Tutorial 007 - Importing 3D objects

Occasionally, imported 3D objects can have some mapping imperfections. Especially DXF files are not able to maintain the UV mapping coordinates. This means that if we assign images to surfaces, these images will appear distorted or will be seen just as colour variations, losing the characteristics of the texture
The aim of this lesson is to introduce the user to the functions of surface mapping that will allow to solve errors or to modify an existing texture.

CREATE A NEW PROJECT
   1.    Enter in the Project menu> New

   2.    In the New Project window set 800x600 pixel resolution, click on “Load Image” and select in C:/Programs/3DGeniuX/Tutorials/007/ Cielo.jpg

   3.    Click on “Create”

   NOTE: Lessons are located in the main folder where 3D GeniuX is installed, usually in C:/Programs/3DGeniuX/Tutorials
LOAD A 3D OBJECT
  1.   From the Project menu>Import>File3DS and select from C:/Programs/3DGeniuX/Tutorials/007/Magazzino.3DS
Click on “Open”
2. Use Move , Rotate , Scale , and create an ideal perspective to work on the object.

NOTE: for the users of other 3D graphics software: with 3D GeniuX you can rotate objects but not the camera.

 3.   The light on the scene is too low, as compared to the nice sunny day in the background picture, then from the Light rollout click on the Environment Light colour window and insert the values R=115 G=115 B=115
 4.   Set the light angle as shown in the picture.
   5.   The 3DS format does not support the normals of faces, to see them you will have just to disable from Visualise menu>Enable Double Side Material. You will be able to see through the object, then enable again from the Visualise menu>Enable Double Side Material.
“Enable Double Side Material" is DISABLED “Enable Double Side Material" is ENABLED
MAPPING A 3D OBJECT
  1.   From the “Properties” window select the sub-object Front_wall 
   2.   From the Materials Library rollout Select Texture External Wall> External_wall_004. You will obtain just a variation in colour, the waving of the texture was lost, even though the image was already assigned. We can check the assigned texture by clicking on the “Visualize Texture” button from the “Properties” window.

This happens because the 3D object has not been mapped correctly in the modelling software in which it has been created. Technically, we could say that the UV mapping is incorrect.

See also: “ Texture Mapping” rollout

Now we will assign the UV mapping using 3D GeniuX. From “Texture Mapping” rollout select “Planar”, then unable “Only selected part” to map only the selected part, that is “Front_Wall”, and then click on “Generate Mapping”. The yellow colour Manipulator that you see on the video represents the projection of the planar mapping.
   3.   Assign a colour of R=255 Y=255 B=255 from the “Properties” window in a way that it will not affect the colour of the loaded texture. The colour defined here will add to the colour of the texture, and the only colour that does not affect the texture colour is white.

Increase the texture repetition up to 3 times, inserting the values U=3 V=3.
    4.   The remaining parts of the object have already been mapped correctly in the modelling program, thus we just have to assign the materials, as shown in the table below.
SUB-OBJECT
MATERIALS LIBRARY
COLOUR
UV
 
 
 
 
Colonne - Columns
Textures Walls>005
R= 255 G=255 B=255
U=12 V=12
Tetto - Roof
Texture Roof Tiles>002
R= 255 G=255 B=255
U=1 V=1
Muri - Walls
Texture Walls>004
R= 255 G=255 B=255
U=9 V=7
Pavimento - Floor
Texture External Floor Tiles>003
R= 255 G=255 B=255
U=22 V=27
Vetri - Windowpanes
Load from "Properties menu"
Load Texture>Vetro.bmp
R= 164 G=106 B=28
U=3 V=3
Infissi - Shutters
-
R= 78 G=51 B=14
-
Porte - Doors
-
R= 78 G=51 B=14
-
Grondaie - Gutter pipes
-
R= 78 G=51 B=14
-
       
   Here you can see how our project would appear if all the described operations were performed correctly.
   5.   Now that all materials are ready, position the object in a way that it will fit in the background image. Click on the “Reset Position” button from the “Object Position” rollout and insert the new position values.
DESIGNING THE GROUND SURFACE
  1.   From the “Model Libraries” rollout select "Primitives">Plane.

The plane is not yet visible, because it is still very small, compared to the object “Warehouse.3DS”. From the “Active Structures” rollout click on the white cube of “Warehouse.3DS”, hiding it, to see the plane.
To enlarge the 3D plane use the button “Zoom on the selected object” " from the tools bar that will re-scale and move the selected object to the centre of the work area.
    2.   From the “Materials Library” rollout >Texture Grounds>001
On the Properties menu assign U=21 V=21
    3.   From the “Object Position” rollout assign the values as shown in the picture. Please note the blurring effect on the grassfield that has been automatically applied depending on the distance from the point of view.
   4.   Clicking as shown in the picture you can rename the field with the object’s name,names of sub-objects and the material of the plane on the “Ground” box.
   5.   Enable again the visualization of the object “Warehouse.3DS” from the “Active Structures” rollout.
PERFEZIONAMENTI
   1.  Select from the menu Visualize>Blur>Minimum to minimize the blurring effect that has created in the farest areas.
   2.   You can add a few trees from the “Models Libraries” rollout >>Trees, and then manipulating them with the command “Zoom on the selected object" and the tools Move Rotate and Scale you can add a touch of reality to the final image.