solidthinking User Interface

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Blaise Harrington
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1 Lesson 1 solidthinking User Interface This lesson introduces you to the solidthinking interface. The functions described represent the tools necessary for effectively managing the modeling of a project. The topics covered include: The User Interface: Views, Menus, Layouts, and Toolbars. Wireframe, Shaded, and Textured Visualization. Pan, Zoom, Orbit, Dolly, and Dolly-FOV. The Cylinder Primitive. Translation and Selection. The Application Toolbar. The Libraries Toolbar. Learning solidthinking 1

2 Lesson 1 The User Interface If you are already working with solidthinking, from the File menu, select New and save the scene you were working on. Otherwise, you must first run solidthinking. By default, the user interface presents four views: three Orthographic Views and one Perspective Camera View. At the top of the interface is the Menu Bar: You can modify the View layouts by selecting View 4 Layouts or the Ctrl + L shortcut. The Layouts dialog displays the various layouts that you can choose. 2 Learning solidthinking

3 To the left of the Views, you will find the Application Toolbar and Libraries Toolbar. Note: The Application Toolbar can be moved and remain floating or docked in any location. To move it, just click its border,, and drag it. Learning solidthinking 3

4 Lesson 1 Below are two examples: User interface with the application and Modeling toolbars floating. User interface with the Application toolbar docked. 4 Learning solidthinking

5 The Top, Front and Right windows represent the projections of the construction charts YX, ZX and ZY. Each object always retains a certain thickness along the three axes X, Y, Z. Let s now look at solidthinking user interface more closely. Learning solidthinking 5

Lesson 1 Working with the user interface Each window contains a series of small icons on the title bar, and every icon represents various functions. Let s take look at them individually.

6 Lesson 1 Working with the user interface Each window contains a series of small icons on the title bar, and every icon represents various functions. Let s take look at them individually. 1) If you click the icons W, S, C, T, or E you can visualize the objects present in the view in either Wireframe (W), Shaded (S), Combined (C), Textured (T), or with an Environment (E) map applied. The figures below explain the differences among the various viewing methods. This is the Wireframe mode. 6 Learning solidthinking

7 This is the Shaded mode. This is the Combined mode. Learning solidthinking 7

8 Lesson 1 This is the Textured mode. This is with an Environment map applied. 8 Learning solidthinking

W S C T E shows the object in its essential form (Wireframe). displays the object in shaded interactive mode. applies both the wireframe and shaded mode to the object.

9 W S C T E shows the object in its essential form (Wireframe). displays the object in shaded interactive mode. applies both the wireframe and shaded mode to the object. enables you to view the eventual textures or images projected onto the object to define its material properties. allows you to apply an environment map to your scene Note: You can arrange each window independently from another to optimize your working interface. 2) If you click and drag the Pan icon, you can move the working area and frame those certain parts of the object, which are external to the field framed at the time. Learning solidthinking 9

Lesson 1 3) If you keep the left mouse button pressed over the Zoom icon and slide the mouse up and down, you can increase or decrease the distance from the field of view.

Zoom Out Zoom In 4) By keeping the left mouse button pressed over the Orbit icon, you can orbit the camera around an object.

10 Lesson 1 3) If you keep the left mouse button pressed over the Zoom icon and slide the mouse up and down, you can increase or decrease the distance from the field of view. This can be useful for viewing a very large object in a window, to work on a detail, or when performing a precise modification. Zoom Out Zoom In 4) By keeping the left mouse button pressed over the Orbit icon, you can orbit the camera around an object. Note: The Orbit icon is available only in the Perspective Camera Window. 5) By pressing and holding the left mouse button over the Dolly icon, you can move the camera forward and backward. Note: The Dolly icon is available only in the Perspective Camera Window. 10 Learning solidthinking

6) By holding the left mouse button pressed over the Dolly- FOV icon, you can modify the focal length of the camera and force the perspective to be modified.

11 6) By holding the left mouse button pressed over the Dolly- FOV icon, you can modify the focal length of the camera and force the perspective to be modified. The results are similar to those obtained with a traditional camera when using a zoom or a wide-angle lens. Note: The Dolly-FOV icon is available only in the Perspective Camera Window. Learning solidthinking 11

Next, define the final values of the cylinder using the Console, as shown in the image below: 2) Insert values in this

12 Lesson 1 The cylinder primitive 1) Activate the Top view and click the Cylinder icon in the Primitives panel. A cylinder is displayed. Next, define the final values of the cylinder using the Console, as shown in the image below: 2) Insert values in this order: Local Axes Origin = 0, 0, 0; Top Radius = 5; Bottom Radius = 5; Height = 10. This data allows you to attain a cylinder with a base of 5 units and a height of 10. Click the cylinder and it will turn red. 12 Learning solidthinking

Managing an object Using the previously created scene, let s work on a few exercises.

2) Move the cylinder around within the Front view by clicking Pan and dragging the mouse.

the view. Note: You can perform the Pan operation in any view, including the Camera view.

13 Managing an object Using the previously created scene, let s work on a few exercises. 1) Select the Front view and click the S icon to activate the Shaded mode. 2) Move the cylinder around within the Front view by clicking Pan and dragging the mouse. First, position the cylinder on the upper-right corner, then on the lower-left corner, and ultimately, anywhere you want in the view. Note: You can perform the Pan operation in any view, including the Camera view. 3) Using Zoom, enlarge the view until your object reaches full screen dimensions. Click the Zoom icon and drag it upward to enlarge and downward to reduce. In the second phase, amplify only a portion of the object one of the two extremities, for instance. Learning solidthinking 13

Lesson 1 4) Left-click the Orbit icon and drag left/right and then backward/forward until you gain some familiarity. 5) Left-click Dolly and drag forward/backward.

14 Lesson 1 4) Left-click the Orbit icon and drag left/right and then backward/forward until you gain some familiarity. 5) Left-click Dolly and drag forward/backward. Keep trying this function to familiarize yourself with it. 6) By keeping Dolly-FOV pressed, you can alter the focal length of the Perspective Camera. Keep trying to familiarize yourself with the feature. Selecting objects Before applying any modification to an object, you need to select it. The objects built in the operative environment of solidthinking are normally blue, both in wireframe and in shaded. To select an object, click it with the left mouse button. 14 Learning solidthinking

When an object (curve, primitive, or mesh) is selected, it turns red. Note: You can select more then one object by performing a left mouse click and holding the Ctrl key at the same time.

15 When an object (curve, primitive, or mesh) is selected, it turns red. Note: You can select more then one object by performing a left mouse click and holding the Ctrl key at the same time. The Application Toolbar Normally, you will find the Application Toolbar on the top left or top side of solidthinking user interface. The Application Toolbar holds a series of instruments that allow you to create, manage, and modify objects. The first section includes the tools needed to manipulate an object. Object Mode When this icon is active, you can pick and select any object in the scene. Also, the selected actions (translation, scaling, and rotation) are activated onto an object or curves. To activate the Object Mode, click the icon. Learning solidthinking 15

16 Lesson 1 Edit Mode When this icon is active, points belonging to the currently selected object/objects are displayed and you can easily select them by just them with the mouse. Via translation, scaling, and rotation, you can directly alter the geometry of the shape and move (even singularly) the mesh control points, a circumference s center, complex curves, and so on. To activate the Edit Mode, click its icon. Note: Use the Spacebar to quickly toggle between Object and Edit Mode. Group Mode Used to select groups of objects and to apply transformations and/or materials to a group as a whole. If you pick an object that is part of a group, the entire group is selected and any modification is applied to the entire group. Note: When in Group Mode, you cannot move a group of objects by simply clicking and dragging as it happens in Object Mode. For Group Mode, you must click the appropriate Translate tool. Parameter Edit and Point Edit Allows you to modify the position of the object s control points (for a NURBS primitive) or vertices (for a PolyMesh) even if the object is the result of a Construction Tree. 16 Learning solidthinking

17 Enable/Lock XYZ Dragging These icons restrain movement of selected objects on the X, Y, and Z-axes. If you click the icon (or the icons), you stop the object from moving on the specified axis (or axes). Note: You can perform precise adjustments by working on one axis after disabling the other two. Zoom Extent All Objects Zooms in/out on all orthographic views so that all graphic components are displayed. The same, but smaller, icon is displayed on the title bar of each view. Click this small icon to apply the zoom extent to a single view. Center Selected Objects Centers selected objects in all the orthographic views so that only selected components are displayed. The same, but smaller, icon is displayed on the title bar of each view. Click this small icon to apply the center selected to a single view. Ortho Adjust Forces all the orthographic views to have the same zoom and view point as the selected one. Learning solidthinking 17

18 Lesson 1 The Libraries Toolbar Modeling Toolbar The Actions library contains numerous modeling tools that allow you to apply transformations, deform shapes, draw curves, create surfaces from curves, edit surfaces, work on tri-meshes, and add primitives, cameras, and lights. Materials Browser The Materials library holds a number of materials provided with solidthinking. This library can be expanded and used to store any of your custom materials. Models Browser Similar to the Materials library, the Models library is easily extendable and can be used to store 3D models. Axes You can switch between the local and world axes by selecting the or icons, respectively. This option is available if you are using the Translate or Rotate tools. It is not available for the Scale tool. 18 Learning solidthinking

19 You have completed the first lesson. We invite you to keep working on these basic exercises and become familiar with the working interface of solidthinking, prior to moving on to more complex lessons. We also encourage you to refer to the solidthinking User s Guide and On-line Help, as they will provide you with immediate answers to any technical question that may arise. Learning solidthinking 19

solidthinking Environment...1 Modeling Views...5 Console...13 Selecting Objects...15 Working Modes...19 World Browser...25 Construction Tree...

solidthinking Environment...1 Modeling Views...5 Console...13 Selecting Objects...15 Working Modes...19 World Browser...25 Construction Tree... Copyright 1993-2009 solidthinking, Inc. All rights reserved. solidthinking and renderthinking are trademarks of solidthinking, Inc. All other trademarks or service marks are the property of their respective