In the previous lesson, you used the Asset Browser to import geometry. If your scene contains 2D blocks that indicate furniture or fixtures, you can use the Substitute modifier to replace the 2D blocks with 3D models. This is a way to add interior detail to a scene you want to render, without having to change its geometry.
Set up:
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On the menu bar, choose File > Open. Locate school_library.max in the \tutorials\interior_design\ folder on your hard drive or the product disc, and click Open.
If you encounter the Missing External Files dialog, just click the Continue button.
This lesson uses different furniture, so you don’t need the scene with the chair in it.
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Go to the Display panel. On the Hide rollout, click Unhide All.
2D blocks for chairs, tables, and bookshelves appear.
In Autodesk VIZ, you will substitute 3D geometry to get a more realistic visualization of the room.
Select the chair group blocks and substitute 3D geometry:
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Click Select By Name. In the list, select BlockInstance:chair group05, then click Select.
This is one of four 2D blocks that represent a cluster of two chairs with an end table between them. These blocks are all instances, so modifying one of them modifies the others.
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Go to the Modify panel. Open the Modifier List, and choose Substitute.
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In the Parameters rollout, click Select XRef Object. An Open File dialog is displayed. Open the file chairsgroup.max.
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An XRef Merge dialog is displayed. In this dialog, highlight Chair Group in the list, and then click OK. Click No in the alert that appears. The referenced chair group should retain its original material.
The geometry of chairs and tables appears in the library, as you can see in the Camera02 viewport.
Select the bookshelf blocks and substitute 3D geometry:
To substitute the bookshelves, you follow the same general steps.
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Click Select By Name. In the list, select BlockInstance:shelf01 (or any other of the shelf instances), then click Select.
This is one of several 2D blocks that represent bookshelves. Like the chair groups, these blocks are all instances.
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Go to the Modify panel. Open the Modifier List, and choose Substitute.
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In the Parameters rollout, click Select XRef Object. An Open File dialog is displayed. Open the file bookshelf.max.
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An XRef Merge dialog is displayed. In this dialog, highlight Shelves in the list, and then click OK. Click No in the alert that appears. The referenced bookshelf group should retain its original material.
The bookshelves appear in the library, as you can see in the Camera02 viewport.
The Substitute modifier can substitute any geometry, but its main use is to substitute 3D geometry for 2D block symbols. This modifier has limitations: it can substitute only single objects, not groups or assemblies (including luminaires). The chair group and bookshelf objects are each a single editable mesh.