Sketching How do I? Building primary and transition surfaces using the fillet flange and tube flange tool > Finishing the concept model

Create rapid concepts using sketching and rolled edge tools

Sketch Projection, Curve Warp, Image Warp. Fillet Flange & Tube Flange used to develop concept models.

AliasStudio has supported 2D image projection for a number of years. We have dramatically updated the workflow to better support real-time rendering (that is, Hardwarwe Shade), the ability to project paint from more than one view, and the ability to use layer transparency.

This document shows how to:

use a concept sketch to quickly add design detail to 3D conceptual surfaces, and
deform 2D & 3D to quickly evaluate design change.

Create a 3D sketch

Apply a sketch to a 3D model for a painterly rendered image.

Project Sketch is a convenient method of previewing a surface that you have created with the aid of a 2D sketch image plane. Sketch render converts the image plane to a shader and assigns it to the model.

Using a sketch projection

When you use a sketch projection on a model, the following processes are automatically performed:

If there already exists a shader named SketchProjection (for example, from previously performing a sketch render), then it is replaced with the new shader.

A new shader named SketchProjection is created in the Multi-lister based on a projection of the image plane along the camera's normal. That is, the new shader has a Projection texture mapped to its Color parameter, the Projection texture has a File texture mapped to its Source Texture parameter, and the File texture has the image plane file mapped to its Image parameter. You must have an image plane defined in order to use Project Sketch.
The new shader is assigned to either all or select surfaces, depending on the option chosen in Canvas > Project sketch .
If there are no lights in the scene, place some by using Render > Create Lights > Create defaults or by placing specific lights.
At this point, you can render the surfaces, using Render > Direct render , WindowDisplay > Hardware Shade , or Render > Render .

If you perform another sketch render, the SketchProjection shader will be replaced. If you wish to keep a sketch render shader, rename if before performing another sketch render.

Project a sketch to quickly add design details

Sketch and paint a design concept

Create the 2D curves that define your design. In this example we have created curves in the top view that are symmetric across the center line of the phone.





Now use the Studio shapes and brush tools to create an early design concept.





Continue to add design details on different layers.

Develop a simple model using the same curves

Create the 3D surface using the same curves used to define the paint shape. The next image shows a Hardware Shade perspective view. From a design perspective, this is adequate, but its 3D view is missing "life" and design content. Traditionally, the designer would now spend lots of time building 3D geometry to add design detail, but often designers don't want to spend this time and effort during the early stages of design.

Projecting a sketch onto a model

Now pick the surface you want to project paint onto. In this example, we only want to project paint onto the top surface because this is the only area that has design detail.
Open the options window for Canvas > Project sketch and turn on Active Objects, Active Canvas. Click Go to start the Sketch Projection process.





Behind the scenes, a shading network is being created, in which a series of shaders is automatically created and layered over the top of the assigned shaders. This means that any area of the sketch that is transparent will use the colour assigned by the original shader.

You have the option of seeing layered shaders when in Hardware Shade mode. By default, this option is off and must be turned on before you can see the sketch projection. Layered shaders are turned off by default because they requires more graphics processing by the graphics card. The slower the graphics card, the slower the performance of Hardware Shade with layered shaders turned on.





Image above shows layered shaders turned off.









As you can see in the image above, Sketch Projection has been used to add 2D detail to an early design model. The buttons and LED display area are not modeled - they are simply projected paint onto an almost flat surface. You can tumble around this model, evaluating the concept deciding if you want to continue adding 3D detail or refine the 2D detail.

In this example, we'll "pinch" the phone body to add nice curves to the phone. This will be done with Curve Warp Shapes.

Modify an object with curve warp shapes

Use paint tools to reshape a concept

Assign all the 3D geometry to a geometry layer and make the layer invisible.
Choose Paint Edit > Make warp shape . Create a curve warp shape by picking the curves highlighted in red on the paint layer used for the Phone Body. Note we have selected the outer curves and the curves used to define the LED display, because we want to maintain the shape of the LED area and deform only the body. Choosing the LED curves effectively stops the deformation from continuing past the LED curves.





Use any curve modification tool to adjust the shape of curves. In this example, we have modified a blend curve point to pinch the body of the phone. We don't modify or the LED curves because we want this area unaffected by the curve warp process.





Watch how the image layer warps as the 2D curve is modified.





Select the image layer displaying the small buttons.
Choose Paint Edit > Deform image layer . This tool globally deforms everything on the active layer, whereas curve warp is typically used to locally deform the active image layer.





Use the image deformation handles to adjust the shape of the buttons to match the new body shape.





Change the image layer and adjust the position and shape of the upper small buttons.





Make the 3D geometry visible again, and wait a few seconds while the construction history updates the 3D geometry. For this example, we used the same curves for the 2D shapes, 3D primary surfaces, 3D transitional surfaces, and the warp shapes that deformed the 2D phone body.





The final stage in this process is to update the sketch projection references so Hardware Shade updates to display the new warped and deformed sketch.

To update the sketch projection references either choose Project > Project sketch in the Canvas Layer Editor, or reselect the surfaces and choose Canvas > Project sketch again.

As you see, you can use paint to add design details to quick 3D concept models, quickly and easily change a design using curve warp and image deformation, and use 2D & 3D can be used together as a powerful design tool.

Modify the color

Time to make one quick and final change to this design concept: adjust the colour of the body.

Select the image layer that has the main body on it.
Open Paint Edit > Color correction > Color balance .





Adjust the color balance sliders, then click one of the color thumbnails to select the color change. When you're happy with the color representaiton, click Accept at the bottom of the window.





The 2D sketch is now updated to a new color.





Update the sketch projection file references and tumble your model in the perspective window.





Using sketch projection to add detail does not replace adding the design detail: it does allow the designer to postpone building the design detail during the conceptual design phase of design.

Project a sketch for fast design label mapping

This section will cover how to use sketch projection for texture mapping a typical product design. In the past, texture map placement across multiple trimmed surface was challenging, but this is now much easier with current sketch projection techniques.

This example image use sketch projection for the small PDA button icons, PDA display, and red sketch. The scene is rendered using Studio RayTracing.

Use a texture brush with a fine plastic grain to texture paint the first layer.





In this example, the texture brush is a little too dark; to lighten it, open the Canvas Layer Editor (Windows > Editors > Canvas Layer editor ) and make this layer semi-transparent by changing the value..





Create curves to define the design primary design components. In this example, we have assigned these curves to a 3D layer and made this layer symmetric.





Create more curves that define the icons and create paint shapes from these curves or import standard company graphics.





Import a graphic design page for the PDA screen.

Next, clean up the appearance of the gray base plastic layer. We could use a mask layer and delete the plastic outside the main PDA body, but in this case, we will use an invisibility mask shape to hide the paint on this layer.

Make sure the current layer is the plastic body layer that was painted with the texture brush.

Choose Paint > Shape > Make invisibility mask shape . You are prompted to select the curves, then click Accept.

The image below shows how the invisibility mask shape has hidden the paint inside the curves.





In this example, this is not what we want, so choose Edit > Invert layer in the Canvas Layer Editor.





The image above shows how the plastic paint layer now only shows paint defined by the invisibility mask shape. The advantage to this workflow is the paint will be automatically hidden or shown as the curves are modified. If we had used a mask layer and erased the paint with a brush, it would require a significant amount of work to repair the layer.

Develop a surface for the model

Create two curves to define the top surface of the PDA.
Extrude a surface along these curves highlighted in red.





You now have built the primary surface for the PDA top.





In the Top window, choose Surface Edit > Create CurvesOnSurface > Project to create curves on surface.





Use Surface Edit > Trim > Trim surface to cut away the top surface and discard the outer edges.

Project painted details on a simple model

From the Top view, we can quickly project paint onto the top surface.

Select the surface you want to project paint onto.





Open the option windows for Canvas > Project sketch . This tool supports projection of paint from a number of views and onto active or all surfaces.





Change windows to the Perspective view and open WindowDisplay > Hardware Shade to toggle shade on.





Hardware Shade has been dramatically enhanced in terms of texture quality, speed and the ability to support layered shaders with transparency.

Turn on Layered Shader. By default, layered shaders is turned off because it is more expensive to calculate multiple levels of shading per pixel. But on most modern machines with up-to-date graphics cards, the extra calculations should have little impact.





Tumble the scene in real time to view this very simple concept surface.
At this stage you can reposition the graphics, then update the sketch projection either using the menu in the canvas layer editor or by repeating the sketch render process.

Building primary and transition surfaces using the fillet flange and tube flange tool

How to build a PDA using Fillet Flange and Tube Flange.

Choose Surfaces > Rolled edge > Fillet flange then click the trimmed edge of the top surface.





You may find that the fillet flange builds in the wrong direction, based on the curve direction. To change the direction, choose Flip in the Wall section of the control window.





In this example we have set a 15 degree taper on the wall and a two unit fillet. You should notice immediately this tool first builds a flange wall, and then fillets between the flange wall and the input surface in one very simple workflow.





Adjust the length of the flange then click the Recalc button.





When you have completed adjusting the fillet and flange properties, turn on Auto-Trim so the top surface is automatically trimmed.





Turn on WindowDisplay > Hardware Shade to evaluate the surfaces.





In the Top view, project the curves on the inside that will define the LED display area.
Use the trim tool to discard the center of the surface, resulting in surfaces as shown here.





Use Surfaces > Rolled edge > Tube flange to create a blended inner surface for the LED area.
Tube flange prompts you to select a series of curves. In this example, we create a fillet (tube) then draft a flange from the edge of the fillet. This complex operation is done with one simple workflow using the Tube flange tool.





By default, the tube is 1 unit and the flange is built at 90 degrees.





In the control window, adjust the Fillet size to 5, Flange sweep angle to 15, and the Flange length to 2.





Turn on Hardware Shade to review the surfaces.

Building button holes and buttons

In the top window project the circles that will form the button holes.





Using the trim surface tool, discard the holes in the top surfaces.





Use Surfaces > Rolled edge > Fillet flange to create the blend recesses for the buttons.

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Repeat this the fillet flange process for the second button.





Turn on Hardware Shade to review the button recess.





Choose Surfaces > Planar surfaces > Set planar to create the tops of the buttons using simple circle curves.





Choose Surfaces > Rolled edge > Tube flange to create the filleted flange surfaces that are needed for the button edges.









Dolly the camera out to review the surfaces created so far.





Refine the surface design and add more detail, like buttons for other functions.

Finishing the concept model

Next, we'll add some graphic design detail to our concept model. In this example we have turned off the gray plastic paint layer and selected all the surfaces highlighted in red.

Open the Canvas > Project sketch options window, select Active View and Active Objects, then click Go.





In the Hardware Shade options window, make sure layered shaders is turned on.

Originally, we created the quick concept sketch using a texture brush to create a plastic finish for the PDA.

Open the Canvas Layer Editor (Windows > Editors > Canvas Layer editor ) and turn this layer back on.
Choose Project > Project sketch in the Canvas Layer Editor to update the projected shader.

Here is a close-up to show the faint plastic finish painted on the 2D image layer.

You can now set up the scene for raytracing and produce a simple design image like this. All complex texture mapping is handled by the Sketch projection procedure.