CADuzer

Hmm…that looks a little familiar…

Jun 25, 2009 Commentary Leave a comment

Hey All.  You might have noticed some design changes to CADuzer.com lately.  Nothing too drastic but just enough to show more information without overwhelming you.  Anyway, I received an email recently about AUGI’s new publication AUGI|AEC EDGE and couldn’t help notice that their banner looks awfully familiar…

…to mine:

Very interesting…

Pratt Class Updates

Jun 18, 2009 3DS MAX, AutoCAD, Commentary, Revit, latest Leave a comment

Take a look at the top-right of this page and you’ll notice a new section.  It’s primarily for students who take my class at the Pratt Institute, Center for Continuing Education, but I’m happy to have anyone follow along if it might encourage you to sign up for my class for an upcoming semester.  It describes what we’ll go over during our next class and also provides a link to a PDF of the latest version of the syllabus.  While it’s too late to sign up for this semesters class, the class will occur again this fall.  Click here to view the course description (you may need to click in the middle of the page after it loads to have it appear).  Please let me know if you have any questions.

CADuzer on Twitter…a test…UPDATE: SUCCESS!

Jun 17, 2009 Commentary, latest Leave a comment

Hey All.  CADuzer is now on Twitter and I wanted to see if my posts show up there.  For the most part, this post is a test of that, but you can follow CADuzer over there at https://twitter.com/caduzerblog.

Thanks

UPDATE:  OK, so it worked…now what?  I haven’t completely figured out whether or not Twitter is necessary for my site, but all the kids are doing it.  Anyway, I won’t tweet (please tell me I didn’t really just type that word) about being hungry or the fact that I just yawned.  Pretty much, my blog post headlines will be sent over to Twitter and should I have any INDUSTRY-RELATED thoughts, I’ll put those in there too.  Anyway..enjoy.

3ds Max 2010: 4 Customizations

Jun 16, 2009 3DS MAX, Customization, latest Leave a comment

Not many software companies give you as much access to customize the user-interface as does Autodesk (although not as many as I’d like…that’s right Revit…I’m looking at you!). While AutoCAD gives you access to more of it than any other program I’ve scene, 3ds Max also lets you adjust some of its UI so your work process is more efficient. In this post I’ll talk about 4 of them:

1. There are several commands that I use very often and like to have access to in my right-click menu. Since I work in a lot of other applications, I frequently have to import files into 3ds Max. Additionally, when I import 2D work from AutoCAD, the first thing I like to do is group all of the objects I just imported. Here’s how to add the Import and Group commands:

a.  Click Customize –> Customize User Interface.

b.  When the CUI dialog box opens, click the Quads menu.

c.  In the middle of the dialog box you’ll see four squares, one of which is yellow.  You need to select the square of the quad where you want the new command to appear.  For this example, I’ll click the top-left square.  Within the window just below, you’ll see a list of all of the commands that will appear when you either right-click alone or right click while holding down Shift and/or Control and/or Alt:

d.  To the top-left of the dialog box, you’ll notice that Group is set to Main UI and Category is set to All Commands.  With this combination of settings, the Action list below shows all commands available in 3ds Max.  Scroll down in this list until you see the Import File command.  Drag and drop it from this list, into the list the right, underneath Sub-object Menu [FLAT] and above the separator line.  If you right-click in gray space now, you’ll see where it appears:

e.  This is a good time to name this quad.  Within the dialog box, next to where it says Label: I usually like to type my initials.

f.  Now, to separate the Import File command from the Group commands that we’ll add in a moment, drag and drop the Separator line below the Import File command.

g.  Next, we’ll drag on a few of our frequently used Group commands (which, in my case, is all of them).

h.  After finishing, click the X at the top-right of the dialog box.  If you right-click now, you’ll see the following quad menu:

2.  The next customization I like to set are Modifier Sets.  This lets you create buttons for your frequently used modifiers.  Here’s how to turn them on and set them:

a.  On the Modify tab, click the Configure Modifier Sets button below and to the right of the Modifier Stack:

b.  When the menu appears, select Show Buttons.

c.  Click the icon again and, this time, click Configure Modifier Sets.

d.  When the dialog box appears, for this example, change the number next to Total Buttons to 20.

e.  To the left, you see a list of all available modifiers.  Find the ones you want and drag and drop them onto the available buttons to the right.

f.  When you’re finished click OK.  Now, just above the Modifier Stack on the Modify tab, you’ll see all the modifiers you just selected:

3.  Next, we’ll look at how to add commands to the Quick Access Toolbar.  The only commands that can be added to it come from the Ribbon:

a.  Simply right-click on the command you want to add and, when the menu appears, click Add to Quick Access Toolbar:

b.  Once the command is added, if you want you can right-click on it and then remove it, or you can click Add Separator to add a vertical line between the commands.

4.  Finally, you can create your own toolbars with not only frequently used commands but, as of release 2010, recorded scripts of frequently completed processes:

a.  Once again, click Customize –> Customize User Interface.

b.  When the dialog box appears, click the Toolbars tab.

c.  To the top-right, click the New… button and name the new toolbar.  An empty toolbar will now appear:

d.  Within the long Action list to the left, drag and drop the command you want onto the toolbar.

e.  If you see a large button with words on it (instead of an icon), you can right-click on it and select Edit Appearance.  Then, select the Image Button radio icon and select the icon image you want.

f.  Now lets add a recorded script to the new toolbar.  Press F11 on your keyboard to launch the MAXScript Listener.

g.  Next, we’ll go through the actions we’d like to record.  Here’s a simple example:

* Create a box.

* Change it’s dimensions to 2′ x 2′ x 2′.

* Convert it to an editable poly.

h.  If you expand the top section of the MAXScript Listener, you’ll see a script of what you just did.  Highlight the code that should be added to the command icon:

i.  Drag and drop this selection onto the toolbar:

j.  As described in step e, you can customize the look of the icon.

I hope these customizations help and I would love to hear how you customize 3ds Max for your own use.

It Would Be Really Cool If…The Scene Explorer, Material Explorer, Material Editor and Light Lister Were Combined into a Single Dialog Box in 3ds Max

Jun 5, 2009 3DS MAX, Commentary, latest Leave a comment

Don’t ya think?  I really liked the introduction of the Scene Explorer, but I think they should have gotten rid of the Select by Name dialog box as a result.  The Scene Explorer lets you adjust some settings of objects, which got me thinking, wouldn’t it be great, as far as lights go anyway, if the settings available for the Light Lister were available in the Scene Explorer?  Then they could get rid of the Light Lister.  In release 2010, with the introduction of the Material Browser, I think it could be further developed to include the rest of the features of the Material Editor and then that editor could be gotten rid of.  Next, in my head anyway, the Scene and Material Explorers are so similar, it would just seem to make sense to combine them into a single dialog box that acts sort of like a dashboard for everything.

Actually, now that I think about it, I might end up creating multiple versions of this Super Explorer to just show me the the information I want in each.  I guess that takes us back to the original set up of multiple dialog  boxes to show multiple things.

OK, I’m a little dizzy now.  Anyway, I do think that these dialog boxes can at least be made similar like maybe a single dialog box that can be customized to show different object types as well as have all of their settings adjustable.  Basically, I’d like to see an Object Explorer, a Material Explorer, a Lights Explorer, a Camera Explorer, etc.  Each of which would have all available settings and adjustments.

Tell me what you think?

3ds Max 2010: Control Viewport Lighting with Layers

Jun 1, 2009 3DS MAX, Rendering, latest 1 Comment

I’ll admit it, I don’t use layers much in 3ds Max for architectural visualization.  A new feature of release 2010, however, will most likely get me to change my ways.  As I’ve mentioned before, the quality of lighting, shadows and exposure control within the viewport is greatly improved over version 2009.  You can now use the Layer Manager to enable and diable the viewport rendering effects of groups of lights (it will also effect your renderings).  In the following scene – I’ve got three rooms, each with 2, shadow-casting, photometric lights and a cylinder:

The above image is from the viewport and not a rendering.  It can be achieved by turning on the settings in the following image:

Each of the lights, for each room, were placed on their own layers (the targets for those lights were separated out onto a single layer called lightTargets):

Now, by clicking the teapot icon in the Render column of either the Layer Manager or the Layer pull-down menu, you can control whether or not those light are active in the viewport (as well as in renderings).    For example, if I turn off the rendering feature for the lights within room 1, I get the following result:

This feature can be particular helpful to speed up viewport response time as well as render length.  Also, by applying this technique to lights imported from Revit (via FBX), you can have greater control over those lights as well.

New Semester Begins Tonight

May 28, 2009 Uncategorized Leave a comment

Hey All.  The, if you can believe it, summer semester begins tonight for my class at the Pratt Institute in New York City with the same, very long, name: Architectural Visualization Using AutoCAD, Revit Architecture and 3ds Max Design.  The most exciting part is that all three pieces of software will be the latest releases, 2010.  Due to that fact, this seemed like a good time to respond to a comment made in response to my post entitled, Revit and 3ds Max Share Features.  The comment was about how the addition of some of these simplifying features, namely the Global Quality Control Knobs, added too many distractions to the render frame window and that users of 3ds Max should know where to go within the software to adjust these settings on a more specific level.  I wanted to respond to this comment because I think it shows the two different user-types of 3ds Max.  As an advanced user, like the commenter, I would agree.  These, easy buttons (as the commenter called them), can end up becoming a crutch and might keep the user from understanding the processes behind the settings and they’ll never go the extra mile to fine tune their renderings.  However, as a teacher of an introductory course where students have little or no knowledge of the software (and as someone who once was a beginner who found, for example, mental ray so complicated that he basically didn’t use it and frustratingly tried to get the scanline renderer to do what he wanted), I have to take into consideration that 3ds max overall is a robust and complex piece of software whose features can be exceedingly overwhelming.  I also have to figure out how to introduce the students to some of these advanced features without blowing them away with terms and processes that cause them to glaze over.  What I tend to do is introduce the advanced features, presets, templates and easy buttons and refer to them as a good starting off point.  I tell my students never to set medium on the FG Precision Presets, the Physically Based Lighting, Outdoor Daylight, Clear Sky preset for mr Photographic Exposure Control, simply select a template like Satin Varnished Wood for an Architecture and Design material, or a Halogen Lights – 21 Watt Halogen Bulb preset for a Photometric Target Light and think that they’re finished working.  I tell them to choose these presets and templates and then adjust the various settings that these presets and templates control one by one until they have a better feel for what they do.  As I said before, I can understand the desire of an advanced user not to have their software muddied-up with presets and features from other software.  If Autodesk’s goal, however, is to design a useful product that can be used by advanced users, while simultaneously not abandoning new users, it’s important for them to include features that allow for getting your feet wet as well as recognizable tools and interfaces from other software they might already be using.

Become a Friend of CADuzer and Visit ALL of the Blogs I’ve Subscribed to (via Google Reader)

May 26, 2009 Commentary Leave a comment

Hey All.  I’ve added two new features to CADuzer.com which you can see off to the right.  First, become a friend of CADuzer by clicking the Join This Site button:

Also, I’ve replaced the Blogs I Read section with a direct connection to all of the related blogs I subscribe to via Google Reader.

Enjoy!

Revit and 3ds Max Share Features (because my mom always told me that sharing is caring)

May 21, 2009 3DS MAX, Rendering, Revit, latest 1 Comment

New features within the rendered frame window, part of 3ds Max’s Reveal 3 technology, are what are known as Quality Control Knobs.  These knobs, which are actually slider bars, help you quickly change the mental ray-related settings of your renderings without having to go into the Render Setup dialog box or the Material Editor. The values in these two dialog boxes, however, will change as you adjust the knobs since these are global settings.  With the Material Editor, or more specifically actual materials, values will change.  For example, adjusting the Glossy Refractions Precision knob within the rendered frame window will also adjust the Glossiness setting of all mental ray-based materials.  Additionally, you can drag the knobs all the way to the left to turn that particular feature off.  Here’s what they look like:

As I stated in my previous post, many more of the features of this version have extensive tool tips.  The Quality Control Knobs are no exception.  For example, here’s what you see if you put you mouse over the slider knob for Glossy Reflections Precision:

As I was playing with these feature, I suddenly had the feeling that I had seen them before.  I had…in Revit:

It’s really great to see this feature being migrated over to 3ds Max (although it would be nice to have the same example images that appear in Revit).  In both programs, the Quality Control Knobs really let you continue to work without spending too much time trying to figure out which, for example, number values which will get you the results you want.

That Was Easy (-er)

May 14, 2009 3DS MAX, latest Leave a comment

I have to say that since 3ds Max 9, the software as a whole has become signifigantly easier to use (especially mental ray).  I think it was at least version 2008 (possibly even version 9) that some of the new mental ray materials gave you nice, clear sentences about what each of it’s settings controlled.  For example, within an Architecutre and Design material, if I move my mouse, for an extra second, over the spinners next to the Reflectivity setting, I get the following tool tip:

New to version 2010 (I don’t believe this was available in 2009), more of these tool tips were added to the Indirect Illumination tab on the Render Setup dialog box.  For example, if I move my mouse over the Interpolate Over Number of Final Gather Points, I get the folowing tool tip:

Well, Autodesk has taken this one steps further (and they did this in Revit, AutoCAD and, I would have to assume, other products as well).  If I move my mouse over one of the commands on the ribbon, I first get the following, simple, entry from the Help file:

If I leave my mouse there for an extra second or two, the Help tip expands to give me more information:

Hopefully more of 3ds Max’s features will get both of these tool tips as future versions are released.