DCAD and start with
Layer 1. RL pushes Layer 1 into Layer zero. Layer 2 goes to Layer 1, etc.
Layer zero in RL does not have the same action as Layer zero in DCAD.
Annoying, but not catastrophic.
I've generated some very primitive objects in DCAD with which to
experiment in RL (squares, cubes, empty rooms) which I would be glad to send to
you if you would like to see how they look. The RL images are saved in GIF
format. Could send you the original DCAD files as well so you could see how
well the translation went.
— gtm —
<< I've generated some very primitive objects in DCAD with which to
experiment in RL (squares, cubes, empty rooms) which I would be glad to send to
you if you would like to see how they look. The RL images are saved in GIF
format. Could send you the original DCAD files as well so you could see how
well the translation went.>>
I you could send those files, I would be much obliged. What is the best way to
view the GIF files? Is Corel Photo-Paint an option?
Many thanks,
Michael Katz
Hey George!
Tell me, does the "Render Backface" option affect the appearance of your solids
at all? I know in some of the models I've done this has made a world of
difference in how the objects appear.
Another feature that may help [one that I've never used] is changing the
"Normals" of the polygons. I believe that's the icon with the arrow piercing a
plane. Maybe someone with experience could chime in here and tell how they use
that feature.
joel*
p.s. I'm still working on my list, I'm going to ply my comrades at the office
for more book selections.
If your solid object has some polygons that are facing the inside, enabling the
render backface button will make a world of difference. For example, if you
have a sphere in which all the normals are reversed (facing the center of the
sphere), the rendered object appears to be convace from the camera's viewpoint.
This is because the polygons closest to the camera a facing away from it, so
they aren't rendered: instead we're seeing the inside of the back half of the
sphere. Enable Render Backface and both "sides" of a polygon are rendered: now
the object appears convex becasue the polygons closest to the camera are being
rendered.
Render backface solves backface issues, but with a price: rendering time is a
little slower, and shiny materials may show highlight "halos" on the "horizon"
of the object being rendered with Render Backface enabled.
Which brings me to the Normals Toolbox. This allows you to choose polygons and
reverse object normals, should those normals be facing in the wrong direction.
This reverses the direction in which polygons are facing. The Normals Toolbox
is powerful and useful, but as you may have learned through experience in the
Select Toolbox, picking polygons can require some practice. I have to refer
you to Tutor 10 in the Renderize Live manual that comes with Visual Reality.
Thus in short, the easy way to deal with reversed polynormals is to Render
Backface; the best way is to reverse the normals of the culprit polygons.
Nick Josephs
Visual Software
Hi, Joel!
Have not tried rendering backfaces of solids. Have tried it with glass
with great success.
Rendering normals (according to the book) produces true images.
Apparently some drawing packages don't care which way surfaces are generated if
they are on the side of the object away from the viewer. The back face of a
sphere can be concave instead of convex. Using "normals" in RL revises the
surface so it can be rendered – it corrects the path of a line "normal" to the
surface, thus correcting the surface (in some magic way).
How does rendering the backface of a solid improve the image?
— gtm —
>> How does rendering the backface of a solid improve the image? <<
Its kind of funny, as a rule, I usually start off rendering all backfaces
simply because UpFront .DXF files usually require it for proper rendering,
otherwise I end up with bits and pieces left out of the model for no apparent
reason.
joel*
Joel –
What is "UpFront?" How do its DXF files import into RL?
— gtm —
Alias Upfront is a modeling application. It is compatible with Renderize Live
through the DXF file format.
Nick Josephs
Visual Software
Nick –
Theoretically, so is DesignCAD. Maybe I can find some users, in addition
to Joel, to query on their experience with Alias Upfront.
— gtm —
George:
UpFront is just modeling and, while geared toward architecture, you can't
generate construction documents from it but it is a great "visualization
package". I've translated hundreds of little models from UpFront to Renderize
via the DXF format with no significant difficulties to report.
They (SketchTech, the makers of UpFront) should be out with a new version soon.
It was do in november but they were having difficulty with their animation
module. Their Macintosh version is beautiful and has been a stable product for
at least a year, the windows version is still playing catch-up but this upgrade
should even the ground a bit.
joel*
Joel –
Are you using UpFront on MAC or on a DOS platform?
— gtm —
I'm using the Dos version.
joel*