Control Panels Modeling control panel > Tools
Modeling control panel
Start Spider (on Windows)
This icon starts Spider (on Windows) and loads the picked geometry. For more information, see the EvalViewer manual or the Spider online documentation.
Trash
The Trash icon lets you remove tool icons or shelves from the shelf area. To get rid of an unwanted item, drag it into the trash while holding down the middle mouse button.
The shelf area
The shelf area contains shelves, which are sets of tools you can customize to help with your workflow. You can change the contents and number of shelf sets in this area, and compress them or expand them by clicking the tabs.
This area also lets you have more window real estate by offering a compact alternative to the main shelf window. For example, you can put all the symmetry tools in the shelf set area and then close the main shelf and palette windows for a larger view of your model.
> Shelf Options
Click the Shelf Options tab for a drop-down menu that lets you add, save, clear and replace shelf sets in the shelf area.
New
Deletes all default shelf sets and creates a new shelf.
New Tab
Creates a new shelf tab.
Save
Saves the customized shelf set.
Replace
Replaces one customized shelf set with a second customized shelf set.
This enables you to create and change shelf files.
Pick list
The Pick list isolates a single curve or surface from a collection of curves and surfaces. The white text field displays the name of the picked component.
You can pick more than one object in AliasStudio. The gray text box tallies all picked (and active) components in the modeling space. To view a drop-down list of all selections, and to switch between components, click and hold on the gray text box.
As you move the mouse pointer over an item, the object is highlighted in the view windows. Release the mouse button over an object to pick only that one.
To rename a picked object, type the new name into the white text field.
Rebuild
The rebuild tool works with only one curve or surface at a time. Use the Pick list or the Pick > Component tool to choose one curve or surface from a collection of curves and surfaces.
The Rebuild options let you quickly change the degree (from 1 to 9) and the number of spans of the picked curve or surface.
If the degree or spans of a curve or a surface are modified, this tool rebuilds the geometry with uniform parameterization.
After modifying the degree or span values, three buttons appear in the modeling window. Click the Check Deviation button to view the maximum deviation in the prompt line and check if the deviation from the original geometry is acceptable. If so, click the Accept button, otherwise click the Cancel button.
Display
For a better view of your design, the Display options let you display or hide the following items on the picked geometry:
Transparency
This set of options lets you control the level of transparency of geometry and other items such as locators and canvases.
Transparency is achieved by blending the object's color into the background color.
These sliders are also available from WindowDisplay > Transparency
.
A value of 0.0 means the item is completely opaque. A value of 1.0 means the item is completely transparent and invisible.
Quality
This set of options lets you adjust the display of your curves, surfaces and meshes.
However, it only affects the visual display of the geometry, not the geometry itself.
Draw Precision
Use this slider to control the drawing smoothness of all curves and surfaces. The slider value goes from 0.0 (rough approximation) to 1.0 (very smooth). The default is 0.5.
This value applies to all existing curves and surfaces, as well as all new curves and surfaces created from this point on.
Mesh Density
Use this slider to control which percentage of the triangles are displayed. By default, the slider is set to 1.0 (all the triangles are drawn). Drawing less triangles increases performance speed.
Flat Shade Meshes
When this option is turned on (check mark visible), flat shading is applied to the mesh when using one of the diagnostic shading modes. Each triangle is rendered in a single color, producing a faceted effect.
For more information on meshes, see Meshes.
Diagnostic Shading
The icons in the Diagnostic Shading Options shade your geometry so you can view and evaluate your surfaces. The various shading modes provide different diagnostic information about surfaces.
Some tools in diagnostic shading, such as Horizontal/Vertical, simulate light reflecting against the surface of your model. Reflecting light on a surface is a good way to check for any bumps, dents, or other irregularities. Reflections also point out any surfaces that do not meet smoothly.
Curvature Evaluation tools color-code the curvature of your surfaces. This is useful when, for example, your model will eventually be made in a material that only bends a certain amount before breaking.
Surface Evaluation contains a draft angle map. This diagnostic tool is useful for products produced through injection molding. If the sides of a mold are too steep, an object cannot part with its mold. Draft Angle evaluation shows which parts of an object are in-draft and which are out-of-draft.
Finally, Surface Evaluation includes a way to map mesh deviations. If you have scanned an object, and are trying to match the scan data with your model, mesh deviation lets you know where the two surfaces are not the same.
You can continue to adjust CVs while diagnostic shading is on.
Tolerance
This slider controls how accurately surfaces are triangulated when the Tessellator is set to Fast. The slider range is 0.01 to 1.
The above picture shows a surface with the tolerance slider set to 1. The portions where the shading does not entirely meet the wireframe show the triangulation has been quick but not perfectly accurate. This is called "nickeling". If the slider is set to 0.01, the model's surfaces become completely shaded because the triangulation is more accurate, however, the process takes longer. Choosing a tolerance value means balancing time versus appearance.
Tessellator
When the tessellator is set to Fast, models are triangulated more quickly and less accurately. When the tessellator is set to Accurate, models are triangulated more accurately and slowly.
When set to Accurate, a check box is added for Limit Edge Length. If this box is checked, a slider is added for Max. Edge Length. Max. Edge Length is the maximum length (in current units) of a triangle created by tessellation.
> Shading Off
The wireframe model appears with no shading. This icon clears the wire model of its current shading. No options are available with this shading mode.
> Multi Color
The Multi Color icon shades all the picked surfaces with a single color that you can choose. Use this shading mode to see how your model looks as a finished product, and detect any bumps, dents or other surface irregularities.
You can control the shading qualities with the Light options.
> Multi Color Options
By default, Diagnostic Shading uses a point light located at the eye position of the camera. You cannot see or pick this light as an object, but you can change its parameters through the following options.
Show Reversed Normals
When this option is checked, components of surfaces or meshes that have reversed normals are shaded in yellow.
(This option is only available in Multi Color mode.)
Color
Click the color swatch to set the color, or drag the slider to change the color's brightness. This option only appears with the Multi Color Icon.
Specularity
Slide to change the size and intensity of highlights on the surface.
Transparency
Slide to change the transparency of the shaded surfaces, from 0.0 (totally opaque) to 1.0 (totally transparent).
Light Intensity
Slide to change the brightness of the light source.
Highlights
When set to Fast, the highlights are calculated more quickly and less accurately. When set to Accurate, the highlights are calculated more accurately, but more slowly.
This option is only available in multi color mode.
Lock Light Position
Normally the light source for the shading comes from the camera (like a headlight). Turn on this option to lock the light source in its current position.
Normally, the highlights move over the model as you tumble around it. Turn on this option to lock the light source in its current position. The highlights remain stationary as you tumble.
Reflections
If this is checked, the following Reflections options are displayed.
Scene
Choose a reflection map by clicking Scene for a drop-down menu. The choices are Sky1, Sky2, Evaluation, Deck, and Abstract.
Sky environments images copyright © 2004 Dosch Design GmbH. For more textures, 3D models and HDRIs, please visit www.doschdesign.com.
Reflectivity
Use this slider to control how much your model reflects the scene.
> Random Color
Random color mode shades the surfaces with random colors. As a result, adjacent surfaces show up in different colors, making it easier to see the patch structure, and how the patches align with one another.
> Random Color Options
You can control the qualities of the shading with the Random Color options. These options appear in the Modeling panel when you click the Random Color icon. For the most part, they are the same as the options documented for the Multi Color icon. However, instead of a Color slider, there is a Color saturation slider.
Color Saturation
This slider sets the common saturation, or the "vividness", of the color.
Curvature Evaluation
This mode includes eight ways to view curvature. The tools color-code the curvature of your surfaces. This is useful for evaluating the curvature of your model. You will be able to see where the curvature changes either abruptly or subtly. You will also be able to find potential flaws.
> Curvature Evaluation Options
The Curvature Evaluation Type settings listed in the image above calculate the curvature of surfaces on each point. This calculation measures the diameter of a circle that touches the surface at each point. Points that have a circle with the same diameter are displayed with the same color. Each point can have several circles. The Curvature Evaluation Type settings specify which circles are used for the calculation.
The Crv U and Crv V settings orient the circle of each point in the U/V direction.
The Crv X, Crv Y, and Crv Z settings orient the circle of each point in the X, Y, and Z direction.
The Gaussian setting, as demonstrated in the image above, multiplies the value of the smallest circle and the value of the largest circle. The Mean setting takes an average of the two principal curvatures in order to display average curvature.
Areas where the surface has inflections or holes can be easily detected by examining the accompanying color bar for negative radius values. The color bar is controlled by the Radius Ramp button in the Surface Evaluation options.
Both the Princ. Min and Princ. Max settings measure radii size. To meet manufacturing requirements, it is necessary to evaluate a surface model for the maximum or minimum radii size. All radii that fall above or below a defined value must be detected. A slider can be used to enter the value.
In the image below, the surfaces, or areas of surfaces that fall below the defined radius limit are highlighted in red through the Princ. Max setting.
The following list summarizes the Curvature Evaluation types:
Crv V, Crv U
Displays the curvature in the surface's V or U parameter direction at each point.
Crv Z, Crv Y, Crv X
Displays the curvature in the Z, Y, or X direction at each point.
Mean
Uses the average of the two principal curvatures to approximate the average curvature through each point.
Gaussian
Uses the product of the two principal curvatures.
Princ. Min
Uses the minimum curvature values-that is, the curvature of the flattest curves that pass through each point.
Princ. Max
Uses the maximum curvature values-that is, the curvature of the steepest curves that pass through each point.
> Curvature Evaluation options
Curvature Color Scale
Slide to scale the radius ramp to show finer details of curvature variation.
This option is not available when Min. Radius Limit or Max. Radius Limit are turned on (see below).
Radius Ramp
Click to show the range of colors that can be applied to the curvature map and their corresponding curvature radius values in the active modeling window.
If you adjust the Curvature Color Scale slider, the radius ramp updates interactively.
Min. Radius Limit
Surface regions having a radius less than the Min. Radius Limit value are indicated by one color, and surface regions having a radius greater than the Min. Radius Limit value are indicated by a different color.
This option is only available for the Princ. Max evaluation type.
Max. Radius Limit
Surface regions having a radius larger than the Max. Radius Limit value are indicated by one color, and surface regions having a radius less than the Max. Radius Limit value are indicated by a different color.
This option is only available for the Princ. Min evaluation type.
Transparency
Sets the transparency of the shaded surfaces, from 0.0 (totally opaque) to 1.0 (totally transparent).
Iso Angle
Highlighting helps you find surface flaws. A common use for highlighting is to identify adjacent surfaces with mismatched tangents-in other words, surfaces that don't meet smoothly. You can also use Surface continuity for this purpose, but highlighting gives you a clearer view of the surfaces.
Through a light source manipulator, this mode lets you sweep a single beam across a surface. You can see where the reflected light doesn't move smoothly. A jump in the reflection indicates flaws in either the surface or its boundary with a second surface.
Multiple beams colored red, black and white can also be used.
To control the reflection through the Iso Angle options in the Modeling panel, the reflection must be turned on. Select the object and the click on Evaluate > IsoAngle tool in the Evaluate palette.
Iso Angle options
The Iso Angle options appear in the Modeling panel when you click the Iso Angle icon.
Single, Multiple
Click to control whether a single black and white iso-angle line is displayed (Single) or multiple colored iso-angle lines are displayed (Multiple).
Blur
Slide to change the blurriness of iso-angle line edges.
Transparency
Slide to change the transparency of surfaces with iso-angle lines.
Horizontal/Vertical
This mode shows horizontal or vertical highlights on the surface.
Highlighting helps you find surface flaws. A common use for highlighting is to identify adjacent surfaces with mismatched tangents-in other words, surfaces that don't meet smoothly. You can also use Surface continuity for this purpose, but highlighting gives you a clearer view of the surfaces.
This mode lets you sweep a multiple black and white highlights across a surface. You can see where the highlights don't move smoothly. A jump in the highlight's flow indicates flaws in either the surface or its boundary with a second surface.
> Horizontal/Vertical options
The Horizontal/Vertical options appear in the Modeling panel when you click the Horizontal/Vertical icon.
Vert., Horz.
Click to set whether the highlights are vertical or horizontal.
Lock Texture
Normally the highlights are projected from the camera, so the projection changes as you move around the surface. This is the unlocked mode. You can turn this option on so that the texture remains locked relative to the surface.
Repeats
Slide to set the rate at which the texture repeats. Increasing this number increases the number of highlight lines on the surfaces.
Transparency
Slide to set the transparency of the shaded surfaces, from 0.0 (totally opaque) to 1.0 (totally transparent).
Surface Evaluation
This mode includes three ways to evaluate different aspects of your surfaces: Draft Angle, Deviation Map, and Contact Analysis.
> Draft Angle Evaluation
Some manufacturing procedures, like injection molding, require objects to be designed with the molding process in mind. Molding imposes restrictions on the shape of an object. If the sides of the mold are too steep, the object cannot leave the mold.
The mold parts are pulled away from the object in a straight line known as the pull vector. The draft angle is the minimum allowable angle between the sides of the mold and the pull vector. If part of a surface has an angle less than the draft angle, the object cannot part with its mold, and the angle is said to be out-of-draft. The opposite of out-of-draft is called in-draft.
The Draft Angle evaluation mode colors in-draft parts of the surface blue and out-of-draft parts of the surface red. You can also display a tolerance region in pink.
In the pictures above, the draft surface is angled in to the pull direction by 5 degrees. This angle allows the model to be withdrawn from the injection mold.
The Draft Angle Type works best when each normal of the selected surface set points in the same direction, either inwards or outwards.
To gain more functionality, use the Draft Angle Type setting in the Control Panel in conjunction with the options from the Evaluate > Parting line
tool.
> Draft Angle options
These shading options display which parts of a surface are in-draft and out-of-draft for a specified pull vector and draft angle. These options appear when you select Draft Angle through the Type button's drop-down menu.
Draft Ramp
In-draft points are shaded blue, while out-of-draft points are shaded red. You can also display a tolerance region in pink through the Tolerance number field (see Tolerance).
Show pull direction as
Rotation-Displays values for the X, Y, and Z rotation of a vector that defines the pull direction.
Vector-Displays values for the X, Y, and Z coordinates of a vector that defines the pull direction.
In the three entry fields below Show pull direction as, enter 3D coordinates to define a direction in which the object would be removed from its mold. For example, if you want the pull vector to run along the Z axis, enter 0, 0, 1.
Update From Selection
Press this button to set the pull direction to be that of an already selected (picked) vector or plane. In the case of a plane, the direction perpendicular to the plane is used.
The X, Y, Z fields are automatically set to the coordinates of the picked vector.
Draft Angle
This entry field defines the boundary between in-draft (blue) and out-of-draft (red).
Enter the draft angle. If the angle between a surface point and the pull vector is less than this value, the surface point is out-of-draft, and is colored red.
If the angle between a surface point and the pull vector is more than this value, the surface point is in-draft, and is colored blue.
Tolerance
Displays a pink tolerance region between the in-draft and out-of-draft regions. The Tolerance value represents an angle measured in degrees. If the Tolerance value is 0, no tolerance region is displayed.
Transparency
Sets the transparency of the shaded surfaces, from 0.0 (totally opaque) to 1.0 (totally transparent).
> Deviation Map
If you have scanned an object, and are trying to match the scan data with your NURBS surfaces, the Deviation Map mode lets you know where the two objects deviate. It calculates the distance between a set of meshes and a set of NURBS surfaces, and displays it as a color-coded map, for a quick assessment of the gap's severity.
Deviation Map can also show the deviation between two sets of surfaces, or two sets of meshes.
This mode acts as a toggle. It only displays the shading once it has been calculated once through the use of Evaluate > Deviation map
.
> Deviation Map options
These options appear when you select Deviation Map through the Type button's drop-down menu.
Transparency
Sets the transparency of the shaded surfaces or meshes, from 0.0 (totally opaque) to 1.0 (totally transparent).
> Contact Analysis
This type of surface evaluation provides you with an ability to analyse the safety of a model. It is especially useful with car interior surface design work.
Equally capable of working with meshes and NURBS surfaces, this shading mode enables you to examine a collection of surfaces for potential impact points with a head (represented by a sphere).
The tool internally creates a sphere, to judge where the head could contact the surface model. For example, some spaces, like between the steering wheel and the dash board, are too small for the head to fit into. Only the areas where a head can actually fit in the case of an accident are examined for sharpness and safety issues.
Before analyzing the model, ensure that normals are unified. If they point in different directions, results will be unreliable.
This mode acts as a toggle. It only displays the shading once it has been calculated once through the use of Evaluate > Contact analysis
.
User-defined texture
This mode shows a texture map with a Shade-Sky, Double-horizon, or User Defined image, depending on the setting of the Map Type option.
Highlighting helps you find surface flaws. A common use for highlighting is to identify adjacent surfaces with mismatched tangents-in other words, surfaces that don't meet smoothly. You can also use Surface continuity for this purpose, but highlighting gives you a clearer view of the surfaces.
This mode lets you sweep a texture reflection across a surface. You can see where the reflection doesn't move smoothly. A jump in the reflection indicates flaws in either the surface or its boundary with a second surface.
> Shade Sky and Double-horizon textures
These shading modes uses either the reflection of a sky, or two reflective highlights, as though the model was reflecting a double-horizon.
> Shade-Sky and Double-horizon options
These options appear in the Modeling panel when you set the Map Type to Shade-Sky or Double-horizon.
Lock Texture
Normally the highlights are projected from the camera, so the projection changes as you move around the surface. This is the unlocked mode. You can turn this option on so that the texture remains locked relative to the surface.
Repeats
Slide to set the rate at which the texture repeats. Increasing this number increases the number of highlight lines on the surfaces.
Transparency
Slide to set the transparency of the shaded surfaces, from 0.0 (totally opaque) to 1.0 (totally transparent).
> User-defined texture
This mode shows one of your own textures reflected on the picked surfaces.
> User-defined texture options
The User-defined texture options appears in the Modeling panel when you set Map Type to User Defined.
In additions to the options defined above for the Shade-Sky and Double-horizon textures, there is also an additional text field and browser button.
Change Texture to
Enter the name of a texture file to use instead of the default horizon texture. You can use Alias PIX, SGIs, RGB, TIF and various other image file formats. (The GIF and JPEG file formats are not supported.)
Click the arrow button to choose the texture from a file requester.
Cross Section Control
The Cross Section Control options let you create and view different groups of cross sections on a surface, a trimmed surface, a mesh or a shell. The cross section groups are maintained and automatically updated with any change to the object. They are also saved with the model.
The Cross Section Control section features an interface that makes it easy to switch between cross section groups. You can create many cross section groups at once and apply them to any geometry. Preset cross sections perpendicular to the X, Y, and Z axes are also provided.
You can create three different types of cross sections:
Axis Aligned
Cross section groups are created in the X,Y or Z planes (i.e perpendicular to the X, Y, or Z axes) with a regular step size, starting from the origin. For example, with a step size of 2.5 cm, the cross sections are created at -2.5, 0.0, 2.5, 5.0... and so on.
By default, when the Auto Range option is turned on, the cross sections are shown over the entire geometry. However, you can also explicitly set the range over which the cross sections are drawn.
Picked Reference
Cross sections are created at the intersection between the geometry and selected section data or construction planes.
Radial
Cross sections are created based on a driving curve you specify, and the Num Planes option. Points, equally spaced by arc length, are placed on the curve to correspond to the number of planes. A plane is then defined perpendicular to the curve's tangent at each of these points. The cross-sections are created where the planes intersect the geometry.
The driving curve can be a free curve, a curve-on-surface, or a surface edge or isoparm.
> Cross Section Control options
The Cross Section Control options appear by default in the Modeling panel.
New
Click this button to display a pulldown menu that lets you choose between Axis Aligned, Picked Reference or Radial cross sections.
When a type is chosen, it creates the cross section group, applies the cross section group to the selected geometry, and opens the Cross Section Control window.
Delete
Removes highlighted cross section groups from the panel.
Name (text field)
Displays the cross section group's name. The active cross section group is indicated by a white text field and a white arrow. Double-clicking the Name text field opens the Cross Section Control window.
Curvature ON/OFF (check box)
Check or uncheck the box to the right of the Name text field to view or hide curvature combs on selected cross section groups.
Apply
Applies a selected cross section group to the selected geometry.
Clear
Clears the cross section groups from the selected geometry. That is, the cross sections are removed from the geometry, but their definition remains in the panel, so they can be re-applied.
If nothing is selected, all cross section groups are cleared from all geometry.
> Cross Section Control window
This window appears when a type is selected from the New pop-up menu in the Cross Section Control panel, or when the Name of a cross section group is double-clicked in the panel.
Name
Type a cross section spec's name, and press
for the name to appear in the Modeling panel's Cross Section Control options.
Lock Curvature Scale
Turn on this option to prevent accidental modification of the Curvature Scale when using the global Comb Scale slider from the Control Panel. (See Control Panel > Curvature).
This option only appears if Curvature is turned on in the Control Panel for these cross sections.
Curvature Scale
Scales the length of the curvature combs. This option only appears if Curvature is turned on in the Control Panel for these cross sections.
> Axis Aligned Sections
These options appear only when an Axis Aligned group of cross sections is selected.
X,Y and Z
Turn on or off to view various combinations of cross sections perpendicular to the X, Y and Z axes.
Step
Controls spacing between the cross sections along the X, Y and Z axes. Increase cross section density by decreasing step values.
Auto Range
Turn this option on to use the bounding box of the picked objects to determine where to compute the cross sections, independently of the objects' position in space.
Start, End
Enter different Start and End values to determine where to compute the cross sections.
> Reference Data Sections
These options appear only when a Picked Reference group of cross sections is selected.
Num references
Displays how many reference data items are on the pick list.
> Radial Sections
These options appear only when a Radial group of cross sections is selected.
Num Planes/Num References
Number of planes to define along the driving curve. The cross-sections are created where the planes intersect the surface(s). The value of Num Planes can only be specified when the cross sections are created. Num References shows the number of planes used, but is for display only.
Chain Selection
If this option is checked, selecting a driving curve also selects all other curves that are tangent continuous with it.
Tools
Clicking on one of the tools in the bottom row of the Modeling Control Panel opens up an option sub-panel for that tool. These options are described on the following pages.
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