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C O M P U T E R A I D E D A R C H I T E C T U R A L G R A P H I C S FFD 201/Fall 2011

3ds Max is software which can be use for modelling, animation and rendering. It is used in lots of design areas such as architects, interior designers, industrial designers, game developers, film and video artists, multimedia designers. BASIC TOOLSETS:

• Modeling and texturing • Animation • Visual effects • Rendering • Hair and fur • Cloth • Asset management and collaboration

RELATED SOFTWARES WITH 3DS MAX: 3ds max is efficient and functional program for 3d modeling and rendering that provides you visual, parametric and continues workflow by means of import and export options with standard productions such as CAD packages as AutoCAD, Revit Architecture and ARCHIcad software. Due to the scope of this course AutoCAD programme is accepted as the main source of 3DSMAX modelling and rendering. All AutoCAD files (.dwg) are adopted to be imported by 3DSMAX using the “import” command from the “file” menu

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The essential parameter of importing a .dwg from AutoCAD is the segments and faces of your AutoCAD object. In accordance with 3DSMAX, you should submit the necessary “isolines” command for segments and “facetres” command for the faces of the object. Since the default parameters are “4” for isolines and “0.5” for facetres, it is worth making at least ten times greater than the default grades as “40” for isolines and “5” for facetres.

Examples Raw drawing in AutoCAD

HANDOUT 2/ 3DS MAX-INTRODUCTION

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Finished drawing in 3DSMAX CONFIGURATION: The assignment will be evaluated out of 8 points. The criteria are: The completeness of the drawing: 1.5 pts The accuracy of the orthographic drawing: 1 pts Proper arrangement of Layout, appropriate use of Scale(s): 2 pts Appropriate use of the line types and hierarchy of line weights: 2 pts The completeness and right application of Architectural drawing conventions: 1.5 pts in Total text:0.5 pts

fiers, Reactor, Animation, Graph Editors, Rendering, Customize, Max Script, Help): You can left click menu panel items so as to reach menu commands. It works similiar MENU-PANEL : (File, Edit, Tools, Group, Views, Create, Modifiers, Reactor, Animation, Graph Editors, Rendering, Customize, Max Script, Help): You can left click menu panel items so as to reach menu commands. It works similar to Windows menu bar. COMMAND-BAR:

It stands below the menu panel. The icons display shortcuts to the same commands in the menu panel

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FLY-OUTS:

They are the multi functional commands and work by left click. They transpoze the command’s function as they are selected. DROP-DOWN LISTS:

They are the listed commands and work by left click. As the list which is displaying the options occurs by left clicking, another left click determines the option. VIEWPORTS: They are the screens of the scenery and it is possible to view not only the camera views but also orthographic views. The viewport which can be worked on is called active viewport and framed by a white line. The title on the left top of the screen displays from which point of perspective or orthography the screen is seen. If the capital letter of the name of the view is written, active viewport begins to display that view. If the name of the viewport (left top title) is right clicked, an optional list is to be displayed. The views and other related titles can be chosen by left clicking. The active viewport can be switched by left or right clicking the desired viewport. If it is left clicked, the objects chosen are also switched; consequently it is desirable to switch active viewport by right clicking leaving the chosen object unchanged.

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SELECTION COMMAND:

The arrow icon indicates the “Select Object” command. The objects in the active viewport can be chosen by left clicking. The objects in the active viewport can also be chosen from the object list. They are either be chosen by clicking or framing the boundaries of the selected area. It is also possible to select any entity via some properties like name, color, invert from the menu tool under EDIT/Select command.

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Right Click Commands: If the selected object is right clicked when the arrow is on the object, than a list of operations for the object is appeared.

ZOOM COMMAND:

At the lower left bottom of the screen, there is the set of “zoom” command. When the active viewport is perspective, the commands of pan, arc rotate, zoom, zoom extents, toggle, field of view commands are operatable. Since when the active viewport is an orthographic view, field of view shifts with zoom region command which acts similar to “zoom” command in AutoCAD.

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After left clicking a zoom command, it is operatable to change views regardless of object selection. COMMAND PANEL: The basic parameters of 3DSMAX are placed on command panel. Create, modify, hierarchy, display, utilities and motion operations are controlled from command panel as can be followed from the icons. The panel has a 3 level hierarchy from top to bottom. On the top bar, create, modify, hierarchy, display, utilities and motion icons are placed.

As soon as one of these commands are chosen, the 2nd level operations appear – as geometry, shapes, cameras, lights etc. under the command “CREATE”.

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As soon as the 2. level operation is chosen then 3rd level operation appears – as box, cone, sphere etc. under “GEOMETRY”.

As the 3. level command is chosen 4. level commands appear - as displaying the creation parameters of the selected object. There is also many rollbar menu in both levels where the selections are branched regarding their properties –such as the type of light under; create>lights>photometric>target point spot>colour(halogen)>parameters

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CREATE:

“Create” is one of the first level command of command panel which operates to fulfill objects, shapes, texts, cameras, lights, auxiliary library objects and in newer versions more architectural readymade elements such as landscape materials, doors, stairs and structural elements. DISPLAY:

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It is possible to control the object which should be viewed in the scene with display command. You can either hide an entity or freeze it. Hidden objects will not be viewed in renders, while frozen objects will. Freezing objects in max is very similar to AutoCAD. You view the object but can not add any modifier or change any attribute. Hiding entities is very helpful when you work within a crowded scene. Also to backup objects or lines you can name them and hide from the scene as a backup to use if necessary. Hidden objects do not effect the render times, so hiding objects might be helpful to decrease rendering time if objects are not in the focus of the camera. MODIFIER COMMANDS:

“Modify” is one of the first level command of command panel which operates to fulfill modifications on the objects chosen. Due to the properties of the object, the parameters and the previous modifications are displayed or listed. Modify command is only operatable when there is an object selected.

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Snap and Units: Units are generally used as default in 3DSMAX modeling. Although it may be used by left clicking, the “units setup” command can be found under the “customize” command in menu panel. However, the same command is accessible under “snaps settings”. Right clicking the 3snap icon on the command bar, the snap and units settings may be rearranged.

TRANSFORMATION COMMANDS:

The transformation commands are placed on the command bar. There is actually 3 main commands: SCALE, ROTATE, MOVE Transformation commands operate in 2 basic ways:

1- selecting the object; giving the command by left clicking on the icon; transforming the object (moving, rotating, scaling) from the screen with manual control-axis constraints may be used controlling the transformation.

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2- selecting the object; giving the command by left clicking on the icon; right clicking the icon and changing the positional parameters of the object.

Transformations commands may be selected but is only operatable when there is an object selected. EDIT MESH COMMAND: Any object which is created by 3DSMAX is modeled in parameters and need to be converted to meshes so as to modify or transform the objects’ geometry using its nodes, edges, faces and sub-geometries. On the other hand, any AutoCAD object which is imported to 3DSMAX is accepted and processed as a mesh. Any node, edge, face or sub geometry included in the selected object and edited to meshes is subjected not only to move, rotate or scale [TRANSFORMATIONS] autonomously but also they receive modificational operations such as extrude, taper, skew or shell.

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