Autodesk VIZ Awesome Results for All Autodesk Applications

Transcription

1 11/30/2005-5:00 pm - 6:30 pm Room:N. Hemispheres (Salon A4) (Dolphin) Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort Orlando, Florida Autodesk VIZ Awesome Results for All Autodesk Applications Eddie Perlberg - Kohl's Department Stores DV35-2 Not just for architecture anymore, Autodesk VIZ 2006 with its new focus on interoperability has never been more capable of bringing to life all members of the Autodesk design family. Users of Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Mechanical Desktop, Autodesk Revit Building, and Autodesk Land Desktop all can reap the benefits of VIZ In this 90-minute session, we will discuss the strategies for successfully linking or importing your design data into a VIZ scene and examine the individual nuances associated with different types of design data. About the Speaker: Eddie is the project lead for CAD operations for Kohl's Department Stores, where he has successfully implemented Autodesk Revit and Autodesk Architectural Desktop. Eddie has 15 years of experience developing architectural and visualization solutions. He has taught a variety of classes and is a recognized speaker at numerous seminars. Eddie is also a contributing animator for the Bradley Center, home of the Milwaukee Bucks, Admirals, and Marquette Golden Eagles. He is experienced as a CAD manager, designer, and visualization artist.

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3 AutoDesk is one of the leading software suppliers to customers in diverse design industries: building, manufacturing, infrastructure, digital media, and planning services. While no one has the expectation of becoming an Autodesk VIZ 2006 expert in this very brief session, we re going to focus on leveraging your design data from the Autodesk application you used to create it and enhancing it in Autodesk VIZ File Linking and File Importing of design data created in AutoCAD applications To understand which technique to employ as we bring our design data into Autodesk VIZ 2006, it is important to understand the possibilities. There are 2 procedures available to us, File Linking and File Importing. While these 2 options have their distinct applications and advantages, they also share a number of similar parameters. First, and the easiest to master, would be File Importing. In this process your design data is converted to VIZ data. Any changes to your design data would require duplicate changes to your VIZ data. Some file formats such as LandXML and Inventor files are only available in the File Import process. The import function also allows you to bring in more standard 3D files like IGES and 3ds. Secondly, we have the ability to File Link. When you use the File Link utility the objects in Autodesk VIZ have a relationship with the original drawing file. While there is still a conversion when brought into VIZ, any changes made to the design can be immediately updated by reloading the link. File Linking can only be used with.dwg and.dxf file formats from AutoCAD Release 12 through AutoCAD 2006, including the Mechanical, Civil and Architectural Desktop applications. Shared Concepts Geometry File Linking and File Importing for dwg and dxf files share a number of concepts. File Import Dialog Box 2

4 File Link Dialog Boxes Combine Objects by Layer - When this option is on, any objects on a given layer in the AutoCAD drawing will be made part of a single Editable Mesh or Editable Spline. The imported object name has a Layer: prefix and is followed by the layer name. For example, all AutoCAD objects residing on the layer WALLS become part of the Editable Mesh named Layer:Walls after they are imported to Autodesk VIZ. When this option is on, the import behavior is equivalent to choosing Layers, Blocks As Node Hierarchy in the Advanced Settings panel of the File Link Manager. When this option is off, the behavior is equivalent to choosing Entity, Blocks As Node Hierarchy on the same panel. Create One Scene Object For Each ADT Object - Architectural Desktop (ADT) objects are imported or linked as a single object instead of being separated into their individual components. This means that if you import an ADT door object, the door is represented as one object instead of three. Turning on this switch makes importing faster and the scene size is smaller. Note: This switch presents several modeling concerns that you need to be aware of. Material assignments from ADT are not translated during the import process. However, while the objects themselves do not have materials assigned, the materials are imported and placed on the Scene Unused palette. If you want to assign materials to these objects, you'll have to use Multi/Sub-Object materials. Depending on the Texture Mapping option you choose, UVW coordinates are translated correctly. Use Extrude modifier to represent thickness When on, AutoCAD objects with thickness have that thickness replaced with an Extrude modifier to represent the value. You can then access this modifier and change the height segments, capping options, and height value. When off, objects with thickness (and closed capped objects) are converted directly to a mesh. Weld - Sets whether coincident vertices of converted objects are welded according to the Weld Threshold setting. Welding smoothes across seams and unifies normals of objects with coincident vertices. Note: When working with drawings created in Revit, it is recommended that you use this setting. Weld Threshold - Sets the distance that determines whether vertices are coincident. If the distance between two vertices is less than or equal to the Weld Threshold, the vertices are welded together. 3

5 Auto-smooth - Assigns smoothing groups according to the Smooth Angle value. Smoothing groups determine whether faces on an object render as a smooth surface or display a seam at their edges, creating a faceted appearance. Smooth Angle - Controls whether smoothing occurs between two adjacent faces. If the angle between the two face normals is less than or equal to the smooth angle, the faces are smoothed. Unify Normals - Analyzes the face normals of each object and flips normals where necessary, so they all point out from the center of an object. If the imported geometry is not properly welded, or if the software can t determine the object's center, normals might be oriented in the wrong direction. Turn off Unify Normals when importing AutoCAD solid models and working with ADT files. Cap Closed Objects - Applies an Extrude modifier to all closed objects, sets the amount value to 0 and turns on the Cap Start and Cap End options of the modifier. Capping makes closed entities with thickness appear solid and closed entities without thickness appear flat. Texture Mapping - The texture mapping settings reduce the loading time of models that have many objects with stored UVW Coordinates for texture mapped materials. Note: This setting only applies to geometry that is stored as a mesh in the scene. Spline shapes marked as renderable have separate controls for UVW coordinate generation on the Spline Rendering panel. Generate Coordinates On Demand - When Generate Coordinates On Demand is used, the File Link Manager will not generate texture coordinates that get stored in the mesh objects that are linked. Actively linked objects generate UVW coordinates on demand, so if you assign a material to an object and the material requires texture coordinates, the UV coordinates are silently assigned to that object. If the material or texture map is set to display in viewport, the coordinates are assigned as soon as the material is applied; if not, the coordinates are assigned when the scene is rendered. This option gives you faster loading speed, but no UVW coordinate generation. Note: Objects in drawings created in Architectural Desktop explicitly pass texture coordinates to Autodesk VIZ when you attach the drawing. If you rely on 'on-demand' coordinate generation, they may not match the coordinates that were specified in the original drawing. The map scaling is the same, but the texture offsets may be altered. Generate Coordinates For All Objects - This option forces all objects to have UVW coordinates generated when the drawing is linked. This option tells the File Link Manager to create UVW coordinates, but loading time is increased while the coordinate generation occurs. Curve Steps - Adjusts how smoothly an arc or curve appears when the drawing is imported. Larger numbers result in smoother curves. Default=10. Surface Deviation For 3D Solids - Specifies the maximum allowable distance for tessellation for the Autodesk VIZ surface mesh from the AutoCAD solid surface. Small numbers produce more accurate surfaces with a greater number of faces. Include group Allows the process to include or ignore External references - Hatches - Points - Lights - Views (cameras) - UCSs (grids) 4

6 Layers Layer functionality is virtually equal in both methods of adding dwg information. Import Dialog Box File Link Dialog Box Spline Rendering panel The controls on this panel are identical in name and operation to those found on the Rendering rollout of an Editable Spline. The values of these settings are set for all imported shapes. Once the import is complete, you can change the settings as necessary for each object. Notable additions for VIZ 2006: Real-World Map Size - Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates rollout. Default=on. Auto Smooth - If Auto Smooth is turned on, the spline is auto-smoothed using the threshold specified by the Threshold setting below it. Auto Smooth sets the smoothing based on the angle between spline segments. Any two adjacent segments are put in the same smoothing group if the angle between them is less than the threshold angle. Threshold - Specifies the threshold angle in degrees. Any two adjacent spline segments are put in the same smoothing group if the angle between them is less than the threshold angle. Radial - Displays the 3D mesh as a cylindrical object. Rectangular - Displays the spline's mesh shape as a rectangle. Length - Specifies the size of the cross section along the local Y axis. Width - Specifies the size of the cross section along the local X axis. Aspect - Sets the aspect ratio for rectangular cross-sections. The Lock check box lets you lock the aspect ratio. When Lock is turned on, Width is locked to Length that results in a constant ratio of Width to Length. 5

7 Import Dialog Box File Link Dialog Box File Import The type of file format you import will dictate the interface used. AutoCAD Drawing (*.DWG,*.DXF) vs. Legacy AutoCAD (*.DWG) Features Unique to the new DWG Import System Support for all ObjectARX custom objects. Specialized support for Autodesk Architectural Desktop objects, including style/component grouping and naming, style associations for material and modifier propagation, and material translation and assignment. Specialized support for AEC Civil contour objects (translated into a Terrain object). Support for Raster objects. Support for axonometric named views (translated into cameras with the Orthogonal toggle turned on). Both importers can translate perspective views. Support for attached drawing xrefs. Support for DXF files. Rescaling to imported drawings created with units that differ from the Autodesk VIZ system units. Ability to skip frozen layers or to select specific layers to import (or exclude) from a list. Ability to set shape rendering parameters before importing to Autodesk VIZ. Ability to maintain layer assignments from the DWG file. Note: You are no longer asked if you want to completely replace the current scene. If you import multiple drawings, the importer merges the drawings together. 6

8 Features Unique to the Legacy DWG Import System AutoCAD primitives are translated into Autodesk VIZ primitives. Support for Text (though not MText). Imported blocks are represented as groups. Importing LandXML In the LandXML/DEM Model Generator, you determine which parts of your land development data are imported to Autodesk VIZ. Autodesk VIZ then creates separate objects for each of the land features, including terrain surfaces, road alignments, and parcels. Importing Autodesk Inventor Files IPT and IAM are the native Autodesk Inventor file formats for parts (IPT) and assemblies (IAM). You can now import both file formats into Autodesk VIZ without having to copy scripts from the install CD. The components of models that you import into Autodesk VIZ retain their object naming as assigned in Autodesk Inventor and appear as editable meshes. Once imported, you can edit the model just as you would any other type of object. You can apply modifiers, alter materials, add lighting and cameras, create animations, etc. Requirements Limitations In order to be able to import models that originate from Autodesk Inventor, Inventor 8 or later is required to be installed along with Autodesk VIZ on the system. Camera animation paths are not converted to Autodesk VIZ cameras so any animation you've set up in Inventor is lost during import. Any lighting from brightness and ambience settings created in the Inventor file are not imported. You will have to relight the scene once the import is complete. A model that is set up with constraints to limit the movement of parts will lose those constraints upon import. You will need to use inverse kinematics (IK) to restore the constraints. Dragging and dropping an Inventor file into Autodesk VIZ uses the settings last set on the Inventor File Import dialog with the exception for Mesh Resolution, which always resets to 0. Autodesk VIZ uses the last version of Inventor that was opened to set the Import version. For instance, let's say you have both Inventor 8 and Inventor 10 on your system. If the last version of Inventor you ran was Inventor 8, you cannot import Inventor 10 files. Inventor 8 must be closed and Inventor 10 opened, at least once, in order for you to successfully import Inventor 10 files. 7

9 Material Handling Interface Materials and material assignments made to the original Inventor model are retained and imported along with the geometry. Materials are imported as Architectural materials or if a single object has several materials assigned to it, they are imported as a Multi/Sub-Object material. Merge / Replace Options group Merge With Current Scene - Incoming geometry is merged with any existing geometry that is already present in the scene. This setting is useful if you have several separate files that contain components that you want to combine into a single model. Completely Replace Current Scene - The file you're importing will completely replace any existing geometry that is in the current scene. If your current scene has not been saved, you are given the opportunity to save your changes to the current scene before the import process continues. Default=on. Material Options group Import Inventor Materials - When turned on, all Inventor materials and texture maps are translated and imported into the scene. If turned off, no materials are imported with the model. Assign Material Ids - Lets you control whether material IDs are assigned to objects that are imported from Inventor. You can assign different materials to different surfaces of the same object while working in Inventor. When these objects are imported to Autodesk VIZ, material IDs are assigned to the faces of single objects to which multiple materials are applied. Mesh Resolution group Mesh Resolution - This slider lets you determine the degree of refinement applied to mesh objects by the importation process. When set to 0 (zero), the geometry is imported as it appears in Autodesk Inventor. When set less than zero, the mesh is optimized with fewer faces thus reducing detail. If the mesh resolution is set higher than zero, the mesh is tessellated with more faces, giving you greater detail. Note: The option to adjust mesh resolution is available only for models imported from Autodesk Inventor 10 or later. Inventor File Vertical Direction group This option determines the model's orientation upon import. You can choose which axis of the Inventor model is vertical. X Axis The X axis of the model, as seen in Inventor, is rotated so it is vertical when the model is imported. Y Axis The model is imported with the Y axis oriented as the vertical axis. Z Axis The imported model is rotated so its Z axis is the vertical axis. 8

10 File Linking The File Link utility allows you to work simultaneously in your design software such as AutoCAD or Autodesk Architectural Desktop and in Autodesk VIZ without the need to maintain the same concepts in different forms to fit different software application requirements. In short, there s no reason to create design data for one application and then recreate it for the other. The biggest benefit is seen during the change process. Updates are simple and manageable. File Linking is done in the File Link Manager. Here you establish, update, or break links to any number of dwg or dxf files. The File Link Manager helps define which geometry is included in the Autodesk VIZ scene from the linked file, how the geometry is organized, and when it's regenerated. The objects that you bring in from linked files behave just like any other object created in Autodesk VIZ. You can scale, rotate, and move them, as well as attach modifiers and materials. These changes are not lost during the reload process. It s important to understand that unlike Xreffing, the file link process does not require the original file to display geometry in Autodesk VIZ. It does require the original dwg/dxf file for updates. Attach panel Files panel Attach Panel File Panel Presets Panel File The file to be attached to your scene. Selecting the button allows you to browse to the file. Preset - Selects the preset settings to use when attaching the file. Each list entry represents a unique collection of attach and reload settings. Rescale - Alters the scale of the geometry from a linked file to match the system unit scale in Autodesk VIZ. When Rescale is on, you can specify what the base units should be and the incoming objects are scaled appropriately. For example, if a door measures 914 units in the linked file and you specify millimeters to convert from, the door will measure 36 inches in the Autodesk VIZ scene. Note: You can't change units when you reload a linked file. Incoming File Units - Lists the units available when Rescale is on. Select Layers to Include - Displays the Select Layers dialog, which you use to select the layers to import from the linked file. Attach This File - Attaches the selected file to your scene using the settings selected in the Preset list. Linked Files - Lists linked files. The File Link Manager displays an icon next to the path name of each linked file. The icon reflects the status of the linked file. The linked file hasn't changed and there are no errors. The linked file can't be found at the specified location. The linked file has changed. You must reload it to update your link. 9

11 You can change the path name by highlighting it and clicking again to enter its location. This also displays a file browser button to the right of the file name that you can use to locate a file. Reload - Refreshes the link between the file and the Autodesk VIZ session. If you turn on Show Reload Options, the File Link Settings dialog displays when you click this button. Changes that have been made to the base file will be applied to the objects at the bottom of modifier stack. If you have Autodesk VIZ materials applied to walls in a floor plan in your scene, the same materials are applied to the walls when you reload an updated version of the linked file. Detach - Removes an existing link to a file. Detach also removes all geometry associated with the link. Bind - Removes the link to the file. The geometry in the scene remains unchanged, but it's no longer linked back to the original file and, if the original file changes, it can't be updated using Reload. Show Reload Options - Displays the File Link Settings dialog when you click Reload, and uses these settings for reloading. When you turn off this option, the File Link Manager uses the reload settings stored in the current scene. Presets panel Named Presets - Lists all created presets. Modify - Opens the File Link Settings dialog, letting you change the settings of the selected preset. New - Opens the New Settings Preset dialog, creating a new preset with default settings. Note: New is only available when no preset is selected in the list. If a preset is selected, this button changes to Copy. Copy - Opens the New Settings Preset dialog, creating a new preset with the same settings as the currently selected preset. Rename - Opens the Rename Settings Preset dialog were you change the name of the selected preset. Delete - Deletes the selected preset. File Link Tips Changes in AutoCAD can change the data in Autodesk VIZ, but changes in Autodesk VIZ never change the data in AutoCAD. File linking is a one-way process that respects the role of AutoCAD or AutoCAD based products in developing and documenting your core design. Many changes made in AutoCAD will appear in Autodesk VIZ after a file link reload. These include adding, removing or moving objects. For ADT files, this would include changing material assignments and enabling Live Section objects. Changes made in Autodesk VIZ, such as moving objects, changing material assignments, and adding lights will never appear in your AutoCAD drawing. Changes you can make in AutoCAD should be made in AutoCAD. Changes that you make in AutoCAD become part of that file, whereas changes you make in Autodesk VIZ will appear only in the renderings you produce. Changes in AutoCAD aren't reflected in Autodesk VIZ unless you choose them to be. Changing the design file in AutoCAD doesn't change Autodesk VIZ unless you use the Reload command in the File Link Manager. When you reload a link in Autodesk VIZ, you can choose to update just the geometry from AutoCAD, you can reload only specific objects, or you can choose to update both the geometry and the material assignments from Architectural Desktop. If you have moved, rotated, or scaled an object in Autodesk VIZ and want the object to resume the position and scale it has in AutoCAD, use the Reset Position function. 10

12 File Linking Approaches Multiple File Links One method of minimizing the amount of time and resources used to reload files is to link the same file a number of times. Each instance would bring in different elements. This way elements that have a lower propensity to change through a project could be linked from a file and at the same time, objects from that same file that are still in a more fluid state of design could be linked separately. Resulting reloads could be more focused and faster. Large Scale Drawings If you attempt to import geometry that is created very far from the origin or contains a very large bounding box in tools like AutoCAD, the Autodesk VIZ viewports and transform tools do not respond properly. When you use them, the cursor does not move smoothly. Face-Normals Face normals can be a source of confusion and frustration when linking to AutoCAD drawing files. In Autodesk VIZ, every solid object is defined by a surface. That surface is defined by or subdivided into faces. Each face has a front and a back that matches the inside or outside surface of that object. For example, think of a box object in VIZ. As you look at the box, from the outside, it appears solid. This is because we are looking at the outside faces or normals. From the inside of the box, as we look at the faces that define the object, we don t see these faces because the normals are facing away from us. For many viewing and rendering operations, to save on resources, Autodesk VIZ ignores a face if it's facing away (that is, if its face normal is directed away) from a point of view. Generally, Autodesk VIZ understands which way faces should be oriented when bringing in AutoCAD data. However, occasionally you may encounter linked geometry that appears missing or inside-out in Autodesk VIZ. If this happens, try some of the following: Apply a material with the 2 sided toggle turned on. This will apply the material to both the inside and outside face of the object in question. This is my first choice. It targets the object in question and has a very high success rate. Apply a Normal Modifier. This will give you the options of unifying and flipping normals. Depending on the severity of the issue, the normal modifier can be applied down to the individual face level. Turn on Force 2-Sided in the Render Scene dialog (to render the faces correctly), as well as turning on Force 2-Sided in the Viewport Configuration dialog (to display the faces correctly in the viewports.) This procedure can be rather taxing on your system resources as it globally applies to the entire scene. Experiment with toggling the Weld setting in the File Link Settings dialog. Weld forces nearby faces to share edges and vertices. This can still result in larger areas of face normals that are flipped, but they are easier to locate and correct. This method can have a dramatic effect on time and resources when you attach and reload the linked file. Linking Files 2D Line Segments Two-dimensional elements in AutoCAD, such as lines, polylines, circles, and arcs, are represented as splines in Autodesk VIZ. These splines carry much more information per object than typical AutoCAD 2D objects. If you need this type of 2D geometry in your visualization, try to use polylines instead of connected lines to get cleaner geometry and to reduce the final size of your Autodesk VIZ scene. 11

13 Splines are not rendered in Autodesk VIZ unless they have rendering parameters applied to them. Applying a Renderable Spline modifier lets you set rendering properties without having to collapse to an editable spline. 3D Solids Objects Linked into an Autodesk VIZ Scene 3D Solids objects in an AutoCAD drawing file will be turned into mesh objects (tessellated) when you link them into an Autodesk VIZ scene. The smoothness is controlled by the Surface Deviation For 3D Solids setting in the File Link Settings dialog. A high value results in coarser tessellation. Autodesk VIZ uses less memory in the scene, but poor approximations of curved surfaces could result. For optimal results, keep this value as high as you can. Tip: You can change the value of the Surface Deviation For 3D Solids control at any time by turning on Show Reload Options on the Files panel of the File Link Manager dialog, and then adjusting when you reload the file. External References and Block Names A linked AutoCAD drawing can include xrefs that themselves reference different files but use the same block names. Autodesk VIZ keeps the blocks distinct by appending xref and block names to the attached drawing name. Autodesk VIZ detects and breaks the circularity between xrefs consistent with the way AutoCAD handles circular xref dependencies. When you link to an AutoCAD drawing that has overlay xrefs, Autodesk VIZ doesn't resolve overlay xrefs within the attached xref. Using Linked Objects If you want to clone linked objects, you should only use the Copy option. Creating references or instances of actively linked objects is not recommended. Real problems arise when the instanced or referenced object is deleted in the linked file. When you copy actively linked objects, the copies are automatically converted to editable mesh objects. If your selection contains several objects which instance another object, the resulting copies also instance the same object. Linked objects should not be attached to editable objects. Often this will produce unexpected results and introduces instability to the file. Autodesk VIZ does not allow you to link an actively linked object to VIZ objects. However, you can link an Autodesk VIZ object to an actively linked object. The existing hierarchies of linked objects cannot be broken in Autodesk VIZ. This would compromise the structure of Blocks and Styles. Any changes must be made in the original DWG file. Similarly, actively linked objects cannot be included in the creation of Group or Assembly objects in Autodesk VIZ. Actively linked objects should not be included in any IK animation chains, as they will cause unpredictable results. Likewise, animation controllers should not be applied to actively linked objects. Object Enablers Important: AutoCAD 2006 and AutoCAD vertical applications, such as Architectural Desktop (ADT), have custom objects that are unique to the product. In order to view them in Autodesk VIZ, you need the appropriate Object Enabler (OE). For a list of available OEs, see the Autodesk Web site 12

14 Using Autodesk Revit with Autodesk VIZ Drawings Exported from Revit Autodesk Revit s export feature allows you to export models to DWG or DXF file formats. In Revit 6.1 and above, the exported drawing entities contain additional information, Revit data, such as their originating Category, Family, Type and Material. This update to the File Link Manager and DWG/DXF Import functionality looks for and processes this additional information. When Revit data is found with an object, the object is treated differently by the import/file link process. The primary differences are: Object naming conventions Scene organization of incoming geometry (how the objects are combined) Parent-child hierarchy of scene objects Possible automatic material assignments Important: Keep in mind that Autodesk VIZ cannot directly import (or link) a native Revit project (RVT). You must first export a DWG or DXF file from Revit before you can import the model to Autodesk VIZ. The imported or linked file will contain scene objects that correspond directly to individual Revit objects. In addition, most materials are translated and assigned to the objects, giving Revit customers a big head start toward greater visualization and quicker rendering of their models. Using designs from Revit into Autodesk VIZ Projects Most of the work you do on your Revit project will be done in Revit. The initial design, layout and modeling all occur from within the Revit program. Autodesk VIZ comes into play when you re ready to produce some higher end renderings and perhaps add some final details. Here is a basic snapshot of the expected workflow between Revit and Autodesk VIZ: 1. From Revit, export a DWG file. Exporting to a DWG file is essential because the File Link Manager cannot accept the native Revit project files (RVT). 2. Start Autodesk VIZ and use the File Link Manager to link the DWG file. Link the drawing using presets that include the linking settings you want as described in the section. 3. Adjust materials or make final modifications in Autodesk VIZ in preparation for rendering. Depending on the results at this stage, you may find that the Revit project needs to be changed and updated. 4. In Revit, make changes to the project like moving walls, adding new doors and windows or adding, removing objects. For structural changes like adjusting walls, doors, windows, etc., it s best to make these changes in Revit because those changes need to be included in the originating project. The file link is a one way link so structural changes you make in Autodesk VIZ cannot be translated back to Revit. 5. When the changes are completed, export another DWG file with the same name as the original DWG file you exported in step 2. If you give a new name to the updated DWG export, the File Link Manager will not show that the currently linked file has been updated. 6. In Autodesk VIZ, open the File Link Manager and review the Files panel. Select the updated file link and click the Reload button Turn on Show Reload Options if you want to change link settings. The changed model reloads to Autodesk VIZ and changes made to the model in Autodesk VIZ prior to the reload are retained. Material Translation and Linked Revit Objects When you export a DWG or DXF from a Revit project, materials are translated into a format that Autodesk VIZ can understand. Revit creates the same material definitions used by Architectural Desktop, VizRender and Autodesk VIZ. There are two kinds of materials associated with the drawing file; AccuRender materials and Revit materials. When a Revit material references an AccuRender material, the AccuRender material s parameters are used; otherwise, the Revit material parameters are used. There is an important stipulation to this. 13

15 AccuRender materials that reference a bitmap file are translated in Autodesk VIZ without any problems, while AccuRender materials that are considered procedural are only translated at the most basic level. Therefore, an AccuRender material that uses a procedural Wood texture will only display basic properties, like color on a linked object, while an AccuRender material that uses a wood bitmap image in the base texture definition will display correctly. Note: There are some limitations on what is translated between Revit/AccuRender materials and Autodesk VIZ materials because there is not a one-to-one correlation between the two material definitions. VIZ Render (DRF) Files The Discreet Render Format (DRF) is the file format for VIZ Render, a rendering tool included with Autodesk Architectural Desktop The DRF file type is very similar to MAX files from previous versions of Autodesk VIZ. This file format is available only when you use the File menu command, Open. All DRF files must be saved as MAX files in Autodesk VIZ. Likewise, DRF files cannot be imported or merged into Autodesk VIZ scenes. Saving DRF Files 3ds max DRF files must be saved as MAX files in Autodesk VIZ. Important: Once you save a DRF file in Autodesk VIZ, it becomes a MAX file and you can no longer open it in VIZ Render Autodesk VIZ derives much of its new feature set from Autodesk 3ds Max software. As a result, Autodesk VIZ is directly compatible with Autodesk 3ds Max. You can open any Autodesk VIZ 2006 file in Autodesk 3ds Max 7 with no loss of data. Likewise, you can open any Autodesk 3ds Max 7 file in Autodesk VIZ 2006, although some data related to functionality unique to Autodesk 3ds Max 7 may not be available (for example, particles, real-world physics, sub-object animation, and character animation). Autodesk Combustion Autodesk Combustion is a node based, desktop video, compositing and visual effects program produced by Autodesk Media and Entertainment. Combustion has a variety of tools, from Particles, to Paint, a very advanced tracker/stabilizer, color correction, chroma keying among others. You can use Autodesk Combustion as a material map in Autodesk VIZ. With a Combustion map, you can create a material from a Paint or composite operator, and in turn apply that material to objects in an Autodesk VIZ scene. The Combustion map can include Combustion effects, and it can be animated. In addition, with Autodesk Combustion you can import Autodesk VIZ scenes that have been rendered to a rich pixel file (RPF or RLA file). The imported rich pixel rendering becomes an element of your composite. You can adjust its 3D position relative to video elements of the composite, and you can apply Autodesk Combustion 3D Post effects to objects within it. Autodesk Combustion Map A Combustion map is a 2D map. It is a Combustion project used by the Autodesk 14

16 RPF Files VIZ Material Editor, so like any Autodesk Combustion project, it is vector-based, animatable, and fully editable. From within the Material Editor, you can have Combustion create a new project from scratch, or use an existing composite or Paint branch. You can synchronize the Combustion Timeline with the Autodesk VIZ time slider so animated materials synchronize with your 3D scene. With a Combustion map, you can paint in either program: that is, you can paint either in the Autodesk Combustion viewport or on Autodesk VIZ objects. Both programs update the paint display. You also have the option of using Autodesk Combustion to paint on an "unwrapped" projection of Autodesk VIZ object geometry. Tips for Working with an Autodesk Combustion Map in Autodesk VIZ If you have a dual-screen configuration, you can set it up so you can see both the Autodesk VIZ and the Autodesk Combustion windows at the same time. Otherwise, you need to use ALT+TAB to switch between the two windows. To work with Autodesk Combustion, the Autodesk VIZ object must have mapping coordinates. Primitive objects have a Generate Mapping Coordinates toggle, which is automatically enabled when you assign a mapped material to the object. Some objects, such as editable meshes, do not have a Generate Mapping Coordinates toggle. For these kinds of objects, go to the Modify panel and apply a UVW Map modifier. Sometimes it can be hard to see how the Autodesk Combustion operator is oriented to the Autodesk VIZ object's mapping coordinates. It can help to paint some temporary strokes in Combustion to see how they are aligned in Autodesk VIZ viewports. Displaying the mapping coordinates in Combustion can help. It can also help to paint directly on the object in an Autodesk VIZ viewport. RPF (Rich Pixel Format) is the format that supports the ability to include arbitrary image channels. While setting up a file for output, if you select RPF Image File from the list, you'll go to the RPF setup dialog. Once there, you can specify what channels you want to write out to the file. RPF files replace RLA files as the format of choice for rendering animations requiring further postproduction or effects work. Many channels available in RPF files are exclusive to this format. Tip: When you create a scene you plan to render as an RPF file for use with the Autodesk Combustion product, turn on Render Occlude Objects (on the Object Properties dialog ) for objects in the scene. This is important if you want to use the Autodesk Combustion G-Buffer Extract feature. When Render Occluded Objects is enabled and you extract an object in Autodesk Combustion, the objects behind it are drawn correctly. If Render Occluded Objects is disabled (the default), objects behind the extracted object appear with black holes where they were occluded. 15

17 Interface When RPF is the chosen output format, clicking Render or Setup on the Render Output File dialog displays the RPF Image File Format dialog. Standard Channels group The standard channels are RGB color and the alpha (transparency) channel. Bits per Channel - Choose 8, 16, or 32 Floating Point as the number of bits per channel. Default=8. Store Alpha Channel - Choose whether to save the alpha channel. Default=on. Premultiply Alpha - When on, premultiplies the alpha channel. Default=on. Premultiplying saves computation time if you later use this image in compositing. Optional Channels group For output RPF files, there are additional channels that you can generate (and view in the rendered frame window): Z - Saves Z-Buffer information in repeating gradients from white to black. The gradients indicate relative depth of the object in the scene. Material Effects - Saves the Effects Channel used by materials assigned to objects in the scene. The Effects Channel is a material property set in the Material Editor. Each Effects Channel ID is displayed using a different random color. Object - Saves the G-Buffer Object Channel ID assigned to objects using the Object Properties dialog. Each G-Buffer ID is displayed using a different random color. UV Coordinates - Saves the range of UV mapping coordinates as a color gradient. This channel shows where mapping seams might occur. Note: UV Coordinates will not be displayed on objects that have the UVW Map Modifier applied unless a map has been applied that uses the coordinates. Normal - Saves the orientation of normal vectors as a grayscale gradient. Light gray surfaces have normals pointing toward the view. Dark gray surfaces have normals pointing away from the view. Non Clamped Color - Saves areas in the image where colors exceeded the valid color range and were corrected. The areas appear as bright saturated colors usually around specular highlights. Coverage - Saves the coverage of the surface fragment from which other G-buffer values (Z Depth, Normal, and so on) are obtained. Z-Coverage values range from 0 to 255. To see Z Coverage, render to an RLA file after first checking Z Coverage in the Setup subdialog, then choose Z-Coverage in the rendered frame window's Viewing Channel drop-down list. 16

18 The Z-Coverage feature is provided primarily for developers, and should aid in the antialiasing of Z- buffers. Node Render ID - Saves each object as a solid color according to its G-Buffer Object channel (found under Object Properties). Color - Saves the color returned by the material shader for the fragment. This channel displays any transparent fragment as a solid color. Transparency - Saves transparency returned by the material shader for the fragment. Any fragment with any degree of transparency will be rendered as a solid gray object. Velocity - Saves the velocity vector of the fragment relative to the screen in screen coordinates. Sub-Pixel weight - Saves the sub-pixel weight of a fragment. The channel contains the fractions of the total pixel color contributed by the fragment. The sum of all the fragments gives the final pixel color. The weight for a given fragment takes into account the coverage of the fragment and the transparency of any fragments that are in front of a given fragment. Sub-Pixel Mask - Saves the sub-pixel alpha mask. This channel provides a mask of 16 bits (4x4) per pixel, used in antialiased alpha compositing. This mask is especially useful with the Autodesk Combustion compositing product. Descriptive Information group This information is saved with the file. Description - You can enter descriptive text here. Author - You can enter your name here. Render Elements Panel and Rollout Rendering to elements lets you separate various information in the rendering into individual image files. This can be useful when you work with some image-processing or special-effects software. You can later do compositing with the element renderings. Output to Autodesk Combustion group When on, generates an Autodesk Combustion Workspace (CWS) file that contains the elements you are rendering. You can use this file in the Autodesk Combustion software, and you can use Autodesk Combustion workspaces in the Autodesk Combustion map. Enable - When on, creates a CWS file that contains the elements you have rendered. Files - The text box lets you enter a path and file name for the CWS file. Click the Files button to display an Autodesk Combustion Workspace dialog, which lets you choose a folder and file name for the CWS file. As you can see, the applications are far greater reaching than just in Autodesk VIZ alone. To have the opportunity to leverage you design data seamlessly into what is your visualization data is an extremely powerful capability. Speed and efficiency are just the beginning of the story. If any of these topics are applicable in your workflow, I implore you to study them in further detail to generate the best results. 17