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Avid
®
3D
Reference Guide
m a k e m a n a g e m o v e | m e d i a ™
Avid
®
2
Copyright and Disclaimer
Product specifications are subject to change without notice and do not represent a commitment on the part of Avid Technology, Inc.
The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement. You can obtain a copy of that license by visiting Avid's Web site at www.avid.com. The terms of that license are also available in the product in the same directory as the software. The software may not be reverse assembled and may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the license agreement. It is against the law to copy the software on any medium except as specifically allowed in the license agreement.
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4,746,994; 4,970,663; 5,045,940; 5,063,448, 5,245,432, 5,267,351; 5,309,528; 5,325,200; 5,355,450;
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No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, for any purpose without the express written permission of Avid Technology, Inc.
Copyright © 2004 Avid Technology, Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Printed in USA.
The Avid 3D application uses JScript and Visual Basic Scripting Edition from Microsoft Corporation.
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Avid 3D Reference Guide • 0130-06297-01 • June 2004
3
4
Contents
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Chapter 1 Commands and Interface Reference
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Playback Cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Start Frame Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
End Frame Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Timeline Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Autokey (auto) Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Contents
Previous/Next Key Button. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Key Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Preview and Output Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Flipbook Command Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Flipbook Playback Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Open Images Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Export Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Sample Projects Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Digimation® Model Bank™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Transform Tools Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Animation Tools Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Deformation Tools Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Display Options Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Display Types Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Resize Viewport Icon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
6
Contents
Geometry and Deform Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Material and Fx Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Function Curve Editor Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Function Curve Graph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Function Curve Editor Command Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Property Page Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Viewing Folder Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Accessing Files from the Browser Path Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Accessing Computers on a Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Chapter 2 Properties Reference
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Color Editor Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Data Management Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Environment Map Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Inspect Source Paths Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
New Project Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Project Manager Dialog Box. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
7
Contents
Cluster Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Cylinder Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Extrusion Property Editor (Curve along Axis) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Extrusion Property Editor (Curve Along Curve). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Geometry Property Editor (Arc) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Geometry Property Editor (Circle) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Geometry Property Editor (Cone) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Geometry Property Editor (Cube) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Geometry Property Editor (Cylinder) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Geometry Property Editor (Disc) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Geometry Property Editor (Grid) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Geometry Property Editor (Sphere). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Geometry Property Editor (Torus) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Revolution Property Editor (Curve Around Axis) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Revolution Property Editor (Curve Around Curve) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Sphere Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Spiral Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Square Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Torus Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Bend Op Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Bulge Op Property Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
8
Contents
Curve Deform Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Lattice Property Editor (Deformation) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Lattice Property Editor (Lattice) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Push Op Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
QStretch Op Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Shape Jitter Op Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Shear Op Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Taper Op Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Wave Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Wave Op Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Curve to Mesh Converter Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Ambient Lighting Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Camera Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Depth of Field Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Fisheye Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Glow Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Rig Controls Property Editor (Light Rig) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Light Rig Partial Property Editor (Light Rig) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Key/Fill/Back Light Property Editor (Light Rig) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Light Shader Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Volumic Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Z-Depth Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Image Source Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
9
Contents
Material Property Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Texture Map Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Texture Support Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Time Control Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Toon Shader Property Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Direction Constraint Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Fcurve Editor Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Local Transform Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Path Constraint Property Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Position Constraint Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Time Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Gravity Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Obstacle Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Particle Billboard Property Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Particle Emission Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Particle Gradient Property Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Particle Shape Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Particle Sprite Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Particle Type Property Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
ParticlesOp Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Turbulence Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Wind Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Render Options Dialog Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Format Property Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
AAF and MXF Options Property Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Rendering Property Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
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Contents
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Camera Navigation and Framing Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
11
Contents
12
Using This Guide
Congratulations on your purchase of the Avid 3D software. You can use
Avid 3D to create, customize, and animate 3D content, visual effects, text and titling for your productions.
n
The documentation describes the features and hardware of all models.
Therefore, your system might not contain certain features and hardware that are covered in the documentation.
This guide is intended for all Avid 3D users, from beginner to advanced. It contains detailed interface, command and parameter information for all aspects of the Avid 3D software.
Using This Guide
Symbols and Conventions
Avid 3D documentation uses the following symbols and conventions: t
>
Symbol or Convention Meaning or Action n c w
A note provides important related information, reminders, recommendations, and strong suggestions.
A caution means that a specific action you take could cause harm to your computer or cause you to lose data.
A warning describes an action that could cause you physical harm. Follow the guidelines in this document or on the unit itself when handling electrical equipment.
Margin tips
Italic font
Courier Bold font
Bold font
Ctrl+ key or mouse action
This symbol indicates menu commands (and subcommands) in the order you select them. For example, File > Import means to open the File menu and then select the Import command.
This symbol indicates a single-step procedure.
Multiple arrows in a list indicate that you perform one of the actions listed.
In the margin, you will find tips that help you perform tasks more easily and efficiently.
Italic font is used to emphasize certain words and to indicate variables.
Courier Bold font identifies text that you type.
Bold indicates a user interaction.
Press and hold the first key while you press the last key or perform the mouse action. For example,
Shift+Alt+C or Ctrl + drag.
14
If You Need Help
If You Need Help
If you are having trouble using Avid 3D:
1. Retry the action, carefully following the instructions given for that task in this guide. It is especially important to check each step of your workflow.
2. Check for the latest information that might have become available after the documentation was published in one of two locations:
If release notes are available, they ship with your application.
If ReadMe files are available, they are supplied in your Avid application folder. ReadMe files are also available from Help.
n
Release notes and ReadMe files are also available from the Knowledgebase.
3. Check the documentation that came with your Avid application or your hardware for maintenance or hardware-related issues.
4. Visit Avid Online Support at www.avid.com/support. Online support is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Search the Knowledgebase to find answers, to view error messages, to access troubleshooting tips, to download updates, and to read/join online message-board discussions.
5. For Technical Support, please call 800-800-AVID (800-800-2843).
For Broadcast On-Air Sites and Call Letter Stations, call
800-NEWSDNG (800-639-7364).
Accessing the Online Library
The Avid 3D Online Library contains all the product documentation in PDF format as well as a selection of movies for getting started. Avid recommends the movies as your first resource for learning how to use your application.
n
You will need Adobe ® Acrobat ® Reader ® installed to view the documentation online. You can download the latest version of the Reader from the Adobe ®
Web site.
To access the documentation from the Online Library:
1. Insert the Online Library into the drive.
2. Double-click the Mainmenu file.
15
Using This Guide
How to Order Documentation
To order additional copies of this documentation from within the
United States, call Avid Sales at 800-949-AVID (800-949-2843). If you are placing an order from outside the United States, contact your local
Avid representative.
Avid Educational Services
For information on courses/schedules, training centers, certifications, courseware, and books, please visit www.avid.com/training or call Avid Sales at 800-949-AVID (800-949-2843).
16
Chapter 1
Commands and Interface
Reference
Chapter 1 Commands and Interface Reference
Main Window Overview
The Avid 3D interface is made up of control panels and four viewports, many of which can be resized.
Title bar
Displays the name of the open project and scene.
Viewports
Let you view the contents of your scene in different ways. You can resize, hide, and mute viewports in any combination.
Library panel
Contains objects, materials, textures, images, and video clips you can use to create your scene. This panel is also home to the scene explorer.
Menu bar Provides access to primary project and editing commands.
Control bar
Displays buttons for one-click access to camera, transformation, and editing controls.
Lower interface controls
Tools and Options panel
Provides tools for modifying and animating elements in your scene, as well as setting user preferences and display and output options.
18
Menu Bar
Menu Bar
The menu bar is the horizontal bar at the top of the main window that displays menus containing commands that are general to Avid 3D. These include general operations such as managing files, editing, and getting help.
Location : At the top of the main window.
File Menu
Create and open projects; create, open, close, and save project scenes; import and export models and scenes, and exit.
Location: Menu bar
Option
New Scene
Open
Save
Save As
New Project
Description
Creates a new scene. Acts as a “delete all” command: The current scene is removed from the workspace and a new empty scene is created. By default, the empty scene is named
“Untitled.” When you select this command, you are prompted to save and close the current scene.
Opens a browser that lets you locate and load an existing scene.
When you select this command, you are prompted to save and close the current scene.
Saves your scene and all rendering properties and options as a scene file using the current scene file name.
If you have not previously saved your scene (“Untitled”), a browser is displayed in which you can specify a scene name. A scene is saved with an .scn extension to the Scenes folder of the current project folder.
Opens a browser that lets you save your scene to a different name. A scene is saved with an .scn extension to the Scenes folder of the current project folder.
Creates a new project. This command opens the New Project dialog box
where you can set a name and location for your project folder. Scenes are always associated with a particular project.
19
Chapter 1 Commands and Interface Reference
Option Description
Project Manager
Opens the Project Manager dialog box , which displays a list of
available projects and scenes. You can select an existing project from the list, delete projects, and add projects to the list that may exist elsewhere in your system or network.
If you choose a project to work on, you can either choose a scene you want to load or create a new scene. You are prompted to save and close the current project and scene before the next project and scene are loaded.
Source Paths
Import Model
Opens the Inspect Source Paths property editor , where you can
verify your scene's links to external files and, if necessary, modify them.
Opens a browser that lets you import an exported
SOFTIMAGE|XSI or Avid 3D model. Exported models are identified by their .emdl extensions.
Import dotXSI File Imports elements from a dotXSI (.xsi) file.
Import EPS File Imports curves from an encapsulated PostScript file (.eps).
Export Model Opens a browser for exporting a selected model. Exported models are saved to the Models folder under the project with the
.emdl extension.
Recent Scenes
Recent Models
Exit
Lists scenes you have worked on recently. Select a scene to open it.
Lists models you have imported recently. Select a model to import it into the current scene as a non-referenced model.
Closes the Avid 3D program. You are prompted to save changes to your current scene before exiting.
20
Edit Menu
Menu Bar
Perform common editing and organizational tasks on selected elements within your scene.
Location: Menu bar
Option Description
Repeat Repeats the last repeatable command.
The name of the menu item indicates which command will be repeated.
Certain categories of commands cannot be repeated:
• Selection commands. This allows you to apply a command to selected elements, then select other elements and repeat the command.
• Interactive manipulation, for example, using the transform tools (V,
C, X) or the Move Point tool (M). However, transformation values
entered numerically in the Local Transform property editor or on-
screen parameters can be repeated.
• Viewing commands, such as toggling the display type in a viewport.
• Playback and timeline commands, such as changing frames.
• Camera navigation and viewing commands, such as orbiting, zooming, and framing.
When the last command can't be repeated, Edit > Repeat will repeat the previous command instead. n
Note that you can also repeat the last command from a specific menu button by middle-clicking on the menu button.
Cancels the last action that was performed. You can perform multiple undo's.
Undo
Redo
Cut
Reapplies the action you previously canceled with the Undo command.
Removes the current selection and copies it to the Clipboard.
Copy
Paste
Duplicates the current selection and copies it to the Clipboard.
Inserts a copy of the Clipboard contents, replacing the current selection
(if any) with the contents of the Clipboard.
Select All Selects all elements in the current scene.
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Chapter 1 Commands and Interface Reference
Layouts Menu
Switches between a single and dual-screen layout.
Location: Menu bar
Option Description
Avid 3D Main - Single Displays Avid 3D on a single screen.
Avid 3D Main - Autohide Hides the library and tools and options panels when they are not in use. Move the mouse pointer to the right edge of the screen to display a panel.
Avid 3D Main - Dual Displays Avid 3D on two side-by-side screens.
Help Menu
Access to Online Help, which contains information on commands, properties, and the interface; access to the Softimage and Avid web sites, where you can perform web searches and send technical questions to Avid Customer Support by e-mail.
Location: Menu bar
Option
Avid® 3D Help
Softimage Home Page
Avid Home Page
About Avid 3D
Description
Opens the Online Help window's Contents tab, which displays help topics listed by category. This window also has an Index tab for alphabetical topic searches, and a
Search tab for full-text searches.
Opens your web browser to the Softimage home page.
Opens your web browser to the Avid home page.
Provides product information, including version number.
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Control Bar
Control Bar
The control bar gives you quick access to many commands that are in the form of buttons. Many of these buttons have associated menu commands or shortcut keys.
The control bar includes buttons for navigating in the viewports, transforming scene elements, selecting scene elements and their various components, duplicating and deleting scene elements, undoing and redoing edits, and
opening the multi-purpose editor
for editing properties.
Location : Above the viewports at the top of the main window.
Button Tool
Frame Selection
Frame All
Reset Camera
Orbit Camera
Dolly Camera
Pan Camera
Zoom Camera
Scale
Rotate
Translate
Select
Description
Zooms instantly into or out from selected elements in your scene.
Zooms instantly into or out from all elements in your scene.
Resets the view to its original viewpoint and pan
& zoom state.
Pivots a camera, spotlight, or user view around its point of interest.
Dollies toward or away from the center of a viewport.
Moves the camera horizontally or vertically without changing its depth.
Zooms into or out of the scene.
Changes the size of selected elements.
Rotates (changes the orientation) of selected elements.
Moves (positions) selected elements.
Selects objects.
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Chapter 1 Commands and Interface Reference
Button Tool
Select Point
Select Polygon
Description
Selects points on selected objects.
Selects polygons on selected objects.
Create and Manage
Polygon Clusters
Duplicate
Creates, selects, and deletes clusters of polygons on selected objects.
Creates copies of selected objects.
Delete Removes selected elements from the scene.
Undo Cancels the last action that was performed. You can perform multiple undo's.
Redo Reapplies the action you previously canceled with the Undo command.
Multi-Purpose Editor Opens or closes the display of the
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Lower Interface Controls
Lower Interface Controls
This area of the interface gives you access to the timeline and playback controls; basic keyframe animation controls; and preview and rendering controls, as well as a status line for information.
Timeline
Rendering and
Preview Controls
Let you set up and create rendered output of your scene.
Timeline
Displays the current position of your animation in time and lets you move manually between
Playback controls
Let you play back animated scenes.
Animation controls
Let you set, remove, edit and navigate between keyframes.
Mouse/status line
Displays the current functions of your three mouse buttons as well as status and error messages when applicable.
The timeline comprises a ruler, a playback cursor (vertical red bar), a range control, and start and end frame boxes. The timeline represents the length of an animation scene and is used to display the current playback position, set the current position for keyframing properties, and manually move forward or backward to a different part of the animation.
Start frame Playback cursor Ruler Timeline range End frame
Time is displayed in frames, seconds, or milliseconds, depending on the option you set in the Time Format Options (see
).
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Chapter 1 Commands and Interface Reference
By default, the first and last frame of the scene is displayed in the start and end frame boxes at either end of the timeline. You can view a specific section of time by changing the frame number in either of these boxes. The current frame/time, as indicated by the position of the playback cursor, is displayed in the current framed/time box in the playback controls.
When you click the Loop button in the playback controls , yellow markers
appear in the timeline, showing the frame range of the loop.
Location : Below the viewports at the bottom of the main window.
Playback Cursor
A red vertical bar on the timeline indicating the playback position, it displays the various frames in a scene.
You can drag the playback cursor manually, or you can play back animation using the playback commands. When you play back an animated scene, the cursor moves along the timeline.
• Dragging the playback cursor changes the frame. The current frame box displays the current frame at which the cursor is located.
• Middle-click+dragging the playback cursor moves to the selected frame but does not update the viewports until you release the button. This means you can quickly drag to the required frame while avoiding lengthy refresh time.
• Right-click+dragging the playback cursor also moves to the selected frames without updating the scene. The cursor and frame number in the current frame box turn green. To refresh the scene, click the cursor. This is useful for copying keys from one frame to another.
Location : Timeline
Ruler
Displays the time scale for your animated scene and is used as a guide when setting keyframes or defining rendering tasks.
The time scale can display in frames, seconds, and milliseconds, depending on the option you set in the Time Format Options (see
).
Location : Timeline
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Lower Interface Controls
Start Frame Box
Indicates the beginning of the current animated scene.
You can set the start frame value to begin at any point in your scene's timeline.
This value is used by the playback commands and controls (such as Play and
Go to First Frame).
This value is expressed in frames, seconds, or milliseconds, depending on the settings you set in the Time Format Options (see
Location : Left end of timeline
End Frame Box
Indicates the end of the current animated scene.
You can set the end frame value to end at any point in your scene's timeline.
However, the value in the end frame box must be greater than the value in the start frame box for the animation to play. This value is used by the playback commands and controls (such as play and go to last frame).
This value is expressed in frames, seconds, or milliseconds, depending on the settings you set in the Time Format Options (see
Location : Right end of timeline
Timeline Range
Allows you to see and adjust the range relative to the overall animation.
Click this icon (or Alt+click on the timeline) at the right end of the timeline to display the range control. Then do any of the following:
• Drag on the left, right, or middle handles to adjust the playback's in/out time.
• Click+drag in the range’s middle to slide the time range.
• Click this icon again (or Alt+click on the timeline) to return to the timeline display.
Location : Right end of timeline
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Chapter 1 Commands and Interface Reference
Playback Controls
Controls how the animation and audio in the scene is played back. You can play the scene forward, stop playback, go to the first frame and last frame, go to the previous or next frame, and set real-time playback.
Location : Below the timeline at the bottom of the main window.
Button Tool
Previous Frame
Description
Moves you back in the scene by one frame.
Next Frame Moves you forward in the scene by one frame.
Go to First Frame Returns the playback cursor to the first frame of the scene. The first frame of your scene is set according to the value in the Start frame box at the beginning of the timeline.
Play Backward Toggles between playing the scene animation in reverse and stopping it.
• Left-clicking the Play Backward button plays the animation backward from the last frame on the timeline.
• Middle-clicking the Play Backward button plays the animation backward from the current frame.
Play Forward Toggles between playing the scene animation forward and stopping it.
• Left-clicking the Play button plays the animation forward from the first frame on the timeline.
• Middle-clicking the Play button plays the animation forward from the current frame.
Go to Last Frame Returns the playback cursor to the last frame of the scene. The last frame of your scene is set according to the value in the End frame box at the end of the timeline.
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Lower Interface Controls
Button Tool Description
Loop Animation Continuously repeats the scene animation in one continuous loop. The frame numbers in the start frame and end frame boxes set the range for the loop.
When you click the Loop button, yellow markers appear on the timeline showing the frame range of the loop. To change the range, drag the yellow markers to different frames.
Audio Toggles between playing and muting any audio files.
Audio is active by default (button is gray). When the audio is muted, the button is highlighted.
Current Frame Box Displays the current frame number or time position in the sequence. As you move the playback cursor, the time/frame box displays the frame or time position at which the cursor is located. You can also enter a specific frame number in this box to go to that frame.
All/RT Toggles between playing back the animated scene frame by frame (All) or in real time (RT).
Animation Controls
You can use the various command buttons to animate properties and objects such as lights and cameras. You can set and delete keys, and quickly move through keys.
Autokey button
Key button
Previous and next key buttons
Location : Below the timeline at the lower-right of the main window.
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Chapter 1 Commands and Interface Reference
Autokey (auto) Button
Toggles autokey mode on and off. In autokey mode, keys are generated automatically for individual parameters as you change settings.
When autokey mode is on, the button is highlighted in red.
Location : Animation controls
Previous/Next Key Button
Moves to the previous or next keyframe for a selected object's parameters, marked or not.
• If the selected object has marked parameters, the buttons move between the keys for those parameters.
• If nothing is marked, the buttons move between keys for all parameters of the selected object.
Location : Animation controls
Key Button
Sets or removes keys on the marked parameters at the current frame:
• If there is no key at the current frame, clicking the Key button sets a key.
• If there is a key at the current frame, clicking or middle-clicking the Key button removes that key.
The color of the button shows the status of the marked parameters at the current frame:
• None : There is no fcurve animation on the marked parameters.
• Red : There is a key on the current values at the current frame.
• Green : There is no key at the current frame, but the current values are as determined by the function curve.
• Yellow : The current values are different from those determined by the function curve.
Location : Animation controls
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Lower Interface Controls
Preview and Output Controls
Provides different options for previewing and rendering your work. You can create a render region to preview part of your scene while you work, or render all of your scene at different levels of quality. The higher the quality settings, the longer it takes to render.
Location: Lower interface controls
Button Tool Description
Render Low-Quality Opens the
Render Options dialog box with the
Render Type and Quality parameters set for a lowquality image. These settings are best for previewing your work, and images render quickly.
Render High-Quality Opens the
Render Options dialog box with the
Render Type and Quality parameters set for a highquality image. These settings are best for a final or near-final render.
Preview Render Renders only the current frame, using the Render
High-Quality settings.
Render Region
Open Flipbook
Inspect Render
Options
Activates render region mode and lets you draw a region in any of the displayed viewports. You create the render region by dragging the mouse pointer across the viewport. As soon as you release the mouse button, the region is drawn and whatever is displayed in that region is rendered.
Launches the standalone flipbook, which lets you view and convert still images and video clips.
Opens the
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Chapter 1 Commands and Interface Reference
Flipbook
The standalone flipbook displays a series of cached images for checking animation sequences or still images. You can load video files (AVI,
QuickTime, or AAF/MXF), a series of images that have been saved as .pic files, or single images (GIF, JPEG, TIFF, etc.). This view provides a set of playback controls.
To display the flipbook:
1. Click the Open Flipbook button in the preview and output controls.
2. In the Open Images dialog box that appears, specify the path and
File name of the images you want to load—click the browser button ( ...
) to open the browser.
3. Set the options in the dialog box, then click OK to load the image sequence and open the flipbook window.
The flipbook window is resized if the loaded image is larger than the current size.
Flipbook Command Bar
These commands let you load, export, and set up how the flipbook is played back.
Option
File
Open Images
Description
Export
Clear Flipbook
Exit
Opens the Open Images dialog box
, where you can specify which image or video file you want to load as well as set up how you want to play it back. You can also press
Ctrl+O to open this dialog box.
Opens the
, where you can select how to export the currently cached sequence in a number of formats, such as AVI, SOFTIMAGE, QuickTime, etc. You can also press Ctrl+E to open this dialog box.
Clears the flipbook window of the current cached images.
Closes the flipbook window. You can also press Alt+F4.
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Lower Interface Controls
Option Description
View
Channel
Zoom
Displays a menu of channels you can view separately: red, green, blue, or alpha. All Channels are selected by default.
You can also press the R, G, B, A, or C (all channels) keys to display the respective channels.
Displays a menu of zoom factors you can set to view the current images: 50, 100 (default), 200, or 400% of the image size.
Correct Aspect Ratio Stretches the image so that non-square pixels appear correctly on the computer monitor, which has square pixels. For example, NTSC images have a pixel ratio of
0.9, meaning the pixels are not square.
Play Real-Time Plays the image sequence in real time. For example, if you have a 5-second loop, it takes exactly 500 seconds to loop the sequence 100 times. You can also press the T key to activate real time.
Ping-Pong Plays the image sequence in ping-pong style. This reverses the direction of a looped playback at the first and last frames of the sequence.
Background Color Opens the color editor in which you can set the background color of the flipbook.
Disable Redraw
Vertical Sync
Disables synchronizing the redraw to the vertical retrace of the display monitor (if the graphics hardware supports this) so that you can achieve higher frame rates at the expense of visual quality.
Image Format Lets you change the image format for the images loaded in the flipbook: Automatic, RGB, or RGBA. RGBA may give better performance on newer hardware systems.
Tools
Rate
Go to Frame
Opens a dialog box in which you can select a playback rate: NTSC, PAL, film, etc. You can also press Ctrl+R to open this dialog box.
Opens a dialog box in which you can enter the frame you want to display. You can also press Ctrl+G to open this dialog box.
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Chapter 1 Commands and Interface Reference
Option
Increase Rate
Description
Increases the playback rate by one frame per second. You can adjust the playback rate by 1 fps (frame per second) increments within the range of 24 and 30 fps.
Decreases the playback rate by one frame per second. Decrease Rate
Help
Command Line
Options
About
Displays the command line options you can specify when running the flipbook as a standalone program. The basic syntax for running a flipbook is: flip <sequence_name>.<ext> <start> <end> [step] [rate] [options]
Shows the copyright information for the flipbook.
Flipbook Playback Controls
Button Option
Previous Frame
Next Frame
Description
Moves you back in the animation sequence by one frame.
Moves you forward in the animation sequence by one frame.
Goes to the first frame of the animation sequence.
Go to Start
Play Backward/Stop Plays the animation sequence in reverse from the current frame. Click again to stop or press the down-arrow key.
Play Forward/Stop Plays the animation sequence forward from the current frame. Click again to stop. You can also press the up-arrow key to play and the down-arrow key to stop.
Go to End Goes to the last frame of the animation sequence.
Loop Animation Continuously repeats the animation sequence in one continuous loop.
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Lower Interface Controls
Open Images Dialog Box
To display: Choose File > Open Images in the flipbook window.
Option Description
File name File name of the images to load. Click the (...) button to open the browser and search for the images
Type
Images/Movies
Sequence
Loads a single image or the complete image sequence of the file that you are loading.
Loads a specific range of frames in the image file you are loading. Include the Step (frames to be skipped, for example 2 skips every other frame) and the playback Rate
(NTSC, PAL, etc.).
Number Padding Adds numbers to the frame numbers so you can match up image sequences. The default syntax is [fn].#[ext] , where fn is the base file name, ext is the file format extension, and
# is the frame number.
Zoom Factors
Shrink on load Divides the image resolution by a value that you specify.
For example, if you enter 2, the images are loaded at half the original resolution. The values must be integers.
Magnify on display Multiplies the image resolution by a value that you specify.
For example, if you enter 2, the images are loaded at twice the original resolution. The values must be integers.
Keep images in memory Caches the images in memory so that they can be played back in real time.
Preload before playing Loads the entire image sequence into memory instead of loading frames on demand.
Play Real Time Plays the image sequence in real time. For example, if you have a 5-second loop, it takes exactly 500 seconds to loop the sequence 100 times. When you select this option, RT is activated on the playback controls below the timeline and you can see the frame rate displayed.
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Chapter 1 Commands and Interface Reference
Export Dialog Box
To display: Choose File > Export in the flipbook window.
Option Description
File name
File Type
Codec
File name of the images to load. Click the (...) button to open the browser and search for the images
Exports the file in a number of formats, including AVI,
QuickTime, etc.
The codec (compressor/decompressor) to use when creating movie files.
Range of frames to export.
Source Range
Movie Settings
Audio File Exports an accompanying audio file with the images.
Click the (...) button to open the browser and search for the audio file.
Image Settings
Number padding Adds numbers to the frame numbers to allow you to match up image sequences. The default syntax is
[fn].#[ext], where fn is the base file name, ext is the file format extension, and # is the frame number.
Destination Frame Offset Adds the number of frames you specify to the destination images. For example, you can offset the image sequence before using another tool.
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Library Panel
Library Panel
The library panel is where you find objects, textures, image and video clips, camera effects, and more—most of the raw material you will be using to create scenes in Avid 3D.
The library panel is found on the right side of the Avid 3D interface. It is divided into tabs that contain libraries of objects, rigs, clips, particles, and other elements that can be used as building blocks for Avid 3D scenes.
Sample Projects
Object library Model library library
Digimation
Model Bank
Material and Fx library
Still Images library
Scene explorer
Video library
Getting content into your scene is simply a matter of dragging an item from a library into a viewport or onto a node in the
multi-purpose editor . However,
the type of content you want to use and how you want to apply it determines how you should drag and drop. The following is a general guide to Avid 3D’s drag and drop rules:
• To add objects, scenes, rigs, and environment effects, drag an item onto an empty spot in a viewport.
• To add materials and textures to objects, drag an item onto the object.
• To add light or camera effects, do one of the following: t
Drag an item onto a specific light or camera.
t
Drag an item into a viewport. The effect is added to all applicable lights, or to the active camera.
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Chapter 1 Commands and Interface Reference
• Some rigs use placeholder objects intended for objects you can add later.
Drag an item onto the placeholder to replace it.
n
When dragging and dropping items from the library, a status bar appears in the active viewport and provides information appropriate to the location of your mouse pointer.
You can also drag and drop files from a Windows explorer or Web browser into Avid 3D.
Scene Explorer
The scene explorer displays the contents of your scene as a list of nodes. You normally use the explorer as an adjunct while working in Avid 3D to find or select elements. For example, the scene explorer is a useful tool to help you select hidden elements in a scene. You can also rename elements using the scene explorer.
To open the scene explorer, click the Scene Explorer tab in the library panel.
1.
Click the Scene
Explorer tab in the library panel to open the scene explorer.
2.
Click an item to display those types of elements in the tree panel below.
3.
Click an item to select it. Selected items are highlighted.
Rename the selected item by pressing F2 and entering a new name.
Sample Projects Library
Contains a collection of ready-made scenes containing different elements. You can drag and drop these into an empty area of any viewport. These scenes are a good basis from which you can create your own scene by modifying its elements.
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Library Panel
If you load a sample scene onto an existing scene, you are prompted to save or cancel your existing scene. You cannot merge the scenes together.
Object Library
Contains collections of different types of objects that you can drag and drop into an empty area of any viewport. These objects are the building blocks from which you can create a scene. After you have brought these objects into the scene, you can manipulate and modify them as you like.
Many of these objects have areas to which you can map a 2D texture. The areas are indicated by the default rainbow-colored texture.
Button Option
Objects
Description
Displays a collection of 3D primitive objects that you can drag and drop into a viewport.
Objects with Profiles Displays a collection of 3D objects that have a profile; you can drag and drop them into a viewport.
Profile objects are based on one or more profile curves that have been revolved or extruded. You can edit the objects’ shapes by modifying their profile curves in the
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Chapter 1 Commands and Interface Reference
Button Option
Lights
Cameras
Description
Displays a collection of light objects and rigs that you can drag and drop into a viewport.
Displays a collection of camera objects and rigs that you can drag and drop into a viewport.
Object Rigs
Animated Objects
Displays a collection of object rigs that you can drag and drop into a viewport. Object rigs are objects that have been created with control handles for specialized functions. For example, the book rig allows you to set the number of pages in the book, how far its front and back covers open, and how the pages turn.
Displays a collection of animated objects that you can drag and drop into a viewport.
Environments
Particles
Text
Displays a collection of “world spheres” with interior textures that you can drag and drop into a viewport. The spheres are large enough to surround most scenes, and the textures provide the illusion of a surrounding environment.
Displays a collection of particle systems that you can drag and drop into a viewport. These systems include the particle cloud, particle type, particle emitter object, and, in some cases, forces.
Displays a collection of 3D text objects that you can drag and drop into a viewport.
Curves Displays a collection of curves that you can drag and drop into a viewport. These are often used for putting objects on a motion path to animate them.
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Library Panel
Model Library
Contains various ready-made 3D object models that you can drag and drop directly into an empty area in any viewport. Many of these objects already have surfaces and textures applied to them, which you can see using the
Textured or Textured Decal display types in the viewport.
As well, many of them also have areas to which you can map a 2D texture, such as the PC Laptop or TV Flatscreen models. The areas are indicated by the default rainbow-colored grid texture.
Digimation® Model Bank™
Contains various 3D object models from Digimation that you can drag and drop directly into an empty area in any viewport. By clicking Buy More!
in this bank, you can easily contact Digimation to purchase more model banks.
n
The Digimation Model Bank is available only if you selected to install it when you installed Avid 3D.
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Chapter 1 Commands and Interface Reference
Material & Fx Library
Contains preset surface materials and other effects that you can drag and drop onto an appropriate object (objects, particles, lights, or cameras) or into a scene (environment maps). Most presets only work with specific targets. For example, you can drag and drop materials only onto a 3D object in a viewport, or drag and drop particle types only onto particles in a viewport.
n
If a material has reflectivity or transparency, you will need to draw a render region around the object on which it’s applied to see the results.
Button Option
Objects
Lights
Scene
Description
Displays a collection of surface materials that you can drag and drop onto a 3D object to define what the object looks like.
Text surface materials can be dropped only onto text objects.
Particle types can be dropped only onto particles.
These change the look of the particles without changing the particle emission.
Displays a collection of light effects that define how a light object casts light. Dragging a light effect into a viewport applies the effect to all available lights; dragging a light effect onto a light object applies it only to that light.
Displays a collection of environment materials, camera effects, and toon (cartoon-style) camera effects that you can drag and drop into an empty area in the viewport to change what the scene looks like. You can also drag the camera and toon effects onto the active camera.
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Library Panel
Still Images Library
Contains 2D images and textures that you can drag and drop onto a 3D object.
2D images and textures are mapped onto 3D objects, like wrapping paper. If the 3D object has a cluster on it, you can choose to map the image only to that cluster instead of the whole object.
Button Option
Flat Pictures
Surfaces
Reflections
Description
Displays a collection of 2D images that you can drag and drop onto a 3D object or a defined cluster on it.
Sprites let you change the look of the particles
(drag and drop them onto particles in a viewport)—for example, you could replace fireworks sparks with bubbles or stars.
Displays a collection of 2D surface images that you can drag and drop onto a 3D object or a defined cluster on it. Many of these images are meant to be repeated and tiled. As well, there are many black-and-white images that are useful for bump mapping.
Displays a collection of 2D surface images that you can drag and drop onto a 3D object or a defined cluster on it. These images are designed to be used as reflection maps.
Video Library
Contains video and audio clips that you can drag and drop onto a 3D object
(video) or into the scene (audio). You can also apply the video clips as a texture on a 3D object, such as on a TV or computer screen.
Option
Samples
Description
Displays a collection of video and audio samples that you can drag and drop into the background of any viewport.
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Option
Incoming
Outgoing
Description
Displays all video and audio clips exported to the
\Data\AVID3DMEDIA\XPressPro folder within Avid 3D’s install directory. You can drag and drop these into the background of any viewport.
Displays all still images and video clips that you have rendered out to the \Data\AVID3DMEDIA\Render_Pictures folder within Avid 3D’s install directory. You can drag and drop these into the background of any viewport.
Tools and Options Panel
The tools and options panel is where you can access many tools used for different tasks in a scene, such as transforming elements, animating, or deforming objects. As well, you can access a number of options to set up your scene, such as for the display in the viewports or output options to determine how to render your scene.
Animation tools Text tools
Deformation tools
Particle tools
Transform tools Options
Display options
Location : Lower-right area of the main window.
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Tools and Options Panel
Transform Tools Panel
The transform tools panel contains tools that let you translate, rotate, and scale objects in your scene. It also includes a number of buttons that let you specify how objects are transformed.
Location: Inside the tools and options panel, lower-right area of the main window.
Button Option Description
Reset Scaling
Reset Rotation
Reset Translation
Sets the selected object's scaling to (1, 1, 1) in its parent's coordinate system.
Sets the selected object's rotation to (0, 0, 0) in its parent's coordinate system.
Sets the selected object's translation to (0, 0, 0) in its parent's coordinate system.
Reset All Transforms Resets the selected object’s scaling, rotation, and translation.
Center Transform
Mode
Toggles center transform mode, which lets you translate or rotate an object’s center using the transform tools.
Move Center to
Selected Points
Moves the selected object’s center to the averaged coordinate value of the selected points.
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Button Option Description
Move Center to
Object Bounding Box
Moves the selected object’s center to the geometric center of the object’s bounding box.
Align Maximum
Align Middle
Aligns the tops of all selected objects’ bounding boxes with the object whose bounding box bottom has the highest axis value. Select which of the X, Y, or Z axes to use for aligning the objects.
Aligns all selected objects according to the average midpoint of all their bounding boxes. Select which of the X, Y, or Z axes to use for aligning the objects.
Align Minimum Aligns the bottoms of all selected objects’ bounding boxes with the object whose bounding box bottom has the lowest axis value. Select which of the X, Y, or Z axes to use for aligning the objects.
Spotlight Cone Activates the spotlight cone tool that lets you manipulate different aspects of the selected spotlight.
Texture Projection Activates the texture projection tool that lets you manipulate the texture projection control objects on an object.
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Tools and Options Panel
Animation Tools Panel
The animation tools panel contains tools that let you animate objects and edit the animation in different ways, such as by putting objects on paths, constraining them, using math presets, or creating function curves. There are also tools that let you select and key the camera.
Location: Inside the tools and options panel, lower-right area of the main window.
Button Tool
Remove Animation
Description
Removes the animation from all marked parameters.
Remove All Animation Removes animation from all parameters on the selected object.
Decelerating Curve Creates an fcurve for the selected parameter that decreases the speed of the animation.
Accelerating Curve
Ease In Curve
Creates an fcurve for the selected parameter that increases the speed of the animation.
Creates an fcurve for the selected parameter that accelerates and then gradually decelerates as it approaches the parameter’s maximum value.
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Button Tool Description
Ease Out Curve
Linear Curve
Gaussian Curve
Constant Speed
Sine Wave
Creates an fcurve for the selected parameter that accelerates and then gradually decelerates as it approaches the parameter’s minimum value.
Creates an fcurve for the selected parameter that increases its value at a constant (unchanging) rate.
Creates an fcurve for the selected parameter that eases into its maximum value, then eases out to its minimum value.
Applies a math preset to an object that keeps its animation speed at a constant rate.
Applies a math preset to an object that creates an undulating motion.
Jitter
Set Object on Motion
Path
Sets the selected object on a motion path. When you click this button, you are prompted to select the curve you want to use as the path.
Save Path Key
Applies a math preset to an object that creates a random, jittery motion (noise).
Position Constraint
Saves the translation keys of the selected object as a motion path.
Constrains the position of the selected object to another object. When you click this button, you are prompted to select the object to which you want to constrain the selected object.
Direction Constraint Constrains the direction (orientation) of the selected object to another object. When you click this button, you are prompted to select the object to which you want to constrain the selected object.
Save Key on Active
Camera and Interest
Save Key on Active
Camera Position
Sets keys for the position of the camera and its interest in viewport B.
Sets keys for the position of the camera in viewport B.
Save Key on Active
Camera Zoom and Roll
Sets keys for the zoom and roll animation of the active camera in viewport B.
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Tools and Options Panel
Button Tool Description
Select Active Camera Selects the active camera in viewport B.
Select Active Camera
Interest
Selects the active camera interest in viewport B.
Text Tools Panel
The text tools panel provides tools that let you create and modify text.
Location: Inside the tools and options panel, lower-right area of the main window.
Button Tool Description
Create Single-Line
Text Block
Creates a new text object that can span a single line.
Create Multi-Line Text
Block
Creates a new text object that can span multiple lines.
Create Text Rig Breaks the selected text object into separate objects for each character, and sets up an offset rig.
Animate the scaling, rotation, and translation of the first character for “follow-the-leader” animation.
Apply Angle Bevel (30
Degrees)
Applies a bevel with a 30-degree angle profile to the selected text or logo.
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Button Tool Description
Apply Angle Bevel (45
Degrees)
Applies a bevel with a 45-degree angle profile to the selected text or logo.
Apply Angle Bevel (60
Degrees)
Applies a bevel with a 60-degree angle profile to the selected text or logo.
Apply Rounded Bevel Applies a bevel with a rounded edge profile to the selected text or logo.
Apply Rounded Bevel
- Incut
Applies a bevel with a rounded incut profile to the selected text or logo.
Apply Squared Bevel Applies a bevel with a square edge profile to the selected text or logo.
Apply Squared Bevel -
Incut
Applies a bevel with a square incut profile to the selected text or logo.
Apply Early Pulse
Bevel
Toggle Front Bevel
Toggle Back Bevel
Applies a bevel with a pulse (lip) profile to the selected text or logo.
Turns the beveling on the front of the selected text or logo on or off.
Turns the beveling on the back of the selected text or logo on or off.
Deformation Tools Panel
The deformation tools panel is where you apply deformations to change the shape of geometric objects.
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Tools and Options Panel
Location: Inside the tools and options panel, lower-right area of the main window.
Button Tool
Reset Shape
Description
Removes any deformation applied to the selected objects.
Bends the selected objects along one axis.
Bend Deform
Bulge Deform
Push Deform
QuickStretch Deform Makes the selected objects flex, stretch, and yield in response to motion.
Shear Deform Pulls the ends of the selected objects in opposite directions.
Taper Deform
Pushes the points of the selected objects outward along the length of one axis.
Moves the points of the selected objects perpendicularly to the surface.
Twist Deform
Gradually scales the selected objects along one direction.
Progressively rotates the selected objects along one direction.
Vortex Deform
Circular Wave
Planar Wave
Spherical Wave
Rotates the points of the selected object about its center, tapering off along the radius.
Applies an animated wave deformation that radiates outward in a circle to the selected objects.
Applies an animated wave deformation that moves laterally to the selected objects.
Applies an animated wave deformation that radiates outward in a sphere to the selected objects.
Shape Jitter
Deform by Curve
Moves the points of the selected objects randomly over time.
Warps one of the selected object’s axes along a curve. You are prompted to pick a curve.
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Button Tool
Deform by Curve -
Rim
Lattice
Description
A variation of Deform by Curve where the object is rotated around the curve by 90 degrees.
Creates a lattice that you can use to warp the selected objects.
Particle Tools Panel
The particle tools panel is where you create and apply particles, forces, and obstacles in your scene.
Location: Inside the tools and options panel, lower-right area of the main window.
Button Tool Description
Create Particles Creates particles that emit from a selected object. You can use any type of object as a particle emitter, including an animated object.
Gravity Creates a gravity force and applies it to the selected particles.
Wind Creates a wind force and applies it to the selected particles.
Fan Creates a fan force and applies it to the selected particles.
Turbulence Creates a turbulence force and applies it to the selected particles.
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Tools and Options Panel
Button Tool Description
Apply Force Applies an existing force to the selected particles.
Clicking this button starts a picking session: pick the force you want to apply by clicking on its control object in a viewport. Right-click to end the picking session.
Apply Obstacle Applies an obstacle to the selected particles to create collisions. Clicking this button starts a picking session: pick one or more objects in the viewport that will act as obstacles for the particles. Right-click to end the picking session.
Display Options Panel
The Display Options panel contains tools that let you determine what’s displayed or hidden in the viewport.
Location: Inside the tools and options panel, lower-right area of the main window.
Button Tool Description
Show/Hide Safe Area Toggles the display of the safe area in the user or camera views in the viewports.
Show/Hide Grid Toggles the display of the grid in the viewports.
Show/Hide Rulers Toggles the display of rulers in the Front, Top, and
Right views in the viewports.
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Button Tool Description
Show/Hide Ghost
Animation
Show/Hide Lights
Toggles the display of ghosted images for animated objects in the viewports.
Toggles the display of all light objects in the viewports.
Show/Hide Cameras Toggles the display of all camera control objects in the viewports.
Show/Hide Curves and
Motion Paths
Toggles the display of all curves or animation paths in the viewports.
Show/Hide Particles Toggles the display of all particles in the viewports.
Show/Hide Control
Objects and Rig
Handles
Show/Hide Selected
Objects
Show All Objects
Toggles the display of all control objects (such as forces and particle clouds) and rig handles in the viewports.
Toggles the display of selected objects in the viewports. When hidden, the object remains visible in the scene explorer so that you can select it there.
Displays all hidden objects in the viewports.
Set Background Color to Gray
Sets the background color of the viewports to gray
(default).
Set Background Color to Black
Sets the background color of the viewports to black.
Set Background Color to White
Sets the background color of the viewports to white.
Set Small Font Size
Set Medium Font Size Sets the font size to medium (default) for the onscreen parameters displayed in viewport B.
Set Large Font Size
Sets the font size to small for the on-screen parameters displayed in viewport B.
Sets the font size to large for the on-screen parameters displayed in viewport B.
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Tools and Options Panel
Options Panel
The options panel contains tools that let you set up preferences for different aspects of working in Avid 3D, from rendering and time properties to data management and the function curve editor.
Location: Inside the tools and options panel, lower-right area of the main window.
Button Tool Description
Render Region
Options
Lets you set up the render region as you like for
previewing your scene. See “Rendering Property
for information.
Time Format Options Lets you set up the frame rate and format, as well
as other timing options, for your scene. See “Time
Property Editor” on page 160 for information.
Mojo Options
Data Management
Options
Lets you set up Avid 3D to output to an Avid
Mojo while you work. See “Display Property
Editor” on page 80 for information.
Lets you set up the autosave and backup options for your scene. See
Editor” on page 79 for information.
Function Curve Editor
Options
Lets you set up the function curve editor as you like for editing your animation. See
Property Editor” on page 156 for information.
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Chapter 1 Commands and Interface Reference
Viewports
When you open Avid 3D, the four windows you see are the viewports where you view and work on your scene. You can choose different kinds of views:
User, Top, Front, Right, camera views, and display types (shaded, wireframe, textured, etc.). Any viewport can display any type of view.
Views menu
Provides a variety of specialized ways in which to view your scene.
Display Types menu Specifies how visible items in the viewports are displayed.
Letter Identifier button
Identifies the viewport and, when selected, alternates between displaying and hiding
(muting) viewport contents.
Resize button
Resizes viewports to full-screen, horizontal, or vertical layouts.
Letter Identifier Button
Letters (A, B, C, and D) help simplify the way viewports are referenced. The letter A refers to the upper-left viewport, B is the upper-right, C is the lowerleft, and D is the lower-right viewport.
Location : Left end of viewport menu bar
To speed up the refresh rate of a viewport, you can use the letter identifiers to mute (hide/deactivate) displays:
• Mute mode : To mute, or gray out, a viewport, middle-click its letter. Its letter disk turns red. Middle-click again to redisplay the viewport.
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Views Menu
Viewports
• Solo mode : To display only one viewport, left-click its letter; all other viewports become grayed out and their letter disks turn red, while the letter disk you've clicked on turns green. Left-click again to redisplay all viewports.
To switch between mute and solo modes: t
Right-click a letter for a menu.
You can select camera viewpoints and orthographic views, as well as spotlight viewpoints.
If your viewport currently fills the screen, you can display more than one view type simultaneously by setting the viewport window to quarter-view using the resize icon on the right end of the menu bar. You can also toggle between the previous and current view in a viewport by middle-clicking the colored bar.
Location : Colored part of viewport menu bar
Option
Camera
Spotlight
User
Description
Displays your scene in a viewport from the viewpoint of a particular camera and lists the cameras available in the scene.
These cameras are the only "real" cameras in your scene: all other views are orthogonal points of view and are not associated with an actual camera.
Sets the view in the viewport relative to the chosen spot light.
The point of view is set according to the direction of the light cone defined for the chosen spot light. You can look through the spot light at its interest.
The submenu lists the names of all the spot lights defined in your scene.
n
Zooming, panning, dollying, and orbiting will move the viewing spot light.
User-defined view that shows objects in a scene from a virtual camera's point of view. Can be either perspective or orthogonal, and can be placed at any position and at any angle within the global 3D coordinate system. You can orbit, dolly, zoom, and pan in this view.
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Chapter 1 Commands and Interface Reference
Option
Top
Front
Right
Description
An orthogonal view that sets the camera perpendicular to the
XZ plane.
An orthogonal view that sets the camera perpendicular to the
XY plane.
An orthogonal view that sets the camera perpendicular to the
YZ plane.
Display Types Menu
Commands for different display types for viewing your scene within the viewports. Default setting is Wireframe. You can also toggle between the previous and current display type in a viewport by middle-clicking the menu.
Option
Bounding Box
Wireframe
Depth Cue
Hidden Line
Removal
Constant
Description
Reduces all scene objects to simple cubes. This speeds up the redrawing of the scene because fewer details are calculated in the screen refresh.
An image made up of the edges of objects and drawn as lines resembling a model made of wire. Displays tracing features such as edges or contour lines without removing invisible or hidden parts or fill surfaces.
Gradually fades wireframe objects in proportion to their distance from the current point of view, to give a visual indication of depth.
Displays only the edges of objects that are facing the camera.
Lines that are hidden from view by the surface in front of them are not displayed as they would otherwise be in a "see-through" wireframe.
Ignores the orientation of surface normals and instead considers them to be pointing directly toward the infinite light source. All the object's surface triangles are considered to have the same orientation and be the same distance from the light.
Results in an object that appears to have no shading at all. This is particularly useful when you want to work in textures, as there are no attributes to interfere with the texture's definitions.
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Viewports
Option
Shaded
Textured
Textured Decal
OpenGL
Description
Displays a quick-shaded (hardware shaded) view of your scene that closely approximates its realistic "look" but does not show shadows, reflections, or transparency. You can view icons for objects such as the lights and cameras.
Displays textures and special material attributes such as transparency, reflectivity, and refraction.
Textured viewing mode where all textures are displayed in a bright, constant illumination, unaffected by lighting and shadows.
The net effect is a general “brightening” of your textures and an absence of shadow. This allows you to see a texture on any part of an object regardless of how well that part is lit.
Displays all realtime shader attributes for objects that have been textured using realtime shaders. Unshaded objects or objects using mental ray shaders are displayed as they would be in
Textured viewing mode.
Resize Viewport Icon
Click this button to maximize the viewport so that it fills the entire screen (full view). If the viewport is already maximized, clicking this button divides the viewport into quarter views. In full-screen view, the scene appears centered in the viewport on a gray background.
Location : Right end of viewport menu bar
Option Description
Left-click
Middle-click
Toggles between a quarter-view (the four viewports) and full view.
Toggles between a quarter-view and a landscape view
(horizontal).
Ctrl+middle-click Toggles between a quarter-view and a portrait view (vertical)
Right-click Displays a pop-up menu for configuring the viewports.
Maximize Displays the viewport in full view.
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Option
Restore
Horizontal
Vertical
Reset Size
Reset All
Description
Returns the viewport to its previous setting.
Displays the viewports in landscape view.
Displays the viewports in portrait view.
Displays the viewports in quarter view.
Restores the default viewport display.
Multi-Purpose Editor
The multi-purpose editor lets you edit properties of any type of scene element.
You can also open the profile and function curve editors from here. The multipurpose editor appears as a floating window. You can resize the window by dragging its borders, and move it around the interface by clicking and dragging on its title bar.
To open the multi-purpose editor, click the Multi-Purpose Editor button on the control bar.
Material and Fx properties
Geometry and
Deform properties
Texture clip viewer
Profile editor
Function curve editor
Click an element name in the tree to open its property editor in the panel on the right.
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Multi-Purpose Editor
Geometry and Deform Properties
The Geometry and Deform Properties tab provides access to all of an element’s properties, except for its color and surface attributes. You can view, edit, and animate an object’s name, geometry, transformations, constraints, deformations, and much more.
To view an element’s properties:
1. Select the element in the viewport or from the scene explorer.
2. If it is not already visible, open the multi-purpose editor by clicking the
Multi-Purpose Editor button in the control bar.
3. Click the Geometry and Deform Properties tab. The element’s nodes are listed in the tree.
4. Click a property’s node to display its property editor in the panel on the right.
Material and Fx Properties
The Material and Fx Properties tab provides access to all the properties related to an object’s appearance—from materials and textures to effects such as glows and lens flares. You can also access properties related to scene-wide attributes such as ambient color and environment maps. You can view, edit, and animate these properties.
To view an element’s material and fx properties:
1. Select the element in the viewport or from the scene explorer.
2. If it is not already visible, open the multi-purpose editor by clicking the
Multi-Purpose Editor button in the control bar.
3. Click the Material and Fx Properties tab. The element’s nodes are listed in the tree.
4. Click a property’s node to display its property editor in the panel on the right.
Texture Clip Viewer
The Texture Clip Viewer tab lists all of the images and video clips used for the selected element’s textures.
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To view an element’s textures:
1. Select the element in the viewport or from the scene explorer.
2. If it is not already visible, open the multi-purpose editor by clicking the
Multi-Purpose Editor button in the control bar.
3. Click the Texture Clip Viewer tab. All of the element’s 2D textures will be listed in the tree.
4. Click texture node to display the texture image in the panel on the right. If the selected texture is a video clip, the panel will update the image depending on the current frame on the timeline.
Profile Editor
The profile editor allows you to modify the profile curves used to generate revolved and extruded objects.
Displays the selected profile curve.
Use the camera tools in the control bar of the main window to orbit, dolly, pan, zoom, roll, frame, and reset the camera. Press G to toggle the grid on or off.
Lists all profile curves available on the selected object.
Click to select a profile for editing.
Select Object tool
Select Points tool
Add Point tool
Delete Point tool
Move Point tool
Toggle proportional mode
Increase proportional radius
Decrease proportional radius
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Multi-Purpose Editor
Function Curve Editor
Where you can edit the animation of the currently selected element using a number of different editors. You can set preferences for the function curve
editor in the Fcurve Editor property editor .
Toolbar
Contains commands and tools for saving, editing, and viewing animated properties (such as fcurves).
Animation tree
Displays the animatable properties of selected elements.
View area
Displays and allows manipulation of property animation using the graph.
Function Curve Editor Timeline
Shows the current portion of animation in the fcurve graph. Click and drag the playback cursor in the timeline to “scrub” through the animation. When you click in the timeline, a red line (playback cursor) is displayed in the fcurve graph.
As well, you can see and move loop markers in the function curve editor's timeline when you click the Loop button in the playback controls.
Copying Key Values to Another Frame
To copy key values to another frame: t
Right-click+drag the playback cursor in the function curve editor's timeline to copy key values from one frame to another.
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The playback cursor stays green until you set a key. This is the same as you can do in the main Avid 3D timeline.
Function Curve Graph
A function curve (often called an fcurve ) shows the change in a parameter's value over time. In the function curve editor, a function curve is represented as a curve with points on a graph, with each point representing a key.
You can edit keys by adjusting the points on a function curve interactively or typing in the desired values directly. You can also add or remove keys, change the slope at each key by moving the point's handles, and more.
The graph's horizontal axis (X) displays the time scale in frames or milliseconds (as set in the user preferences). The vertical axis (Y) displays the values of the animated property. Curves for X, Y, and Z parameters are red, green, and blue, respectively.
To adjust the graph's view: t
Determine how function curves are displayed and set grid and ruler options, set the options in the
FCurve Editor property editor .
Function Curve Editor Command Bar
Select Key
Select Curve
Select fcurves or keys.
When the function curve view is active, the function curve editor contains all the commands, tools, and options required to create, edit, and view a selected property’s function curve.
Stretch Keys scales keys using a pivot point.
Region selects rectangular area of fcurves.
Add/Remove Key
Edit Key
Unified Slope
Orientation/Handle Length
Pan
Zoom and zoom
Horizontal/Vertical Pan pans and zooms across or up-and-down.
Frame frames selected keys or fcurves.
Linear/Spline
Interpolation of fcurve.
Constant/Gradient Extrapolation and Cycle/Relative Cycle set extrapolated and repeated fcurve segments.
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Multi-Purpose Editor n
You can hide/display certain buttons on the function curve editor's command bar. To do this, right-click in an empty area of the command bar and toggle the appropriate items on or off.
Location : Top of function curve editor
Go to Previous/Next Key
Selects the previous or next key on the selected function curve. You can also press the comma (,) key to select the previous key, and the period (.) key to select the next key.
Frame
The location of selected key points or function curves.
• To move a single key point to another frame, type that frame number and press Enter.
• To offset selected key points or function curves, enter the number followed by a + (addition) or - (subtraction) sign (such as 2+).
• To scale selected key points or function curves, enter the number followed by a * (multiplication) or / (division) sign. For example, to double the length of an fcurve, enter 2*.
Value
The value of the selected key points or function curves.
• To change the value of a single key point, type that value and press Enter.
• To change the value of selected key points or function curves, you can also enter the number followed by a + (addition) or - (subtraction) sign
(such as 2+).
• To scale the value of selected key points or function curves, enter the number followed by a * (multiplication) or / (division) sign (such as 2*).
For example, to divide the value in half, enter 2/.
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Chapter 1 Commands and Interface Reference
Tool Icons
Button Tool
Select
Select Curve
Select Key
Region
Stretch Keys
Edit Key
Description
Selects function curves or keys and allows you to move the keys. To select a curve, click it with the left mouse button. Holding down Shift while clicking other function curves adds them to the selection; holding down Ctrl toggles function-curve selection. To deselect all function curves, click in the empty space in the graph.
Selects only function curves. You cannot move curves with this tool.
Selects only key points. You cannot move keys with this tool.
Selects all the key points on the selected function curves within a defined rectangular region. The region's handles can be used to stretch or compress the selected region; dragging the region moves the keypoints.
Stretches selected keys using a pivot anywhere you like within the keys' range.
Click to select/translate keys, middle-click to add, and right-click to delete keys.
Click to add keys to the selected curve.
Add Key
Remove Key Click to remove a key on the selected curve.
Unified Slope
Orientation
Toggles between keeping the slope handles at a key point together at 180 degrees to each other (when icon is selected) or having the slope handles move freely as you drag each one individually (when icon is not selected).
Unified Slope Length Toggles between keeping the length for the slope handles equal on both sides of the key point (when icon is selected) or breaking the slope handles
(when icon is not selected), meaning that you can change the handles independently.
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Property Editors
Button Tool Description
Zoom
Pan and Zoom
To zoom in, rectangle-select a region to enlarge; to zoom out, Shift+click and drag; to interactively zoom, right-click and drag; to reset the magnification, click in the graph.
To interactively pan the view, drag the mouse pointer in the graph; to reset the pan, click in the graph. Middle-click to zoom in and right-click to zoom out.
Pan and Zoom
Horizontally
Pan and Zoom
Vertically
Frame Selection
Drag to pan only horizontally. Middle-click to zoom in horizontally and right-click to zoom out horizontally.
Drag to pan only vertically. Middle-click to zoom in vertically and right-click to zoom out vertically.
Frames the selected curves by resetting the pan and zoom so that they fit in the graph.
Linear Interpolation Sets the interpolation immediately after the selected key points to linear. If no key points are selected, the entire function curve will be set to linear interpolation. Linear interpolation creates uniform movement, with sudden changes at each key point
Spline Interpolation Sets the interpolation immediately after the selected key points to spline. If no key points are selected, the entire function curve will be set to spline interpolation. Spline interpolation accelerates and decelerates to ease into and out of each key point, resulting in a smooth transition. The degree of acceleration and deceleration near a key point is determined by the orientation and length of the slope handles.
Property Editors
To open an element’s property editor, select an element and click the Multi-
Purpose Editor button in the control bar.
When you select an item in the tree in the left pane of the multi-purpose editor, its property editor appears in the right pane.
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Parameter Set headers
Click the arrow to expand and collapse the property set.
Property-page controls
For viewing and setting parameter values for sets of grouped properties.
Property Page tabs
Switch between sets of grouped parameters within a property set.
Property Page Controls
Color box
Opens color editors from which you can pick or define the colors you want to use.
Text boxes
Let you enter values for the parameters.
Animation button
Shows status of animatable parameters (whether or not the parameter is animated). You can also set and remove keys by clicking this button.
Sliders
Let you change values by dragging the bar or arrow in the slider.
Check box
Toggles the option so that it’s active or inactive. A check mark appears in the box when it’s active.
Drop-down lists
Let you select one option from several. Click the arrow beside the list to open its menu.
n
Not all of the options described above are available in every property editor.
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Property Editors
Color Properties
There are a number of standard ways of defining color properties for textures, materials, particles, and lighting.
To define a color using the color sliders:
1. Select the color model that best suits your needs. Below the color box, you can click on the color model button to toggle between RGB, HLS, and HSV.
2. Do one of the following to set the color: t
Click and drag the sliders to change the strength of each channel independently, or type a numerical value directly in the text box beside the sliders.
Color box Color model
Color sliders t
To move all three sliders at once, hold the Ctrl key down while dragging the color sliders. t
For fine-tuning a single color value, hold down the Shift key while dragging the color sliders.
To select a color using the mini color editor:
1. Click the color box next to the color sliders in a property editor.
Color box
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Chapter 1 Commands and Interface Reference
2. The mini color editor (below) opens:
Color spectrum
Slider bar
Current color box
Color preview box
Color picker copies a color from anywhere on the screen.
Changes color model.
Opens the full color editor.
To fine-tune a color using the full color editor:
1. In a property editor, click the color box beside the color sliders to open the mini color editor.
2. In the mini color editor, click the browse ( ...
) button. The full color editor opens.
Slider bar
Color area
Color picker
Color views
Current and Preview color boxes
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Browser
Browser
The browser is a type of window specifically used to:
• Search (browse) through scene databases, project directories, video and audio clip libraries, and other repositories whose files are required to build a project.
• Import scene files from databases as well as load scene and project files.
• Perform file management tasks such as moving, copying, renaming, and deleting files.
Browser toolbar
Path controls
Tree view Contents view
The Tree View
The browser’s tree view is a hierarchy of folders and subfolders that contain files belonging to the scenes, objects, properties, or presets that you use to build a project. When you select an item from the tree, its contents (if any) are displayed in the list view of the browser.
You can view items in the tree view by expanding or collapsing folders.
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To move up a level in the browser tree view, do one of the following: t
Click the Up button in the browser toolbar.
t Press the Backspace key.
To create a new folder:
1. Click on the New Folder button in the browser toolbar.
2. Type a name in the text box that appears and click OK.
Viewing Folder Contents
The browser’s contents view displays the files of a folder selected in the tree view. You can display these files either as thumbnails or in detail mode, which includes file name, size, and comments.
To view folder files in thumbnail mode:
Click the Thumbnail button to view folder files as thumbnails.
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To view folder files in detail mode:
Click the Details button to view folder contents in detail mode.
Browser
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To edit the Contents view:
Click this arrow to show/hide the Contents view.
Drag the split bar right or left to resize the browser’s right and left panes.
In detail mode, right-click anywhere in the Contents view...
...to add, move and rearrange columns in the Add/Remove
Columns dialog box (below).
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Browser
Setting Favorites
Favorites give you quick access to a folder without having to remember where the file is located. The Favorites button lets you mark a direct path to a folder of interest on any local, network, or external disk to which your workstation is connected.
To add a favorite to the list:
1. In the browser tree, navigate to the folder that you want to add as a favorite.
2. Click the Favorites button in the browser toolbar.
3. Choose the Add to Favorites command in the menu that appears.
The new favorite is added to the Favorites list at the bottom of the menu, and the browser updates to set the favorite folder at the top of the tree.
To select a favorite:
• Click the Favorites button and select a favorite from the list that appears at the bottom of the menu. Your selection is displayed in the browser.
To delete a favorite:
• Click the Favorites button, choose the Remove Favorite command, and select a favorite from the submenu that you want to delete. The favorite path is deleted from the list. The folders or files are not affected.
Accessing Files from the Browser Path Controls
The browser’s Paths controls let you access files by entering their folder directory path in a text box or by selecting a preset path from a pop-up menu.
To access files from the browser path controls:
Type the folder directory path in the Path text box.
or
Click Paths and choose a preset path from the pop-up menu.
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Once you have made your selection, the browser’s tree updates and displays the path’s folders.
Accessing Computers on a Network
When you want to find a file on a network, but don’t have the path to it set directly, use the Network Neighborhood to navigate directly to the computer where it’s stored.
To locate a computer on the network:
1. Click the Network Neighborhood button in the browser toolbar.
2. In the Browse for Computer dialog box that is displayed, select the computer that you want and click OK .
The path to the computer you selected is entered in the Path text box, and its files and folders are listed in the browser.
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Properties Reference
Chapter 2 Properties Reference
General
Color Editor Dialog Box
The Color Editor dialog box (full color editor) lets you pick colors from a palette or create new colors. To create new colors, you can pick them from the viewing area or from anywhere on the screen. You can also specify the RGB,
HSV, or CMYK color model values.
To display: Click on a property page's color box, then click on the browse (...) button in the mini color editor that opens.
Option Description
Color area
Slider
Color views
Color wheel
Hue
Displays a color area based on the color view you selected.
Represents the color view you selected. For example, if you selected the Saturation view, then the slider represents the saturation component.
Displays different views of color and color components.
Displays a color wheel for you to select a color.
Displays a view of the hue component of the HSV color model.
Saturation Displays a view of the saturation component of the HSV color model.
Value Displays a view of the value component of the HSV color model.
Color palette Displays a color palette for you to select a color.
Color picker
Color preview
Lets you select a color from the image in the viewer.
Displays the previously selected color (left) and the color you are currently selecting (right).
The bottom arrow resets the color preview to the previously selected color. The top arrow makes the color you selected
(right) the current color.
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General
Option
RGB
HSV
CMYK
Description
The RGB (red, green, blue) additive color model. The intensity of each color is represented by a number from 0 to 255. A value of 0 represents no light (black) in a channel and 255 represents maximum light intensity (white) in a channel.
For example, (0, 0, 50) represents a dark blue, while (0, 0, 255) represents a bright blue. To produce a shade of gray, set all three
RGB colors to the same level.
The HSV (hue, saturation, value) color model.
Hue refers to the position of a color measured in degrees on the color wheel (red, yellow, green, cyan, blue, or magenta) and the various shades between them. For example, red is 0, cyan is 180, and magenta is 300.
Saturation refers to the purity of color or the amount of gray in the color. Values: 0 (most-saturated color) to 100 (leastsaturated color).
Value refers to the total amount of light in a color. A value of 0 gives the darkest result (black) and 100 gives the lightest result (white).
The CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) color model. This model simulates the four-color (CMYK) process used in printing.
Data Management Property Editor
Sets file-management options and locations for features such as autosave, project lists, backup, and default paths.
To display: Click the Show All Options tab in the tools and options panel, then click the Data Management Options tab.
Option Description
Scene File Options
Enable Autosave Toggles autosave on or off. Autosave saves the current scene to a file at regular intervals. This can protect you from losing work in the event of a power failure or system failure.
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Option Description
Autosave Interval
(Minutes)
The frequency of automatic saves.
Number of Scene
Backups
Sets the number of backup scenes to be saved under the project's Backup directory. If Number of Backup Days to
Keep is a value other than zero, this is the number of backups to keep per day.
Number of
Backup Days to
Keep
Sets the number of days for which to keep backups. This allows you to restore a backup from a previous day, no matter how many times you saved a scene during the current day.
Backups older than the specified number of days are deleted.
Display Property Editor
Controls what views will be output to a monitor via the Avid Mojo.
To display: Click the Show All Options tab in the tools and options panel, then click the Mojo Options tab.
Option Description
Digital I/O -
Output to Mojo
Monitor
Type
Sets the display to the appropriate monitor type: NTSC or PAL.
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General
Option Description
View Output Sets which view will be output via the Mojo:
• Disabled: nothing is output to the monitor.
• 3D View A: the display in viewport A is output to the monitor.
• 3D View B: the display in viewport B is output to the monitor.
• 3D View C: the display in viewport C is output to the monitor.
• 3D View D: the display in viewport D is output to the monitor.
• 3D Auto A/B/C/D: the viewport that has focus is output to the monitor. Click a viewport to give it focus.
• Render View: outputs the rendered image from the render preview or the render view when rendering an image to disk.
The image/frame is not displayed on the monitor until the last tile is rendered.
• The FX View option is not implemented in Avid 3D.
• Image Clip View: the image clip view, as seen in the Texture
Clip Viewer, is output to the monitor.
Environment Map Property Editor
Takes a single image file and maps it to the environment using one of five possible mapping methods. Environment maps are typically used to light a scene with a combination of direct and indirect lighting. You can control the intensity of the image in the background, the intensity of its reflections in the scene, and the intensity of the lighting.
To display: Click the Environment node in the Material and Fx tab of the
Option
Image
Description
Defines an image clip to use as an environment map.
Click Edit to open a property page for the image clip being presently used. To retrieve a new clip, click New and indicate whether you wish to create a new clip or create one from a source.
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Option
Environment Mode
Description
Specifies the kind of mapping used by the image. Choose from one of the following:
• Spherical: maps the image spherically around the scene.
• Cylindrical: maps the image cylindrically around the scene.
• Cubic Strip: takes an image in which the faces of a cube are laid out horizontally, side by side, and maps it in a cubic shape around the scene.
• Cube Cross: takes an image in which a cube has been unfolded to look like a cross and maps it in a cubic shape around the scene.
• Cube Cross Sideways: a cubic cross, but rotated
90 degrees.
Intensity
Background
Reflection
Image
Transformation
Halve/Double all lights intensity
Controls the degree to which the selected image shows up in the background. Eye rays that hit nothing will evaluate the environment shader making it appear in empty areas of the scene's background.
Controls the intensity of the reflections. Higher values will cause bright areas of the image to appear more intense on the surfaces of reflective scene objects.
Controls the intensity of the lighting in the scene from the environment map. Higher values brighten the lighting, while lower values darken it.
A transformation matrix that allows you to scale, rotate, and translate the image in X, Y, and Z, to adjust how it is placed around the scene.
Halves or doubles the intensity of the scene’s imagebased lighting.
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General
Inspect Source Paths Property Editor
Displays the complete paths and file names of external files (textures, video and audio clips, etc.) referenced by the scene. Use this property editor to update source paths when files are moved or renamed.
File paths are the paths as saved in the scene. The resolved paths are the file paths as seen by the operating system, after having been resolved by Avid 3D.
You cannot edit the resolved paths directly.
An entry whose path or file name is no longer accurate will be displayed in red and have an "Invalid" status. You can correct individual entries by doubleclicking in the appropriate File Path cell.
To display: Choose File > Source Paths from the menu bar.
Option Description
Browse Selected Path Opens a browser so that you can navigate to the desired file.
Search and Replace All Opens the Search and Replace dialog box, where you can update multiple paths or file names simultaneously by replacing the text strings shown in the File Path list.
Mini Color Editor
Pick colors from a palette or create new colors. To create new colors, you can pick them from the image in a viewport or you can specify their HLS, HSV, or
RGB color model values.
To display: Click on a property page's color box (to the left of the color sliders). For the full color editor, click on the browse (...) button in the mini color editor.
Option
Color Spectrum
Description
Displays a color spectrum based on the color box you selected from the property page.
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Option Description
Slider
Current-Color/
Color-Preview boxes
Represents the channel you've selected from the property page.
For example, if you selected HSV Saturation, then the slider represents the saturation.
Displays the correct color of the shader (left) and the color you are previewing (right).
Palette Selects a solid color from a pop-up menu.
> (Options menu) Displays different color input options (HSV, HLS, RGB, numerical, color wheel).
Color Wheel Displays a color wheel from which you can select a color.
HSV Saturation Displays a view of the saturation component of the HSV color model.
HSV Hue Displays a view of the hue component of the HSV color model.
HSV Brightness Displays a view of the value component of the HSV color model.
HLS Specifies colors using the HLS (hue, luminance, and saturation) model.
Hue refers to the position of a color measured in degrees on the color wheel (red, yellow, green, cyan, blue, or magenta) and the various shades between them. For example, red is 0, cyan is
180, and magenta is 300.
Luminance refers to the total amount of light in a color. A value of 0 gives the darkest result (black) and 255 gives the lightest result (white).
Saturation refers to the purity of color or the amount of gray in the color. Values: 0 (most-saturated color) to 255 (leastsaturated color).
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Option
HSV
RGB
Normalized
Color picker
...
Description
Specifies colors using the HSV (hue, saturation, value) color model.
Hue refers to the position of a color on the color wheel (red, yellow, green, cyan, blue, or magenta) and the various shades between them.
For example, red is 0, cyan is 180, and magenta is 300.
Saturation refers to the purity of color or the amount of gray in the color. Values: 0 (most-saturated color) to 255 (leastsaturated color).
Value refers to the total amount of light in a color. A value of 0 gives the darkest result (black) and 255 gives the lightest result
(white).
Specifies colors using the RGB (red, green, blue) additive color model. The intensity of each color is represented by a number from 0 to 255. A value of 0 represents no light (black) in a channel, and a value of 255 represents maximum light intensity
(white) in a channel.
For example, (0, 0 ,50) represents a dark blue, while (0, 0, 255) represents a bright blue. To produce a shade of gray, set all three RGB colors to the same level.
You can enter values higher than 255 for the R, G, or B channel, although the displayed result will be the same as if the value were set to 255.
Normalizes the values so that they range from 0 to 1.
Selects a color from the image in the viewer.
Opens the
.
New Project Dialog Box
Where you create a new project, giving it a name and location. The project is stored in the list in your user location.
To display: Select File > New Project from the menu bar.
Option
Project Name
Description
Name of the new project.
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Option
Location
(...) button
Description
Specifies a location for the new project.
Opens a browser in which you can specify a location for the new project.
Project Manager Dialog Box
The Project Manager is where you open and delete existing project folders, create new project folders and scene files, and manage project lists. A project is a file folder containing subfolders for your scene files and related elements.
In Avid 3D, you always work within the structure of a project.
To display: Select File > Project Manager from the menu bar.
Option
Select a Project
Sort By
Project Path
New Project
Set as Default
Project List
Add Project
Description
Select a project from the list. The current project is highlighted. The prefixes indicate which project list file contains each project:
• [F] indicates that the project is listed in the project file in the factory location.
• [U] indicates that the project is listed in the project file in your user location.
• [W] indicates that the project is listed in a project file in a workgroup location.
Sort the projects in the above list by Name , Origin
(factory, user, and workgroup), or none (no sorting).
The path to the selected project. This is displayed for information only and cannot be modified.
Opens a dialog box where you can create and name a new project folder.
Sets the selected project folder as default. Whenever the software is restarted, this project is automatically selected.
Adds an existing project to the project list.
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Option
Remove from List
Scan Disk
Clear List
Import List
Export List
Delete Project
New Scene
Delete
Description
Removes the selected project from the project list. The project is not deleted from the hard disk.
Searches the specified folders and adds any projects found to the list.
Removes all projects from the project list. Projects are not deleted from the hard disk.
Opens a browser that lets you search for an exported project list file, which contains a list of projects and their associated paths. These project names are added to any existing projects in the project list.
Creates a text file containing the path and file name of each project currently displayed in the project list. You can then use the Import List button to access and display these projects.
Deletes the selected project. The associated folder and its files are removed from the hard disk.
Creates a new scene file within the selected project folder.
Deletes the selected scene file from the project folder.
3D Objects
Arc Property Editor
To get an arc: Drag the arc curve object from the object library into a viewport.
To display: Select the arc, then click its node in the Geometry and Deform
Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option
Radius
Start, EndAngle
Description
The radius of the arc in distance units.
The start and end positions of the arc in degrees. The arc is drawn from the start angle to the end angle.
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Circle Property Editor
To get a circle: Drag the Circle from the object library into a viewport.
To display: Select the circle, then click its node in the Geometry and Deform
Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option
Radius
Description
The radius of the circle in distance units.
Cluster Property Editor
To create a cluster, select some polygons then click the Create/Edit Polygon
Clusters button on the control bar.
To display: Select the cluster, then click its node in the Geometry and Deform
Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option Description
Name
Cluster Display Color
Red, Green, Blue Sets the display color of the cluster's components when the cluster is not selected. If a component belongs to more than one cluster, it uses the color of the last cluster created.
Sort Order
The name of the cluster as it appears in the explorer. If you change this value, the new name appears on the property editor tabs the next time you display these parameters.
When clusters with local materials overlap, this value controls the order in which they're drawn. The lower a cluster's sort order value, the earlier it's drawn. Thus the cluster with the highest sort order value is always drawn on top of any other overlapping clusters.
n
When you open scenes created using a version of
SOFTIMAGE|XSI where sort order was not assigned to clusters, all of the clusters in the scene are assigned a sort order value based on the order in which they were loaded from the file.
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3D Objects
Cone Property Editor
Controls the size of a primitive cone.
To display: Select the cone, then click its node in the Geometry and Deform
Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option
Base Radius
Height
Description
The cone base radius, in distance units.
The cone’s height in distance units.
Cube Property Editor
Controls the size of a primitive cube.
To get a cube : Drag a cube from the object library into a viewport.
To display: Select the cube, then click its node in the Geometry and Deform
Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option
Length
Description
The length of the sides in distance units.
Cylinder Property Editor
To get a cylinder: Drag a cylinder from the object library into a viewport.
To display: Select the cylinder, then click its node in the Geometry and
Deform Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option
Radius
Height
Description
The radius at the base in distance units.
The height in distance units.
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Disc Property Editor
To get a disc: Drag a disc from the object library into a viewport.
To display: Select the disc, then click its node in the Geometry and Deform
Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option
Radius
Inner
Outer
Description
The radius of the disc's hole in distance units.
The radius of the disc's outside edge in distance units.
Extrusion Property Editor (Curve along Axis)
Creates a surface or polygon mesh by running a profile curve along an axis.
To display: Select the extruded object, then click its Extrusion node in the
Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the
Option Description
Inputs
Hide/Unhide
Delete (Freezes
Op)
Hides all the inputs for the generated object to simplify the display of your scene in the 3D views, or unhides the inputs when you need to modify them.
Freezes the generator and deletes the inputs. This simplifies the scene once you are satisfied that you won't need to modify the inputs again.
Subdivisions
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Option Description
Subdivision Type Determines how you specify the number of subdivisions in the result.
• Per Span uses the "natural" subdivisions as determined by the shapes of the inputs. You can subdivide each segment further using the U and V span sliders.
In this case, discontinuities resulting from multiknots in the inputs are preserved in the generated objects.
• Absolute allows you to set the total number of subdivisions using the U and V abs sliders.
U, V span The number of subdivisions corresponding to each segment of the inputs, when Subdivision Type is Per Span .
U, V abs
Open/Close
The total number of subdivisions, when Subdivision Type is Absolute .
Specifies whether the extruded surface is open or closed in U and V . These options work only if the corresponding input curves are open. If the input curves are closed, the surface will always be closed in the corresponding direction.
Extrusion
Start Position,
Length
From Center
The start and end positions of the extruded surface in distance units. Note that Start Position is available only if Snap to
Profile is off.
Controls how the profile is aligned with the global center. At 0, the profile's center is aligned on the guide, and at 100 the minimum U boundary is aligned. Values that are between align a point between the center and the minimum U boundary; values below 0 and above 100 extrapolate beyond these points.
This option is not available if Snap to Profile is on.
Snap to Profile When on, the extruded surface is created at the position of the profile curve. If it is off, it is created at the global center.
Extrusion Axis
Local Axis Controls whether the extrusion occurs along the object's local axes (on) or the scene's global axes (off).
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Option Description
Extrude Along X,
Y, Z
These options specify an axis along which to perform the extrusion: X, Y, or Z. When any of these options are on, any guide curve you picked is ignored. When multiple options are on, the extrusion is performed around the corresponding unit vector. For example, if both Extrude Along X and Extrude
Along Y are on, the extrusion is performed around the vector
[1, 1, 0].
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3D Objects
Extrusion Property Editor (Curve Along Curve)
Creates a surface or polygon mesh by running a profile curve along a guide curve.
To display: Select the extruded object, then click its Extrusion node in the
Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option Description
Inputs
Hide/Unhide
Delete (Freezes
Op)
Hides all the inputs for the generated object to simplify the display of your scene in the 3D views, or unhides the inputs when you need to modify them.
Freezes the generator and deletes the inputs. This simplifies the scene once you are satisfied that you won't need to modify the inputs again.
Subdivisions
Subdivision Type Determines how you specify the number of subdivisions in the result.
• Per Span uses the "natural" subdivisions as determined by the shapes of the inputs. You can subdivide each segment further using the U and V span sliders.
In this case, discontinuities resulting from multiknots in the inputs are preserved in the generated objects.
• Absolute allows you to set the total number of subdivisions using the U and V abs sliders.
U, V span
U, V abs
The number of subdivisions corresponding to each segment of the inputs, when Subdivision Type is Per Span .
The total number of subdivisions, when Subdivision Type is Absolute .
Open/Close Specifies whether the extruded surface is open or closed in U and V . These options work only if the corresponding input curves are open. If the input curves are closed, the surface will always be closed in the corresponding direction.
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Option Description
Extrusion
Start, End Pos.
The percentages along the length of the guide at which the extrusion starts and stops. Note that Start Pos.
is available only if Snap to Profile is off.
Start Pos.
determines the first tangent and binormal that will be propagated along the curve. Changing this value changes the initial binormal. Changing End Pos.
does not have this effect.
From Center Controls how the profile is aligned on the guide curve. At 0, the profile's center is aligned on the guide, and at 100 the minimum U boundary is aligned. Values in-between align a point between the center and the minimum U boundary; values below 0 and above 100 extrapolate beyond these points. This option is not available if Snap to Profile is on.
Snap to Profile When on, the extruded surface is created at the position of the profile curve. If it is off, it is created at the position of the guide curve.
Rotate Profile When on, the profile curve is rotated as the tangent of the guide curve changes, following the guide as it turns and twists.
Align Profile to
Path
Rotates the profile to align it with the start of the path. If this is off, the profile is not rotated.
Geometry Property Editor (Arc)
Controls the number of points on a primitive arc.
To display: Select the arc, then click its Geometry node in the Geometry and
Deform Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option
Subdivisions
Description
The number of segments. Higher subdivision values produce greater resolution and denser, heavier geometry.
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Geometry Property Editor (Circle)
Controls the number of points on a primitive circle.
To display: Select the circle, then click its Geometry node in the Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the
Option
Subdivisions
Description
The number of segments. Higher subdivision values produce greater resolution and denser, heavier geometry.
Geometry Property Editor (Cone)
Controls the number of points on a primitive cone.
To display: Select the cone, then click its Geometry node in the Geometry and
Deform Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option
Subdivisions
U, V, Base
Description
Extent (Angles)
Close Bottom
The number of segments in the corresponding directions.
Higher subdivision values produce greater resolution and denser, heavier geometry.
The Start and End U parameters let you open the cone.
Values are in degrees.
Caps the bottom of the cone.
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Geometry Property Editor (Cube)
Controls the number of points on a primitive cube.
To display: Select the cube, then click its Geometry node in the Geometry and
Deform Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option
Subdivisions
U, V, Base
Description
The number of segments in the corresponding directions.
Higher subdivision values produce greater resolution and denser, heavier geometry.
Geometry Property Editor (Cylinder)
Controls the number of points on a primitive cylinder.
To display: Select the cylinder, then click its Geometry node in the Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the
Option
Subdivisions
U, V, Base
Description
Extent (Angles)
Close top end
Close bottom end
The number of segments in the corresponding directions.
Higher subdivision values produce greater resolution and denser, heavier geometry.
The Start and End U parameters let you open the cylinder.
Values are in degrees.
Caps the top end of the cylinder.
Caps the bottom end of the cylinder.
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Geometry Property Editor (Disc)
Controls the number of points on a primitive disc.
To display: Select the disc, then click its Geometry node in the Geometry and
Deform Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option
Subdivisions
U, V
Description
Extent (Angles)
The number of segments in the corresponding directions.
Higher subdivision values produce greater resolution and denser, heavier geometry.
The Start and End U parameters let you open the disc. Values are in degrees.
Geometry Property Editor (Grid)
Controls the number of points on a primitive grid.
To display: Select the grid, then click its Geometry node in the Geometry and
Deform Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option
Subdivisions
U, V
Description
The number of segments in the corresponding directions.
Higher subdivision values produce greater resolution and denser, heavier geometry.
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Geometry Property Editor (Sphere)
Controls the number of points on a primitive sphere.
To display: Select the sphere, then click its Geometry node in the Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the
Option
Subdivisions
U, V
Description
Extent (Angles)
The number of segments in the corresponding directions.
Higher subdivision values produce greater resolution and denser, heavier geometry.
The Start and End U parameters let you open the sphere longitudinally. The Start and End V parameters let you open the sphere latitudinally. Values are in degrees.
Geometry Property Editor (Torus)
Controls the number of points on a primitive torus.
To display: Select the torus, then click its Geometry node in the Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the
Option
Subdivisions
U, V
Description
Extent (Angles)
The number of segments in the corresponding directions.
Higher subdivision values produce greater resolution and denser, heavier geometry.
The Start and End U parameters let you open the sphere longitudinally. The Start and End V parameters let you open the sphere latitudinally. Values are in degrees.
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Grid Property Editor
To get a grid: Drag a grid from the object library into a viewport.
To display: Select the grid, then click its node in the Geometry and Deform
Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option
U, V Length
Description
The length of the grid in each of its two directions, in distance units.
Loft Property Editor
Creates a surface or polygon mesh that spans a series of cross-sectional profile curves.
To display: Select the lofted object, then click its Loft node in the Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the
Option Description
Inputs
Hide/Unhide
Delete (Freezes
Op)
Hides all the inputs for the generated object to simplify the display of your scene in the 3D views, or unhides the inputs when you need to modify them.
Freezes the generator and deletes the inputs. This simplifies the scene once you are satisfied that you won't need to modify the inputs again.
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Option Description
Subdivisions
Subdivision Type Determines how you specify the number of subdivisions in the result.
• Per Span uses the "natural" subdivisions as determined by the shapes of the inputs. You can subdivide each segment further using the U and V span sliders.
In this case, discontinuities resulting from multiknots in the inputs are preserved in the generated objects.
• Absolute allows you to set the total number of subdivisions using the U and V abs sliders.
U, V span
U, V abs
The number of subdivisions corresponding to each segment of the inputs, when Subdivision Type is Per Span .
The total number of subdivisions, when Subdivision Type is Absolute .
Start, End Surface
Continuity at
Surface Curve
Scale Factor
These parameters apply only when the first or last curve in the loft operation is a curve on a surface; for example, a boundary or isoline.
The continuity between the lofted surface and the original input surface.
• (G0) Position: The lofted surface begins or ends at the position of the surface curve but does not take into account the tangent or curvature of the surface. The result can be a sharp edge between the lofted surface and the input surface.
• (G1) Tangent: The tangent of the lofted surface is aligned with the tangent of the input surface at the boundary. The result is a smooth transition from the lofted surface to the original surface.
• (G2) Normal: The normal of the lofted surface is aligned with the normal of the input surface at the boundary. This results in an even smoother transition between the surfaces.
Affects the extent of influence of the original input surface's shape on the lofted surface. This parameter does not apply when Continuity at Surface Curve is (G0) Position .
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Option Description
Tangent
Direction Match
Applies continuity between the lofted surface and the original input surface laterally (that is, in V). Again, this parameter does not apply when Continuity at Surface Curve is (G0) Position .
Open/Close Specifies whether the extruded surface is open or closed in U and V . These options work only if the corresponding input curves are open. If the input curves are closed, the surface will always be closed in the corresponding direction.
Revolution Property Editor (Curve Around Axis)
Creates a surface or polygon mesh by revolving a curve around an axis.
To display: Select the revolved object, then click its Revolution node in the
Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option Description
Inputs
Hide/Unhide
Delete (Freezes
Op)
Hides all the inputs for the generated object to simplify the display of your scene in the 3D views, or unhides the inputs when you need to modify them.
Freezes the generator and deletes the inputs. This simplifies the scene once you are satisfied that you won't need to modify the inputs again.
Subdivisions
Subdivision Type Determines how you specify the number of subdivisions in the result.
• Per Span uses the "natural" subdivisions as determined by the shapes of the inputs. You can subdivide each segment further using the U and V span sliders.
In this case, discontinuities resulting from multiknots in the inputs are preserved in the generated objects.
• Absolute allows you to set the total number of subdivisions using the U and V abs sliders.
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Option Description
U, V span
U, V abs
Open/Close
The number of subdivisions corresponding to each segment of the inputs, when Subdivision Type is Per Span .
The total number of subdivisions, when Subdivision Type is Absolute .
Specifies whether the revolved surface is open or closed in U and V . These options work only if the corresponding input curves are open. If the input curves are closed, the surface will always be closed in the corresponding direction.
Revolution
Start Angle
Revolution Angle The angle in degrees through which the revolution sweeps, beginning at the Start Angle . When this value is 360°, the revolution sweeps through a complete rotation no matter what the value of the Start Angle.
Revolution Axis
The angle in degrees at which the revolution starts, with respect to the revolution axis or curve.
Local Axis Controls whether the revolution occurs around the object's local axes (on) or the scene's global axes (off).
Revolve Around
X, Y, Z
These options specify an axis along which to perform the revolution: X, Y, or Z. When any of these options are on, any secondary curve you picked is ignored. When multiple axis options are on, the revolution is performed around the corresponding unit vector. For example, if both Revolve
Around X and Revolve Around Y are on, the revolution is performed around the vector [ 1, 1, 0].
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3D Objects
Revolution Property Editor (Curve Around Curve)
Creates a surface or polygon mesh by revolving a curve around another curve.
To display: Select the revolved object, then click its Revolution node in the
Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option Description
Inputs
Hide/Unhide
Delete (Freezes
Op)
Hides all the inputs for the generated object to simplify the display of your scene in the 3D views, or unhides the inputs when you need to modify them.
Freezes the generator and deletes the inputs. This simplifies the scene once you are satisfied that you won't need to modify the inputs again.
Subdivisions
Subdivision Type Determines how you specify the number of subdivisions in the result.
• Per Span uses the "natural" subdivisions as determined by the shapes of the inputs. You can subdivide each segment further using the U and V span sliders.
In this case, discontinuities resulting from multiknots in the inputs are preserved in the generated objects.
• Absolute allows you to set the total number of subdivisions using the U and V abs sliders.
U, V span
U, V abs
The number of subdivisions corresponding to each segment of the inputs, when Subdivision Type is Per Span .
The total number of subdivisions, when Subdivision Type is Absolute .
Open/Close Specifies whether the revolved surface is open or closed in U and V . These options work only if the corresponding input curves are open. If the input curves are closed, the surface will always be closed in the corresponding direction.
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Option Description
Revolution
Start Angle The angle in degrees at which the revolution starts, with respect to the revolution axis or curve.
Revolution Angle The angle in degrees through which the revolution sweeps, beginning at the Start Angle . When this value is 360°, the revolution sweeps through a complete rotation no matter what the value of the Start Angle.
Revolution Axis The axis around which the profile curve is revolved:
• End Points: the profile is revolved around a straight line connecting the second curve’s endpoints.
• Start Tangent: the profile curve is revolved around the tangent of the second curve at its U = 0 boundary.
• End Tangent: the profile curve is revolved around the tangent of the second curve at its U = 1 boundary.
Sphere Property Editor
To get a sphere: Drag a sphere from the object library into a viewport.
To display: Select the sphere, then click its node in the Geometry and Deform
Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option
Radius
Description
The radius in distance units.
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Spiral Property Editor
To get a spiral: Drag the spiral from the object library into a viewport.
To display: Select the spiral, then click its node in the Geometry and Deform
Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option
Height
Start, End Angle
Start, End Radius
Description
The height in distance units.
The start and end positions in degrees. The spiral is drawn from the start angle to the end angle.
The distance from the central axis to the start and end points in distance units.
Square Property Editor
To get a square: Drag the square from the object library into a viewport.
To display: Select the square, then click its node in the Geometry and Deform
Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option
Length
Description
The length of the sides in distance units.
Torus Property Editor
To get a torus: Drag a torus from the object library into a viewport.
To display: Select the torus, then click its node in the Geometry and Deform
Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option Description
Main Radius The major radius in distance units.
Cross Section Radius The minor radius in distance units.
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Deformations
Bend Op Property Editor
Deforms an object by bending it along one axis.
To apply: Select the objects to be deformed and click the Bend Deform button
in the deformation tools panel
.
To display: Select the deformed object, then click its Bend Op node in the
Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the
Option Description
Mute Toggles the deformation on and off without affecting the values of other parameters.
Direction
Axis The axis of the object's local coordinate space that is bent.
Bend Direction The direction in which the axis is bent, in degrees. For example, if the Y axis is bent in the direction 0°, it bends toward the X axis; if it is bent in the direction 90°, it bends toward the Z axis.
Bend Bottom Bends the bottom portion of the object, leaving the top undeformed. If this option is not checked, the top portion is bent leaving the bottom portion undeformed.
Amplitude
Angle
Radius
The angle of the bend in degrees. You can type values outside the slider range.
The radius of an imaginary circle that describes the sharpness of the bend. The bend follows the circumference of this circle.
Deformation Center
Use Bounding
Box Center
Uses the center of the object's bounding box as the deformation center. If this option is not selected, the object's center is used.
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Deformations
Option
Offset X, Y, Z
Description
Offset of the deformation center from either the bounding box center or the object center in distance units in the object's local space. You can type values outside the slider range.
Bulge Op Property Editor
Moves an object's points away from or toward a specified point in space.
To apply: Select the objects to be deformed and click the Bulge Deform button in the
.
To display: Select the deformed object, then click its Bulge Op node in the
Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option Description
Mute Toggles the deformation on and off without affecting the values of other parameters.
Deform Along
X, Y, Z
Axis
Specifies whether the points are deformed along each axis in local space. You can toggle individual axes on or off.
The reference axis around which the profile curve is revolved.
Points that are the same distance along this axis are deformed by the same amount.
Amplitude
Amplitude
Profile
The maximum amplitude of the bulge in distance units.
A function curve that controls how the amplitude of the bulge is modulated according to the distance from the deformation center. You can edit the profile using the mouse and the same keyboard commands as the function curve editor.
Deformation Center These options specify the point away from which the object's points are deformed.
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Option
Use Bounding
Box Center
Offset X, Y, Z
Description
When this option is on, the object's points are deformed away from the center of the object's bounding box. The Offset values have no effect.
These values specify the deformation center as an offset from the object's local center.
Curve Deform Property Editor
Distorts an object or cluster by mapping its local Y axis onto a curve.
To apply: Select an object and click one of the Deform By Curve buttons in
the deformation tools panel . You will be prompted to pick a curve.
To display: Select the deformed object, then click its Curve Deform node in
the Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option
Mute
Axis
Scaling Along
Curve
Normal
Roll
Binormal
Translation
Curve
Description
Toggles the deformation on and off without affecting the values of other parameters.
The local axis of the object that is deformed by the curve.
The scaling factor of the deformation along the direction of the curve.
The scaling factor of the deformation in the direction of the curve's normal (perpendicular to the tangent of the curve).
The scaling factor of the deformation in the direction of the curve's binormal (perpendicular to both the tangent and the normal).
The rotation of the object or cluster around the curve in degrees. If a deformed cluster appears twisted, try adjusting this value.
The maximum amplitude of the bulge in distance units.
The translation offset of the object along the tangent of the curve.
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Deformations
Option
Normal
Binormal
Description
The translation offset of the object in the direction of the curve's normal (perpendicular to the tangent of the curve).
The translation offset of the object in the direction of the curve's binormal (perpendicular to both the tangent and the normal).
Lattice Property Editor (Deformation)
Lattice objects are used to control lattice deformations.
To create a lattice: Select the objects to be deformed and click the Lattice button in the
.
To display: Select the deformed object, then click its Lattice node in the
Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option
Mute
Description
Toggles the deformation on and off without affecting the values of other parameters.
Lattice Property Editor (Lattice)
Lattice objects are used to control lattice deformations.
To create a lattice: Select the objects to be deformed and click the Lattice button in the
.
To display: Select the lattice, then click its node in the Geometry and Deform
Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option
Subdivision
X, Y, Z
Description
The resolution of the lattice in each of the three axes. Higher values provide finer control of the lattice deformation.
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Option
Interpolation
X, Y, Z
Description
The interpolation type of the lattice deformation in each of the three axes. Curve provides smoother deformation than Linear.
Pre-Deformed Size
X, Y, Z The size of the lattice in distance units. This is used to determine whether a point on a deformed object falls inside the lattice's pre-deformed bounding box and thus gets deformed.
Push Op Property Editor
Moves points perpendicularly to the surface.
To apply: Select an object and click the Push button in the deformation tools panel.
To display: Select the deformed object, then click its Push Op node in the
Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the
Option
Mute
Amplitude
Description
Toggles the deformation on and off without affecting the values of other parameters.
The amount of translation in distance units. Positive values move points outward perpendicularly to the surface, negative values move points inward in the opposite direction, and a value of 0 results in no deformation. You can type values outside the slider range.
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Deformations
QStretch Op Property Editor
Deforms an object dynamically in response to its motion.
To apply: Select an object and click the Quick Stretch button in the
To display: Select the deformed object, then click its QStretch Op node in the
Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
The parameters on the Overview property page control how an object deforms in response to four separate aspects of its motion: Linear Velocity , Angular
Velocity , Linear Acceleration , and Angular Acceleration .
The other tabs give fine control over the deformations caused by each aspect of motion. The parameters are the same on each page.
Overview Property Page
Option
Mute
Flex
Stretch
Yield
Description
Toggles the deformation on and off without affecting the values of other parameters.
Bends back in the direction of motion as if due to wind resistance.
Elongates in the direction of motion.
Bulges as if internal mass was being displaced.
Other Property Pages
Option Description
Mute
Reference for Lock
X/Y/Z
Toggles the entire Qstretch deformation on and off without affecting the values of other parameters. This is the same option as on the Overview tab.
Determines which coordinate system is used when you lock axes: Global or Local . Local is particularly useful when there is a rotational component to the motion, such as when animating along a path.
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Option
Flex
Stretch
Yield
Ampl.
Max.
Profile
Volume
Lock X, Y, Z
Description
Bends back in the direction of motion as if due to wind resistance. This is the same option as that in the corresponding section of the Overview tab.
Elongates in the direction of motion. This is the same option as that in the corresponding section of the Overview tab.
Bulges as if internal mass were being displaced. This is the same option as that in the corresponding section of the
Overview tab.
The sensitivity of the deformation with respect to the motion.
The maximum amount of deformation in terms of the object's bounding box. With a value of 1, an object could elongate up to twice its original size; with a value of 0.5, it could elongate up to 1.5 times its original size, and so on.
The profile of the deformation. This parameter applies to Flex and Yield .
• Curved: The object bends into a curve as if it were flexible.
• Linear: The object bends with a linear profile as if it were non-flexible but still subject to shear forces.
How the object deforms when Stretch is on:
• Keep Volume: As the object elongates in the direction of motion, it becomes thinner in the other directions to preserve the approximate volume. This results in a squashand-stretch effect.
• Free Volume: As the object elongates, the other directions are unaffected as if the object had an elastic surface.
Prevents the deformation from being applied in the corresponding axis. The reference can be local or global, depending on Reference for Lock X/Y/Z .
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Deformations
Shape Jitter Op Property Editor
Randomly displaces points of an object over time.
To apply:
Select an object and click the Shape Jitter button in the deformation tools panel .
To display: Select the deformed object, then click its Shape Jitter Op node in the Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the
Shape Jitter Op Property Page
Option
Mute
Description
Toggles the deformation on and off without affecting the values of other parameters.
Amplitude
X, Y, Z
Random Values
Seed
The maximum amount of displacement along each local axis.
Group Vertices
By
Independent
Streams
A value used to generate a pseudo-random number. Different values produce different numbers, but the same value always produces the same number. This lets the effect be reproduced exactly if necessary.
Divides the points into groups of the specified number and moves each group as a unit. This is useful if an object is composed of several non-contiguous shapes and you want the shapes to move relative to each other but not be deformed internally.
Random numbers are reused to save memory. In certain cases, this can cause discernible patterns in the motion. To counteract this, increase this parameter; as a general rule, it should be equal to or greater than the cube root of the number of control points. For example, if the object has 1000 control points, this value should be 10 or more.
Deformation
Frequency The relative number of shapes over time. High values create a very jittery effect, while low values produce a smoother effect.
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Option
Tension
Cumulative
Description
The interpolation in space between shapes. Smaller values produce smoother interpolations. When Tension is 1, the two nearest shapes are interpolated. When Tension is 0, the four nearest shapes are interpolated.
Specifies whether the displacements accumulate over time.
When off, points jitter about their original values. When on, points may become further and further displaced from their original values.
Time Control Property Page
Option
Start offset
End
Description
The first frame for which the jitter begins to affect the object.
The last frame for which the jitter affects the object.
Shear Op Property Editor
Slants an object by pulling its ends in opposite directions.
To apply:
Select an object and click the Shear button in the deformation tools panel .
To display: Select the deformed object, then click its Shear Op node in the
Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the
Option
Mute
Deform Along
X, Y, Z
Description
Toggles the deformation on and off without affecting the values of other parameters.
Activates the deformation along the corresponding axis in the object's local coordinate space. Note that if the deformation is applied along the same axis as the Axis parameter, the result is an elongation rather than a slant in that direction.
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Deformations
Option Description
Axis The axis of the object's local coordinate space along which to apply the deformation. Points that are on one side of the deformation center with respect to this axis are moved in one direction, and points on the other side are moved in the opposite direction.
Amplitude
Amplitude
Profile
The total amount of lateral displacement from one end of the object to the other, in distance units. Longer objects need a higher amplitude to be slanted at a given angle. You can type values outside the slider range.
This profile curve controls the fraction of the amplitude (the vertical axis) over the length of the object (0 to 100% on the horizontal axis). Values over 1 produce an exaggerated deformation with a displacement greater then the Amplitude, and negative values produce a displacement in the opposite direction. You can edit the profile using the mouse and the same keyboard commands as the function curve editor.
Deformation Center Points that are on one side of the deformation center with respect to the Axis parameter are moved in one direction, and points on the other side are moved in the opposite direction.
Use Bounding
Box Center
Offset X, Y, Z
Uses the center of the object's bounding box as the deformation center. If this option is not selected, the object's center is used.
Offset of the deformation center from either the bounding box center or the object center in distance units in the object's local space. You can type values outside the slider range.
Taper Op Property Editor
Gradually scales objects along one axis.
To apply: Select an object and click the Taper button in the deformation tools panel.
To display: Select the deformed object, then click its Taper Op node in the
Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
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Option Description
Mute Toggles the deformation on and off without affecting the values of other parameters.
Deform Along
X, Y, Z
Axis
Specifies whether or not the deformation is applied along the corresponding axis in the object's local coordinate space. Note that if the deformation is applied along the same axis as the
Axis parameter, the object is foreshortened rather than thinned in that direction.
The axis of the object's local coordinate space along which the
Profile is applied.
Amplitude
Amplitude
Profile
The total amount of scaling from one end of the object to the other, in distance units. You can type values outside the slider range.
This profile curve controls the fraction of the amplitude (the vertical axis) over the length of the object (0 to 100% on the horizontal axis). For any point along the length of the object, the scaling factor is the Amplitude multiplied by the corresponding value of this graph—if the result is negative the object is thinner; if positive the object is thicker. Values over 1 produce an exaggerated deformation with a scaling factor greater than the Amplitude. You can edit the profile using the mouse and the same keyboard commands as the function curve editor.
Deformation Center
Use Bounding
Box Center
Offset X, Y, Z
Uses the center of the object's bounding box as the deformation center. If this option is not selected, the object's center is used.
Offset of the deformation center from either the bounding box center or the object center, in distance units, in the object's local space. You can type values outside the slider range.
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Deformations
Twist Property Editor
To create a twist or vortex deformation: Select the objects to be deformed and click either the Twist or Vortex button in the
.
To display: Select the deformed object, then click its Twist Op node in the
Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Deform Property Page
Option Description
Mute
Twist Active
Vortex Active
Axis
Angle
Toggles the deformation on and off without affecting the values of other parameters.
Applies a gradual rotation about an axis. This parameter is also available on the Twist Effect tab.
Varies the angle of rotation based on the distance from the axis, creating a swirl effect. This parameter is also available on the Vortex Effect tab.
The axis of the object's local coordinate space around which the object's points are rotated.
The total amount of rotation from one end of the object to the other, in degrees. You can type values outside the slider range.
Deformation Center
Use Bounding
Box Center
Offset X, Y, Z
Uses the center of the object's bounding box as the deformation center. If this option is not checked, the object's center is used.
Offset of the deformation center from either the bounding box center or the object center in distance units in the object's local space. You can type values outside the slider range.
Twist Effect Property Page
Option
Twist Active
Description
Applies a gradual rotation about an axis. This parameter is also available on the Deform tab.
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Option
Angle Modulating
Profile
Description
This profile curve controls the fraction of the angle (the vertical axis) over the length of the object (0 to 100% on the horizontal axis). For any point along the length of the object, the degree of rotation is the Angle (set on the Deform tab) multiplied by the corresponding value of this graph. Results greater than 1 produce an exaggerated deformation with a rotation greater than the Angle and negative results produce rotation in the opposite direction. You can edit the profile using the mouse and the same keyboard commands as the function curve editor.
Vortex Effect Property Page
Option
Vortex Active
Angle Modulating
Radial Profile
Description
Varies the angle of rotation based on the distance from the axis, creating a swirl effect. This parameter is also available on the Deform tab.
This profile curve controls the angle (the vertical axis) over the distance from the axis (0 to 100% in terms of the object's length). For any point along the length of the object, the degree of rotation is the Angle (set on the Deform tab) as modified by the Twist Effect (if on) then multiplied by the corresponding value of this graph. You can edit the profile using the mouse and the same keyboard commands as the function curve editor.
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Displacement
Direction
Deformations
Wave Property Editor
Wave control objects define animated wave deformations.
To create a wave: Select the objects to be deformed and click one of the wave
deform buttons in the deformation tools panel .
To display: Select the deformed object, then click its Wave node in the
Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
General Property Page
Option
Type
Description
Determines how the wave propagates from its source:
• Circular produces a circular pattern emanating from a point like a water drop on a pond.
• Planar produces a planar pattern emanating from a line like a wave on the beach.
• Spherical produces a spherical pattern emanating from a point like an explosion.
The direction in which the points of affected objects are displaced:
• Up displaces points along the local Y axis of the wave object.
• Direction displaces points in the direction in which the wave is moving.
• Normal displaces each point perpendicularly to the surface.
Periodicity
In Space
In Time
Velocity
Repeats the shape of the wave's profile between the first and last key points indefinitely.
Repeats the entire wave effect, including the result of
again after the End frame set on the Time Control tab of the operator's property editor.
The initial speed at which the wave moves in distance units per second.
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Option
Acceleration
Description
The rate at which the wave's speed changes in distance units per second squared. Positive values cause the velocity to increase, and negative values cause it to decrease.
Vertical Falloff
Start/End Sets a height range over which the wave's effect decreases along the local Y axis of the wave object. Distance is measured from the center of the wave object. Start specifies the height at which the effect begins to decrease; End specifies the height at which the wave has no effect at all; and between
0 and the Start value, the full amplitude is applied.
Profile Property Page
Option
Amplitude Profile
Description
The shape of the wave's cross-section. The amplitude of the deformation at any point is determined by this profile and the value of the Amplitude parameter of the Wave Op deformation of the affected object. The horizontal length of this profile can also be modified and animated with the Spread parameter of the Wave Op deformation.
You can edit the profile using the mouse and the same keyboard commands as the function curve editor.
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Deformations
Wave Op Property Editor
Control how a wave object affects a deformed object.
To create a wave: Select the objects to be deformed and click one of the wave
deform buttons in the deformation tools panel .
To display: Select the deformed object, then click its Wave Op node in the
Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Wave Op Property Page
Option
Mute
Amplitude
Spread
Description
Toggles the deformation on and off without affecting the values of other parameters.
A multiplier for the height of the wave profile curve defined on the Profiles tab of the Wave property of the wave control object. This can be used to control decay.
A modifier for the length of the wave profile curve. Lower values produce longer waves.
Time Control Property Page
Option
Start offset
End
Description
The first frame for which the wave begins to affect the object.
The last frame for which the wave affects the object.
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Text and Logos
Curve to Mesh Converter Property Editor
Controls the tesselation, extrusion, bevelling, and other options for text and extruded logos.
To display: Select the text or logo object, then click its Curve to Mesh
Converter node in the Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the
Subtopics
Geometry Property Page
Option
Step
Contour
Holes
Offset
Description
For Contour and Holes parameters, higher values produce smoother results that deform well, but increase the geometry.
The number of edges to generate between each pair of knots on the outer contour curves.
The number of edges to generate between each pair of knots on the inner hole curves. This option is not available when Curves Can Intersect is on.
Offsets the input curves. Positive values enlarge the curves and negative values shrink them. Values are in distance units.
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Option Description
Create Polygon Clusters
Per Island/Character Creates separate polygon clusters for each character.
The clusters are automatically named Char_1_ x ,
Char_2_ x , and so on, where x is the character itself.
If you change the resulting mesh structure by adding, removing, or moving curves or by changing the text after creating partition clusters, the clusters are not updated automatically. You must click this button again to recreate the clusters.
Per Section Along
Depth
Creates five polygon clusters corresponding to the Front,
FrontBevel, Extrusion, BackBevel, and Back. These clusters are automatically updated even if you change the mesh structure by changing settings, for example, setting a bevel after clicking this button.
The clusters are created even if they are empty. For example, if you do not apply a bevel then FrontBevel and
BackBevel contain no polygons.
The clusters span multiple characters. If you explode the mesh after creating these clusters, each mesh object in the exploded hierarchy will have these five clusters.
Explode Mesh into
Separate Parts
Tessellation Method
Delaunay
Creates a hierarchy of polygon mesh objects. There is one object for each character, and all objects are parented under a common null.
Controls how the curves' enclosed areas are filled with polygons.
Generates a mesh composed entirely of triangular polygons. This method gives consistent and predictable results, and in particular it will not give different results if the curves are rotated. This method is more precisely known as constrained Delaunay tessellation .
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Option
Minimum Polygon
Count
Medial Axis
Delaunay Options
Description
Uses the least number of polygons possible. For a single contour curve with no holes, this results in exactly one polygon. When holes are present, there are multiple polygons and their shapes are not predictable.
In general, Minimum Polygon Count creates irregularlyshaped n -sided polygons. For this reason, it is best used when you need to keep the geometry light on simple objects that will not be deformed.
Creates concentric contour lines along the medial axes
(averages between the input boundary curves), morphing from one boundary shape to the next. This method creates mainly quads with some triangles.
Various options for refining the tesselation when Method is set to Delaunay.
• Minimum Angle sets the minimum angle for triangles in the tesselation. If a triangle contains an angle that is smaller than this value, it gets replaced by bettershaped ones. Eliminating small-angled triangles gives a more uniform OpenGL shading. However, increasing this value will result in more polygons and heavier geometry.
• Maximum Area sets the maximum area for triangles in the tesselation, in units of 0.01 of a distance unit squared. If a triangle is larger than this value, it gets replaced by smaller ones. This allows the polygon mesh to be deformed more smoothly. However, decreasing this value will result in more polygons and heavier geometry.
Extrude/Bevel Property Page
Option
Extrusion
Length
Subdivisions
Description
Controls how the polygon mesh is extruded.
The distance to extrude. A value of 0 gives no extrusion.
The number of extra vertices along the length of the extrusion.
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Option Description
Direction
Bevel
Size
The direction in which to perform the extrusion: Forward or
Backward .
Controls how the polygon mesh is beveled.
Controls the size of the beveling.
Depth Controls how much the bevel protrudes in front and in back of the base mesh. The bevel profile is automatically scaled so that the width of its bounding box equals this value. This value is in addition to any extrusion set using the Extrusion parameters.
Height Scaling Scale factor that modifies the profile curve in the outward direction only. Positive values push the sides out, while negative values push the sides in.
Sides
Options
Specifies which ends to bevel: Front and/or Back .
Proportionally
Smaller for Holes
Scales the bevel profile applied to holes. This is useful to avoid overlapping geometry when holes are small compared to the bevel size.
Interior Controls the direction of the bevel.
• When this option is on, the front and back are beveled outward. As a result, the silhouette matches the original curves but polygons may intersect or interpenetrate in narrow areas when the bevel depth is high.
• When this option is off, the sides of the tube are beveled outward. In some cases, this may distort the object’s outline or cause separate islands of polygons (such as characters in text) to collide with each other.
Create Hard
Edges
Activates mitering (sharp edges like at the corners of a picture frame).
Discontinuity
Angle
Specifies the angle above which edges are sharp. For a completely faceted polygon mesh object, set this value to 0.
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Option Description
Corner Mitering
Intersectionbased Min Angle:
Convex, Concave
The minimum threshold for mitering convex and concave angles in degrees. Angles that are sharper than these values are rounded. A value of 0 is equivalent to turning rounding off.
Roundness
Subdivisions
The smoothness of the rounding. Higher values produce smoother arcs with denser geometry. A value of 0 creates a flattened effect like a sawn-off corner.
Controls the shape of the beveling.
Profile Curve
Curve The shape of the bevel profile curve. To select a preset profile curve, click the browse ( ...
) button.
Sampling Step The number of subdivisions between each pair of knots on the profile curve.
Text Property Editor
Creates and formats text.
To create text: Click either of the Create Text Block buttons or the Create
Text Offset Rig button in the text tools panel
.
To display: Select the text object, then click its node in the Geometry and
Deform Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option
File
New
Open
Save
Save As
Edit
Description
Manages Rich Text Format (RTF) files.
Clears the text entry box.
Select an RTF file to import.
Save the contents of the text entry box as an RTF file.
Save the contents of the text entry box as an RTF file with a new name.
Standard editing commands.
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Option
Undo
Cut
Copy
Paste
Font
Clear
Size
Style
Alignment
Auto
Apply
Spacing
Size Ratio
Text and Logos
Description
Cancels the last action that you performed.
Removes the current selection and places it on the Clipboard.
Duplicates the current selection and places it on the Clipboard.
Replaces the current selection with the contents of the Clipboard.
Deletes the current selection.
Specifies font type from a list of those available on your system.
Specifies font size in points.
Specifies font style. Styles available include bold and italic.
Specifies text alignment, including left align, center, and right align.
Updates the text in your scene automatically as you make changes. There is a short delay to make sure you have finished typing before the scene updates. Turn this option off for faster interaction, particularly with dense geometry and beveling.
Updates the text in the scene manually.
Adjusts the spacing between individual characters. Positive values increase spacing and negative values decrease it (use
Alt or enter values numerically to set negative values).
This parameter is available only in the on-screen Text Block parameter set.
The ratio of points to distance units. Lower values make text bigger and higher values make text smaller.
This parameter is available only in the on-screen Text Block parameter set.
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Lights and Cameras
Ambient Lighting Property Editor
A scene's ambient color is multiplied by an object's ambient color. If the scene ambience is set to black, nothing can alter the ambient color of an object except, of course, a light.
To display: Click the Ambient Lighting node in the Material and Fx
Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option
Ambience
Description
Sets the scene's ambient lighting. Set to dark gray by default.
Camera Property Editor
Controls the basic properties of the selected camera.
To display: Select the camera, then click its node in the Geometry and
Deform Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option Description
Field of View
Angle Specifies the angle of the camera in degrees. A wider angle lets you see more of the scene but may cause distortion, particularly when an object is very close to the camera.
Vertical/Horizontal Specifies whether the Angle value is Vertical or Horizontal.
Projection
The angular measurement of the amount of the scene that can be viewed by the camera at any one time.
Orthographic
Specifies the type of projection from 3D to 2D used by the camera.
Uses an orthographic projection. All camera rays are parallel, and objects do not change size as they change distance from the camera. This projection is useful for pseudo-3D images without true perspective.
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Option
Perspective
Ortho Height
Description
Uses a perspective projection, simulating depth. Objects appear farther away as they are move away from the camera.
Sets the zoom of an orthographic camera. The higher the number, the further away the interest appears.
Depth of Field Property Editor
Defines the camera's depth of field by manipulating the radius of the circle of confusion, focal length, and focus plane distance from the camera.
To display: Select the camera, then click the Depth of Field node in the
Material and Fx Properties tab of the
Option Description
Depth of Field Strength Controls how powerful the depth of field will be, given the defined focal distance.
Focal Distance in Inches Defines the focal distance from the camera. Used with the
Depth of Field Strength parameter above.
Fisheye Property Editor
Simulates a hemispherical (fisheye) lens capable of rendering a 180-degree field of view with characteristic hemispherical distortion typical of real-world fisheye lenses. This effect shader does not attempt to implement some of the less desirable (and less predictable) traits of fisheye lenses, such as chromatic and spherical aberrations; in that sense, this is an "ideal" fisheye lens.
To display: Select the camera, then click the Fisheye node in the Material and
Fx Properties tab of the
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Option
Distortion
Description
Adjusts the degree of fisheye distortion. A value of 0.0 effectively "flattens" the lens, while a value of 1.0 results in completely hemispherical distortion.
Distortion is relative to the camera's field of view (FOV).
Hence, only if FOV is set to 180 degrees, and Amount to
1.0, will the lens be truly hemispherical.
You can adjust the camera's field of view from the
Scale
X/Y
Uniform
Adjust the proportions of the image in X and Y.
When activated, the X and Y scale values are kept identical, and changing them zooms into or out of the image uniformly. Zooming out reveals an undefined
(black) area outside of the area covered by the lens.
Flare Property Editor
Applies a lens flare effect to a light. You can control the brightness and dimensions of the basic flare effect, its "star," and its glow.
To display: Select the light, then click the Flare node in the Material and Fx
Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Subtopics
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Effect Property Page
Option
Enable
Flare Property Page
Description
Toggles the lens flare effect on and off.
Option
Flare File
Brightness
Size
Aspect Ratio
Glow Property Page
Description
Displays a dialog box from which you can select a flare type.
Controls the brightness of the flare.
Controls the size of the flare.
Specifies the ratio between the flare's width and height.
Option
Glow
Brightness
Size
Falloff
Star Property Page
Description
Applies a glow or halo within the flare effect.
Controls the overall brightness of the flare’s glow.
Defines the size of the halo.
Defines the halo's attenuation from the center of the flare.
Option
Stars
Brightness
Number of Rays
Description
Specifies whether the operator creates a star-flare effect.
Controls the brightness of the star effect.
Controls the number of rays per star.
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Option
Length
Length
Jitter
Thickness
Thickness
Jitter
Angle
Auto Rotate
Rotation
Twinkle
Description
Defines the length of the star's ray.
Controls the seemingly random variations in the star ray's lengths.
Defines the thickness of the star's ray.
Controls the seemingly random variations in the star’s ray's thickness.
The star effect automatically rotates as the flare's lights are moved.
Specifies the rotation of the flare's star effect.
This parameter controls the random flickering of the star over time.
Glow Property Editor
Applies a 2D glow to the selected object. The glow is a post-process effect and, therefore, will be applied once the render is complete. You can define the color, size, and look of the glow.
To display: Select the light, then click the Glow node in the Material and Fx
Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Glow Property Page
Option
Glow Color
Color
Description
Use Object's
Color
Defines a color for the glow effect. You can switch between the RGB, HSV, and HLS color channels.
The glow shader uses the object's diffuse and ambient colors as the glow's color.
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Option Description
Opacity
Intensity
Controls how transparent the glow effect is. A low value makes the object's color more visible; a higher value renders the glow opaque (non-transparent).
Closely linked with the Opacity parameter, Intensity affects the saturation of the glow's color. A high Opacity and Intensity value creates a black, non-transparent glow.
Glow Options
Exclude Object from Glow
Does not allow the glow effect to obscure the object.
Shrink (pixels) Shrinks the glow inward, into the selected object.
Use Depth
Use Object
Intensity
Enables a depth-buffer algorithm for the glow. Objects in front of the glowing object(s) will then obscure parts of the glow properly. Due to the inherent imprecision of the tag channel, a slight under- or overlap may occur on the object's edges.
n
Tip: Leaving this parameter off increases rendering speed.
The glow takes the intensity of the underlying object into account when adding the glow. If both the object intensity and the glow intensity are less than 1, the result will also be less than 1.
Size Property Page
These options let you define the glow's size and falloff.
Option
Glow Size
Size
Description
Defines the size of the glow. The glow's center is that of the object or group to which it is applied.
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Option Description
Minimum Level Controls the precision of the glow. An algorithm searches outward from the object: as the algorithm moves outward, its level drops.
n
Tip: If the value is too high, the edge of the glow will become visible. Lower the value a little until the edge isn't visible. This parameter can make a big difference to the scene's rendering time.
Falloff
Exponential When on, the glow uses an exponential (inverse square) falloff. Only one falloff type can be defined at a time.
Linear When on, the glow uses a linear falloff. Only one falloff type can be defined at a time.
Noise Property Page
To add realism to a glow, use these options to create a random-like noise to the glow effect.
Option
Amplitude
Scale
Noise Space
Description
Defines the strength of the noise. Noise is subtracted from the full glow's intensity. The higher the value, the more chaotic the pattern.
Defines the size of the noise. When increased, the variations are slower across the surface.
Object Space: Centers the noise on the object's center. If the object moves, the glow moves with it.
World Space: Centers the noise with the scene origin (0,0,0).
If the object moves, it appears to swim through its glow.
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Light Property Editor
Settings for general properties of the selected light. Every light also has an accompanying
light shader property (usually named
soft_light ).
To display: Select the light, then click its node in the Geometry and Deform
Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option Description
Light Type
Cone Angle
Exponent
Displays what type of light you are working on. The Light
Type can be changed at any time. Your choices are:
Point: Casts rays in all directions from the position of the light. This is similar to a regular light bulb, whose light rays emanate in all directions from the bulb.
Infinite: Simulates light sources that are infinitely far from objects in the scene. There is no position associated with an infinite light, only a direction. All objects are lit by parallel light rays.
Spot: Casts rays in a cone, simulating a real spotlight. Useful for lighting a specific object or area.
Sets the angle in degrees of the cone for a spotlight only .
Used to determine exponential light falloff. Range is from
0.01 to 10. Low values make the light fall off more slowly than high values.
Light Contribution Determines what type of lighting a light projects. By default, a light produces both diffuse and specular lighting.
Specular
Diffuse
Projects specular light. If Diffuse is off, the light appears harsh and brighter.
Projects diffused light. If Specular is off, the light appears much softer.
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Rig Controls Property Editor (Light Rig)
When you create a new scene, a default light rig is created at the same time.
The light rig has two circular paths: the inner path and outer path . The inner path constrains three spotlights to it, and the outer path constrains the spotlights’ interests to it.
The three spotlights are defined as follows:
• A key light, which is the main source of light from the rig.
• A back light, which highlights the edges of your objects.
• A fill light, which illuminates the shadows created by the key light.
To display: Select an element in the rig, then click the RigControls node in the
Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the
Key, Fill, Back Light Property Pages
Option Description
Enable
Type
Rotate
Up & Down
Dolly
Turns the key, fill, or back light on or off.
Lets you select a light type: point, infinite, or spot.
Sets the angular position of the light along the rig’s outer path.
Sets the distance of the light above or below the rig’s outer path, in distance units.
Sets the distance the light dollies forward or backward, in distance units.
Key, Fill, Back
Interest
The light’s interest is represented in the viewport by a red arrow.
By default, the arrow intersects with the rig’s inner path at its center. Interest settings are only applicable to spotlights and directional lights.
Up & Down Sets the distance of the interest above or below the rig’s inner path, in distance units.
Dolly
Specular
Sets the distance the interest dollies, in distance units.
Projects specular light. If Diffuse is off, the light appears harsh and brighter.
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Option Description
Diffuse
Color chip
RGB, HLS, HSV Toggles between the RGB, HLS, and HSV color models.
The RGB color model uses red, green, and blue to specify colors.
The intensity of each color is represented by a number from 0 to 1.
The HLS color model uses hue, luminance, and saturation to specify colors. The value of each setting is represented by a number from 0 to 1.
The HSV color model uses hue, saturation, and value to specify colors. The value of each setting is represented by a number from
0 to 1.
Brightness Adjusts the brightness or luminance of the light.
Shadow
Projects diffused light. If Specular is off, the light appears much softer.
Displays the light’s color. Click the color chip to display the
Enable
Cone
Hot Spot
Falloff
Start/Stop
Sets the amount of the shadow the light casts, from 0 (darkest) to
1 (lightest).
Toggles the light’s ability to cast shadows on or off.
Sets the angle in degrees of the cone for a spotlight only .
Sets the angle in degrees of the interior cone for a spotlight only .
The interior cone defines where the light remains at its brightest.
Toggles falloff on or off. Using the Start and Stop values described below, falloff limits the effect of distant objects that are unlikely to have a significant impact on the surface color of scene objects.
This increases rendering speed and reduces memory usage.
When falloff is on, these specify the Start and Stop values described above. These values affect final gathering rays as follows:
• Final gathering rays whose lengths are less than or equal to the Start value are used normally.
• Final gathering rays whose lengths are greater than the Stop value are ignored.
• Final gathering rays whose lengths are between the Start and
Stop values are attenuated with a linear falloff.
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Light Paths Property Page
Option Description
Whole Rig
Up & Down Translates the entire light rig along the global Y axis.
Rotate
Inner Path/
Outer Path
Rotates the entire light rig around the global Y axis.
Up & Down Translates the light rig’s inner or outer path along the global Y axis.
Scale Sets the radius of the light rig’s inner or outer path, in distance units.
Light Rig Partial Property Editor (Light Rig)
Sets the sizing and vertical positioning of the default light rig.
To display: Select the light rig’s inner path, then click the Light Rig Partial node in the Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the
Option Description
Overall Height Sets the height of the light rig’s center in distance units.
Inner/Outer Height Sets the height of the light rig’s inner and outer paths relative to the light rig’s center.
Overall Rotation Sets the rotation of the entire light rig around the global Y axis.
Inner/Outer Radius Sets the radius of the light rig’s inner and outer paths in distance units.
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Option
Colors
Color
Lights and Cameras
Key/Fill/Back Light Property Editor (Light Rig)
Settings for general properties of the rig’s lights. For more specific properties, select a light.
To display: Select the light rig’s inner path, then click the light’s node in the
Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option
Enable
Height
Rotation
Dolly
Brightness
Description
Toggles the key, fill, or back light on or off.
Sets the height of the light relative to the inner path in distance units.
Sets the rotation of the light around the inner path’s local Y axis.
Sets the radial distance of the light from the path in distance units.
Adjusts the brightness or luminance of the light.
Light Shader Property Editor
Settings for the color attributes of the selected light. The default light shader name is soft_light .
To display: Select the light, then click the light shader’s node in the Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the
Description
Sets the intensity of each color channel. The specific color channels depend on the selected color model. The slider values range from 0 to 1, but you can enter higher values.
Controls the intensity of the selected color.
Intensity
Spread
Angle Sets the angle (in degrees) of the decreasing light around the spot-light cone.
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Option
Shadows
Enabled
Umbra
Light Attenuation
Light Falloff
Mode
Start Falloff
End Falloff
Description
Controls how shadows are cast by the selected light.
Activates the creation of raytraced shadows.
Switches on the transparency factor for the umbra (the main shadow where light is completely blocked by an object). This controls how the shadow blends with the material on which the shadow is cast. A value of 0 gives a complete, black shadow, and a value of 1 gives no shadow.
The Attenuation or falloff options control how light intensity decreases over distance. Values for the Start Falloff and End
Falloff options are measured in distance units. These options work only with point and spot lights.
Activates the fading of light intensity over distance.
Specifies how Falloff is calculated over the specified distance.
Use Light Exponent: Uses an inverse square algorithm to calculate the fading of light intensity between the start and end points. The farther light travels from the start point, the more rapidly it loses its intensity. This provides a more sudden transition to 0 (end).
Linear: Uses a linear algorithm to calculate the fading of light intensity between the start and end points. The intensity of light diminishes at a constant rate between start and end points. This provides a smoother and more gradual transition to 0 (end).
Specifies the point at which the light intensity starts to decrease in all directions.
Specifies the point at which the light intensity reaches 0.
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Volumic Property Editor
Defines the look and effects of a volumic light.
To display: Select the light, then click the Volumic node in the Material and
Fx Properties tab of the
Option Description
Volumic
Enabled Activates a volumic effect on the light to which the property is assigned.
Volumic Settings
Reflectance Controls the reflectance emitted by a volumic light.
Min
Distance
Defines the minimum distance from the light source that the volumic effect will be visible.
Shard
Enabled
Intensity
Scaling
Rotation
When on, the light produce rays, or shards, of light.
Defines the intensity of the light shards. A very high value resembles sun rays poking through clouds.
Defines the size of the beams/rays.
The shard effect automatically rotates as the light source is moved.
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Z-Depth Property Editor
Renders an RGB image according to the surface's distance from the camera.
The color increases from black to white as the distance is increased.
To display: Select the camera, then click the Z-Depth node in the Material and
Fx Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option
Maximum Depth
Invert
Description
Defines the maximum depth at which the shader calculates the Z-depth. The start distance is the camera location. Beyond the maximum depth, everything is white
(unless Invert is on).
Blends from white to black instead of black to white.
Materials and Textures
Image Source Property Editor
Sources are read-only files used to create clips. Only their name can be edited and the original image file is never affected.
To display: Select the textured element, then click the texture node in the
Material and Fx Properties tab of the
General Property Page
All of the following parameters, with the exception of File Name and Frame
Rate, cannot be edited and displayed only for reference.
Option
File Name
Description
Displays the explicit path to where the source file is saved. If Rel is on, the path is relative to the active project directory. If Abs is on, the path is absolute. You can type a different path or use the browse ( ...
) button to change locations. Valid names are displayed in white, invalid names are red, and read-only files are gray.
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Materials and Textures
Option
X, Y Res.
Frame Rate
Frames
Description
Displays the source's X and Y resolution.
Defines the frame rate at which the sequence of images is played.
The default value is 29.97 fps (frames per second).
Displays the total number of frames the source contains.
Info Property Page
Option Description
Name Defines the source's name. This name can be edited without affecting the original image file.
Sequence Info All of the following parameters, with the exception of Frame Rate, cannot be edited and displayed only for reference.
Frame Rate Defines the frame rate at which the sequence of images is played.
The default value is 29.97 fps (frames per second).
Frames
First/Last
Frame
Displays the total number of frames the source contains.
Identifies the first and last frames in the sequence.
Source Info All of the following parameters cannot be edited and displayed only for reference.
X, Y Res.
Displays the source's X and Y resolution.
Channels Displays the number of channels the source file contains.
Bits/Pixel Displays the bit format of the source.
Pixel Ratio The ratio of the pixel height to width.
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Video Property Page
All of the following parameters cannot be edited and displayed only for reference.
Option Description
Is Movie Format This option is selected if the source is a video file.
Number of
Layers or Tracks
Displays the number of layers or tracks in the clip. This is useful when your source is a layer or track-based file such as AAF.
When you create clips from sources with multiple layers or tracks, a clip is created for each layer or track. All of the created clips share the single source.
Video Field
Type
When the source is a video sequence, this parameter displays information about its field order. One of the following will be displayed:
• None: the source is not a video sequence, and has no fields.
• Lower Field First / Even (NTSC and DV Formats): the fields use even dominance.
• Upper Field First / Odd (PAL and HD Formats): the fields use odd dominance.
Material Property Editor
Controls the ambient, diffuse, and specular RGB colors, as well as RGB reflectivity, translucency, and transparency. The default material name is
Phong .
To display: Select the element, then click the material’s node in the Material and Fx Properties tab of the
Option
Diffuse
Description
Sets the diffuse color of the light. The diffuse color usually contributes the most to an object’s overall appearance and it can be considered the “main” color of the surface.
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Option
Ambient
Specular
Description
Sets the ambient color of the light. The ambient color appears on areas that are shielded from light but are still visible due to an ambient light, which is a non-directional light that pervades the entire scene.
Sets the specular color of the light. The specular color is the color of shiny highlights on the surface. It is usually set to white or to a brighter shade of the diffuse color. The size of the highlight depends on the defined Specular Decay value.
Defines the rate at which the specularity decays outward.
Specular
Decay
Transparency
Enable
Frost
Samples
Index of
Refraction
Switches on transparency. When off, no transparency is possible on an object.
Determines the smoothness of the surface.
0 = glossy; the higher the value the more diffuse, or "frosted," the effect.
Specifies the number of times the light ray is sampled. Low sample rate for a grainy; high for smooth.
Controls the bending of light through a transparent material.
Defines the index of refraction, which varies according to the nature of the material. (The refractive index of water is roughly
1.33, and that of vodka is about 1.36.)
Default = 1 (the refractive index of air), which allows light rays to pass through a transparent material without distortion.
Reflection
Enable
Gloss
Samples
Switches on reflection. When off, no reflections are possible on an object.
Determines the smoothness of the surface. 0 = glossy; the higher the value the more diffuse, or "frosted," the effect.
Specifies the number of times the light ray is sampled. Low sample rate for grainy; high for smooth.
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Texture Map Property Editor
Defines the texture map and its parameters.
To display: Select the textured element, then click the object or cluster texture node in the Material and Fx Properties tab of the
Option Description
Texture Image
Image Clip
Name
Name of the picture or video file to be used as the texture map.
Window and
Playback
Controls
Displays the selected image. Use the playback controls to play, pause, loop, and stop an image sequence.
Edit
New
Modifies parameters of the selected image.
Loads a new image.
Copy Alpha to RGB
Determines if the texture’s alpha channel will be used for transparency.
• Enable uses the texture’s alpha channel.
• Alpha Strength sets the degree to which alpha channel affects the image, from 0 to 1.
Bump Mapping
Enable Switches on the bump mapping parameters.
Use Alpha Uses the texture's alpha channel to achieve a bump map.
Factor Defines how “bumpy” the bump map will be. A negative value inverts the bump inward; a positive bump map factor bumps outward.
Step Controls the U, V, and Z steps of a bump map. Use this parameter to “smooth” bumps or make them more jagged.
Alternate
U, V Specifies whether every other copy of the repetition should be reversed so that the successive copies of the texture are alternated.
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Option
Repeats
Texture repeats
Description
Contains the repetition factor in U, V, and W. A value of 2, for example, shrinks the texture so that it fits twice in a [0..1] interval.
Texture Support Property Editor
Defines or edits the type of texture projection applied to an object, using the selected texture support.
To display: Select the texture support, then click the Texture Support node in the Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the
Option Description
Projection Method Planar: Defines a planar projection on the selected object.
Cylindrical: Defines a cylindrical projection on the selected object.
Spherical: Defines a spherical projection on the selected object.
Lollipop: Defines a lollipop projection on the selected object.
This is similar to a spherical projection, but the "pinch point" is on the bottom of the object (like the wrapper of a lollipop).
Spatial: Defines a spatial projection on the selected object.
Cubic: Defines a cubic projection on the selected object.
Projection Plane
Swap UV
XY, XZ, YZ: Determines which projection plane your projection method uses to project a texture.
U and V exchange positions on the object's surface.
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Time Control Property Editor
Specifies the timing of animated video clips used as textures.
To display: Select the textured object, then click the Time Control node in the
Material and Fx Properties tab of the
General Property Page
Option Description
Source Clipping
In/Out The first and last frames of the source that is used by the clip.
Adjust these values to trim a clip so that it begins or ends partway through the duration of the source.
Time Reference
Start Offset
Scale
Info
The frame where the clip starts, in the local time of the source.
The scaling of the clip in time. Increasing this value speeds up the relative time of the clip, decreasing the duration.
These values are automatically calculated from other parameters and cannot be modified directly.
Duration
End Time
The length of the clip. This value is automatically calculated from other parameters and cannot be modified directly.
The last frame of the clip. This value is automatically calculated from other parameters and cannot be modified directly.
Cycle Id The cycle ID at the current frame. The original clip has a cycle
ID of 0. If the clip is set to extrapolate after with a cycle or bounce, the first cycle after the original clip has an ID of 1, the next cycle has an ID of 2, etc. If the clip is set to extrapolate before with a cycle or bounce, the cycle immediately before the original clip has an ID of -1, etc.
Resulting In and
Out
The first and last frames of the clip after offset, scaling, and extrapolation.
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Extrapolation Property Page
These options determine how a clip contributes to the animation outside of the frames on which it is defined.
The Extrapolation Before options determine what happens before the clip, and the Extrapolation After options determine what happens after the clip.
Option
Type
Hold
Cycles
Bounces
Description
The type of extrapolation:
• No contribution results in no extrapolation. Use this to delete an extrapolation.
• Hold results in the first or last values being held for the number of frames specified by Time to Hold .
• Cycle repeats the clip for the number of times specified by Cycles .
• Bounce repeats the clip forward, then backward, and so on for the number of times specified by Bounces .
The number of frames to hold the first or last values. Set the
Type to Hold , then enter a value here.
The number of times to repeat the clip. Set the Type to Cycle , then enter a value here.
The number of times to play the clip forward and backward.
Set the Type to Bounce , then enter a value here.
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Warp Property Page
These options let you apply a timewarp to the clip. A timewarp changes the relationship between the local time of the clip and the time of its parent while taking into account other things like scales, cycles, etc.
A timewarp is a function curve associated with the time control property of a clip.
Option
Do Warp
Clip Warp
Warp FCurve
Description
Activates the timewarp for the clip. Modifications to Warp
FCurve have no effect unless this option is on. You must first select this option to make the warp fcurve available for editing.
Activates the timewarp for the whole duration of an extrapolated clip (cycled or bounced); that is, the warp is not repeated with each cycle or bounce. You must select Do
Warp for this option to be active.
Creates a timewarp by setting keys that map the clip's local time (X axis) to the parent clip's time (Y axis).
Make sure to unlock the keys on the warp fcurve by selecting the curve, then right-clicking on it and choosing Keys >
Unlock All Keys.
You can edit the function curve using the mouse and the same keyboard commands as the animation editor, or right-click in the graph or on a selected function curve to display a contextual menu of commands. When you edit the curve, a ghosted copy of the original curve is kept as a reference.
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Toon Shader Property Editor
A toon shader camera effect renders ink contours over the image. Ink can be drawn between different materials, objects, or where there are great discrepancies in distance or direction, for example.
If you want to know how this works and don’t scare easily, here’s an explanation: Contours are detected using a stratified adaptive stochastic supersampling technique. This means that for each primary-ray sample normally fired to compute an image, the shader fires additional rays into the scene until various conditions are met (that is, until a contour is detected); Quasi-Monte-
Carlo (QMC) methods are used to compute the direction of each additional ray. At the intersection of one of these rays with a surface, some information about the intersection point, such as the surface direction or its distance from the camera, is stored for later analysis. After each additional ray is fired, the information gathered at its intersection is compared with that stored for the nominal ray. If a contour is detected, sampling ceases and a user-specified contour-color is composited over the image.
Ultimately, you’ve turned your computer into an expensive, hi-tech pen.
To display: Select the camera, then click the toon shader node in the Material and Fx Properties tab of the
Appearance Property Page
Basic ink attributes, such as thickness ("spread") and color.
Option
Ink Only
Color
Description
Renders ink only.
Ink color and alpha. Ink is composited according to its alpha, so an alpha less than 1 results in underlying surfaces being partially visible through the contours.
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Option Description
Compositing Choose from a variety of available transfer modes for controlling the compositing of ink over underlying surface color:
• Normal: Normal is the default. It simply takes the foreground.
• Add: The foreground is added to the background. Thus, no foreground is visible if the foreground is black. This is useful for compositing such that the foreground appears to glow.
• Multiply: Multiplies the foreground by the background. The result is always a color darker than either original foreground or background, much like the result of two overhead transparencies stacked and projected from a single projector.
• Screen: The inverses of the two color values are multiplied. The result is a foreground brighter than either the original foreground or background.
• Overlay: Overlays either multiplies or screens, depending on the value of the background underneath. Overall, the effect is that the background is not replaced by the foreground, but is mixed with it, while weighted by the value of the original background.
• Lighten: Compares the values of the foreground and background and chooses the lighter of the two. The overall result is that the foreground can never do anything but make the background lighter.
• Darken: Compares the values of the foreground and background and chooses the darker of the two. The overall result is that the foreground can never do anything but make the background darker.
• Difference: The foreground is subtracted from the background, producing an inverted color effect.
• Hue, Saturation, Value: Uses the selected attribute of the foreground and the other attributes of the background.
• Soft Light: If the value of foreground is greater/less than 50% gray, the underlying background is lightened/darkened by the foreground. This is similar to shining a diffuse light on the image.
• Hard Light: If the value of foreground is greater/less than 50% gray, the background is screened/multiplied by the foreground.
This is similar to shining a harsh light on the image.
• Exclusion: Similar (though not identical) to Difference mode.
Spread Controls the thickness of ink contours.
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Option Description
Anisotropy
Amount The strength of the effect (a setting of 0 disables).
Angle The preferred angle, specified in degrees (such that 0 corresponds to
12:00 on the clock face, 90 to 3:00, etc.).
Direction
Increase ink spread at a preferred angle. This is useful for simulating a calligraphy pen, for example.
Varies contour spread as a function of surface-direction. By default, direction taper alters ink spread according to the degree of a surface's incidence to the camera (such that spread is greatest when a surface faces towards the camera, and least when facing away).
Amount The strength of the effect (a setting of 0 disables).
Spread Perturbation of ink spread.
Amount The strength of the effect (a setting of 0 disables).
Frequency Spatial frequency (x, y, z) of the random variation. Higher values result in “noisier” ink contours, while lower values result in more smoothly varying contours.
Facets Detect contours at facet boundaries—this results in contours being drawn between intersecting, adjoining, or overlapping triangles in the tessellated surface.
Enable
Merge
Coplanar
Activates the effect.
Ignores facet boundaries between adjacent co-planar triangles.
Background Property Page
This is a quick way to preview or render a contour image against a specified color (or image) background.
Option
Enable
Description
Activates the effect.
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Option
Color
Description
Specifies a background color.
n
Because of the effects of alpha pre-multiplication
(mental ray's default color format), the alpha-channel value in the final rendered image may differ from that specified here.
Lens Effects Property Page
The Lens Effects options allow for a fisheye lens-distortion effect useful for simulating distorted perspectives often found in hand-drawn artwork and nonphotorealistic rendering.
Option
Fisheye
Enable
Amount
Description
The fisheye parameters simulate a hemispherical (fisheye) lens capable of rendering a 180-degree field of view with characteristic hemispherical distortion typical of real-world fisheye lenses.
Activates fisheye distortion.
Adjusts the degree of fisheye distortion. A value of 0 effectively "flattens" the lens, while a value of 1 results in completely hemispherical distortion.
Distortion is relative to the camera's field of view (FOV).
Hence, only if FOV is set to 180 degrees and Amount to 1 will the lens be truly hemispherical.
You can adjust the camera's field of view from the Camera property editor .
Target Offset
X/Y/Z
Roll
Active
Roll
Offsets the orientation of the constraining object in global space in relation to the constrained object.
Toggles on/off any roll applied to the object.
Sets the roll value of the object around the aligned axis.
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Animation
Direction Constraint Property Editor
Constrains the axis of a selected object to another object without changing the location of the constrained object; instead, it changes the orientation of the constrained object. The aligned axis (the X axis by default) of the constrained object always remains facing the center of the constraining object.
To display: Select the constrained object, then click the Direction Cns node in the Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the
Description
Toggles the activeness of this constraint.
Option
Active
Align Axis
X/Y/Z
Target Offset
X/Y/Z
Roll
Active
Roll
Sets the axis of the constrained object that will always face the center of the constraining object.
Offsets the orientation of the constraining object in global space in relation to the constrained object.
Toggles on/off any roll applied to the object.
Sets the roll value of the object around the aligned axis.
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Fcurve Editor Property Editor
Controls various settings of the function curve editor, including how the grid is displayed and how the clipboard is managed.
To display: Select the animated object, then click the Function Curve Editor tab of the
Editor Property Page
Controls the display of grids, rulers, and slopes in the function curve editor.
Option
Display Grids
Snap Grid
Snap Slope
Rulers
Description
Sets the spacing between grid lines on the X (Time) and Y
(Value) axes. Show displays or hides the X and Y axis grid lines.
Sets the interval on the grid's X (Time) and Y (Value) axes to which a key will snap when it is moved or created.
Snap toggles the snap-to-grid feature on and off.
Sets the Length in distance units or the Angle in degrees to which slope handles on key points will snap when manipulated. Snap toggles this option on and off.
Controls the properties of the rulers displayed along the axes of the function curve editor. You can set the properties for the horizontal and vertical rulers separately.
Sets the spacing between ruler increments on the X (Time) and Y (Value) axes. The units displayed on the ruler are the same as the units you choose for the current Time
Display. Use the Time preferences to choose units of frames, seconds, or milliseconds. Show displays or hides the rulers on the X and Y axes.
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View Property Page
Controls how various elements appear in the function curve editor.
Option Description
Key Coordinates
Slopes on Unselected
Keys
Displays the X and Y coordinate values for each selected key.
Displays the slope handles of all points on a selected function curve. When off, only the slope handles of selected keys are displayed.
Displays the keys of all displayed function curves. When off, only the keys of selected function curves are displayed.
Keys on Unselected
Curves
Pan & Zoom Tool Mode Choose either the Pan & Zoom or Zoom (rectangular selection) tool to be the default zoom mode.
Use OpenGL Uses OpenGL for increased speed, especially with large amounts of fcurves and keys.
Local Transform Property Editor
Sets the position, rotation, and scaling coordinates of the selected object's X,
Y, and Z axes in local space.
To display: Select the object, then click the Local Transform node in the
Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option
Scaling
X, Y, Z
Rotation
X, Y, Z
Position
X, Y, Z
Description
Sets the size of the object along the specified axis.
Sets the rotation of the object around the specified axis.
Sets the position of the object along the specified axis.
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Path Constraint Property Editor
Constrains an object so that it follows the path of a curve during playback of an animation.
To display: Select the path-animated object, then click the PathCns node in
the Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option
Active
Path %age
Description
Toggles the activeness of this constraint.
Controls the percentage of the curve to be used as a constraining force on the selected object.
Attach Point
X/Y/Z Sets the offset distance in global space on the X/Y/Z axes of the constrained object in relation to the constraining object.
Tangency
Active
Axis to Align
X/Y/Z
Toggles the activeness of the tangency values on the constraint.
Sets the axis of the constrained object that will always face the slope of the constraining curve. You can either click the axis buttons (positive and negative X, Y, Z) or enter 1 or -1 in the axis text boxes.
Roll
Active
Roll
Affected Axis
X/Y/Z
Toggles on/off any roll applied to the object.
Sets the roll value of the object around the aligned axis.
Sets which axis of the constrained object will remain perpendicular to the path (Y is the default). You can either click the axis buttons (positive and negative X, Y, Z) or enter
1 or -1 in the axis text boxes.
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Animation
Position Constraint Property Editor
Constrains the center of an object to another object. It also lets you toggle on and off scaling, orientation, and position constraints for the selected object.
To display: Select the constrained object, then click the Position Cns node in the Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the
Option Description
Active Toggles the activeness of this constraint.
Attach Point — Constrained Object
Affected by
Orientation
Affected by
Scaling
X/Y/Z
Constrained object is affected by the orientation of the constraining object.
Constrained object is affected by the scale of the constraining object.
Sets the offset distance in global space on the X/Y/Z axes of the constrained object in relation to the constraining object.
Attach Point — Constraining Object
Affected by
Orientation
Constraining object is affected by the orientation of the constrained object.
Affected by
Scaling
X/Y/Z
Constraining object is affected by the scale of the constrained object.
Sets the offset distance in global space on the X/Y/Z axes of the constraining object in relation to the constrained object.
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Time Property Editor
Specifies the frame format and rate of the scene's animation, as well as how time is displayed on the timeline.
To display: Click the Show All Options tab in the tools and options panel, then click the Time Format Options tab.
Option Description
Default Frame Rate Toggles the activeness of this constraint.
Frame Format Specifies the frame rate used in the scene. Choose from
NTSC, PAL, Film, 30 fps, or Custom. If you select Custom frame rate , you must enter a value in the Frame Rate text box below.
Frame Rate The frame rate of your scene in frames per second (fps). This option is only available if you select Custom frame rate from the Frame Format list.
Time Display Format These options are not available if you have selected Custom frame rate as the Frame Format.
Display As
Frames
Toggles between displaying time in the timeline as frame numbers or in time code (hours:minutes:seconds:frames). This option is not available if the Display Format has been set to milliseconds.
Use Custom
Display Format
Allows you to select a custom format from the Display
Format list.
Display Format Displays time in the timeline as milliseconds, SMPTE Film
(24fps), SMPTE NTSC drop-frame or non-drop frame format,
EBU PAL (25fps), or audio samples.
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Particles
Fan Property Editor
A Fan force simulates the effect of a "local" wind blowing via a cylinder on the selected particle simulation. The wind's direction follows with the cylinder's axis, while the wind's intensity falls off from the center to the cylinder's border, moving from bottom to top.
To apply: Select the particle cloud and click the Apply Fan to Selected Cloud button in the
.
To display: Select the particle cloud, then click the Fan node in the Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the
Option
Mute
Strength
Amplitude
Radius
Drop Length
Decay
Radial
Description
Toggles on/off the force effect.
Intensity of the fan force.
Radius of the fan's cylinder.
Length of the fan's cylinder
Falloff (decay) along the fan's radius from its center to its outer edges.
• A value of 0 is no decay. This means that a particle would have the same amount of intensity on it throughout the radius.
• A value of 1 is a linear decay so the fan would have full intensity at its origin and less intensity as the particle gets closer to the radius edge where its intensity is 0.
• A value of 2 produces a quadratic, smooth falloff.
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Option
Axial
Description
Falloff along the fan's cylinder axis from the point of its origin to its end (Drop Length).
• A value of 0 is no decay. This means that a particle would have the same amount of intensity on it throughout the length of the cylinder.
• A value of 1 is a linear decay so the fan would have full intensity at its origin and less intensity as the particle gets closer to the end of the cylinder where its influence is 0.
• A value of 2 produces a quadratic, smooth falloff.
Gravity Property Editor
The Gravity force simulates a gravitational pull on the selected particle simulation.
To apply: Select the particle cloud and click the Apply Gravity to Selected
Cloud button in the
To display: Select the particle cloud, then click the Gravity node in the
Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the
Option
Mute
Strength
Amplitude
Description
Toggles on/off the force effect.
Sets the intensity of the gravitational force in either a positive or negative direction. The default value of 98.1 simulates earth's gravity.
This default value is set as such to simulate particles properly when 1 distance unit equals 10 cm. Depending on the scale of your scene, you may need to adjust this value to get particles falling as they should. For example, if you define 1 distance unit to be equal to 1 meters, you would need to set the gravity to 9.81.
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Obstacle Property Editor
Defines obstacle characteristics for objects as well as the behavior of particles as they strike the obstacle.
To apply: Select the particle cloud and click the Apply Obstacle to Selected
Cloud button in the
particle tools panel . Pick the objects you want to define
as obstacles.
To display: Select the particle cloud, then click the obstacle’s node in the
Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option Description
Mute
General
Double Face
Collision
Physical
Temporarily prevents the collision with this obstacle from being used in the calculations of the particle simulation.
Sets obstacle attributes, as well as the dynamics of the impact.
Obstacle Type Sets the type of obstacle surface.
• B-Plane: Particles strike the obstacle on the surface of its bounding plane.
• B-Box: Particles strike the obstacle on the surface of its bounding box.
• B-Sphere: Particles strike the obstacle on the surface of its bounding sphere.
• Actual Shape: Particles strike the obstacle on the surface of its geometric shape.
Animatable
Deformation
Sets collision detection for deformed objects. Because this option requires more processing time, it should not be on if no animated deformation is used.
Sets collision detection for each face of a two-sided object.
Friction
Elasticity
Controls the drag, or resistance, on particles as they strike the obstacle.
Controls the resilience of particles as they bounce off the obstacle.
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Option Description
Push Length Controls the offset between the obstacle's surface and the actual particles' collision point.
Tolerance Controls the degree of accuracy in all the Physical parameter settings. A lower tolerance level improves the accuracy of the set parameters but reduces overall performance.
Particle Billboard Property Editor
Renders particles as a 2D surface (a billboard) upon which you can create many different effects.
To display: Select the particle cloud, then click the Particle Billboard node in
the Material and Fx Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Rendering Properties Property Page
Option Description
Geometry
Shape The outline shape of the billboards:
• Square is a square shape that is circumscribed by the particle's radius.
• Rectangular is the same as Square except that its aspect ratio is the same as the sprite that's applied to the particle.
• Circular is a circle shape with the same radius as the particle.
Surface Normal The calculated normal for lighting calculations: Billboard or Spherical.
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Option Description
Face Direction Direction that the billboard faces:
• Camera: the billboard faces the camera.
• Incoming ray: billboard faces the camera unless there are reflections. If so, the billboard tries to orient itself so that it faces the reflected/refracted ray as well.
• Camera and Lights: the billboard faces the camera unless shadows are being cast. If so, the billboard faces each shadow casting light. This ensures that the billboard's
Shape doesn't appear flat, giving the illusion that it is three-dimensional.
• Use Rotation: billboard uses the particle's Orientation
values set in the Particle Emission property editor .
Rotation Follow
Velocity
Particle billboard rotates in the direction of the velocity. This is disabled if the billboard Face Direction is set to Use Rotation.
Texture
Coordinates
Controls which texture coordinates are generated for the particle.
• Planar is a straight planar UV mapping with origin in the lower-left corner.
• Particle's Local Space is the hit point in the particle's own local space.
• Cloud's Local Space is a hit point in the local space of the particle cloud.
• World Space is the hit point in the world coordinate space.
Effects
Burn Adds the particle's RGB values together when particles overlap in space (sometimes called color burn or additivity).
This lets you create bright spots of colors and glows where many particles are on top of each other.
Self-Shadowing Shadows cast by the particles onto themselves are attenuated by this factor.
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Shading Properties Property Page
Option
Apply Shading
Description
Applies a simple shading model to the particles. If not selected, only shadows are calculated, and the particles are still visible even if no lights are applied to the cloud.
Ambient
Type
Color
% of Base
The way in which the ambient color is calculated: % of Base
Color (particle type color), Use Ambient Color (the values of the Color sliders below), or None.
When you select Use Ambient Color as the Type, this is the surface's underlying ambient color, which gets modified by the scene's ambience. To get luminescent particles, use a high value for this parameter.
When you select % of Base Color as the Type, this is the percentage of the particle type's color (the base color) to use as the ambient color. To "blast" the base color, enter values higher than 100%.
Specular
Type
Color
% of Base
Shininess
The way in which the specular color is calculated: % of Base
Color (particle type color), Use Specular Color (the values of the Color sliders below), or None.
When you select Use Specular Color as the Type, this is the color of the surface specular highlight.
When you select % of Base Color as the Type, this is the percentage of particle type (base) color to use as the specular color.
Shininess of the specular highlight. Lower values result in a larger highlight.
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Particle Emission Property Editor
Applies general particle emission characteristics to objects, such as particle speed, density, and spread angle.
To display: Select the particle cloud, then click the particle emission’s node in the Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the
Option
Emission Properties
Generation
Direction
Rate
Spread
Description
Specifies where the particles originate from, according to the geometry of the emitter object.
• Point: Particles originate from the points of the emitter object.
• Line: Particles originate from the edges of the emitter object.
• Surface: Particles originate from the entire surface of the emitter object.
• Volume: Particles originate from within the volumetric boundaries of the emitter object.
Specifies the direction in which the particle stream is emitted.
Emission direction can be relative to the emitter object's local or global reference or relative to the direction of the emitter object’s normals.
Normals are invisible vectors that are perpendicular to the object’s the surface. Their purpose is to indicate the visible side of the object and its orientation to the camera. Basically, the particles are emitted outward from the object with the
Normal option selected.
Controls the number of particles emitted per second. This parameter has an associated Var (variance) parameter that allows you to add a value for random behavior.
Controls the diameter of the aperture through which particles are emitted from the emitter object. Range is 0 to 180 degrees.
This parameter has an associated Var (variance) parameter that allows you to add a value for random behavior.
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Option
Velocity
Speed
Description
Inherit
Controls the initial speed of emitted particle in distance units per second. This parameter has an associated Var (variance) parameter that allows you to add a value for random behavior.
Controls the velocity of the particle emissions from an animated 3D object or moving vertices that you are using as a source. This parameter has an associated Var (variance) parameter that allows you to add a value for random behavior.
Particle Gradient Property Editor
Renders the particle's color using a color ramp (gradient). The gradient is determined by the particle's age % by default.
To display: Select the particle cloud, then click the Particle Gradient node in
the Material and Fx Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option
Name
Evaluation Range
Minimum/
Maximum
Gradient
Show Alpha
RGB
Alpha
Description
Enter any name you like for the gradient or leave the default.
Minimum/maximum points on the gradient to evaluate for color.
Displays the alpha channel in the gradient control if you have
RGB selected. Deselect this option if you want to display only
RGB values.
Displays only the RGB values in the gradient control if Show
Alpha is off.
Displays only the Alpha values in the gradient control.
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Option Description
Gradient Control The gradient slider is where you create and adjust the gradient.
The bar displays the gradient left-to-right from beginning
(0.00) to end (1.00).
Square markers on the bottom of the gradient bar are color markers. You can use up to 8 color markers, each with its own color. Clicking on the gradient bar inserts a color marker at the click-point. By default, the new marker assumes the color of that point in the gradient. To delete a color marker, right-click it and choose Delete marker from the menu.
A round marker on the top of the gradient bar appears between each pair of color markers, indicating the mid-point in the blend between those two colors. Moving the round marker closer to either color marker causes less of that color, and more of the other, to appear in that "sub-gradient". The net effect is a sharper blend and a larger portion of the dominant color.
Color
Pos
Controls the R, G, B, and alpha values for the selected color marker.
Controls the position of markers on the gradient:
Color Markers: If a color marker is selected, the Pos value indicates its position, on a scale of 0.00-1.00, within the entire gradient.
Interpolation Markers: If an interpolation marker is selected, the Pos value indicates its position, on a scale of 0.00-1.00, between its associated pair of color markers.
Cubic/Linear Switches between linear and cubic interpolation of the gradient. Cubic interpolation results in a smoother transition between alpha values, while linear interpolation results in sharper transitions.
Presets
B/W
Flame
Smoke
Loads a preset using black and white values in the gradient control.
Loads a preset using a color spectrum going from blue to yellow, orange, and then black in the gradient control.
Loads a preset using only white and the alpha channel in the gradient control.
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Option Description
Animation
Key All
RGB/Alpha
Markers
Keys all current RGB or Alpha marker values on the gradient control at this frame.
Remove All
RGB/Alpha Keys
Removes all keys on RGB or Alpha markers.
Reset Gradient Removes all keys on to the RGB and Alpha markers, puts the markers back in their original positions, and disconnects all shaders that are attached to gradient shader parameters.
Particle Shape Property Editor
Renders the shape of the particles, including the way the falloff (transparency) is calculated around the shape.
To display: Select the particle cloud, then click the Particle Shape node in the
Material and Fx Properties tab of the
Falloff Property Page
Option
Name
Type
Pattern Center
Modulation
RGB, Alpha
RGB/Alpha
Inverted
Description
Enter a name for the shape.
Radial falloff type: Linear, Square, Smooth, Cubic, Gaussian,
User-defined, or None. If you select User-defined, you can set its Exponent value below; if you select Gaussian, you can set its falloff Rate below.
X, Y - Center point for falloff pattern in X and/or Y.
Multiplies the RGB and/or Alpha component of the base color by the falloff value at the intersection point.
Inverts the shape value when multiplying the RGB/Alpha components.
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Option Description
Range
Start, End The distance from the given center at which the falloff value goes to 1 (Start) and 0 (End). The falloff value is interpolated between the Start and End values using the Falloff Type selected.
User-defined Falloff
Exponent If you select User-defined as the Type, you can control the transparency falloff rate with this value. Values less than 1 give a steep falloff from the center. Higher values give a more gradual falloff.
Gaussian Falloff
Rate If you select Gaussian as the Type, you can control the rate of falloff for this interpolation. Higher values give a more rapid falloff.
Shape Property Page
Option Description
Type Lets you choose a geometric shape pattern for emitted particles. None uses no predefined shape for emitted particles.
• Step is the ratio of the size of the particle set in a single step.
• Sine creates a particle with an editable number of rings that are equally spaced from one another.
• Star creates a particle with a star-like configuration.
• Beam gives the particle a long beam shape with a bright center surrounded by a glow effect.
• Symmetry creates symmetrical particles.
• Noise creates an infinite variety of patterned effects.
• Turbulence creates chaotic movement.
• Fractal creates a fractal pattern.
Pattern Center - X, Y Center point for shape pattern in X and/or Y.
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Option Description
Modulation
RGB, Alpha
Step - Width
Sine - Scale
Star - Branches
Beam - Width
Multiplies the RGB and/or Alpha component of the base color by the shape value at the intersection point.
Width of step, which is a ratio of the particle size. Range is 0 to 1.
Scale of sine. Range is 0 to 30.
Number of branches in star. Range is 0 to 20.
Width of beam. Range is 0 to 1.
Symmetry - Width Width of symmetry. Range is 0 to 2.
Noise
Time
Scale
Evaluation time of noise pattern over time. Range is 0 to 10.
Scale of the noise pattern. Range is 0 to 5.
Turbulence
Time
Scale
Evaluation time for turbulence pattern over time. Range is 0 to 10.
Scale of turbulence pattern. Range is 0 to 5.
Low Frequency Low frequency of turbulence pattern. Range is 0 to 10.
High Frequency High frequency of turbulence pattern. Range is 0 to 10.
Fractal
Time
Scale
Evaluation time for fractal pattern over time. Range is 0 to 10.
Scale of fractal pattern. Range is 0 to 5.
Weight
Granularity
Octaves
Iteration weight for fractal pattern. Range is 0 to 1.
Granularity of fractal pattern. Range is 0 to 5.
Number of octaves (iterations) of noise in fractal pattern.
Range is 0 to 8.
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Particle Sprite Property Editor
Renders sprite image sequences that are used for the particle shape.
To display: Select the particle cloud, then click the Particle Sprite node in the
Material and Fx Properties tab of the
Option Description
Start Sequence (%) Where in the sprite sequence you want to evaluate the frame.
Looping With looping off, values less than or equal to zero mark the first frame, and values equal to or greater than 1 mark the last frame.
With looping on, a whole number (integer value) always marks the first frame and the last frame is the number just before the next whole number.
Output Color
From Sprite
Connects the shape shader to this one.
Uses the color from the sprite; otherwise, the color is taken from the input (if there is no connection to the input, then the particle's color is used).
Alpha
Modulation
Inverted
Controls how the particle alpha is modulated. Multiplies the particle’s alpha channel by the sprite's alpha channel or RGB intensity, or None.
Inverts the alpha calculated from the sprite before multiplying with the incoming alpha.
Particle Type Property Editor
Defines the characteristics of particles after they are emitted from their source object.
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To display: Select the particle cloud, then click the PType node in the Material and Fx Properties tab of the
Option Description
Particle Type Characteristics
Max. Life Controls the amount of time, in seconds, a particle exists once it is emitted. This parameter has an associated Var
(variance) parameter that allows you to add a value for random behavior.
Live Forever
Mass
Makes particles live for a very long time (many many seconds). The particles do not die off during the simulation.
Specifies the mass of particles. The mass of a particle is an indication of how swiftly it reacts to forces applied to it.
The more massive a particle, the more difficult it is to change its motion. This means that for a given change in a particle motion, you need to apply stronger forces to a massive particle than to a less massive particle.
Gravity is a force directly proportional to the particle mass. The more massive the particle, the stronger the gravity force applied to it. As a result, several particles of different masses will all have the same identical motion if the only force acting upon them is gravity.
This parameter has an associated Var (variance) parameter that allows you to add a value for random behavior.
Size
Noise Intensity
Position
Controls the size of the emitted particle in distance units.
Particle size is only computed when the scene is rendered.
The size of the rendered particles is affected by the perspective transformation; i.e., the farther away a particle appears in the viewport, the smaller it appears when rendered.
This parameter has an associated Var (variance) parameter that allows you to add a value for random behavior.
Adds mathematical randomness to the particles. You can animate each of these parameters using these variables:
Birth, Age, Abs (see Color - Animation Reference below).
Amount of noise to be added to the particle’s position (in distance units).
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Option Description
Velocity
Acceleration
Amount of noise to be added to the particle's velocity (in
[distance units]/[time units]).
Amount of noise to be added to the particle's acceleration
(in [distance units]/[time units]) ^2).
Color
Color Adds a color to the particle using RGBA or HLSA color values. This color is displayed for the particles in the viewport and is the color rendered unless you override it with a sprite’s color or the color set in the Particle Billboard.
Animation Reference RGB/Alpha
• Birth: A particle's RGB/Alpha values remain constant throughout its lifetime (no color animation).
• Age: RGB/Alpha values change over the particle's lifetime, depending on how the parameter's function curve is modified.
• Abs: RGB/Alpha values are identical for all particles throughout the simulation.
• Age%: RGB/Alpha values change over the particle's life percentage, depending on how the parameter's function curve is modified. In this case, parameter animation between the start and end frames is mapped to the whole particle life.
Tip: When you're animating the Color and you want to use Age%, key the Color values first, then set the animation reference mode to Age%.
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Option
Variance
Description
Controls the amount of variance added to the hue (H), luminance (L), saturation (S), or Alpha values in a particle's color. The value you enter here defines the range in which the random numbers are generated.
The distribution method of the variance can be Uniform or Gaussian:
• With Uniform, random numbers are distributed uniformly around the parameter's value using the
Variance value. The parameter will always be in the range [ Value - Variance; Value + Variance ], never outside of it.
• With Gaussian, random numbers are distributed as a bell curve around the parameter's value using the
Variance value. Most numbers will be in the range [
Value - Variance; Value + Variance ], but they may be outside of that range with [Value - Variance], and they will be outside of that range with [Value + Variance].
Values using Gaussian distribution will have greater variations than the ones using a Uniform distribution.
The seed parameter (the text box with no label to the right of the Uniform/Gaussian parameter) allows you to change the effect on the variance without changing either the parameter's value or its Var value. The seed defines which numbers will be generated in the range that the Var parameter specifies. It allows you to have very fine control over the parameters, changing them slightly without having to change the parameter's value or its Var value.
ParticlesOp Property Editor
Defines the general parameters of the particle simulation. The parameters defined in this editor are associated with the particle simulation's particle cloud.
To display: Select the particle cloud, then click the Particles Op node in the
Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the
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Particles
Option Description
Simulation Time
Offset The number of frames by which you want to offset the start of the particle simulation.
The duration, in frames, of the particle simulation.
Duration
Copy from Scene Copies the scene’s number of frames (based on its first and last frame values) to the particle simulation. This changes the
Offset and Duration so that the particle simulation is played throughout the scene’s timespan.
Particles Multiplicator
Particles % Specifies how much of the total number of particles (defined with the Rate parameter in the
Particle Emission property editor ) will be generated.
Turbulence Property Editor
The turbulence force builds a wind field to let you imitate real-life turbulence effects, such as the violent gusts of air that occur when an airplane lands. A wind field is created by superimposing a small scale random field over a large scale deterministic field. Intensity is applied to the whole wind field.
You can control the orientation of the large scale wind field and the frequency of the eddies in the small scale wind field. As well, you can control the wind field direction (phase angle) independently of the turbulence direction (force direction).
To display: Select the particle cloud, then click the Turbulence node in the
Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option
Mute
Amplitude
Description
Toggles on/off the force effect.
Intensity of the turbulence effect. This acts as a constant multiplicative factor applied to the elementary force computed from the wind field. Values can be either positive or negative.
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Option Description
Decay
Frequency
The rate of falloff of the turbulence effect. Slider values are from
-10 to 10, but you can enter any positive value in the text box.
These parameters control the small-scale wind field part of the turbulence force, allowing you to control the eddies. When you change any of these parameters, the force is recomputed.
The same values of parameters always give the same results.
All Frequencies Select this option to set the same frequency value along all axes. Drag the All/X slider to set the value.
All/X, Y, Z Maximum value of the frequency of eddies present in the wind field. This value is linked to the eddies rotating along the force's
X, Y, or Z axes. The higher the value, the smaller the eddies.
Min. Size All the eddies with a frequency value lower than this value are removed, allowing you to filter out eddies of a certain size.
The higher the value, the fewer large eddies. If this value is too high, no eddies are created
Diffusion Rate The speed of the eddies.
Phase Angle
Size
All Phases
All/X, Y, Z
All Sizes
All/X, Y, Z
These parameters control the large-scale wind field part of the turbulence force.
Select this option to set the same orientation value along all axes. Drag the All/X slider to set the value.
Control the X, Y, or Z orientations of the global wind.
These parameters control the size of the lattice part of the turbulence force.
Select this option to set the same lattice size along all axes.
Drag the All/X slider to set the value.
Control the X, Y, or Z size of the lattice in distance units.
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Preview and Rendering
Wind Property Editor
The Wind force simulates the effect of wind blowing on particle simulations.
To display: Select the particle cloud, then click the Wind node in the
Geometry and Deform Properties tab of the multi-purpose editor .
Option
Mute
Amplitude
Description
Toggles on/off the force effect.
Sets the intensity of the wind force.
Preview and Rendering
Render Options Dialog Box
Defines how your scene will render. You can control the format, sampling, rendering method, effects, and optimization.
To display: Click the either the Render Low-Quality, Render High-Quality, or
Inspect Render Options buttons in the rendering and preview controls.
Frames Output Property Page
Sets the frame range, file format, and image resolution to render.
Option Description
Frame Sequence
Image Filename Specifies the file name of the rendered sequence.
If Rel is on, the path is relative to the active project directory. If Abs is on, the path is absolute. You can type a different path or use the browse ( ...
) button to change locations. Valid names are displayed in white, invalid names are red, and read-only files are gray.
The rendered images have the file name format filename.framenumber.extension
, where the extension is determined by the image format.
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Option Description
File Format Sets the file format of the rendered sequence. This also determines the file name extension.
Available file formats include:
• .pic: SOFTIMAGE 8-bit RGBA picture
• .bmp: uncompressed 8-bit RGBA MS Windows BMP pictures
• .tiff: uncompressed 8-bit RGBA TIFF picture
• targa: compressed 8-bit RGBA Targa pictures
• .sgi: Silicon Graphics 8-bit RGB picture
• .als: Alias Research 8-bit RGB picture
• .rla: is Wavefront 8-bit RGBA picture
• .
jpg: is JPEG format with maximum quality
• .yuv: is Quantel/Abekas YUV-encoded RGB picture, 720 x 576
• .ct: is mental images’ color texture image.
• .map: is Memory mapped texture image.
Frame
Padding
Specifies the format and placement of frame numbering in the file names of rendered frames. The following options are available:
This option Yields this result
(filename).#.(extension) foo.1.pic
(filename).##.(extension)
(filename).###.(extension) foo.01.pic
foo.001.pic
(filename ####.(extension)
(filename)#.(extension) foo.0001.pic
foo1.tga
(filename)##.(extension)
(filename)###.(extension)
(filename)####.(extension) foo01.tga
foo001.tga
foo0001.tga
Playback sequence after render
Select this option to view the rendered sequence in the flipbook as soon as rendering is complete.
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Preview and Rendering
Option
Frame Range
Start
End
Step
Skip
Rendered
Frames
Description
Sets the first frame of the sequence to be rendered.
Sets the last frame of the sequence to be rendered.
Sets the increment between rendered frames. This allows you to skip frames. For example, if you select 4, every fourth frame is rendered
When checked, rendered frames are not re-rendered.
Render Type Property Page
Specifies which rendering engine to use when rendering your scene.
Option Description
Match Region
Quality
Sets the render quality to match the render region’s settings.
Change region to match render quality
Sets the render region’s quality settings to match the current render options settings.
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Chapter 2 Properties Reference
Option
Render Type
Description
Specifies which rendering type to use when rendering your scene.
For all hardware rendering modes. All scene elements displayed in the 3D views are rendered, except for reference objects like the grid and axes.
Choose one of the following:
• mental ray renders the scene using the mental ray renderer, according to the settings defined in the other pages of this property editor.
• Current camera display settings outputs to file the OpenGL rendered scene. Scene elements are rendered according to the current camera display settings.
This is useful for rendering particular camera display effects like depth-cue fog.
• Bounding box outputs to file the OpenGL rendered scene as seen in Bounding Box display mode.
• Wireframe outputs to file the OpenGL rendered scene as seen in Wireframe display mode.
• Depth Cue outputs to file the OpenGL rendered scene as seen in Depth Cue display mode.
• Hidden-line removal outputs to file the OpenGL rendered scene as seen in Hidden-Line Removal display mode.
• Constant outputs to file the OpenGL rendered scene as seen in
Constant display mode.
• Shaded outputs to file the OpenGL rendered scene as seen in
Shaded display mode.
• Textured outputs to file the OpenGL rendered scene as seen in
Textured display mode.
• Textured Decal outputs to file the OpenGL rendered scene as seen in Textured Decal display mode.
• Cg outputs to file the Cg rendered scene.
• OpenGL outputs to file the OpenGL rendered scene as seen in the OpenGL display mode.
• DirextX 9 outputs to file the Direct X 9 rendered scene.
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Preview and Rendering
Option Description
Quality Available only if you have mental ray selected as the Render
Type . This lets you choose the quality of the rendered output.
Lowest quality is the fastest and least accurate (good for quick previews), while highest quality is the slowest and most accurate
(good for the final output).
Set Background
Color
This lets you use the color controls to set the background color of the rendered output. This option is not available if you have mental ray selected as the Render Type .
mental ray
Effects
Contains parameters for activating the effects to be applied during rendering. Use these settings to speed up rendering or to create a more accurate rendered image. These settings are also applied to the render region.
Displacement Toggles the rendering of displacement maps.
Camera Effects Toggles the rendering of camera effects.
Volumes and
Volume Lights
Toggles the rendering of volumic light effects, such as clouds, smoke, and fire.
Glows and Lens
Flares
Toggles the rendering of glows and lens flares.
Motion Blur
Amount
Toggles the rendering of motion blur.
The camera’s shutter speed, which controls the amount of motion blur.
• Longer shutter speeds (an Amount greater than 0.6) create a wider and/or longer motion blur effect, simulating a faster speed.
• Shorter shutter speeds (an Amount of less than 0.3) create subtler motion blurs.
• Shutter speeds higher than 1 produce intense motion blurs, but may cause artifacts in the rendered image.
n
If you're using motion blur with particles, the Amount must be less than 1.
Image Based
Lighting
Accuracy
Toggles the rendering of image-based lighting effects from environment maps.
Controls how often the surrounding environment map’s light is sampled to create image-based lighting effects. Higher Accuracy values provide better results, but take longer to render.
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Chapter 2 Properties Reference
Option
Halve/Double all lights intensity
Description
Halves or doubles the intensity of the scene’s image-based lighting.
Format Property Page
Sets the frame resolution in pixels. A higher resolution produces a more detailed image. The higher the resolution, the longer it takes to render. There is no limit for image resolution, but if a resolution is greater than the monitor (x=1280), it cannot be displayed on screen while rendering.
Option Description
Format
Picture Ratio
Defines the picture format you will render. The format is visible in the camera viewport.
Available formats include:
• Custom: Activates the Picture Ratio parameter; you can define your own camera output ratio.
• NTSC (default) D1 4/3 720×486
• NTSC D1 16/9 720×486
• NTSC DV
• PAL D1 4/3 720×576
• PAL D1 16/9 720×576
Displays the picture ratio of the output camera. Can only be edited if a Custom Picture Standard is selected.
Image Resolution
X Sets the X resolution independently of the Y resolution.
Y Sets the Y resolution independently of the X resolution.
Pixel Ratio Sets the pixel ratio. This ensures compatibility of images with devices that use rectangular or square pixels.
Set Frame Rate
Opens the Time property editor
so you can set the scene’s frame rate.
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File Name
Format
Preview and Rendering
AAF and MXF Options Property Page
Allow you to create MXF files, and an AAF master clip that describes them, out of your rendered sequences. You can also create .AVI and QuickTime files.
• MXF (Material Exchange Format) is an industry-standard container format that encapsulates media and production metadata into a single file.
MXF is supported as a common file format in a wide variety of applications such as Avid Xpress™ Pro, Media Composer®, Avid DS
Nitris™, and SOFTIMAGE|XSI. MXF files replace OMFI media files.
MXF media files are video files, similar to AVI or QuickTime movies, and can be used on their own. However, they are not directly seen by users but instead are referenced by master clips and managed by an editing application, like Avid Xpress Pro or Media Composer.
• AAF (Advanced Authoring Format) is a cross-platform, multimedia file format that allows interchange of composition information between AAFcompliant applications. AAF replaces OMFI compositions.
The purpose of the AAF file is to present the media files as a higher-level named clip for the destination application.
Option
Create Movie
Description
Activates the options on this page, and tells Avid 3D to create the movie specified by the various settings.
The movie file is created immediately after the last frame of the sequence is rendered. A separate progress bar is displayed so you can monitor the movie creation progress.
Specifies the name and path of the output movie file.
If Rel is on, the path is relative to the active project directory.
If Abs is on, the path is absolute. You can type a different path or use the browse ( ...
) button to change locations. Valid names are displayed in white, invalid names are red, and read-only files are gray.
Specifies the file format of the output movie. This can be either
AAF, AVI, or QuickTime. Changing the format updates the file extension in the path.
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Chapter 2 Properties Reference
Option Description
Options
Delete Source
Image Sequence on Success
The rendered sequence is deleted if the movie file has been generated successfully.
Write Alpha
Channel
Toggle this option to output the movie file with or without an alpha channel.
When activated and the Format is set to AAF, two MXF files are generated; one for RGB and one for alpha. The AAF master clip contains the information necessary for recombining the tracks.
n
If the sequence was rendered to an image format that doesn't support alpha channels (.jpg for instance), then the alpha file is not generated, regardless of the Write
Alpha Channel setting.
In the case of AVI and QuickTime movies, note that most compressors do not support an alpha channel.
AAF Master Clip
Settings
These options are only active when the Format is set to AAF.
Project Name The name that will appear with the clip in the Avid application's
Media Tool. It does not have to match the actual project name in the Avid application.
Avid Media
Drive
Specifies a valid system drive on which Avid media files are stored. When the AAF and MXF files are created, they are stored on this drive in the Avid MediaFiles > VideoStorage >
Avid3D directory. For example, if the drive is set to D: this path will be D:\Avid MediaFiles\VideoStorage\Avid3D .
Changing this setting updates the path.
Compression Specifies whether the generated MXF files should be compressed and, if so, the type of compression to use.
The following compression types are available:
• Uncompressed
• DV25 4:1:1
• DV50 4:2:2
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Preview and Rendering
Option
Fields
Render Video
Fields
Description
Enables field rendering parameters for rendering.
Lower Field First (NTSC and DV Formats) renders to fields using even dominance. With mental ray, this means that odd frame numbers contain the even fields. This is the dominance used by the PAL video standard.
Upper Field/Odd (PAL and HD Formats) renders to fields using odd dominance. With mental ray, this means that odd frame numbers contain the odd fields. This is the dominance used by the NTSC video standard.
n
If you are using video image clips in your scene, their field order must match the field order for rendering.
Rendering Property Editor
Defines how your render region will render.
To display: Click the Show All Options tab in the tools and options panel, then click the Rendering Regions Options tab.
Option Description
Render Region Settings
Track
Selection
Constrains the render region to the current selection so that it follows the selected object throughout its animation. If the selected object changes size, the render region is recomputed to fit around it. If you select another object, the render region tracks the new selection.
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Chapter 2 Properties Reference
Option Description
Display Mode Displays the scene in various modes:
• Show RGB displays only the RGB channels of the scene in the render region.
• Show Alpha displays only the alpha channel of the scene in the render region. This is useful if you want to quickly check the accuracy of a particularly complex alpha channel.
• Show RGB + Alpha displays the RGB and alpha channels of the scene in the render region.
• Show Depth displays depth (Z) information instead of
RGB channels.
• Show Tags assigns a constant color to each object in the render region. A scene rendered with tags is often used for compositing purposes.
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Chapter 3
Keyboard Shortcuts
General
Shortcut
Delete
Esc
Ctrl + C
Ctrl + D
Ctrl + N
Ctrl + O
Ctrl + Q
Ctrl + S
Ctrl + V
Ctrl + X
Ctrl + Y
Ctrl + Z
Description
Delete object
Escape (end) pick session
Copy
Duplicate object
New scene
Open scene
Quit (exit Avid 3D)
Save scene
Paste
Cut
Redo
Undo
Chapter 3 Keyboard Shortcuts
Selection Tools
Shortcut
Ctrl + A
Ctrl + Shift + A
S
Shift + S
T
U
Description
Select all
Deselect all
Select tool
Select tool with extended selection (add to selection)
Select Point tool (also works in profile and function curve editors)
Select Polygon tool
Transform Tools
Shortcut
B
C
J
M
X
V
Description
Spotlight Cone tool
Rotation tool
Edit Projection tool
Move Point tool (also works in profile and function curve editors)
Scaling tool
Translate tool (also works in function curve editor)
190
Camera Navigation and Framing Tools
Camera Navigation and Framing Tools
Shortcut
A
Shift + A
D
F
Shift + F
P
R
L
O
Alt + Y
Alt + Z
Z
Description
Frame all objects in viewport (also works in profile and function curve editors)
Frame all objects in all viewports
Dolly camera tool
Frame selected objects in viewport (also works in profile and function curve editors)
Frame selected objects in all viewports
Roll camera tool
Orbit camera tool
Pan and Zoom camera tool (also works in profile editor)
Reset camera
Redo camera
Undo camera
Zoom and Pan camera tool (also works in profile and function curve editors)
Display Options
Shortcut
G
H
Shift + H
Description
Show/hide grid in viewport
Hide/unhide selection
Unhide all objects
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Chapter 3 Keyboard Shortcuts
Render Region
Shortcut
F5
Q
Shift + Q
Playback Controls
Description
Refresh render region
Render Region tool
Show/hide render region
Shortcut
Home
End
Right Arrow
Alt + Space bar
Space bar
Shift + Up Arrow
Left Arrow
Down Arrow
Description
First frame
Last frame
Next frame
Play backward
Play forward/stop
Play in real time
Previous frame
Stop
Animation Controls
Shortcut Description
Ctrl + Up Arrow Go to first key for selected object
Ctrl + Down Arrow Go to last key for selected object
Ctrl + Left Arrow Go to previous key for selected object
Ctrl + Right Arrow Go to next key for selected object
192
Shortcut
K
N
Ctrl + Shift + K
Shift + K
Scene Explorer
Description
Remove animation
Remove key
Save key
Save key on path
Shortcut
F2
Up Arrow
Down Arrow
Function Curve Editor
Description
Rename
Next node
Previous node
Shortcut
A
Ctrl + A
Shift + A
B
Shift + B
Backspace
C
D
Delete
Shift+E
Description
Frame all
Select all curves
Slope Type: Automatic
Stretch Keys tool
Slope Type: Zero Length (Break Point)
Delete all keys from curve
Rectangle Zoom tool
Delete Key tool
Delete selected keys
Edit Key tool
Scene Explorer
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Chapter 3 Keyboard Shortcuts
Shortcut
F
G
I
L
Shift + L
M
N
O
Shift + O
P
Q
R
S
Space bar
X
Y
T
V
Z
. (period)
, (comma)
Shift + - (minus)
Shift + 0 (zero)
Description
Frame selection
Shows/hides graph (grid)
Add Key tool
Unify/break slope length
Lock/unlock slope length
Select (tag) and Move Key tool
Select and Move Curve tool
Unify/break slope orientation
Lock/unlock slope orientation
Select tool with priority to tangents
Region select tool
Frame to timeline
Pan & Zoom in Y tool
Select Curve tool
Select (tag) Key tool
Translate tool
Pan & Zoom in X tool
Select tool
Pan & Zoom tool
Select next key on fcurve
Select previous key on fcurve
Slope Type: Plateau
Slope Type: Zero Orientation (Flat Key)
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Profile Editor
Shortcut
R
S
T
Backspace
I
M
Browser
Shortcut
Backspace
F5
Description
Delete Point tool (profile curves only)
Add Point tool
Move Point tool
Change proportional radius
Select tool
Select Point tool
Description
Go up one level
Refresh browser
Profile Editor
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Chapter 3 Keyboard Shortcuts
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Index
Numerics
3D objects property editors for
A
ambient lighting property editor
animation property editors
animation controls
animation tools panel
arcs property editor
subdivisions
audio clips in library
autokey (auto) button (animation controls)
autokeying auto button
autosave scene files
Avid Mojo output views
B
backing up scene files
bend op property editor
browser
accessing files
accessing other computers on network
favorites
tree view
viewing files
bulge op property editor
C
camera property editor
cameras depth of field
fisheye
property editors
z-depth
circles property editor
subdivisions
clusters property editor
color editors full
mini
colors full color editor
mini color editor
properties
cones property editor
subdivisions
constraints direction
path
position
control bar
cubes property editor
Index
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
subdivisions
curve deform property editor
curve to mesh converter property editor
cylinders property editor
subdivisions
D
data management property editor
deformation tools panel
deformations property editors
depth of field property editor
Digimation Model Bank
direction constraint property editor
discs property editor
subdivisions
display options panel
display property editor
display types in viewport
E
Edit menu (menu bar)
emission (particle) property editor
environment map property editor
extrusions curve along axis property editor
curve along curve property editor
F
fans property editor
File menu (menu bar)
files project manager
source paths
fisheye property editor
flare property editor
flipbook
command bar
playback controls
frame format
frame rate
full color editor
properties
function curve editor
command bar
graph
property editor
timeline in
G
geometry property editors (objects)
geometry and deform properties
glow property editor
gravity property editor
grids property editor
subdivisions
H
Help menu (menu bar)
I
image source property editor
inspect source paths property editor
K
key button (animation controls)
key/fill/back light property editor
L
lattices muting deformation
property editor
Layouts menu (menu bar)
lens flares
letter identifier button in viewports (A, B, C, D)
198
libraries
Digimation Model Bank
material and fx
model
object
sample projects
still images
video
Library panel
light property editor
light rig partial property editor
light rig property editor
light shader (soft_light) property editor
lights ambient lighting
glow
lens flare
light shader property editor
property editors
volumic
local transform property editor
loft property editor
M
mapping environment
material and fx library
properties
material property editor
menu bar
mini color editor
properties
model library
mouse information and status line
multi-purpose editor
muting lattice deformation
N
new project dialog box
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Index
O
object library
obstacles property editor
options panel
P
particle billboard property editor
particle gradient property editor
particle shape property editor
particle sprite property editor
particle tools panel
particle type (ptype) property editor
particles emission property editor
property editors
particlesOp property editor
path constraint property editor
paths for external files
playback controls for
cursor in timeline
position constraint property editor
preview and output controls
previous and next key buttons (animation controls)
profile editor
project manager
projects creating new
managing files
properties color
editing
geometry and deform
material and fx
multi-purpose editor
property editors
color controls
controls
push op property editor
199
Index
Q
qstretch op property editor
quick stretch property editor
R
render options dialog box
rendering controls for
property editors
rendering property editor
resize viewport icon
revolutions curve around axis property editor
curve around curve property editor
rig controls property editor key/fill/back light
light rig
light rig partial
rigs property editors
S
sample projects library
scene explorer
scenes autosave options
file backups
shape jitter op property editor
shear op property editor
soft_light property editor
source paths for files
spheres property editor
subdivisions
spirals property editor
sprites property editor
squares property editor
start and end frame boxes in timeline
still images library
200
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
T
taper op property editor
text property editor
text and logo property editors
text tools panel
texture clip viewer
texture map property editor
texture support property editor
time control property editor
time property editor
timeline
function curve editor
playback controls
playback cursor
range
start and end frames
title bar
tools and options panel
toon shader property editor
torus property editors
subdivisions
transform tools panel
transformations local transform property editor
turbulence property editor
twist property editor
V
video library
viewports
Avid Mojo output
views menu in viewports
volumic light property editor
W
wave op property editor
wave property editor
wind property editor
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Z
z-depth property editor
Index
201
Index
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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