by otto deschk -- marketing gone mad.
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Showing posts with label autoCAD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label autoCAD. Show all posts
the quest for realism - james blinn, 1980
in the 80s, executing the hide command on a large 3d file could have taken hours -- or days! today, rendering an image is not instantaneous, but it's fast in comparison.
here's a nice little video explaining the basics of rendering in a historical context.
jim blinn became widely known for his wonderful computer graphics for NASS's JPL and carl sagan's cosmos -- in my opinion, the greatest science documentary in the universe.
thank you, joel schlosberg!
... by the way, notice who's narrating* in the end....?
cross-posted at infostudio
* leonard nimoy
©2010 helen sotiriadis
here's a nice little video explaining the basics of rendering in a historical context.
jim blinn became widely known for his wonderful computer graphics for NASS's JPL and carl sagan's cosmos -- in my opinion, the greatest science documentary in the universe.
thank you, joel schlosberg!
... by the way, notice who's narrating* in the end....?
cross-posted at infostudio
* leonard nimoy
©2010 helen sotiriadis
autoCAD: dynamic door block
i almost never blog about autoCAD, much less an obscure problem few people hit, but i've seen people asking about this on forums so i thought i'd write up a solution. if you use autoCAD and are interested in dynamic blocks, read on. if not, never mind :-]
the problem: how to create a door symbol that stretches dynamically and flips horizontally and vertically. for some users, the flipping action screws up the size of the door panel, so it doesn't behave as expected. here's a step-by-step tutorial for creating the symbol, with a special note on the detail that's the problem:
1. draw a door symbol to preference. for brevity, mine is as simple as it gets:
2. create the block and load it into the block editor.
the problem: how to create a door symbol that stretches dynamically and flips horizontally and vertically. for some users, the flipping action screws up the size of the door panel, so it doesn't behave as expected. here's a step-by-step tutorial for creating the symbol, with a special note on the detail that's the problem:
1. draw a door symbol to preference. for brevity, mine is as simple as it gets:
2. create the block and load it into the block editor.
first, you're going to make the door stretch-able. you have to handle the door panel and the arc separately:
3. add a linear parameter by hitting two points from left to the right. select the parameter, right click and hit grip display > 1. it should look like this:
4. add a stretch action by selecting the linear parameter, hitting the red node on the right blue arrow grip, drawing a frame around the top of the door panel, and then selecting the door panel ONLY... and NOT the arc.
5. select the stretch action, go to properties, find the angle offset property item under overrides, and enter 90. ( this will make the panel stretch vertically while you're stretching horizontally with your mouse.)
6. add a scale action by selecting the linear parameter and then the arc. (this will change the size of the arc without distorting its shape.)
at this point, your work should look like this...
8. add a flip action by selecting the parameter and then, at the select objects prompt, enter ALL.
this bit is the main problem. do NOT select objects with your mouse: make sure you type ALL. if you try both methods, you'll notice that, with ALL, you select two objects more than you do with your mouse.
now we need to make sure that the flip arrow always stays in position on the symbol's centerline as you stretch. here's how:
you're going to make sure the first arrow also flips the new one:
15. hit the first flip action, right click, hit action selection set > modify selection set, and at the select objects prompt, select the basepoint parameter.
i didn't get into the issue of listing standard sizes for your door via the linear parameter -- but you already know how to do that, right?
try it!
let me know if it works -- or not -- or if i've mucked up the description somehow. i'll gladly edit.
©2010 toomanytribbles
3. add a linear parameter by hitting two points from left to the right. select the parameter, right click and hit grip display > 1. it should look like this:
4. add a stretch action by selecting the linear parameter, hitting the red node on the right blue arrow grip, drawing a frame around the top of the door panel, and then selecting the door panel ONLY... and NOT the arc.
5. select the stretch action, go to properties, find the angle offset property item under overrides, and enter 90. ( this will make the panel stretch vertically while you're stretching horizontally with your mouse.)
6. add a scale action by selecting the linear parameter and then the arc. (this will change the size of the arc without distorting its shape.)
at this point, your work should look like this...
this includes the linear parameter and the two action icons for stretch and scale (in the bottom right corner).
so far, so good, time to flip horizontally...
7. add a flip parameter to the center line of the symbol.
7. add a flip parameter to the center line of the symbol.
8. add a flip action by selecting the parameter and then, at the select objects prompt, enter ALL.
this bit is the main problem. do NOT select objects with your mouse: make sure you type ALL. if you try both methods, you'll notice that, with ALL, you select two objects more than you do with your mouse.
i assume that the crucial difference is the two points that determine the stretch frame, which are not visible, therefore unselect-able with the mouse.
now we need to make sure that the flip arrow always stays in position on the symbol's centerline as you stretch. here's how:
9. add a move action for the flip arrow. select the linear parameter, then hit its right red arrow node, and finally select the flip parameter.
10. select the new move action icon, hit preferences, and enter 0.5 for the distance multiplier under overrides.
finally, we have to make the door flip vertically...
11. add a second flip parameter as shown in the image below.
12. add the flip action for the new flip parameter and enter ALL in order to select all objects. it should look like this:
12. add the flip action for the new flip parameter and enter ALL in order to select all objects. it should look like this:
you're going to make sure the first arrow also flips the new one:
13. select the first flip action, right click, hit action selection set > modify selection set, and at the select objects prompt, select the second flip arrow parameter. this will add the second flip arrow to the original, horizontal flipping action.
14. add a baspoint parameter to your 0,0 coordinates (the block's insertion point). this will prevent your door symbol from moving around in the wall opening as it's being flipped all over the place.
14. add a baspoint parameter to your 0,0 coordinates (the block's insertion point). this will prevent your door symbol from moving around in the wall opening as it's being flipped all over the place.
again, we're going to want the basepoint parameter to flip along horizontally with everything else:
15. hit the first flip action, right click, hit action selection set > modify selection set, and at the select objects prompt, select the basepoint parameter.
i didn't get into the issue of listing standard sizes for your door via the linear parameter -- but you already know how to do that, right?
try it!
let me know if it works -- or not -- or if i've mucked up the description somehow. i'll gladly edit.
©2010 toomanytribbles
how did escher do it?
i clearly had trouble following the american mathematical society's instructions for the last two steps...
thanks, dim.
©2010 toomanytribbles
thanks, dim.
©2010 toomanytribbles
sketching capabilities in autoCAD
i don't post too many autoCAD-related topics on this blog -- i see too much of it all day, every day -- but this looked very cool and different:
from lynn allen's blog.
from lynn allen's blog.
object colors 2-192-1-30-5-3
like it? click it!
i so much like bright colors on black -- i guess it's because i've worked so many years with autoCAD. they tried having a default white background in version 12 to tag along with other kinds of software but it never worked out. colored lines are so much more concise on black -- plus your eyes don't get tired so easily.
i've come to realize that that's why i prefer my images and my blog on black. i wish flickr would give us a choice of backgrounds to display images.
doodle
i'm normally in the teacher's end of the classroom, but yesterday i became a student again, as i do periodically to keep up with the latest version of autocad.
inevitably, i found myself doodling, as i've done all my school life -- but this is the first time i actually felt good about it.
if you like it, give it a click.
via wired science:
'people may doodle as a strategy to help themselves concentrate," said study co-author jackie andrade, a university of plymouth psychologist. "we might not be aware that we’re doing it, but it could be a trick that people develop because it helps them from wandering off into a daydream.'
and
'it takes a large cognitive load to daydream. that has a big impact on the task you’re meant to be doing," said andrade. "doodling takes only a small cognitive load, but it’s just enough to keep your mental resources focused on the main task.'
so, i doodled, guilt-free.
others were doodling too... i was the only one taking a picture of mine, obviously desperate to get the day's picture. i'm not crazy about it, but it'll do for my 365 project.
inevitably, i found myself doodling, as i've done all my school life -- but this is the first time i actually felt good about it.
if you like it, give it a click.
via wired science:
'people may doodle as a strategy to help themselves concentrate," said study co-author jackie andrade, a university of plymouth psychologist. "we might not be aware that we’re doing it, but it could be a trick that people develop because it helps them from wandering off into a daydream.'
and
'it takes a large cognitive load to daydream. that has a big impact on the task you’re meant to be doing," said andrade. "doodling takes only a small cognitive load, but it’s just enough to keep your mental resources focused on the main task.'
so, i doodled, guilt-free.
others were doodling too... i was the only one taking a picture of mine, obviously desperate to get the day's picture. i'm not crazy about it, but it'll do for my 365 project.
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