Views - Page 5

Regardless of the software you are using, you will want to look at your 3D models and scenes from every angle, and you will want to be able to switch between views quickly. 3D software typically has a large set of tools just for manipulating your view of the objects you are building. Strata has a particularly good toolset for adjusting views.

The first thing you will want to do is to split the view window into multiple views. This makes your model accessible from many sides simultaneously and gives you an instant feel for where you are in 3D space at any time. Figure 20-2 shows my favorite view setup, with a window on the left that is rotated and moved around freely to see the results of manipulations done in the other windows, and two windows showing orthographic views (top, right, left, bottom, front, and back), where the manipulations are performed. I generally move between views frequently in the right two windows and frequently change the orientation of the perspective view on the left.

To split the window into multiple views, use the tiny options menu button with a little plus sign on it to get the drop-down menu for that window; then select Split View. To switch between the different views in each portion of the window, just click on the name of the current view (for example, Left or Front) in the upper-left corner of each section of the window to get the drop- down list of available views.

You can also maximize each view, so that it fills the entire window designated for viewports within Strata. To do this, click the little maximize button (it looks similar to the maximize button in Windows) just to the left of the options menu button. To go back to split views, click the button again.

The next button to the right of the view drop-down menu in each section of the window lets you select how the model will be rendered in that particular window. If you cycle through the different options with any shape showing in that window, you will immediately realize the meaning of each, so that a discussion of each option would be superfluous. I use the GL Flat option as much as possible. I like this option because it shows both the general shape of the model and the individual vertices. You can move between each type of rendering with the hot keys ALT-A (Point Cloud), ALT-S (Outline), ALT-D (Wire Frame), ALT-F (Flat), ALT-G (Shaded), and ALT-H (Hidden Line).

The next thing you will want to be able to do with your viewports is pan, rotate, and zoom. The three topmost tools in the left column of the toolbar perform these tasks for you. These tools are intuitive and can hardly be augmented by lengthy discussion on their operation. You should spend a little time getting acquainted with these tools before you go too much deeper into the software.

Finally, note the little slider that is in the middle of the menu bar on every viewport. It is supposed to be a little eye, but I thought it was a gear when I first opened Strata. This is a great tool. It lets you switch between a strictly orthographic view when the slider is in the left position (good for side, top, left, views), to a little bit of perspective in the center position (good for the so-called isometric view), to a wide perspective in the right position.

Introduction to 3D Using Strata - Page 4
Macromedia Flash 5 Developer's Guide
Selection - Page 6