Rendering Techniques in 3D AutoCAD, Part 1

David Cohn
Independent Consultant

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David S. Cohn

Independent consultant Contributing editor Desktop Engineering contributing editor Former editor of CADalyst, Engineering Automation Report and CADCAMNet Frequent contributor to Computer Graphics World, PC Magazine, and others Registered architect25+ years experience AutoCAD experience20+ years Author of numerous books & articles President of Eclipse Software

David Cohn is a Registered Provider with The American Institute of Architects Continuing Education Systems. Credit earned on completion of this program will be reported to CES Records for AIA members. Certificates of Completion for non-AIA members are available on request. This program is registered with the AIA/CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not included content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product. Questions related to specific materials, methods, and services will be addressed at the conclusion of this presentation.

This is part 1 of a 2 part class

Part1willcover:
HowrenderinghaschangedfromearlierversionsofAutoCAD Workingwithlights Sun&SkyBackgroundsettings WorkingwithMaterials(includingcreatingandmodifying materials)

This is part 1 of a 2 part class

Inpart2,wewillcover:
TheRendercontrolpanel(incl.renderdestination,render procedure,andoutputresolution) Preparingyourmodel Adjustingrenderingsettings Placingcamerasandcreatingviews Savingrenderedimages Creatingwalkthroughsandflythroughs

Part2willfollowthisclassfrom3:15 4:45pm
(hereinthissameroomaftera30minutebreak)

RenderinginAutoCAD
Creatinga2Dimagebasedonyour3Dscene

RenderingtoolshaveexistedinAutoCADformanyyears,but remainedlargelyunchangedsinceAutoCADR12. CompletelynewbeginninginAutoCAD2007

Basedonmentalray renderingengine(sameasAutodesk VIZand 3dsmax Newcommandsmakerenderingeasier Additionalnewcommandstowalkorflythroughmodels

NewbeginninginAutoCAD2007

Candisplaymodelswithrealisticmaterials,lighting,and shadows

Dependsonthecurrentactivevisualstyle Visualstyle acollectionofsettingsthatcontrolthedisplayofedges andshadingintheviewport

AutoCADcomeswithfivepredefinedvisualstyles

2Dwireframe 3Dwireframe 3Dhidden Conceptual Realistic Youcancreateandsaveyourown

Renderingcaveats
IfyouusedrenderingtoolsinearlierversionsofAutoCAD Lightsandmaterialsfromolderversionsdontwork 3DCONVERSIONMODE 0=no automatic conversion 1=automatic conversion (default) 2=prompt to convert If set to 0:

CONVERTOLDLIGHTS converts older lights to new format CONVERTOLDMATERIALS converts older materials to new format

NOTE:Proceduralmaterialsandmaterialmappingsettingsdonotmigrate. Also:

MaterialbyACInolongersupported LandscapecommandsLSNEW,LSLIB,andLSEDIT nolongerincluded

CreatingRenderedImages
Timeconsuming:youcanspendalotoftimeadjustinglightingand materials Youmayspendmoretimecreatingtherenderingthanbuildingthemodel Multiplelightsourcesandshadowsrequirefastcomputers Youcanspeedthingsbyfirstrenderingtestimagesonaportionofthe model

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Fourconceptualstepsofrendering:
Createthemodel Placelights Attachmaterialstoobjects Rendertheimage

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TheRenderPanel

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WorkingwithLights
Initially,lightcomesfromtwodistancelightsourcesthatfollowthe viewpointasyoumovearoundthemodel.

Allfacesareilluminated Youcontrolbrightnessandcontrast,butdonotneedtoplacelights Defaultlightingmustbeturnedoffinordertodisplaylightingfromusercreated lightsorthesun

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WorkingwithLights(cont)
ControlledusingtheLightcontrolpanel

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WorkingwithLights(cont)
Afterplacinglights,youcan

Modifythemusinggrips ControlthemusingthePropertiespalette

Spotlightsandpointlightsare representedbyglyphs.

Glyphappearancecanbe controlledusingadialogbox

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PhotometricLights
NewstartinginAutoCAD2008

Usephotometric(lightenergy)values Moreaccuratelydefinelightsastheywouldbeintherealworld LampintensityexpressedinCandela,Lumen,orLux

ControllingviaLIGHTINGUNITSsystemvariable

Value 0 1 2

Description
Nolightingunitsused;standard(generic)lightingisenabled (systemusedinAutoCAD2007andearlier) PhotometriclightingenabledusingInternationallightingunits PhotometriclightingenabledusingAmericanlightingunits

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TypesofLights

PointLight (alightbulb)

Radiatesinalldirections Intensitydiminishesoverdistance InACAD2008/2009,canaddatargetpoint

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TypesofLights(cont)

Spotlight (aspotlight)

Emitsadirectionalconeoflight Intensitydiminishesoverdistance Youcancontrolthehotspotandfalloff InACAD2008/2009,canaddaFREESPOT(hasnotarget)

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TypesofLights(cont)

Weblight (a3Drepresentationoflightintensitydistribution)

AvailablewhenLIGHTINGUNITSsetto1or2 Representnonuniformlightdistributionderivedfromdata providedbymanufacturers AddedusingWEBLIGHTorFREEWEBcommand Commonlyusedfordefiningphotometriclights,including fluorescent,lowpressuresodium,incandescent,andhigh intensitydischarge AvailableonLightingtoolpalette

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TypesofLights(cont)

DistanceLight

Travelsinparallelraysinonedirection Intensitydoesntdiminishoverdistance YouspecifyFROMandTOpoint Noglyph NotaccuratewhenLIGHTINGUNITS=1or2

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TypesofLights(cont)

Sunlight

Simulates the sun (parallel rays with same intensity over any distance) Properties controlled using Sun panel on Visualize ribbon bar; angle of light controlled using Time & Location panel Can choose method to locate the model

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TypesofLights(cont)

Sunlight

Differentmethodstospecifylocation ChangesettingsusingSunPropertiespalette

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Sun&SkyBackground
Availablewhenusingphotometriclights

Controlskyproperties Groundplane(horizon) Haze Scaleandappearance ofasundisk Otherskyandbackground settings

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UsingLuminaireObjects
Embedphotometriclightsinblocks

Createlightfixturethatmodelsbothphysicalandphotometricpropertiesofactual lightingfixtures
1. 2. 3. 4.

Model3Dlight SelectphotometriclightfromPhotometricLighttoolpalette Positionitwithinthemodelofthephysicallight Createablockcontaininggeometryandlight

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ControllingLights
Eachlight(exceptsun&lightsinblocksandxrefs)appearsinthe LightsinModelpaletteandcanbecontrolledintheProperties palette

Type Status Shadows Intensity Color Othersettings

attenuation shape

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WorkingWithMaterials
400+materials

Needtoinstallmateriallibrary(during installoruseAdd/Removeprograms) Availableonpalettes Materialsincurrentdrawingappearina Materialswindow

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ApplyingMaterials

Toanobject dragontoobjectoruseApplyMaterialtoObjectbutton Toaface pressCtrlanddragontofaceofobject Bylayer useAttachbyLayerbuttontodisplaydialogbox

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CreatingandModifyingMaterials

Realistic&RealisticMetal basedonphysicalproperties Advanced&AdvancedMetal materialswithmoreoptions

YoucancreateormodifymaterialsineithertheMaterialtoolpaletteorthe Materialswindow:

Changesmadeinthetoolpaletteaffectthematerialslibrary

Makeacopyfirstandthenmodifythecopy Youcanaddanynewmaterialstothetoolpalettesothattheywillbeavailableforuseinother drawings

ChangesmadeintheMaterialswindowaffectonlythedrawing

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CreatingandModifyingMaterials(cont)

Template specifiestypeofmaterial Color colorofmaterial ByObject materialcolorbasedoncolorofobjectattachedto Diffuse maincolorofmaterial(Advanced&Advancedmetaltemplatesonly) Ambient coloroffaceslitbyambientlightonly(Advanced&Advancedmetaltemplatesonly) Specular colorofhighlightonshinymaterial(Advancedonly) Shininess reflectivequalityofmaterial Opacity howmuchlightpassesthroughsurface(notavailableformetals) Reflection howreflective(Advanced&Advancedmetaltemplatesonly) Refractionindex bendingoflightrays(1.0=nodistortion;1.5=significantdistortion(Notavailableformetal templates) Translucency percentageoflighttransmittedthroughobject; 0.0=nottranslucent,100.0=astranslucentaspossible (Notavailableformetaltemplates) Selfillumination materialappearstoemitlight;doesnotcastlightonobjects(Notavailableformetaltemplates) Luminance materialappearstobelitbyphotometriclightsource;nolightiscastonotherobjects Twosided bothsidesofmaterialarerenderedinscene

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UsingTextureMaps
Texturemapsaddadditionalrealismtoamaterialbyincludinga2Dimage ormapprojectedontothesurfaceofanobject

Diffusemap assignsapatternortexturetoamaterialsdiffusecolor(orselecta proceduralmap) Reflectionmap simulatescenereflectedonashinysurface(512x480min.) Opacitymap areasofopacityandtransparency(white=opaque;black= transparent) Bumpmap embossedappearance(dark=nodepth;light=projecting)

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OpacityMaps

PreviousversionsofAutoCADincludedlandscapeobjectssuchastreesandpeople. Thosecommandsarenolongeravailable,butyoucanachievesimilarresultsbycreating newmaterialsusingtexturemapsandopacitymaps. UseoldACADimagefiles

Diffusemap:showstree Opacitymap:whiteissolid/ blackistransparent

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ProceduralMaps
Addrealismbygeneratingappearanceofmaterialmathematically. SeventypesnowinAutoCAD Checker Marble Noise Speckle Tiles Waves Wood

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ModifyingMapProperties
Youcanchangethewaybitmapsareapplied. ControlledwithintheScaling&TilingareoftheMaterialspalette

FixedScale bitmapis scaledtofaceor objectusinga fixedscale Fit bitmapis scaledtofit thefaceorobject

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PreparingYourOwnBitmaps
Youcancreateyourownbitmapsscanordigitalphoto
SaveasBMP,GIF,JPEG,PCX,PNG,TGA,orTIF Makesurethattheytileseamlessly

No longer needed with addition of Mirror mapping

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ModifyingMapProperties(cont)
Usecontrolstoadjustthescalingandtilingofamaterial

None patternisnotrepeated Tile patternrepeatsasaseriesoftiles Mirror doublesmap,flipsthedoubledcopy,andthenrepresentsthedoubled patternasaseriesoftiles

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AdjustingMaterialMapping
Afterattachingamaterialwithtexture,youcanadjusttheorientationof thetexturemap,usingMappingtoolinMaterialspaneloftheVisualize ribbonbar

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To be continued

Thisclasswillcontinuewith RenderingTechniquesin3DAutoCAD, Part2

GD1152
Hereinthisroomstartingat3:15
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Questions&Answers
Tocontactme: DavidS.Cohn 711ChuckanutDriveNorth Bellingham,WA982296921 3607330711 mailto:david@dscohn.com www.dscohn.com(incl.handoutonline) www.cadmando.blogspot.com
This concludes the American Institute of Architects Continuing Education Systems Program

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