Troubleshooting

User interface

The ground plane is not visible

• Make sure that perspective projection is on ('Camera/Perspective' in view popup menu).
• Check that 'View properties/Input/Orientation guides/Ground plane' is set.
• Turn 'Grid draw' option off (disables ground plane drawing to avoid visual confusion between the two).
• Select 'View Orientation/Reset' from the view popup menu.

Cannot RMB-Ctrl-scroll a toolbar

• Move the mouse pointer over a toolbar area that does not activate a button, and check that 'Scrolled' is set using the toolbar's popup menu.

A window is missing

• Check that the window in question is set in the 'View' pulldown menu.
• Make sure that the window is not in a minimized state.
• Check that the window is included in the 'Windows' folder of the program installation (in case you have accidentally moved/deleted the file - if so, you may have to re-install suitable parts of the program).

The screen is not updated correctly in OpenGL when moving/closing windows

• Update the driver library of your OpenGL accelerator.
• Switch to GDI mode and then back to OpenGL.

The program occasionally crashes in OpenGL mode

• Update the driver library of your OpenGL accelerator.
• Use the native wireframe drawing instead of OpenGL.

Geometric objects

Cannot see an object or parts of the object are not visible

• Open the property window and make sure that 'Gen/Invisible in real time rendering' and 'Wire/Hide Geometry' are not set.
• Select the object and use 'Camera/Auto Focus' from the view's popup menu. The object may be too far or behind the camera (outside the clip range).

Boolean operations

Components of a Boolean operation are not visible

• Make sure that none of the Boolean sub objects has 'Property Window/Gen/Hollow' set.
• Verify that use of 'Volume Inverted' object property is consistent. This option may become unintentionally set when experimenting with Booleans and moving objects around in hierarchy.

A surface renders with a noisy random pattern

• You have performed a Boolean operation where two cutting surfaces overlap exactly. Move either of the components slightly (1 micrometer is enough), make sure that the 'drill' is long enough, etc.

Rendering

An object is missing from ray traced images

• Select the object and check that 'Property Window/Gen/Invisible in real time rendering' is not set (check also the parent levels).

A parallel mapped texture renders with a noisy random pattern on the target surface

• If you are using 'Finite' options of the parallel mapping, the target surface should be properly inside the mapping cube.

File rendering shows a different image than the view window

• Make sure that the project includes a camera object, and that the camera and view orientations match. Set 'Current' option for the desired camera object, in case there are multiple cameras included.

The file rendered image appears stretched

• Verify that the aspect ratio of the current camera object and the output resolution are consistent (taking into account the pixel aspect ratio of the planned target media).

Cannot see through transparent objects, or parts of transparent objects appear black

• Make sure that 'Recursion Depth' of the rendering settings you are using is high enough. For example, 'Speed over quality' does not show transparency.

Cannot change the color of a backdrop object

• A backdrop surface is usually 'self-illuminating' - light sources do not affect it. To change the color, open the property window and go to the 'Col' tab. Select 'Illumination' from the 'Attribute' property list and define a new illumination color using the gadget below the property list.

NURBS curves are not visible in rendering

• Check that 'Property Window/Gen/Invisible in photo realistic rendering' is not set.

Network rendering

Cannot use network rendering

• Windows95/98 have limitations in TCP/IP services required by network rendering.

Network rendering is slow

• Save texture maps as JPG images for fastest network render times.
• Check network configurations - the client may spend time in unsuccessfully trying to connect to a server.

A server system in network rendering cannot render the current project

• Check the texture file paths of the project. For example, a hard disk may be mapped to another letter in the server system as in the client.

Materials

A transparent material renders white

• Add 'Color=Constant(0,0,0) to surface properties. The default diffuse color is always white, and you have to eliminate diffuse shading.

Cannot see effect of a fog-like material

• Fog effects are heavily scale dependent. A fog material that looks good when mapped to a one meter wide object is practically invisible when mapped to a candle flame. Adjust the 'Turbidity' or 'Density' parameter of the fog.
• Check the rendering settings. Volumetric options should be set and recursion depth should be high enough (try a value greater than 2).

Animation

The camera does not keep its focus in the desired point after key framed rotations

• Set the pivot point of the camera to the desired center of rotation before key framing the camera.

A key frame-animated object rotates to the opposite direction to what was intended

• Add a key frame in the middle. Rotation chooses the shortest way to new positions and the new key shows the right way.

Simulation does not affect the objects

• Check that the parent level has 'Properties/Spec/Simulation' enabled.

An object does not follow exactly a given path

• Path animation keeps the initial offset between the object and the path. Select the object and the path, then apply the Unmap tool of the 'Lattice Mapping' tool tab. Then move the object to the correct position (use point snapping if necessary). Re-map the object to the path.