Inside Form Z

Now based on Version 3, this practical handbook introduces readers to basic formZ concepts. Readers progress quickly to hands-on tutorials that will instruct them in modeling, drafting, and animation using their formZ software. Coverage of formZ's high-powered rendering feature, RenderZone, as well as Radiosity, is also included.

Introduction                                       1
Part 1: Using from ? Z                        1
  Getting Started                                  3
    Introduction                                   4
    3D Versus 2D                                   4
    3D First                                       4
    Your 3D Modeling Playground                    5
    The Structure of form ? Z                 8
    The form ? Z Environment                  8
    The from ? Z Interface                    8
    Menus                                          9
      Plettes                                      9
      Modeling Tools                               10
      Window Tools                                 10
      The 3D Window                                10
    Get Started!                                   11
  Getting Help                                     13
    Introduction                                   13
    Your First Stop for Help                       14
    Built-in Help Menus                            15
      Customizing the Modeling Tools Palette       17
      Window Tools Help                            19
      Menus Help                                   20
      Keyboard Help                                21
      Drafting Tools Help                          25
      General Help                                 26
      Introductory Help                            27
    Using the Query Tool                           28
    Internet Help                                  28
      auto ? des ? sys Help              29
      CyberSites, Inc., Help                       30
  Menus                                            31
    Introduction                                   31
      Menus Interface                              32
      Concepts and Terminology                     32
      Shortcuts and Conventions                    33
    File Menu                                      34
      New (Model)                                  35
      New (Draft)                                  35
      New Imager Set                               36
      Open                                         37
      Open Recent                                  37
      Close                                        37
      Save Command                                 38
      Save As...                                   39
      Save A Copy As...                            40
      Save QuickTime VR...                         41
      Export Animation...                          41
      Revert To Saves                              41
      Import...                                    42
      View File...                                 42
      Page Setup                                   43
      Plot/Prnt Setup...                           44
      Page Preview...                              44
      Print...                                     45
      Quit                                         46
    Edit Menu                                      46
      Undo*                                    46
      Redo                                         47
      Redo All                                     47
      Replay                                       47
      Reset Undo/Redo                              48
      Undo Options...                              48
      Cut                                          49
      Copy                                         49
      Paste                                        50
      Duplicate*                               50
      Duplication Offset                           51
      Paste From Modeling*/Paste From          51
      Drafting
      Grab Image                                   52
      Paste Image                                  53
      from ? Z clipboard...                   53
      Select Previous                              54
      Select All UnGhosted                         54
      Select All Ghosted                           55
      Select By...                                 55
      Eeselect                                     58
      Clear                                        58
      Clear All Ghosted                            59
      Hide Ghosted                                 59
      Key Shortcuts...                             59
      Preferences...                               60
    Windows Menu                                   65
      New Model Window                             65
      New Draft Window                             66
      Tile Windows                                 66
      Close                                        67
      Close All                                    67
      Window Frames                                68
      Extended Corsor*                         69
      Extended Cursor Options...                   71
      Auto Scroll                                  72
      Show Plane Axes*                         72
      Show World Axes*                         73
      Show Grid*                               73
      Window Setup...                              73
      Show Rulers*                             75
      Ruler Options...                             76
      Snap Options...                              76
      Underlay...                                  77
    Heights Menu                                   80
      Graphic/Keyed                                80
      Custom...                                    81
      Edit Menu...                                 81
    View Menu                                      82
      z=30? x=60?                          82
      z=458 x=458                      83
      z=120? x=20?                         84
      z=220? x=45?                         84
      z=60? x=30?                          85
      Custom View Angles...                        85
      [+XY] : Top                                  86
      [-XY] : Bottom                               86
      [-YZ] : Right Side                           87
      [+YZ] : Left Side                            88
      [-ZX] : Front                                88
      Plane Projection                             89
      Axonometric*                             89
      Isometric*                               91
      Oblique*                                 92
      Perspective*                             93
      Panoramic*                               94
      View Parameters...                           96
      Save View...                                 97
      Animation From Keyframes...                  97
      Sun Position...                              98
      Edit Cone Of Vision...                       99
    Display Menu                                   103
      1/8' = 1'-0' Scale, 1/16' = 1' Scale,     104
      and 1/32' = 1'-0' Scale
      Custom Display Scale                         104
      Wire Frame*                              105
      Quick Paint*                             108
      Hidden Line*                             109
      Surface Render*                          110
      Shaded Render*                           111
      RenderZone*                              113
      QuickDraw 3D*                            114
      OpenGL*                                  115
      Radiosity Options..., Initialize             116
      Radiosity*, Generate Radiosity
      Solution*, and Exit Radiosity
      Display Options...                           116
      Generate Animation...                        117
      Play Animation...                            117
      Draft Layout Mode                            117
      Clear Rendering Memory...                    117
      Always Clear Rendering Memory                117
      Show Surfaces As Double Sided                117
      Redraw Buffers...                            118
      Image Options...                             118
    Options Menu                                   119
      Input Options...                             119
      Pick Options...                              120
      Zoom Options...                              121
      Layers...                                    121
      Project Colors...                            122
      Symbol Libraries...                          123
      Working Units...                             124
      Color Palette...                             125
      Lights...                                    126
      Macro Transformations...                     126
      Objects...                                   127
      Profiles...                                  128
      Reference Planes...                          128
      Status Of Objects...                         129
      Surface Styles...                            130
      Color Palette..., Line Styles..., and        130
      Line Weights...
      2D and 3D Digitizer Options                  131
    Palettes Menu                                  131
      Customize Tools...                           132
    Help Menu                                      133
      Error Messages...                            133
      Project Info...                              134
  Palettes                                         137
    Introduction                                   137
    Palettes and Screen Size                       138
    Manipulating Palettes                          141
      Rearranging Palettes                         141
      Collaspsing Palettes                         142
      Closing and Opening Palettes                 143
      Hiding Palettes                              144
      Expanding Palettes                           144
      Transferring Palettes                        144
      Ranking Palettes                             144
      The Prompts Palette                          145
      The Tool Options Palette                     148
      The Views Palette                            150
      The Colors/Surface Styles Palette            151
      The Layers Palette                           154
      The Lights Palette                           157
      The Coordinates Palette                      158
      The Objects Palette                          159
      The Planes Palette                           161
      The Profiles Palette                         162
      The Symbols Palette                          162
      The Window Tools Palette                     165
      The Animation Palette                        166
  Modeling Tools                                   165
    Introduction                                   165
      The Interface                                165
      Concepts and Terminology                     167
      Polygons                                     167
      Solids and Surfaces                          167
      Parametric Objects and Wires and Facets      168
      Modifiers and Generators                     168
      Derivative Tools                             169
    Using the Tools                                169
      Primitives Tool Palette                      170
      Balls Tool Palette                           174
      Object Type Tool Palette                     178
      Insertions Tool Palette                      182
      Polygons and Circles Tool Palette            185
      Lines, Splines, and Arcs Tool Palette        190
      Topological Levels Tool Palette              196
      Pick Tool Palette                            199
      Derivatives Tool Palette                     204
      Parametric Derivatives Tool Palette          213
      Meshes and Deform Tool Palette               226
      Rounding and Draft Angles Tool Palette       238
      NURBS and Patches Tool Palette               242
      Metaformz Tool Palette                       254
      Booleans and Intersections Tool Palette      256
      Join and Group Tool Palette                  268
      Text Tool Palette                            271
      Symbols Tool Palette                         273
      Line Editing Tool Palettes                   278
      Topologies Tool Palette                      284
      Self/Copy Tool Palette                       288
      Query Tool Palette                           291
      Geometric Transformations Tool Palette       295
      Relative Transformations Palette             303
      Attributes Tool Palette                      312
      Ghost and Layers Tool Palette                324
      Delete Objects Tool Palette                  329
      Delete Parts Tool Palette                    330
  Window Tools                                     333
    Introduction                                   333
      The Interface                                333
      Concepts and Terminology                     335
    Window Tools                                   335
      Reference Planes                             336
      Perpendicular Switch                         338
      Reference Planes                             339
      Grid Snap Switch                             341
      Direction Snaps                              344
      Object Snaps                                 347
      Zoom and Pan                                 354
      View Tools                                   359
Part 2: Beginner to Advanced Exercises             363
  Exercises for Beginners                          365
    Introduction                                   365
    Exercises                                      366
      The Five-minute Barn                         366
      The Five-minute Goblet                       370
      The Five-minute Mace                         373
      The Five-minute City                         375
      The Five-minute Logo                         378
      The Five-minute Maze                         381
      The Five-minute Coin                         383
      The Five-minute Landscape                    387
      Further Exercises                            391
  Intermediate Exercises                           393
    Introduction                                   393
      Modeling Skyscraper Towers                   394
      Modeling a Tape Dispenser                    408
      Modeling a Picture Frame                     418
      Modeling a Magnifying Glass                  425
      Modeling a Screwdriver                       433
      Further Exercises                            441
  Advanced Exercises                               443
    Introduction                                   443
    The Exercises                                  443
      The Hand: Modeling                           444
      Modeling a Telephone                         451
      An Umbrella: Modeling Surfaces Using Nurbz   465
      Modeling a Flashlight                        474
      Further Exercises                            484
Part 3: Rendering, Drafting, Animation, and Tips   487
  Rendering                                        489
    Introduction                                   489
    Rendering Display Types                        490
      Wire Frame                                   490
      Quick Paint                                  491
      Hidden Line                                  492
      Surface Render                               492
      Shaded Render                                492
      RenderZone                                   493
      QuickDraw 3D/OpenGL                          494
    RenderZone Options                             495
      Rendering Types                              496
      Shading Options                              499
      Environment                                  508
      Depth Effects                                511
      Illumination                                 514
    Lighting and Shadows                           516
      Name                                         517
      Light Types                                  517
    Radiosity                                      525
      Lighting an Interior with RadioZity          526
      Concepts of Radiosity                        526
      Setting Up Renderings with RadioZity         527
      Radiosity Options                            529
      Tips and Getting Best Results                536
  Drafting                                         543
    Introduction                                   543
    The Drafting Environment                       543
    Pasting from Modeling into Drafting            546
    Preparing to Add Dimension Lines               548
    Setting Numeric Accuracy                       549
    Setting Witness Lines                          550
    Setting Terminators                            551
    Setting Dimension Text                         552
    Placing Dimension Lines                        553
    Placing a Text Label                           555
    Draft Layout Mode                              555
    Preparing to Print                             556
  Animation                                        557
    Introduction                                   557
    form ? Animation Basics                   558
    Animation Quick Guide                          559
    Animation Tour and Exercises                   561
      A Casual Walk Through a City                 561
      Exporting Your File to QuickTime or AVI      566
      Exporting Stills from Your Animation         566
      A Day in the Life of a Fly                   567
      Editing the Velocity Control Curve           572
      Adding Motion Blur to Your Animation         576
      Super Sampling                               577
      Adding a Background Image to Your            578
      Animation
      Previewing Your Animation in                 578
      OpenGL/QuickDraw 3D
      Advanced Animation Example                   579
      Using Walkthrough View to Create an          593
      Animation Path
      Generating an Animation                      594
  Fifty-five from ? Z Tips                    595
Appendix A: from ? Z on MacOS and Windows     617
Appendix B: File Formats                           619
Appendix C: Keyboard Shortcuts                     627
Subject Index to Learning Objectives               635
Subject index to Chapter 13                        637
Index                                              639