Chapter 1 The Basics
From ShadeCamp
This chapter will explain the basics of the Shade interface and operations. Mastering the basics is the first step in becoming a skillful user. For details on the Shade interface, please refer to the Reference manual, in which part names and functions are described in detail.
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Starting Shade
Starting (“launching”) Shade is done in the same way as starting most other applications on a Windows or Mac OS X computer.
If you are using Windows, select Shade from the Start menu in the Task bar. If you are using Mac OS X, double-click the Shade application icon.
Once Shade has started, the splash screen appears first, then a new blank document is displayed.
The Toolbox
If the Toolbox does not appear, select Toolbox from the View menu.
The Toolbox has a variety of tools used to create and edit three-dimensional objects.
The Figure Window
The Figure window is where you create and edit shapes using the tool selected in the Toolbox. This window functions as the canvas for your drawings.
The Control Bar
At the top of the Figure window, you will find a Control Bar.
The Control Bar allows you to control the operating environment of the Figure window. You can control various operations and settings such as switching between views, scaling, templates (background sketches), grids, and the snap-to-grid function in the Figure window.
Other Windows
Let’s take a look at Shade’s other windows.
As you use Shade, you will open and work in any of several windows depending your current task. These windows are called Control windows.
The Control windows can be opened from the View menu.
When you select a desired item from the View menu, its window will open.
To close the window, reselect the same item from the View menu, or click the window’s close box.
Here is a brief overview of the most important windows. For details on each window, refer to the Reference manual.
The Camera Window
This sets the view, or the positioning of the created shapes.
The Distant Light Window
This controls the distant light sources that cover the entire environment with collimated light, like natural sunlight.
The Color Window
The Color window is used to choose colors.
The Background Window
This sets the colors and textures of backgrounds.
The Surface Window
This sets colors and textures for created shapes.
The Browser
This window controls the hierarchical organization of all the created shapes, grouped into parts. Here you can easily select shapes, modify their names, and rearrange the hierarchy.
The Correction Window
Rendering is performed using the color correction settings made in this window. Since the corrections are performed during the rendering operation, and not after, losses in color tones can be prevented.
The Ruler
You can use the Ruler to measure the dimensions of shapes and objects created in Shade. You can measure vertically or horizontally.
The Motion Window
This window is used to animate joints.
The Skin Window
This is used to link the points of a shape to a joint.
Radiosity
This window allows you to change the Radiosity settings, and display a quick-rendered image.
Shortcut
Shortcuts allow you to easily execute Shade commands by pressing certain keys.
Customizing the Workspace
The layout of Shade’s interface can be customized by using workspaces. To arrange Shade’s windows and palettes in the default layout, choose Window > Use Default Workspace.
To save the current window layout as a custom workspace, choose Window > Add Workspace... A Name dialog appears in which you can enter a name for the workspace, and then the workspace is added to the list at the bottom of the Window menu.
To remove a custom workspace from the Window menu, choose Window > Remove Workspace... Select the workspace you wish to remove from the list and click Remove, or click Remove All to remove all the custom workspaces (the default workspace cannot be removed).
Opening a File
Now that you understand the function of each window, let’s open a Shade file for this User Guide.
Choose the File menu / Open to open the “UG_01_Table.shd” file in the “Chapter01” folder, within the “User Guide” folder, within the “Documentation” older.
The selected file is opened, and a Figure window appears with the filename in its title bar.
Opening Files from ShadeExplorer
ShadeExplorer makes it easy to browse catalogs of Shade files. Catalogs can be created for an file path, and will display each scene file’s Image window in a thumbnail. Rather than opening or searching for Shade files using the File menu, use ShadeExplorer for easy file access.
The Figure Window
The Figure window is the main window in Shade, used to create and edit shapes. Learning how best to use the Figure window will enable smooth modeling.
The Names of Each Part of the Figure Window
The Figure window is divided by the borderlines (that cross in the middle of the window) into 3 views and a perspective view.
The 3 views consist of the Top view (upper left), Front view (lower left), and Side view (lower right), which are linked together. Usually, modeling is performed in the 3 views.
3D cursors displayed in the Figure window
The scales at the bottom and left side of the Figure window are called Rulers. They are sometimes specifically named, for instance the “X-axis Ruler”. You can set the position of the 3D cursor by clicking within the Ruler.
Adjusting the Size of the Four Viewports
Dragging the borderlines enables you to alter the relative sizes of the four views freely.
- Place the mouse pointer on the horizontal borderline. The mouse pointer changes to a doubleheaded pointer that points up and down.
- Drag the mouse to move the pointer up or down. The borderline moves along with the pointer.
- Release the mouse button at any position you like. The borderline is now set at the position you moved to.
- Now place the mouse pointer at the intersection of the borderlines. The mouse pointer changes to a crisscross pointer. Crisscross pointer
- Drag the mouse to move the viewport separater lines.
The borderlines are set to the position you moved to. By dragging the borderlines to an edge (or corner) of the Figure window, you can show only two views, or just one view. Besides dragging the borderlines, there is another way to show only one view.
- Choose the Control Bar / View pull-down menu / Side.
Only the Side view is shown
Similarly, selecting Top, Front or Pers enables you to show only one view.
Each of the Figure window modes is assigned a shortcut key as follows:
The shortcut keys are arranged on the keyboard to match the relative locations of the four views. Memorizing these shortcuts will allow quick switching between view layouts when creating and editing shapes.
The Figure menu contains the same functions as the Control Bar.
- Choose the Figure menu / View / Shared. The Figure Menu
The Figure window is restored to the original shared view.
Zooming the Figure Window
If your drawing is too large to fit in the three views, or, if you want to see the details of a shape, you can zoom in and zoom out of the views.
Push the Zoom In or Zoom Out button in the Toolbox to zoom the views.
- Click the Zoom Out button in the Toolbox.Left: Zoom Out button / Right: Zoom In button
The views are shrunk in the Figure window.
- Click the Toolbox Zoom In button to restore the original view.
Notice that the perspective view does not change.
A complete description of controlling the perspective view is provided in the section entitled “Using the Camera.”
Note: Clicking the Zoom In or Zoom Out button while holding down the Ctrl key (Win) / option key (Mac) allows you to zoom in or shrink the views centered on the position of the 3D cursor.
The mouse wheel can be used to magnify or shrink the views. When the Figure window is active, moving the mouse wheel one direction will magnify the views, and moving it the other direction will shrink the views.
Zooming at a Specific Point
Using the shortcut keys, you can zoom in (magnify) or zoom out (shrink) so that any position becomes the center of the view.
- Press Space + X key (Win) / Space + }{ key (Mac) on the keyboard.
The mouse pointer changes to the Zoom In tool.
- Click in any of the three views, where you want to zoom in.
The view is zoomed in (magnified) at the point you clicked.
Next, let’s zoom out.
- Press Space + Ctrl key or Space + Z key (Win) / Space + option key (Mac).
- Click where you want to zoom out. The view is zoomed out at the point you clicked.
Scrolling the Displayed Views
- Make sure that the mouse pointer is located somewhere within the Figure window, then press the Space key.
- While holding down the Space key, drag the hand pointer within the three views.
The views are scrolled. If you drag the hand pointer along the rulers, the views are scrolled along the axis of the rulers.
Changing the views in the Figure window by zooming in/out changes the state of the three views, but the Perspective view does not change. Moreover, the actual positions and sizes of the shapes are not changed. Only the viewports have changed.
Fit to Window
To scale each of the viewports to accommodate all the objects in the scene, select Figure > Fit to Window.
The objects should now fit within in each of the three views. This function is convenient if you lose sight of the objects while scrolling or zooming around the Figure window.
Selecting Objects
When you perform various operations (moving and duplicating shapes, rendering, setting surface attributes), it is very important to understand how to select the target shape. In the first half of this section, you will learn how to select shapes within the Figure window or the Browser window (hereafter called the Browser). The latter half explains how to group shapes using the Browser. Understanding the Browser is the shortcut for learning to use Shade well.
Selecting Objects in the Figure Window
If you drag the mouse in the Figure window, a rectangle (selection box) appears. Using the selection box, you can select the target shapes.
- If you cannot see the vase in the Front view well, magnify at the shape using the Toolbox Zoom In button.
- Drag the mouse so that the selection box partly covers the vase in the Front view.
Note: To select multiple shapes, select each additional shape with the selection box while pressing the Ctrl key (Win) / }{ key (Mac).
Selecting Objects in the Browser
Shade’s Browser controls all the shapes in the Figure window. The Browser also allows you to select shapes easily, in addition to the method used to select shapes in the Figure window described above.
- Select View > Browser to display the Browser Opening the Browser
- Select the part named “Table” in the Browser by clicking its name.
When the part named “Table” in the Browser is selected, the Table shape in the Figure window is also selected. The shapes selected in the Browser correspond to the shapes selected in the Figure window.
- Select “Root Part,” the top item in the Browser. All the objects are selected.
Parts are not shown in the Figure window. They function as folders in the Browser. You can nest multiple shapes or parts inside parts. This structure is called a hierarchy. The part at the top level of the Browser is called the Root Part. Here, the part you selected is the Root part.
Creating New Parts
Since you now understand how parts work, let’s create parts and group multiple shapes.
Choose Part from the Part tool in the Toolbox.
Naming Objects and Parts
You can set the name of the part.
- Double-click the box around the part you created first. The Name dialog box appears, showing “Part.”
- Enter the name “Tatami”, and press the OK button in the Name dialog box. The name of the Part in the Browser has changed to “Tatami.” You can give any name you want to any part shown in the Browser.
Selecting Multiple Objects
- Within the Browser, select the part at the position shown in the figure below by clicking it.
- Select another part by clicking it while pressing the Ctrl key (Win) / }{ key (Mac). The lower part is selected as well.
The multiple shapes are grouped into the “Tatami” part.
Opening/Closing a Part
To the left of a part is a triangular Part button. By clicking this button you can toggle the part open and closed to show and hide its contents, like the open/ close folder function in a file browser.
Opening and closing of parts is only visible in the Browser window, and does not affect the actual condition of the parts and objects.
- Click the Part button for the “Tatami” part in the Browser.
The open part is closed, and only the name “Tatami” is shown.
When you work on an object that has many parts in the Browser window, you can reduce clutter by closing the parts that are not being edited.
- Similarly, click the part button of the Root Part.
Right: The root part is closed
Showing the Currently Selected Objects
To show the currently selected object(s) in the Browser, choose Show Selected Object from the Select pull-down menu in the Browser.
The contents of the Browser are expanded to show the currently selected object.
Other Convenient Functions
By pressing Shift while selecting a shape, you can select all the shapes at the same hierarchy level.
Shortcut keys (arrow keys) are provided for selecting within the Browser hierarchy. Left arrow key (selects Parent) Right arrow key (selects Child) Down arrow key (selects Next)
Up arrow key (selects Previous)
A Parent is a part that contains a reference part/shape. A is a parent of C.
A Child is a part that is contained within a reference part/shape. B, C, and D are children of A.
A Next is a shape that is positioned below a reference part/shape within the same hierarchy level.
D is a Next of C.
A Previous is a shape that is positioned above a reference part/shape within the same hierarchy level.
B is a Previous of C.
You can select all child objects using Ctrl + right arrow key (Win) / option + right arrow key (Mac).
Let’s Create a Vase
It’s time to create a shape. Taking the vase shape on the table as an example, you will now create another shape next to the vase.
A detailed description of how to create shapes is provided in the next chapter of this User Guide. Here you have only to understand roughly how the shape is created.
Creating a Line Object
Let’s first create the outline of the vase in the Front view using a line object.
Before creating it in the Front view, set the depth (Zaxis coordinate value) of the 3D cursor.
- Zoom in on the table in the three views.
- While pressing the Ctrl key (Win) / option key (Mac), click the center of the table in the Top view. The depth (Z-axis coordinate value) of the 3D cursor is set.
- As you move the mouse pointer sideways in the Front view, watch the motion of the 3D cursor in the Top view.
You can verify that the depth (Z-axis coordinate value) of the 3D cursor is set.
- Choose Toolbox / Create tool / Open Line. The Create Tool
The Create Tool Menu
- Taking the left half outline of the vase as an example, let’s create a similar line object. In the Front view, click point A and drag the mouse from A to B while pressing the mouse button, and then release the button, as shown in figure. Don’t worry if the created shape is not exactly the same as that shown in the figure. You can fix it later.
- Next, click point C and drag the mouse from C to D, and then release the mouse button.
- Similarly, click point E and drag the mouse from E to F, and then release the mouse button.
- Click Point G located on the table top surface line.
- Click Point H positioned a little bit away in parallel from previous G.
- Click the Finish button in the Toolbox. A line object is created. In the Browser, an Open Line appears.
You now have a half outline of the vase.
Creating a Revolved Object
Using this outline, let’s create a revolved object.
- Choose Revolve from the Solid tool in the Toolbox.
- Click point A and drag the mouse from A to B while pressing the mouse button, and then release the button. A revolved object, the vase, is created. In the Browser, a Revolved Open Line is shown.
Editing the Object
Here we will move some of the object’s control points to modify its shape.
- Choose Enter Modify Mode from the Modify tool in the Toolbox.
Several red points appear (by default). The mode with these points displayed is called the Modify mode, in which you can edit shapes.
- Switch on the Large point checkbox in the Control Bar.
- Click the point shown in the figure.
The point becomes active. The points forming a shape are called control points. When the control points are inactive, they are indicated by hollow boxes. They are shown as solid boxes when you select them.
The center point among the control points is called the anchor point and a line that stretches out from the anchor point is called a tangent handle.
- Select the control point and drag it as shown in the figure.
As you move the point, the outline of the shape changes.
- Drag the end of the tangent handle as shown in the figure.
The outline of the shape changes according to the direction and length of the tangent handle.
- Drag each of the control points freely to modify the shape of the revolved object.
The outline of the object is changed, and the shape of the revolved object is modified accordingly.
Note: If you get an unexpected result, choose Undo from the Edit menu to return to the previous state. This function allows you to cancel up to the previous 100 operations.
- Once you have the shape you want, click the finish button to exit from the Modify mode. The Figure Window after Exiting Modify Mode
Rendering
Rendering
- Select the root part in the Browser.
IMPORTANT: Only the selected shapes are rendered. For example, if you select an empty part and render it, the rendered result will show nothing.
- Choose View > Image Window. Opening tje Image window
Next, click the Rendering Option Show/Hide button of the Image window, and the Rendering Options appear.
illustration here.
- Select Scan Line from the Method pull-down menu, Regular from the Surface subdivision pulldown menu, and Smooth shading from Shading pulldown menu. Switch the Anti-aliasing checkbox on, then click the Render button.
When you click the Render button, the rendering starts, with the indicator in the upper-left corner of the Image window indicating that rendering is proceeding.
When the rendering has finished, the indicator disappears.
You can check the rendered image size (the ratio of height and width) of the Image window in the perspective view of the Figure window.
For example, as shown in the figure below, if the height of the Image window is shrunk by dragging the lowerright corner of the Image window while pressing the Shift key, the white part in the perspective view also shrinks in the same way. The white part of the perspective view shows the area to be rendered.
Image window is shrunk by dragging with the Shift key
Area Rendering
Rendering can be a time-consuming process, but is necessary to create a beautiful image. It is not very efficient to render the entire window and check it each time you modify the settings. Area rendering allows you to render any portion of the window. This feature is useful when you want to check texture settings as you adjust them. Here, let’s set surface attributes for the vase shape you created in the previous section, and use area rendering.
- Choose the View menu / Surface. (You may display the Aggregate palette and choose Surface in the palette.)
- Select the Revolved Open Line. The Vase is Selected
- Click the Load button in the Surface window and select “Marble.shdsfc” from the Documentation/User Guide/Chapter01 folder located in the Shade installation directory.
- Select the Root part. The selected objects are seen in the rendered image.
- Drag the mouse around the area you want to render within the Image window, while holding down the Ctrl key (Win) / option key (Mac). Only the area boxed by dragging is rendered. The surface attribute you set is seen in the rendered image.
Note: If you click the Render button with the Shift key pressed, all the objects within the area box are rendered.
Distant Light
Without a light source, you would not get any image when you render. Shade provides five types of light sources: point lights, spotlights, area lights, linear lights and distant lights.
By default (in the initial state), one distant light is set in a new Shade data file. The reason you could render an image in the previous section is that the default distant light was set. Distant light simulates the collimated sunlight we see in the real world.
Here is a brief description of how to adjust the distant light.
- Select View > Distant Light. or click the sun icon in the Aggregate palette to open the Distant Light window. Opening the Distant Light Window
- Verify that the Perspective radio button is selected.
The preview box shows how the perspective view is lighted. The direction of the distant light can be set by clicking within the two half-spheres for direction setting. The left half-sphere is the front-lighted side, and the right half-sphere is the back-lighted side. When you set the distant light direction, we recommend that you select the Pers radio button, to agree with the light direction in the perspective view. The other three-views radio buttons are used to show or set the position of the distant light with reference to each of the individual three views.
- Click any position within the right half-sphere, then render the image using any method.
The preview box is darkened. Since this sets the light source position to the back side of the perspective view, the rendered shape would be very dark. In addition, if you change the Eye Point, the relative position of the distant light, referenced to the perspective view, is also changed. If your rendered image becomes unintentionally dark, verify that the position of the distant light is correctly set.
- Once again, set a suitable position within the left (front-lighted) half-sphere, while watching the preview box, then render using any method.
You get a well-lighted image this time.
Rendering Methods
Finally, let’s take a look at the differences between the Ray Tracing (Draft) and Ray Tracing rendering methods.
Ray Tracing (Draft) Method
This method is much faster than the standard Ray Tracing method. The draft method will not take into account Projection Effects settings such as Fish Eye Distortion and Panorama settings on the Effects Tab.
Ray Tracing Method
Because of its ray-tracing functionality, this method can express the reflections and the distortion caused by refraction. Selecting the Render Shadows checkbox in the Rendering Options allows objects to cast shadows.
