Getting Started with Showcase - Digital...

Chapter

1

Getting Started with ShowcaseChapter 1:

In this chapter, you learn the purpose of Autodesk® Showcase®, about its interface, and how to import geometry and adjust imported geometry.

Objectives

After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

■ Describe the purpose and benefits of Autodesk Showcase and the navigation of its user interface.

■ Describe the importing of geometry into a Showcase scene and how to edit the imported geometry by changing its position, orientation, and display.

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1

Lesson: Introduction to Showcase

Overview

This lesson describes the purpose and benefits of Autodesk Showcase and the navigation of its user interface.

If you are striving for the approval of a design from a client or manager, you can do a better job of communicating your design by creating realistic imagery from your 3D CAD data. Autodesk Showcase enables you to communicate a realistic view of your design and digital prototype without the need to create physical prototypes.

Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

■ Describe the purpose of Autodesk Showcase and the characteristics of a presentation. ■ Explain the overall process for creating a visualization design. ■ Identify the major components of the Autodesk Showcase user interface.■ List the different methods for selecting design geometry.

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2 ■ Chapter 1: Getting Started with Showcase

About Autodesk Showcase

You use Autodesk Showcase to create realistic images and presentations of your 3D design. Prior to learning and using Showcase, you should understand what characteristics your presentations can include.

In the following illustration, the shaver model is displayed within an environment and shows grips for lights and decals.

Definition of Autodesk Showcase

Autodesk Showcase is a design visualization software application that enables you to prepare and present high-quality 3D presentations utilizing your digital prototypes in the form of 3D CAD design geometry.

Your presentations can include:

■ Alternative designs that show the design with different materials, different geometry, or the geometry positioned in different locations.

■ Lights that illuminate and highlight different aspects of your model.■ Various 3D environments that provide realistic background imagery, lighting, and reflections.■ Still and moving camera shots to view the design in just the right way.■ Movement of the 3D geometry.

After you have created your presentation of the digital prototype, you can use Showcase to present the design to others or you can communicate your design through the creation of external still image or movie files.

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Lesson: Introduction to Showcase ■ 3

Example of Showcase Created Designs

Autodesk Showcase can be used to create presentations of any 3D design. Designs can range from a variation of a current design to speculative concept designs. The following illustrations are just a few of the many possible uses.

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Creating a Showcase Design

To create a design that visually shows your design the way you want it to, you need to understand the process for creating a visualization design. By knowing the overall process, learning the purpose and benefits of different commands at a later time is easier because you can see how it relates to the overall process.

Process: Creating a Showcase Design

The following steps give an overview of the creation of a visualization design using Autodesk Showcase.

1. Import 3D CAD model geometry.

2. Validate the direction of the surface normals. Revise the direction of surface normals if required.

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3. Set up the scene. Hide or transform geometry. Add ambient shadows. Add materials. Add lights. Set up the scene environment.

4. Set up the scene for presenting. Set up alternatives. Set up shots. Add behaviors.

5. Present the scene. Save images of the design. Save movies from the shots. Conduct a live presentation using Showcase to orbit or walk around the scene and select the configured alternatives, shots, and behaviors.

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Interface Layout and Navigation

To learn and use a software application, you need to know where and how to access the tools and commands within that application. Having an understanding of how the user interface for the application is set up makes it easier to learn and locate those tools and commands. Because you are creating a 3D design, you must also know how to navigate the space so you can efficiently create and edit the design and effectively present the design.

Showcase Scenes

The environment where you import and create your design and the subsequent design file is referred to as a scene. Only one scene file can be open at any one time.

Scene files have a file extension of .A3S. When the scene file is created, a subfolder with the same name as the scene with -files appended to the name is created in the same folder. The files in the subfolder support the design information in the scene file. The 3D model files used in the scene have an .APF file extension and are stored in the subfolder. If you want to move the scene to a different machine or drive, then when you copy or move the A3S scene file, you also need to copy or move the corresponding folder and its contents.

In the following illustration, the 3D scene design is shown on the left and the corresponding folder and file organization is shown on the right. The scene file Shaver.a3s is saved in the folder ProductDesigns and the subfolder Shaver-files was automatically created and corresponding files were saved to that subfolder.

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Interface Layout

Autodesk Showcase’s user interface consists of menus, lists, and dialog boxes. The lists hover over the scene geometry enabling you to select their options between or during the use of other tools. Many of the dialog boxes are also independent enabling you to position them anywhere on your screen so you can continue to work on your design and access the options or settings in the dialog box.

View Navigation

You have four primary access methods available to view your design in the 3D environment space. The four methods you can use to navigate or adjust the view are:

■ Use a combination of mouse and keyboard keys.■ Use the View Cube.■ Use different keyboard keys.■ Use commands from the View menu.

Environment area where you view and create the visualization design.

Menus for accessing commands and options.

View cube and home view option for quickly setting the viewing direction of the model.

Lists for accessing items like materials, shots, and alternative lineups. Toggle on and off their display as they are needed.

Organizer dialog box listing the geometry within this scene.

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To efficiently return to a specific view, set that view as the home view. You establish the home view by first setting the view to display the model in the required direction and zoom magnification. You then click View menu > Set Home View to set that view as the home view. After you set the home view, you can return to it at any time by clicking the Home icon next to the view cube, by clicking View menu > Go To Home View, or by pressing HOME on the keyboard.

Mouse-Keyboard Combinations for View Navigation

The mouse and keyboard combinations to orbit, pan, and zoom are identified and explained in the following table.

For More Information

Additional information is available on view navigation in the Autodesk Showcase Help system. In the Help system, visit the topic Basics > View and Move Around A Scene.

View Option Keyboard Mouse Combination

Description

Orbit

You orbit the display by pressing ALT as you click and drag with the left mouse button.

Pan

You pan by pressing ALT as you click and drag with the center mouse button.

NOTE: You can also pan by clicking the center button without pressing ALT.

Zoom

You dynamically zoom in and out of the view by pressing ALT as you click and drag with the right mouse button.

NOTE: You can also zoom by rotating the center mouse wheel.

Zoom Window Around Point of Interest

You zoom in to a rectangular area around a point of interest by pressing CTRL+ALT as you click and drag the selection window with the left mouse button. The first point you click is the point of interest and is the center of the rectangular window.

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Mouse-Keyboard Combinations for Point of Interest

When you dynamically zoom or orbit the display, by default you zoom or orbit around the center of the model geometry. If your point of interest is another location, you have two different methods for setting the point of interest. In one method, you set the point of interest to the specified geometry and the view pans so that point of interest is in the middle of the screen. The other method resets the point of interest and keeps the view at that location. You set the point by pressing the corresponding keys and clicking the geometry point of interest.

The location of the current zoom and orbit point of interest is identified on the model by the following icon.

In the following illustrations, the initial point of interest is shown on the left and the results of changing the point of interest and orbiting the model are shown on the center and right.

View Option Keyboard Mouse Combination

Description

Set Point of Interest and Center

You set a new point of interest and have the view pan so that point is in the center of the screen by pressing CTRL+ALT as you click and drag over the location on the geometry with the left mouse button.

Set Point of Interest and Center

You set a new point of interest without having the view automatically pan by pressing ALT as you click and drag the location on the geometry with the left mouse button.

Initial Point of Interest Set Point of Interest Point of Interest and Center

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Keyboard Shortcuts

The tools and options that have keyboard shortcuts associated with them have the shortcut listed with them. By having the shortcut listed with the tool or option, the more you access it the easier it is to learn what keyboard option you can enter to access that tool or option quicker.

One example of using a keyboard shortcut for quicker results is pressing F to display all of the geometry in the graphics window. Another example is to use the keyboard shortcut M to quickly toggle the display of the list of materials instead of clicking Material menu > Materials.

The following illustration shows the graphics window before and after using the keyboard shortcut F to fit the model geometry to the graphics window.

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When you have the heads-up display option toggled on, some tools also have additional keyboard shortcuts listed to inform you of the available option at that time.

Display Modes

You can change the modes that you display your design. You change the mode to match if you are working or presenting the design. You toggle between standard work mode and presentation mode by clicking Presentation menu > Presentation Mode or pressing TAB.

For More Information

Additional information is available on keyboard shortcut in the Autodesk Showcase Help system. In the Help system, visit the topic Keyboard Shortcuts.

Use the F10 keyboard shortcut to toggle on and off heads-up display. Have the display on when you are creating and editing a design. Toggle the display off when you are presenting the design to others.

Display Mode Description

Standard Work Mode

Use when you are creating and modifying the design.

Presentation Mode Use to orbit or walk around the scene, select different alternatives, view different shots, and play a behavior. You cannot change the design when in presentation mode.

Full Screen Use in combination with standard work mode or presentation mode to display the scene over your entire monitor without the menus or edges of the software application window. Toggle full screen display on and off by clicking View menu > Full Screen or pressing the SPACEBAR.

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Background Color

The color of the background when using the Empty environment is a configurable item. You can change the color by selecting a set color from the View menu or by configuring your computer to set a different default background color. The original default background color is blue. You can select a black or white background by clicking View menu > Black Background or clicking View menu > White Background. You return back to the default color by clicking View menu > Default Background.

Procedure: Setting the Default Background Color

The following steps give an overview of setting the default background color of Showcase to a color of your choice.

1. Copy the file BackgroundCustom.py from your install directory to your user preference folder.

■ Typical install folder: C:\Program File\Autodesk\Showcase<version>\extras\Interactive.■ Typical user preference folder: C:\My Documents\Autodesk Showcase <version>\.

2. Create a user environment variable titled SHOWCASE_BACKGROUND_COLOR with a value equal to the RGB value you want. For example, the RGB value for white is 1 1 1.

NOTE: You set the user environment variable in the Environment Variables dialog box as shown. You access this dialog box by clicking Environment Variable on the Advanced tab of the System Properties dialog box.

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Geometry Selection

To change the setting or properties of model geometry in a scene, you follow a workflow of selecting the geometry and then selecting the tool or property. To make the changes to the model geometry that you require, you need to know what methods are available to you for selecting the model geometry. After you understand what selection methods are available, you can utilize the method that is the most efficient for model geometry and the task that you need to accomplish.

The following illustration shows the model geometry before and after some of the geometry was selected.

Selection Methods

You have a number of methods available for selecting geometry and objects within your designs. The specific selection method you use is going to be done from the:

■ Graphics Window■ Select Menu■ Organizer

You can use a selection method in one of those areas or any combination of them.

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Selection Display Styles

When you select geometry, the display of that selected geometry changes to help you identify what is selected. The display method and color depends on which of the four available settings you have set. You set how you want selected geometry to display on the menu Options > Selection Display Style. Your display style options are:

■ Animated Grid■ White Wireframe■ Black Wireframe■ Blue Wireframe

In the following illustration, the same geometry is selected and shown using two different display styles.

Menu Selection Methods

The selection methods on the Select menu have various benefits for helping you get just the right geometry selected.

Graphics Window Selection Methods

When you select design geometry in the graphics window, you either click on it or use a selection window. If you use a selection window, the geometry that touches the rectangular window or that is inside the window area is selected. Selected geometry is referred to as being part of the active selection set. You clear the current selection set by clicking in an open area of the graphics window.

You add to the current selection set of geometry by pressing SHIFT and using one of the selection methods. You remove geometry from the current selection set by pressing CTRL and using one of the selection methods.

Animated Grid White Wireframe

Option Description

Select All Use to select all visible and hidden design geometry and lights in the scene.

Select All Visible Use to select only geometry and lights that are not hidden.

Deselect All Use to clear the selection of geometry and lights.

Deselect Hidden Use to clear the selection of any hidden geometry and lights.

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You create a selection window by clicking and dragging the cursor over the area of geometry that you want to select. One corner of the rectangle is the first point you click. The opposite corner is the point that you release the mouse button.

In the following illustration, the selection window is shown being defined on the left. The geometry that was selected by the selection window is shown on the right.

Select in the Organizer

The Organizer dialog box lists all design geometry and lights that are in the scene. You can select one or more of the visible and hidden lights or geometry areas from within this dialog box.

You use the CTRL or SHIFT key to select geometry in the same manner you select files in Windows Explorer. CTRL enables you to randomly add or remove objects to the selection set. SHIFT selects objects in a range in the list between the first and last selected objects.

The following illustration shows the Organizer with objects selected and the scene with that geometry selected.

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Exercise: Navigate Autodesk Showcase

In this exercise, you view a completed design, navigate the scene of that design, and navigate the user interface.

The completed exercise

Completing the ExerciseTo complete the exercise, follow the steps in this book or in the onscreen exercise. In the onscreen list of chapters and exercises, click Chapter 1: Getting Started with Showcase. Click Exercise: Navigate Autodesk Showcase.

1. Open Shaver-Showcase Essentials.a3s.

2. Click Material menu > Show Decal Grips.

3. Click Scene menu > Environments.

4. To set a different environment active, in the Environments list, Environments In This Scene area, click ID Speed.

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5. In the Environments In This Scene area, click Photo Studio.

6. To display the list of alternative lineups, click Scene menu > Alternatives.

7. In the Alternative Lineups list, Shaver Body list:

■ Click the different alternative images to view the change on the model geometry.

■ Click Alternate4 to set the orange color active.

8. In the Shaver Base Visibility and Exploded View areas, click the different alternatives. Return the active alternatives to Base Visible and Non-Explode.

9. To display the list of shots configured in this scene, click View menu > Shots.

10. In the Shots list, click each shot to view its animation.

11. To return the view to the home view, on the view cube, click Home.

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12. Click Scene menu > Organizer.

13. In the Organizer:

■ Expand the list for the shaver.■ Select Shaver_stp.apf:Housing

Complete Left:1.■ Press CTRL and select

Shaver_stp.apf:NOR-P-001:1.

14. In the graphics window, review the display preview for the selected geometry.

15. Click Options menu > Selection Display Style > Blue Wireframe. Review the changes in the display of the selected geometry.

16. To clear the selection of geometry, click in an open area of the graphics window.

17. To close the scene without saving:

■ Click File menu > Close Scene.■ Click Don’t Save.

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Lesson: Importing and Adjusting Imported Geometry

Overview

This lesson describes the importing of geometry into a Showcase scene and how to edit the imported geometry by changing its position, orientation, and display.

Importing geometry into Autodesk Showcase is very important because you cannot create 3D geometry in Showcase. To create a design you have to import the 3D geometry that is created in another application.

In the following illustration, the imported geometry is composed of model geometry from two different STEP files. The organization and structure of the imported geometry is dependent on the organization of subassemblies and parts in the originating STEP file.

Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

■ Import geometry into a Showcase scene from external model files. ■ View and flip the direction of the normals on model geometry.■ Transform geometry to a new position or orientation. ■ Identify the options for controlling the visibility of objects.■ Access the Organizer to select geometry, group geometry for higher level selection, or

hide geometry from display.

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Importing Models

When you create a new design in Showcase, the first thing you do after starting a new scene file is import the geometry you want to create a visual design for. To create a scene that includes the geometry you require, you need to know the process for importing geometry into a scene from external model files.

In the following illustration, the initial CAD model is shown on the left and the Showcase scene geometry after the initial import on the right.

Importing Models

You can import 3D geometry into a Showcase scene from multiple types of files. A single scene can be composed of geometry imported from multiple CAD files. To create a scene that has geometry from multiple CAD files, you select and import each of the separate files. If you select to import an assembly file that references other files, those referenced files are imported at that same time. For example, selecting an Inventor assembly file causes the referenced part files to be imported at the same time.

You select the type of file that you want to import by selecting the type from the Files of Type list in the Import Model dialog box. After you have imported models into a scene, you access the list of imported CAD files in the Import Status dialog box.

The following illustration shows the Files Of Type list in the Import Model dialog box. Only some of the many types of CAD files that can be imported are shown. Reference this list to see all of the types of files you can import into a Showcase scene file.

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Lesson: Importing and Adjusting Imported Geometry ■ 21

After you select a file to import, you select the surface quality for the geometry that you are importing. The surfaces and faces of the 3D CAD model are then tessellated using that quality setting. The better the quality, the better the appearance, but the longer it takes to import and render. The lower the quality, the faster it imports, but the rougher the surface looks.

When a CAD file is imported, a new APF file for that geometry is created that stores the tessellation quality value you selected. The scene references that separate file for displaying in the scene. The scene also stores the name of the original imported file and its location so you can easily and quickly change the import quality from one setting to another.

Access

Access

Import Models

Menu: File > Import Models

Shortcut Menu: CTRL+I

Import Status

Menu: File > Show Import Status

Shortcut Menu: I

You can also import model geometry into a scene by dragging and dropping the model file from Windows Explorer to the graphics window of the scene.

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Import Status

After you import model geometry into a scene, you can review the list of imported files and make changes in the Import Status dialog box. A key modification task within this dialog box is to change the conversion quality of an imported file.

Lists the name of the file where the geometry was imported from. Right-click and click Settings to access the Original Model Settings dialog box and the Up-Axis setting.

Identifies what settings were used to convert the source file. Right-click the field to select a different conversion quality or click Settings (5) and select the quality from the list.

Identifies the status of the conversion. If it shows Needs Update, click the cell or click Convert to convert the source file.

Lists the name of the Showcase file that was created after converting the source file and that is used in the scene file.

Click to change the conversion setting for the selected source file.

Click to remove the selected source file from the scene file.

Use to select a new source file or a source file at a different location.

Click to import an additional file into the current scene.

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Conversion Settings

When you import model geometry you select an existing conversion setting from the list. The names of the conversion settings help you identify the settings used to import the model geometry. The following illustration identifies and describes the meaning in the names.

The surface quality ranges from low to very high. The actual quality of the surfaces is determined by the number of tessellated polygons that make up the surfaces. A low setting converts the model using the least number of polygons. A high LOD setting converts the model geometry using a very high number of polygons. When more polygons are used to define a model area, the sizes of the polygons are smaller and thus create a smoother appearance.

In the following illustration, the same spherical shape is shown using four different quality settings. The quality settings are shown going from low, on the left, to very high, on the right.

Unique number for each conversion setting in the list.

Indicates if the conversion setting is configured to import large size geometry, smaller size geometry, the tessellation, if it is already tessellated, or whether or not to merge the geometry. If your model geometry is for large size objects, like cars, then you can select a conversion setting that has Default in its title. If you are importing small size objects, like hand tools, then you want to select a conversion setting that has Small-object in its title.

Identifies the total number of level of details that are calculated for the geometry when it is imported.

Indicates what the required surface quality should be after the import.

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Switching Quality Settings

While there are various reasons why you would select to use one quality value or another, you typically use a lower quality so the display is quicker and a higher quality when you need the model to look smooth. The optimal quality is one that gives you both acceptable performance and display quality.

After you have imported model geometry, you can always go back and switch the quality from one value to another. You have two different ways that you can switch a model from one tessellation quality to another.

■ Select to reimport the file by selecting a different conversion setting in the Import Status dialog box.

■ Change the level of detail setting in the scene to use a different tessellation version. Only models that were imported using a conversion setting that imports the data with more than one tessellation version will have their tessellation quality changed.

A level of tessellation quality is referred to as a level of detail (LOD). Every converted file has at least one LOD. When a converted file has more than one tessellation quality that you can select between, that file contains more than one LOD. You switch the quality from one to another in the Performance and Quality dialog box.

Before you can change the level of detail setting, the Lock Display Quality To option in the Performance and Quality dialog box must be clicked. You change the level of detail setting by dragging the Level Of Detail slider located in the Hardware Rendering area of the dialog box. When you drag the slider, models in the scene that have more than one LOD switch from one tessellation level to another. The switching of LODs depends on the number of LODs in the model and on the position of the slider. For a model that has two LODs, the switch will not occur until the slider is past the halfway point. For a model that has three LODs, the switch occurs at the one-third and two-thirds point.

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In the following illustration, the model is shown using two different tessellation settings. In this example the model was imported using a conversion setting that created two LODs. Because there are two LODs, the display quality can be switched from one tessellation quality to another by changing the Level Of Detail setting in the Performance And Quality dialog box.

Original Model Settings

If the initial up direction of the model geometry does not align with the up direction for the scene, the model geometry is displayed on its side. By default the model geometry imports so that its Z axis points up in the scene. You can change the settings for an imported model so that its Y axis is the up direction. You change the up axis setting in the Original Model Settings dialog box. You access the Original Model Settings dialog box from the Import Status dialog box by right-clicking the name of the model in the Source Files column and then clicking Settings.

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Process: Importing Models

The following steps give an overview of importing models into a Showcase scene file.

Guidelines for Importing Models

Follow these guidelines for importing models into a scene.

■ If you are not familiar with the geometry you are importing, select a conversion setting that creates a single LOD and converts using a low quality.

■ After validating or reviewing the geometry in a low conversion, change the conversion setting to import using a higher quality.

■ When you need to switch between rough and smooth quality settings, import the model with more than one LOD so that you can efficiently switch back and forth as needed.

1. Start the Import Models tool and the select the type of model file and one or more files to import.

2. Select the conversion settings to use and import the geometry.

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Viewing and Flipping Surface Normals

Prior to applying materials to model geometry, you must have the surface normal pointing in the proper direction. If the normal is pointing in the wrong direction, the final display of the material does not display correctly. To ensure and achieve the proper normal directions, you must know how to display and flip the direction of the surface normal.

Surface Normals

When you toggle the display to show surface normals, surfaces displays either blue or yellow. A blue surface indicates that you are viewing the front side of the surface. A yellow surface indicates that you are viewing the back side of the surface.

In the following illustration, you are viewing the front side of all of the surfaces except the identified surface. The identified surface is displayed in yellow, while the other surfaces are displayed in blue.

Access

Access

Show Normals

Menu: Edit > Show Normals

Keyboard Shortcut: F2

Reverse Normals

Menu: Edit > Reverse Normals

Keyboard Shortcut: F3

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Process: View and Flip Surface Normals

The following steps give an overview of viewing and flipping the direction of the normals on model geometry.

1. Toggle on the option Show Normals.

2. Select one or more objects that require their normals be flipped.

3. Flip the normal using the Reverse Normals tool.

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Transforming Geometry

Depending on the origination of the geometry that you import into a scene, you may need to change its location or rotation so that it properly corresponds to other geometry in the scene. To modify geometry to a new position or orientation so that it corresponds to other geometry correctly, you need to know how to transform geometry.

Transform Geometry

After you import geometry into a scene, you can modify its position, orientation, or scale by transforming it or editing its model settings. You can modify selected objects by dynamically repositioning them through the use of transformation handles or entering exact values that are either relative to the object’s current position or an absolute value relative to the scene.

You access the tools for transforming geometry from the Edit menu. The transforming options vary depending on which tool you accessed. The tools for transforming geometry on the Edit menu and their description are:

Transform Options

When you display the transform handle, the handle icon in the following illustration displays with the selected objects. You can dynamically move or rotate the selected objects in a single axis direction or around an axis by clicking and dragging the arrow associated with that axis. To move or rotate a specific value, click the handle arrow and then enter the value. You can scale the geometry in one axis

Option Description

Show Transform Handles

Use to toggle the display of the transform handles on and off. The transform handles enable you to dynamically reposition the selected objects through a click and drag operation.

Transform Select to display the Transform dialog box where you can move or rotate objects relative to their current position and orientation.

Transform Properties

Use to display the Transform Properties dialog box to move, rotate, or scale the objects and absolute value.

Copy Transform Use to copy the transforms that are applied to an object.

Paste Transform Use to apply the transforms that were copied to other selected objects.

Revert Transform Select to clear all transforms that have been applied to the objects.

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direction by clicking and dragging the cube at the end of that axis or click the cube to enter a specific scale factor. Click and drag the rectangle at the handle’s origin to move the object to any location in that plane.

Within the Transform dialog box you select how you want to transform the selected objects. You select between translate and rotate transformations. When translate is selected, the values you enter in the X, Y, and Z fields cause the selected object to move in the direction of that axis the entered distance. When rotate is selected, the value that you enter rotates the selected objects around that axis and that number of degrees.

The display of the origin rectangle on the transform handle depends on the current viewing direction. Change the viewing orientation to cause a different plane to display.

When you enter a value to rotate the objects, enter a positive or negative value. The positive direction for rotation about that axis follows the right hand rule of rotation.

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The Transform Properties dialog box displays the current position, rotation, and scale values for the X, Y, and Z axes. These values are absolute to the scene’s origin position and orientation. Entering a new value causes the selected objects to change to that new absolute value.

Process: Transforming Geometry

The following steps give an overview of transforming geometry to change its position or orientation within the scene.

1. Select the geometry that you want to transform.

2. On the Edit menu, select the transform tool that you want to use.

3. Transform the geometry as required by entering the values or clicking and dragging the transform handle. Sa

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Object Visibility

When you import geometry from a file, there might be geometry that you do not want to view in the final design or that you need to temporarily hide so you can view other geometry. To control the visibility of objects in the scene, you need to know what tools are available and where you access those tools.

Object Visibility Tools

The Select menu has the tools that assist you in changing the visibility of geometry and lights. Those tools are:

Option Description

Hide Use to hide the objects that are currently selected.

Un-hide All Select to have all objects visible.

Swap Hidden and Visible

Use to switch the visibility of all objects based on their current visibility. Visible objects become hidden and hidden objects become visible.

Un-hide Selected Use to make the currently selected objects visible. You select the hidden objects in the Organizer.

Isolate Selected Use to hide all objects other than the currently selected objects.

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Utilizing the Organizer

When you have a design with many separate pieces of model geometry, selecting just the right piece or pieces of geometry in the graphics window can be quite a challenge. To make it easier and more efficient to select geometry or make hidden geometry visible, you need to know how to access the Organizer and group geometry.

Access

Organizer

Menu: Scene > Organizer

Keyboard Shortcut: O

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Organizer Dialog Box

The Organizer is a modeless dialog box that displays the imported geometry in a tree view structure. Because the dialog box is modeless, it displays at all times regardless of what task you are completing. It continues to display until you specifically close it. You use the Organizer to:

■ View the original hierarchy of imported model geometry.■ View and toggle the visibility of model geometry. ■ Identify if the model geometry has been moved or rotated. The Arrange By option of Main

must be active.■ Select one or more pieces of model geometry or groups of geometry.■ Create a new arrangement and folders to organize the model geometry so that its organization

matches your selection requirements.

In the following illustration, the Organizer is shown listing the same model geometry using the default Main arrangement, on the left, and a custom arrangement, on the right.

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Process: Arranging Objects in the Organizer

The following steps give an overview of arranging objects in the Organizer for more efficient access and use.

1. Display the Organizer dialog box.

2. Create a new arrangement.

■ In the Arrange By list, click Create New Arrangement.■ In the Create new Arrangement dialog box, enter a new name and select the existing

arrangement to base it on.

3. Create new folders to match your organizational requirements.

4. Click and drag the entries in the list to the new folder organizational structure.

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Exercise: Import and Adjust Imported Geometry

In this exercise, you import model geometry using different conversion settings, transform some of the geometry, and group geometry in the Organizer.

Import Geometry

In this section of the exercise, you import geometry using different conversion settings and view the tessellation for those settings. You also review the surface normals of the imported geometry.

The completed exercise

Completing the ExerciseTo complete the exercise, follow the steps in this book or in the onscreen exercise. In the onscreen list of chapters and exercises, click Chapter 1: Getting Started with Showcase. Click Exercise: Import and Adjust Imported Geometry.

1. Click File menu > New Scene to create a new empty scene.

2. Click Options menu > Selection Display Style > White Wireframe.

3. To begin importing model geometry into the scene:

■ Click File menu > Import Models.■ In the Import Models dialog box,

select Base.stp.■ Click Open.

4. In the Convert Imported Models dialog box:

■ In the Conversion Settings list, select 02-Default-1LOD-Low.

■ Click OK.

5. Reposition the Import Status dialog box so that you can view the imported geometry and the dialog box. Review the tessellation quality of the imported geometry.

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6. To reimport the base part again using a different conversion setting:

■ In the Import Status dialog box, Conversion Settings column, right-click the conversion setting for base.stp. Click 12-Small-object-1LOD-Low.

■ In the Conversion Status column, click Needs Update.

7. In the graphics window, review the new import and tessellation of the model geometry.

8. To begin importing another file:

■ In the Import Status dialog box, click Import Models.

■ In the Import Models dialog box, select Shaver.stp.

■ Click Open.

9. In the Convert Imported Models dialog box:

■ In the Conversion Settings list, select 16-Small-object-2LOD-Medium.

■ Click OK.

10. After the import is completed, close the Import Status dialog box. Review the import of the additional file and tessellation of the model geometry.

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11. Left-click in an open area of the graphics window to deselect all selected geometry.

12. In the graphics window, left-click the shaver cover to select it as shown. View the tessellation of that model only.

13. To begin changing which level of detail is active for the entire shaver, click Options menu > Performance and Quality.

14. In the Performance and Quality dialog box:

■ Click Lock Display Quality To.■ Drag the Level Of Detail slider back and

forth to view the changes in the tessellation of the selected model.

■ When the slider is set to Low, click OK.

15. Left-click in an open area of the graphics window to deselect all selected geometry.

16. To review the direction of the surface normals:

■ Click Edit menu > Show Normals.■ Click the different sides and viewing

directions on the viewing cube to view the model from different directions.

17. To return to the view:

■ Press HOME.■ Press F.■ Press F2.

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Transform Geometry

In this section of the exercise, you move geometry from one location to another. You also remove those changes from one of the pieces of geometry.

1. Open the file that you saved from the previous exercise section if it is not already opened.

2. To begin moving and rotating half of the shaver housing:

■ In the graphics window, click the shaver housing as shown.

■ Click Edit menu > Show Transform Handles.

3. Click and drag the green linear arrow to the right as shown.

4. Click and drag the blue arc arrow in a counter clockwise direction until the geometry is positioned as shown.

5. In the graphics window, select the base part.

6. Press H to toggle the display of the Transform Handle off.

7. To begin rotating the base model, click Edit menu > Transform.

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Organize and Hide Geometry

In this section of the exercise, you organize geometry in a different manner within the Organizer and change the visibility of some of the geometry.

8. In the Transform dialog box:

■ In the list, select Rotate Relative.■ In the Z field, enter -90.■ Click Apply.■ Click Close.

The model displays as shown.

9. To move the base geometry to a specific location:

■ Click Edit menu > Transform Properties.■ In the Transform Properties dialog box,

Position X, Y, Z fields, enter -5 cm, 3 cm,-9 cm respectively.

■ Click Close.

10. To remove the transformations applied to the shaver housing part:

■ In the graphics window, select the previously transformed housing part.

■ Click Edit menu > Revert Transform.■ Click in an open area of the graphics

window to deselect the geometry.

The model now displays as shown.

1. Open the file that you saved from the previous exercise section if it is not already opened.

2. Click Scene menu > Organizer. Review the organization of the information.

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3. To create a new arrangement:

■ In the Arrange By list, select Create New Arrangement.

■ In the Create New Arrangement dialog box, Name field, enter Inside-Outside Parts.

■ Click Create.

4. In the Organizer, on the toolbar, click Create A New Folder.

5. In the list, double-click New Folder. Enter Outside Parts and then press ENTER.

6. Repeat the process of the last two steps to create a new folder titled Inside Parts.

7. To reorganize the inside parts to the Inside Parts folder:

■ Expand the Organizer list for Shaver_stp.■ Press and hold CTRL while clicking the

identified parts.■ Click and drag the last selected part to the

folder Inside Parts as shown.

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8. In the Organizer, select the remaining parts under Shaver_stp.apf:3 and drag and drop them to the folder Outside Parts as shown.

9. To move the base part model to the top level of the list, in the Organizer:

■ Expand the list for base_stp.■ Click and drag base_stp.apf:-L-1 to the

top of the list as shown.

10. To remove the unneeded original folders, in the Organizer:

■ Press SHIFT and select base_stp.apf:base:1 and Shaver_stp.apf:Shaver.

■ Right-click Shaver_stp.apf:Shaver. Click Delete.

■ Review the folder list for the custom arrangement.

11. To hide the models in the Outside Parts folder, in the Organizer, right-click Outside Parts. Click Hide.

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12. To change the list back to the original Main arrangement, in the Arrange By list, select Main.

13. To unhide half of the shaver housing, in the list right-click Shaver_stp.apf:Housing Complete Right:1. Click Un-hide.

14. To unhide all model geometry, click Select menu > Un-Hide All.

15. End of exercise. To save the scene:

■ Click File menu > Save Scene.■ In the Save Scene As dialog box, enter

Import Model Geometry.■ Click Save.

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Chapter Summary

In this chapter, you learned the purpose of Autodesk Showcase, about its interface, and how to import and adjust imported geometry.

Having completed this chapter, you can:

■ Describe the purpose and benefits of Autodesk Showcase and the navigation of its user interface.■ Describe the importing of geometry into a Showcase scene and how to edit the imported

geometry by changing its position, orientation, and display.

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Chapter Summary ■ 45

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