3D Studio VIZ R3 - T1 - Creating Solids

Learning VIZ	Stephen Peter, S.Peter@unsw.edu.au
Introduction	Image from model by Sook Hwai LEE.

This tutorial is an adaption of my 3D Studio MAX R2 Introductory Tutorial	This first tutorial will introduce 3D Studio VIZ and then explain how to create some simple solids. I am assuming that you have no experience with a CAD system, but have some understanding of basic computing concepts.
I'll also include notes and commentary in paragraphs like this one (as well as most of the images).	During these tutorials you should notice that I will give less detailed instructions as we go further. In addition, once a particular topic has been covered once, I am likely to say "to something" without explaining how...
The Interface
	Firstly, we'll have a very quick introduction to VIZ's interface.
	Start VIZ by clicking on the Windows "Start" button (in the bottom left corner of the computer's display) then select "Programs" and "CAD & Modelling" and finally "3D Studio VIZ". If these instructions prove incorrect, then search!
	Once VIZ has started, look at the Command Panel (on the right)...
	The Create section of the Command Panel is open with the Geometry (sphere) icon / button IN. The buttons for the Standard Primitives are shown in the Object Type "rollout" (a "rollout" is a collection of commands or options, it has a button at the top with a minus "-" on the left if the rollout is open or alternatively a plus "+" if its closed).
	Click on the Utilities command panel (the hammer) - this totally changes everything below...
	Click on the Create command panel again, then click on the Cameras icon (it's one of the icons below 'Create'). Once again the bit below is totally changed - though this time there isn't much there!
	Click on the Geometry icon again, then click on Standard Primitives (a drop-down list will be displayed), choose Extended Primitives. This will change the contents of the Object Type rollout.
Note that the Command Panel can be "docked" - so that the viewport doesn't continue under it - by right-clicking on the toolbar's title bar and selecting Dock and then (I'd suggest) Right.	Go back to the Standard Primitives, then click on the minus "-" on the left of the Object Type button. This should shrink the rollout, hiding its contents. Click on the plus "+" to expand the rollout.
	Just to complicate things further, some of these commands can be assessed via the toolbar at the top of the app - click on the Create Surfaces tab - you'll see the standard & extended primitives (again).
	This, I'm sure, seems messy and really complicated at present. Don't worry! Once you start to learn what all the various things are for, it'll start to become simple and straightforward!
	Finally, most of the application's window is taken up by the Perspective Viewport. This a view of the virtual space in which you can create the object(s) you wish to model.
	In the application's bottom-right corner are a number of icons that are (mostly) used to control viewport views. Click on the icon in the bottom-right corner, the Min/Max Toggle . This command causes the application to swap between viewing a single viewport and viewing all the viewports. It also reinforces the fact that the Command Panel is a floating "toolbar" that covers parts of the visible viewport(s).
	Before I explain more, it's worth noting that (like most CAD related applications) VIZ uses standard Cartesian coordinates, with the X-Y plane being the ground.
	I'll explain more about the interface as we continue.
Create a Box
If you don't like the box's colour, click on the colour in the "Name and Color" rollout and then select another colour.	Click on the Box button. Notice that a Parameters rollout is displayed (at the bottom of the Command Panel). Press the mouse button down to enter the first corner point, then "drag" the cursor to enter the other corner point of the base (release the mouse button). Move the mouse up - the box height will dynamically change - press the mouse button when you're happy with the result! Create a few more boxes...
Zooming about the place...
	Before we go any further, it's worth understanding how to change what the view(s) are showing. Click on the Zoom icon, then "drag" the cursor UP - the objects in that view will appear to get bigger. Drag DOWN to zoom out (which reduces the apparent size of the objects in the view).
Investigate the various zooming options...	The second zoom command (Zoom All) operates like Zoom except it zooms all the (non camera) viewports at once. "Zoom Extents" changes the current view to display all the objects in the scene. "Zoom Extents All" changes all the (non camera) view to display all the objects. "Region Zoom" is used to zoom in on a selected area of the view (2D views only). "Field of View" zooms perspective and camera views. "Pan" changes the view centre. "Arc Rotate" changes the viewing angle for the view. Finally, the "Min/Max Toggle" changes between seeing four viewports and one viewport.
	You should be aware that the undo command does not undo zooming...
Create a Sphere
If the Parameters rollout is not fully visible, move the cursor over the edge of the Command Panel - the cursor should change into a hand - and drag up!	Click on the Sphere button, then click to set the centre and then "drag" to enter the sphere. When the object has just been created it's possible to change the object's parameters. Change the radius (in the Parameters rollout), for example round it off to the nearest 10.
	Investigate the other Standard Primitives - they're all pretty straightforward!
Simple Editing
To select more than one object - hold the Ctrl key down and click on the (next) object.	Click on the Select and Move icon (it's located on the toolbar above the viewport), then click on one of the objects you've created - the cursor should change into a shape like the symbol on the icon. You can now drag the object to a new position!
	Click on the Select and Rotate icon (beside the Move icon), then click on a box. Rotate is rather strange! Instead of having the mouse movement equal rotation. Movement up and down (the screen) equates to rotation!
	Select and Scale is very similar to Rotate, click on the object(s) and then drag up or down to enlarge or reduce the object size.
	To delete a shape, pick the Select Object icon (located on the top toolbar, to the left of Move) then simply click on the shape (to select it) and finally press the Delete key.
Changing the Perspective
	While there's nothing wrong with the default perspective view, I'll let you know how to change it - in-case you get bored .
If you drag the cursor when it is outside the circle the view is tilted!	Click on the Arc Rotate icon (near the bottom-right of the application's window). Move the cursor inside the green circle hold the left mouse button down and drag it around... but inside the green circle.
Rendering...
	Click on the Render Design icon (near the top-right), the dialog box that's displayed is a bit intimidating at first! Click on "640x480" in the Output Size group and click on the Render button at the bottom.
Once you've set-up the rendering parameters to your satisfaction you can use Quick Render or Render Last	VIZ will display a new window and render the active viewport (hopefully the perspective view!), the background should be black and the lighting will be the two default lights. Click on the "X" to dismiss the window and also close the Render dialog box.
Other Shapes
	Click on the Shapes Icon (beside the Geometry Icon), then select the Rectangle button and draw a rectangle! This is a 2D shape, but it can be edited...
	Click on the Modify command panel, then select Extrude : set the Amount value (in the Parameters Rollout) to 20. I know this isn't very interesting, but be patient!
When you select Edit Spline, the box should disappear and the rectangle should be redrawn.	In the Modifier Stack rollout, click on the drop-down list with "Extrude" showing and then select "Rectangle" and then select Edit Spline from the Modifiers Rollout and click on the Sub-Object button to allow vertex editing.
When you right-click on the vertex, a large popup menu is displayed which should have two items "ticked" : Move and Bezier Corner. Bezier is above Bezier Corner!	Click on the Select and Move icon then right-click on one of the corners and then select Bezier from the menu, then drag one of the green squares and watch what happens...
If you can't see the green squares when editing Bezier corners, try setting the vertex to Bezier and then (if necessary) move the vertex a bit and reset the vertex to Bezier Corner...	Repeat this process on one of the other corners - except use "Bezier Corner" instead of Bezier. When you're happy with the resulting shape, go back to the drop-down list in the Modifier Stack rollout and change Edit Spline back to Extrude.
Have a cuppa
	In this section you'll create a simple cup using a similar technique to that used above. Select File - New, don't save your first effort unless you really want to keep it!
	The figure to the left shows a side view of half of a cup - the centre of the cup is at the left of the shape.
	Change the viewport from Perspective to Front - either use the Min/Max Toggle or right click on the viewport label : Perspective and select Views and then Front. You might like to turn the grid back ON by clicking on the Grid icon below the viewport. It would also be a good idea to turn snapping ON...
	Click on the Create command panel (and if necessary, the Shapes icon), then click on the Line button and draw a shape similar to that to the left! The shape you draw doesn't need to be exactly the same as the example. Then use Edit Spline to add some curves to the cup's sides. BUT, turn snapping OFF before trying to edit the shape.
	HINT: set the vertices to Bezier Corner (not Bezier).
	When you're happy with the profile, click on the Lathe button. This spins the shape around (by default through 360o), but 3D Studio VIZ uses the centre of the shape as the rotation centre (which is NOT what we want). Change this by clicking on the Min button in the Align section of the the Parameters Rollout.
	You'll need to scroll the Command Panel up to find the Min button. Do this by moving the cursor around until it changes into a hand and then dragging up!
	Change the view back to Perspective and have a look at the object. You may need to do a Zoom Extents to see the whole object. Notice that the Lathe is segmented - in other words the curve is not very smooth. You can increase the value in the Segments parameter to make the top edge smoother!
Deformations
Use "Box" to create the box! Start in the top-view make it (about) 1 x 1 grid in the top-view and 10 "grid" units high...	There are a number of interesting commands in the Modify command panel, in this section I'm going to introduce "Bend"...
	Create a tall box with comparatively small width and depth.
	Select the Modify command panel (if necessary select the box), click on the More... button, select Bend. Move the mouse down to the Parameters roll-out and then press (and hold down) the left mouse button over the up arrow of the Angle entry area. With the button still down, move the mouse up and down, watch the effect on the box. Let go of the mouse button, you should see the box is now "leaning over" but it is not "curving over".
	To make the box "curve over", click on the drop-down list in the Modifier Stack and change the value from Bend to Box, then change the Height Segs value from 1 to 10 - the higher the value the smoother the curve.
Attics !?
	Actually, we're not going to create an attic, we're going to look at "lofting"!
In 3D Studio VIZ that's called "lofting"!	One common question that people ask is: "how do I create (something like) a pipe" - that is how can I extrude a shape along a path!?
To end the line series, press the Esc (escape) key or the right mouse button.	Click on the Create command panel, then on the Shapes icon at the top of the command panel. Draw a circle in the Left viewport and then (in the Front viewport) draw a group of lines - they will form the path.
	Edit the spline to create a "smooth-ish" line, then click on the Create command panel and the Geometry icon, finally change the drop-down list from Standard Primitives to Compound Objects. Change the view back to Perspective.
The skin setting ensures that the surface created will be visible in wire-frame views!	Select the path (the lines) and then pick the Loft button. Click on the Skin Parameters roll-out and make sure Skin in the Display section us selected.
	Click on Get Shape and pick the circle. VIZ should create an object made from passing the circle along the path!
	Note that the object is made of straight segments. Select Path in the Output section of the Surface Parameters rollout - this should make the object smoother!
Anyone for Coffee?
	The techniques introduced above (together with the simple primitives) can be used to create most of the simple shapes that are common in architectural models!
	If there's any time left, have a go at creating a coffee table with some glasses and maybe a bowl of fruit...
	If you do create the coffee table, you should save it!
	Before you leave the Computer Lab, please remember to Log-off.

Last Update : 28 August 2001 Major Revision : 10 March 2000 SEARCH . FBE SITEMAP		Disclaimer . Webmasters Page Contact : Stephen Peter Email : S.Peter@unsw.edu.au