I.  Interface & Navigation

I.  Approaching New Software

• 3D Conceptual Design, 3D to 2D Design Development , 2D Drafting software
• Suite of slim apps vs. Comprehensive workhorse (AutoCad, Microstation, ArchiCad)

• 2D Drafting: under Windows menu > New Draft Window
• 3D Modeling : under Windows menu > New Model Window
• (Rendering: integrated into Modeling, Animation walkthroughs coming in 3.0)

• Help menu
• Mini-manuals on the Course Disk
• On-line FormZ resources
and local resource lists
• Hard-copy manuals at AAA Library, Klamath & Millrace desks
• Local tutors & e-mail listserv
• Know how to get in and out without damage:
• Undo, Open, Save, Revert to Saved commands

Exercise 1.1:  Open, Simplify the interface, Draw, Save, Quit

Opening FormZ from Klamath or Millrace Labs

 Select Apple Standard VAMs, login and then select both the Course Disks and the Software Disk.

 
B.  Copy the following components from the Software Disk's formZ RZ Radiosity JS folder to your hard drive's Guest folder:

C.  Open the local copy on your hard drive by double clicking on the formïZ RR JS PPC § logo

D.  Examine FormZ's user interface

• Top: standard Mac pull-down menus
• Left side icons: tear off "modeling tool palette"

white boxes are operators creating or editing commands

aqua boxes are modifiers

• Bottom left: "window tool palette"  (TUT 2.2):

reference plane

snaps

viewing control

• Additional palettes available through the Palettes menu

Prompts' command line interface gives feedback and takes typed input

Surface Styles allows selection of default object colors

Coordinates echo either world or absolute coordinates

Views & Layers

PC: Under the Help Menu, select Modeling OR

Mac: Under the Options > Help > Modeling Tools, open the modeling tools pop-up window.

Option + Double click to turn off rows of icons

                        OR

TRY IT: At the same Modeling Tools pop-up window, Load a presaved FZ Basic menu.zmn from the Course disk.

Then Quit to get out of the Help utility.
 
F.  Draw with the simplified menu, try Undo, Save and Quit

Exercise 1.2:  Navigation

1. Copy  house.fmz from the Course DIsk to your local Guest folder
2. Open the file by double clicking.
3. Try viewing functions such as Pan and Zoom In  (TUT 2.2 &  2.3)
4. From the Views menu, select preset views, switch between Perspective and Axonometric
5. From the Palettes menu, open the Views palette, check different views.
6. From the Display menu, try the rendering modes (TUT 4.5)
7. From the File menu, Print a view
8. From the File menu, Save a view as a PICT file.

II. Modeling Concepts

• Creating Elements (basic shapes, objects or entities, aka graphic primitives)



1st row Modifiersdetermine what is created with shape or line tools.

TRY IT: Draw a square five times with each of the 5 different aqua modifiers on. Turn on the grid from the lower left "window tool palette".

• Selecting Elements:



4th row Topological Selection modifiers allow fine tuning of selection sets

TRY IT: Set the topological level to point, line face, etc., and try using the arrow  to select different parts of a cube.  (TUT 6.3)

After selecting each one, use the Move key to define the starting and ending points of the translation vector. Use the Edit > Undo after each one.

NOTE: to select multiple items, you do NOT have to use the shift key. To deselect, point outside all objects when the arrow is highlighted.

 

• Transforming Elements




10th row SelfCopy modifiers convert transformations to transformation copiers

TRY IT:  Create a cube and see how efficiently you can copy it. (TUT 6.7)

IV.  Assignment 1