Reference, Part 1 Program Basics There are two main components to the Virtus WalkThrough VRML interface: Windows and Menus. Within Windows are elements such as Views, Tools and Editors. Menus contain command functions and options. VIEWS Virtus WalkThrough VRML has two kinds of views: the Walk View and the Design Views. The Walk View displays a three-dimensional rendering of the objects that you draw in a Design View and allows you to walk through and around the objects. A Design View is a two-dimensional area where you draw objects. There are six possible Design Views: Top, bottom, Front, Back, Left and Right. You can draw, view or edit your drawings in any of the Design Views. Within the Design Views, there are two editors that perform specific operations on the objects you draw: the Surface Editor, and the Tumble Editor. WINDOWS Each view or editor is displayed in a window that can be resized or repositioned. See your Windows documentation for more about windows manipulation and standard Windows interface operations. Tools Window Each of the two kinds of views and each editor has its own set of tools that appear in the Tools window. The view or editor that you are working in determines which tools are displayed. Active Window Only one window may be active at any time. To make a window active, click anywhere inside its boundaries, or select a view name from the View menu (see View menu), or select a window name from the Window menu (see Window menu). You can tell if a window is active by looking at its Title Bar. Title Bar The Title Bar of a view window displays the name of the view or editor that the window is associated with. If a window is active, its Title Bar is dark and the text is light. If a window is not active, its Title Bar is light and the text is dark. WALK VIEW The Walk View displays a three-dimensional rendering of the objects that you draw in a Design View. In the Walk View, you can walk around and through objects by moving the mouse. The Walk View has a set of tools specific to the Walk View. (See Walk View Tools.) These tools are displayed when the Walk View is active. In addition to the regular menus, the Walk menu is visible when the Walk View window is active. The Walk menu contains commands and options that affect the appearance of the Walk View and the objects within it. (See Walk menu.) Navigation Methods Movement through the Walk View is in response to your movement of the mouse pointer relative to the cross hair in the center of the Walk View screen. Press the mouse button to begin movement and release the mouse button to stop. Speed increases as the cursor is pointed farther from the cross hair. Direction is determined by the position of the pointer relative to the cross hair. By using a combination of the Option key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows) or Shift key (both platforms) with the mouse, movements like tilting your head, sliding from side to side or increasing and decreasing your altitude are also possible. Cross Hair The cross hair in the middle of the Walk View is used as a reference point for navigation. (See Navigation Methods.) The cross hair can be hidden with the Cross Hair option under the Walk menu. Velocity Grid Velocity Grid marks are the horizontal and vertical marks in the Walk View that display the points at which walk speed changes. The default for the Velocity Grid marks is off (not visible), but they can be turned on and off by selecting Velocity Grid under the Walk Menu or by selecting Velocity Grid in the Preferences, Navigation dialog under the Edit menu. Novice Virtus WalkThrough VRML users may find the Velocity Grid helpful while learning to navigate. WALK VIEW TOOLS When the Walk View is active, the Walk View Tools are displayed in the Tools window. The Walk View Tools allow you to change the Walk View background color, adjust the lens of the Observer, and record and play back a walk path. The Tools window can be hidden with Tools Window under the Window menu. 3-D Object Selector, 3-D Surface Selector With these tools, you can now select a single object or surface, respectively, in the 3-D Walk View. This method of selection makes it easier to choose a single object or surface, which makes it easier to work with complex models. Color Selector The Color Bar on the top of the Tools window (Design View, active) is the Background Color Selector that is used to change the color of the background within the Walk View. To change the background color, mouse down on the Background Color Selector (Color Bar) to reveal the color selector. Drag the mouse to the desired color and release. If the colors in the color selector do not contain the desired color, drag the mouse to the icon in the upper left corner of the color selector and release. This action displays the standard Macintosh Color Picker or Windows Color Palette and Custom Color Selector in one window. (The Color Palette and Custom Color Selector are normally displayed in separate windows.) To select a new color from the Macintosh Color Picker or Windows Basic Color Palette, point to the desired color and click (See your System Documentation for further information regarding color selection.) If the color you selected does not appear to be the same shade in the Walk View, it is probably due to the effects of lighting. You may wish to turn off the effects of light and shade (see Preferences, Rendering). Lens Focal Length Tool The lens size indicator and the sliding control beneath it are both parts of the Walk View Lens Focal Length Tool. If the sliding control is moved, the reading in the lens size indicator will change to display the new lens focal length. You can also adjust the lens focal length by highlighting the numbers in the lens size indicator, typing a new number and pressing the Enter/Return key. You must press the Enter/Return key for the change to take effect. The lens focal length determines the zoom factor of the virtual camera. A smaller lens size indicates a wider angle lens, while a larger lens size indicates a telephoto lens. Focal length is also affected by film size. A larger film size requires a longer focal length to maintain the same camera angle. If the focal length does not change and the film size increases, the effect is a wide angle lens. If the film size decreases but the focal length does not, the effect is a telephoto lens. Film size is set in the Preferences, Rendering dialog. The default value for film size is a 35mm still camera. (See Camera in Preferences, Navigation.) Orientation Cube The Orientation Cube shows the orientation of the Observer inside the Virtus world. If any objects can be seen, the Orientation Cube indicates the side(s) of the objects that the Observer is facing: F=Front, B=Back, L=Left, R=Right, T=Top, b=bottom. The Orientation Cube also appears in the Tumble Editor, but has added functionality there. (See Tumble Editor.) Record, Stop and Playback Path As you navigate through a model in the Walk View, you can record and later play back the walk path with the Record Tool and Playback Tool. The length of a recording is limited only by memory; however, it is unlikely that you will run out of memory because the requirement is small. When you save a file, the recorded walk path is saved with it. When you open the file again, you can click the play button and view the recording. Only one recorded path can be saved with each model. If you record another, the previous path will be erased. Recording does not take a picture of the screen each time the Observer takes a step; it records movement through the Virtus world. This means that if you record a walk path and then change your model, the playback will follow the same recorded path and you will see the changes you made to the model. To record the walk path, click inside the Walk View to make it active, then click on the Record Tool. Navigate the Observer through the Walk View. (See Navigation Methods.) You may also record a path by selecting Record under the Walk menu. This menu option is helpful when running in full screen mode or when the Tools window is hidden. To stop recording, click the Stop Tool. The Stop Tool will also stop a playback in progress. You may also stop recording by selecting Stop under the Walk menu. This menu option is helpful when running in full screen mode or when the Tools window is hidden. To play back a recording, click the Playback Tool. If the playback reaches the end of the recording, it will loop automatically and start from the beginning until you click the mouse button anywhere on the computer screen or click the Stop Tool. You may also play back a recorded path by selecting Play under the Walk menu. This menu option is helpful when running in full screen mode or when the Tools window is hidden. Walk Mode Selector The Walk Mode Selector, which enables navigation, is the default setting for the Walk View. THE DESIGN VIEWS There are three sets of skills to learn in Virtus WalkThrough VRML: creating objects, editing/modifying objects, and navigating in and around objects. The Design Views are used for creating and editing/modifying objects. A Design View is a drawing area where you draw or view object outlines in two dimensions. There are six different Design Views: Top, bottom, Front, Back, Left, Right. You may draw in any Design View. More than one Design View can be open at any time (see Multiple Design Views); however, only one view can be active at any time. The Design Views have a specific set of tools. When a Design View is active, the Design View tools are displayed in the Tools window. (See Design View Tools.) Creating an Object In the Design Views, an object is represented by a 2-D polygonal outline. To draw the polygonal outline of an object, select a drawing tool, point to a location in the active design view, click and drag. (See Drawing Tools.) The resulting polygonal outline is a 2-D cross-section from which a 3-D object is derived. The polygonal outline may look flat, but it has depth and a position in space. Virtus WalkThrough VRML applies an inflation distance, or depth, to the outline and inflates the object in the same direction you are viewing so you cannot see the inflation unless you change views. (See Inflation, Depth Controls.) To change views, select a view from the Change View submenu under the View menu. The 3-D object assumes the default color displayed in the Color Bar (see Color Bar), as well as the selected opacity (see Opacity Modifiers) and the selected inflation type (see Inflation Modifiers). You can change these factors before you draw the object or change them after the object is drawn. Dimensions: X, Y and Z The Virtus World is a cube (six sides). Each of the Design Views corresponds to a side of the cube. The three dimensions of the cube - X, Y and Z - are based on the Top View, since the Top View opens as the default when you start the program. X is the left/right dimension, Y is the front/back dimension and Z is the top/bottom dimension. Inflation In any Design View, the objects you draw are represented by a 2-D polygonal outline. To create a 3-D object, the missing third dimension is added by a process of inflation. When creating a 3-D object, there are two important factors that need to be defined in addition to the polygonal outline. The first is the object's position in the 3-D world, or its coordinates. The second is the object's inflation distance, or how far it is inflated. The position and inflation distance are calculated according to a Depth Control (see Depth Controls) set in either a Design View ruler or in the Depth window. Given the polygonal outline, the position in space and the inflation distance, the resulting 3-D virtual object appears immediately in the Walk View. The direction of the inflation depends on the view in which an object is drawn. For example, the inflation of an object drawn in the Front View is not the same as the inflation of an object drawn in the Top View. An object drawn in the Front View is inflated front to back (along the Y axis). An object drawn in the Top View is inflated top to bottom (along the Z axis). The inflation direction is always in the dimension that you cannot see in the view in which you are drawing. The rulers will help you determine which dimension you cannot see because each ruler is labeled. (See Rulers.) In addition to position and inflation distance, objects also can be assigned an inflation type that affects the overall object shape. For example, if you draw a 16-sided polygonal outline representing a circle, that outline can be assigned an inflation type that makes the 3-D object appear spherical, conical or of other shapes. Inflation types are assigned with the Inflation Modifiers. (See Getting Started.) Moving Between Design Views Usually, only one Design View is open at any time, but more are possible. (See Multiple Design Views.) When Virtus WalkThrough VRML is started, the Top View is displayed by default. To change the Top View to another Design View, make sure that the Design View is active. (See Active Window.) If not, click anywhere inside its boundaries. Select Change View under the View menu. A pullout menu will display the names of the six possible Design Views. Select the desired view. The active Design View will change to the view you selected. An active Design View can be changed to another Design View with the Change View command under the View menu. Or a new window with a new Design View can be opened with the New View command under the View menu. It is important to understand the difference between Change View and New View. (See Change View and New View.) Multiple Design Views There are six Design Views and, if desired, all six can be open at the same time. In most cases, however, the size of your monitor will limit the usefulness of multiple Design Views. If you have a large monitor, you may wish to experiment with multiple Design Views; this can increase your efficiency. To open multiple Design Views, select New View under the View menu. A pullout menu will display the names of the six possible Design Views. Select the desired view. The new view that you select appears over the active view; it can be resized and positioned. Though only one view can be active at a time, you are able to see objects and edits in all views. Modifying Objects After objects are created, they can be modified. Any modifications or edits to an object must be preceded by selecting the object. An object is selected if it displays handles. A handle is a small square block that represents the meeting of two planes, or in the case of an object, the meeting of two sides. If an object is selected, its handles are visible. Immediately after you draw an object, its handles are displayed and the object is selected, allowing for any adjustments in size or shape that you may wish to make. To select an object, click the Select Object Tool, point to the desired object and click inside the polygonal outline. (See Select Object Tool.) Modifications to selected objects are accomplished with different tools and editors. For example, the size and shape of an object can be changed by dragging a handle or a surface with the Select Object Tool. The type of object can be changed by adding or deleting a handle with the Add/Remove Handle Tool. The inflation type (the 3-D shape of the object) can be changed with Inflation Modifiers. An object can be rotated or scaled with the Rotate Object Tool and Scale Object Tool. The opacity of an object can be changed with the Opacity Modifiers. The color of an object can be changed with the Color Bar. Individual object surfaces can have surface features added to them with the Surface Editor. (Surface features, like objects, can have color and opacity, and they can be rotated or scaled.) Also, the opacity or color of an entire object surface can be changed with the Tumble Editor, and a new surface can be created in the Tumble Editor by slicing off part of the object. Modifying Handles An object can be reshaped by dragging a handle or a surface between two handles. To reshape an object, select the object, point to a side or to a handle, click and drag to a new location. If you hold down the Option Key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows) while dragging, you can move an individual handle rather than an object surface. The way an object's handles appear indicates the extent to which an object can be reshaped in the active view. If the handles appear solid, all sides and handles can be dragged to reshape the object. If handles appear hollow, only some sides and handles can be dragged to reshape the object (depending on the direction of the object's inflation). If handles appear gray, the object sides and handles cannot be manipulated at all; however, the object can be scaled since object scaling has no restrictions. The limitations to how an object can be reshaped occur if you are attempting to reshape it in a view other than the view in which it was created. Furthermore, if you rotate an object out of the plane in which it was created, it cannot be reshaped; you must first unrotate the object. Moving an Object You may move an entire object to a new location by pointing inside the polygonal outline and dragging. Any contained objects will move with the object unless you hold down the Option Key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows) while moving. Modifying Inflation Type Inflation Modifiers determine the 3-D shape of an object. You can select an inflation type before you draw an object, or change the type after the object has been drawn. To create an object with a selected inflation, click on the desired Inflation Modifier, select a drawing tool and draw the object. To modify the inflation of an existing object, select the object and choose an inflation type in the Modify Selected submenu under the Edit menu. You can also modify an object's inflation by double-clicking the desired Inflation Modifier in the Tools window. Modifying Opacity The opacity of an object can be changed with the Opacity Modifiers: Make Opaque, Make Translucent and Make Transparent. Opacity Modifiers determine whether the entire object has opaque, translucent or transparent surfaces. You can select the opacity before you draw an object or change the opacity after the object has been drawn. To create an object with a selected opacity, click on the desired Opacity Modifier, select a drawing tool and draw the object. To modify the opacity of an existing object, select the object and choose an opacity type in the Modify Selected submenu under the Edit menu. You can also modify an object's opacity by double-clicking the desired Opacity Modifier in the Tools window. Modifying Color The color of an entire object can be changed with the Color Bar. You can select a color before you draw an object or change the color after the object has been drawn. (See Color Bar.) DESIGN VIEW FEATURES Observer The Observer represents your eyes in the Virtus WalkThrough VRML environment. In a Design View, the Observer is shown as a circle with a line that indicates the viewing direction. In different Design Views, the appearance of the Observer is different. As you navigate in the Walk View, the Observer position changes in the Design View. You can drag the Observer to a desired location with the Select Object Tool. You can also rotate the Observer, thus changing the viewing direction, by holding down the Option Key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows) and dragging from the center of the Observer outward to the direction of the desired view. As you drag outward, a dotted line appears, representing the apparent viewing direction of the Observer. The farther you drag, the more control you have over the angle of view. Rulers Rulers appear in the Design Views, the Surface Editor and the Tumble Editor. They help you measure objects, determine the grid system to snap to and display Depth Controls (see Depth Controls) and Non-Reproducing Guidelines (see Non-Reproducing Guidelines). In each Design View, a ruler appears across the top of the window and along the left side of the window. The gray box at the right of the top ruler and at the bottom of the left ruler is called a Dock. Each Dock will have a letter in it that determines the dimension (X, Y or Z) that the ruler and its Depth Control are associated with. (See Depth Controls.) The rulers show major tick marks and minor tick marks. Depending on which measurement system you are working in and which base unit you have selected (see Preferences, Units), the tick marks represent different units of measurement. If you change the relative scale of the current view by zooming in or out with the zoom tools, the tick marks will represent a larger or smaller unit of measurement. Rulers can be hidden with the Show Rulers option in the Preferences, Editor dialog under the Edit menu. The ruler color can also be changed in the Preferences, Editor dialog. Movable Origin At the 0 coordinate of each ruler there appears an arrowhead attached to a line perpendicular to the ruler. This arrowhead and line represent the ruler Origin, the 0 coordinate. The Origin can be moved by dragging the arrowhead to a new position on the ruler. After you release the mouse button, the ruler and tick marks will follow you, in effect resetting the 0 coordinate. This will help with measurement of objects and distances. Once moved, the Origin can be reset to its original position by selecting Reset Origin under the View menu. It is a good habit to reset the origin after you have moved it. The Origin can be hidden by unselecting Show Origin in the Preferences, Editor dialog under the Edit menu. The Origin color can also be changed in the Preferences, Editor dialog. If you are positioned in the view such that you cannot see the Origin, you can hold down the Option Key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows) and drag the Origin out of a Dock. (See Non-Reproducing Guidelines.) Non-Reproducing Guidelines Non-Reproducing Guidelines are available in the Design Views, the Surface Editor and the Tumble Editor to help align objects. At the end of each ruler is a Dock. A Dock is a gray box with the letter X, Y or Z in the center. (X, Y or Z tells you which axis the ruler is on). By pointing to the Dock and dragging outward along the ruler, you can display a Non-Reproducing Guideline and position it where you like. There is no limit to the number of guidelines. If you want to get rid of some of them, just drag them back into the Dock. The color of the guidelines can be set in the Preferences, Editor dialog. If you hold down the Option Key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows) when you drag out from a Dock, you can display the Movable Origin instead of a Non-Reproducing Guideline. (See Movable Origin.) Depth Controls A Depth Control appears on each ruler in the Design Views and on the ruler in the Depth window. Depth Controls determine the inflation distance and position of objects. Because there are three dimensions in Virtus WalkThrough VRML, there are three Depth Controls that determine inflation distance and position in the X, Y and Z dimensions. By reading the letter in the Dock on each ruler (see Rulers) you can determine which dimension each Depth Control is associated with. A Depth Control consists of two black half-arrowheads on each end of a gray bar. The half-arrowheads are called endpoints. The distance between the endpoints is the inflation distance, or the depth. The object position is determined by where the endpoints are in space. The endpoints determine where the object begins or ends. Endpoints can be dragged to a new location, thus stretching or compressing the gray bar, or the entire Depth Control can be moved by dragging the gray bar. If you cannot see the Depth Control on a ruler when working in a Design View, hold down the Option Key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows) and click on the ruler. This action repositions the Depth Control to the point where you clicked. In addition to affecting objects you draw, the Depth Control also allows you to adjust the inflation and position of an object that has already been drawn. By double-clicking the Depth Control, selected objects will re-inflate according to the Depth Control setting, if applicable. For example, suppose you set the Z Depth Control from 0' to 10'. If you create an object in the Top View, it will inflate from 0' to 10' (with a depth of 10') according to the Z Depth Control that you just set. If you then reset the Z Depth Control from 20' to 25', select the object you created and double-click the Z Depth Control, the selected object will be redrawn between 20' and 25' (with a depth of 5'). This is applicable only for objects inflated along the same axis as the Depth Control. For example, suppose you draw an object in the Top View and another in the Front View. Next, you reset the Z Depth Control, select both objects and then double-click the Z Depth Control. Only the object created in the Top View will be affected by the double-click since the object created in the Front View was not inflated along the Z axis. The object created in the Front View was inflated along the Y axis. Another way to adjust depth and inflation is with the Depth window. (See Depth Window.) The Depth Control on each ruler shows the inflation distance for objects created in a perpendicular view. For example, in the Top View, the Depth Controls do not affect what is drawn in the Top View. In the Top View, the Y Depth Control applies to objects drawn in the Front or Back Views. The X Depth Control applies to objects drawn in the Left or Right Views. Objects drawn in the Bottom View are not affected by the Depth Controls in the Top View because the Top and Bottom Views are parallel to, not perpendicular to, each other. Objects created in the Top and Bottom Views are inflated along the same axis, the Z axis. Depth Controls in parallel views mirror each other. For example, when you change the Depth Controls in the Top View, they also change in the Bottom View. Similarly, the Right and Left View Depth Controls mirror each other, as do the Front and Back View Depth Controls. Grid Lines Grid Lines appear on the drawing area of the Design Views, the Surface Editor and the Tumble Editor. These are extensions of the major tick marks on the rulers. As the relative scale of the Design View changes, through zoom commands, the major tick marks will change to represent different units of measure. Because Grid Lines are based on the major tick marks, the actual distance between Grid Lines changes. Grid Lines can be hidden with Show Grid in the Preferences, Editor dialog under the Edit menu. The Grid color can also be changed in the Preferences, Editor dialog. Grid Lines cannot be printed. DESIGN VIEW TOOLS The tools on the upper half of the Tools window allow you to create, edit and orient objects and surfaces. Some tools have other tools nested beneath them. Nested tools are indicated by a small arrowhead to the lower right of a tool. To select a tool, point to the desired tool and click. To make a nested tool available, mouse down on the tool to reveal the nested tools, drag to the desired tool and release the mouse button. You can also cycle through the nested tools by selecting a tool, holding down the Option key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows) and pressing the space bar. Color Lifter Tool The Color Lifter Tool copies the color of an existing object to the Color Bar. The copied color can then be used for the next object drawn or can be transferred to an already existing object. (See Color Bar.) This tool allows for consistency with colors in your model. To copy a color to the Color Bar, select the Color Lifter Tool and click on an object in the Design View. You cannot use the Color Lifter on objects in the Walk View. If a surface of an object has been edited to a different color, the Color Lifter will not copy the surface color; it will copy only the color of the whole object. Magnify Tool A magnifying glass has replaced the Zoom-In Tool, but its function is the same. To access the Zoom-Out Tool, click on the Magnify Tool and press the Option key; when you do, the plus sign (+) in the center of the Magnify Tool is replaced by a minus sign (-) and zooming out function is activated. To perform a constrained magnification, use the Magnify Tool to drag a marquee around a designated area. Tape Measure Tool The Tape Measure Tool determines the distance between two points. The distance is displayed in the Coordinates Window. (See Coordinates Window). To measure the distance between two points, select the tool and point to the location in the active view where you want to measure from. Press the mouse button and drag to the location that you want to measure to. As you drag, a dotted line appears between the starting point and the cursor, and the distance and other information is displayed in the Coordinates Window. The information displayed in the Coordinates Window depends on the Tracking option in the Preferences, Editor dialog. The two options in the dialog are World and View. If the View option is selected, the following information is displayed in the Coordinates Window in the following order from top to bottom: h: the horizontal coordinate of the cursor. v: the vertical coordinate of the cursor. h: the difference between the horizontal coordinate of the cursor and the starting point. v: the difference between the vertical coordinate of the cursor and the starting point. l: the linear distance or length of the line between the starting point and the cursor. a: the angle of the line between the starting point and the cursor. Right horizontal is 0 degrees. If the World option is selected, the information below, depending on which Design View is active, is displayed in the Coordinates Window in the following order from top to bottom: x: the linear distance from 0 on the X axis. y: the linear distance from 0 on the Y axis. z: the linear distance from 0 on the Z axis. x: the linear distance from the x coordinate of the point where you began dragging. y: the linear distance from the y coordinate of the point where you began dragging. z: the linear distance from the z coordinate of the point where you began dragging. l: the linear distance or length of the line between the starting point and the cursor. a: the angle of the line between the starting point and the cursor. Select Object Tool The Select Object Tool is used to select and edit objects. The Select Object Tool is used in the Design Views, Surface Editor and Tumble Editor. In the editors, the Select Object Tool functions differently than in the Design Views. If you are working with another tool and wish to use the Select Object Tool, press the space bar and the Select Object Tool will be automatically selected. Press the space bar again to go back to the previously selected tool. In the Design Views and Surface Editor, the Select Object Tool is used to select, move and change the size or shape of objects and surface features. To select an object or surface feature, click the Select Object Tool, point to the object or surface feature and click. Handles (blocks at the object's vertices) are displayed when an object or surface feature is selected. To select more than one object or surface feature, there are two methods. The first is to hold down the Shift key and click each object or surface feature that you want to select with the Select Object Tool. The second is to point to a location outside the objects that you want to select, click and drag the Select Object Tool pointer to create a box around the objects or surface features (as you drag, a dotted rubber-banding box will appear) and release the mouse button. This selection rectangle method is a standard Windows procedure. To select all objects or surface features, choose Select All under the Edit menu or double-click the Select Object Tool. To unselect some objects, hold down the Shift key and click the objects that you want to unselect. To unselect all objects, choose Unselect All under the Edit menu, or point to an empty space in the Design View and click. To move an object or surface feature, select the object or surface feature to make it active, point with the Select Object Tool inside the polygonal outline of the object or surface feature, click and drag to a new location. When moving an object that contains other objects, the contained objects will move with it unless you press and hold down the Option key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows) before you press the mouse button to drag. Use of the Option Key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows) will leave contained objects behind. To change the size or shape of an object or surface feature, select the object or surface feature to make it active, point with the Select Object Tool to a side of the outline of the object or surface feature or to a handle, click and drag to a new location. You will not be able to drag the object into a non-convex shape. Dragging a handle with the Option Key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows) held down changes the object's type. For example, moving a handle of a rectangle with the Option Key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows) down will create a shape that is no longer a rectangle because only the handle will move. If you drag the handle without using the Option Key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows),the object will resize; it becomes a larger or smaller rectangle. In the Tumble Editor, the Select Object Tool is used to select surfaces and edit slices. To select a surface in the Tumble Editor, click the Select Object Tool, point to the surface and click. (You can also select surfaces in the Tumble Editor with the Move Tool. See Move Tool.) To change the position of a slice in the Tumble Editor, click the Select Object Tool, point to the slice and drag it to a new location. You can also change the angle of a slice by using the Select Object Tool to select and drag one of the slice's handles. Lock Object Tool The Lock Object Tool functions in the Design Views and in the Surface Editor, and allows you to lock objects or surface features so they cannot be edited. A locked object or surface feature appears with a dotted polygonal outline rather than a solid outline. To lock an object or surface feature, select the Lock Object Tool, point to the object or surface feature and click. To unlock a locked object or surface feature, hold down the Option Key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows) and click the object or surface feature with the Lock Object Tool. To unlock all locked objects and surface features, double-click the Lock Object Tool, or select UnLock All under the Edit menu. Hide Object Tool The Hide Object Tool functions in the Design Views and in the Surface Editor, and allows you to hide objects or surface features in the Design Views, the Walk View or both views. The Hide Object Tool hides objects and surface features from the view, but does not actually remove them from the model. To hide an object or surface feature in a Design Views, select the Hide Object Tool and click on the object or surface feature. Hidden objects and surfaces features in the Design Views can be made visible by double-clicking the Hide Object Tool or by selecting Show All under the Edit menu. To hide an object or surface feature in the Walk View, select the Hide Object Tool, hold down the Option key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows) and click on the object or surface feature. Hidden objects and surfaces features in the Walk View can be made visible by holding down the Option key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows) and double-clicking the Hide Object Tool, or by holding down the Option key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows) and selecting Show All under the Edit menu. When you save your model, all hidden objects and surface features are made visible before being saved. Drawing Tools Drawing tools allow you to draw 2-D polygonal outlines of basic shapes. When the basic shapes are combined and inflated (see Inflation), complex 3-D models can be created and rendered in the Walk View. Drawing tools are also used in the Surface Editor to draw surface features. Create 8-Sided Object Tool The Create 8-Sided Object Tool draws an 8-sided polygonal object outline or surface feature. To create an 8-sided object or surface feature, select the Create 8-Sided Object Tool, point to the location where you want to place the center of the outline or surface feature and drag in any direction. As you drag outward from the center, a dotted outline is displayed. When you release the mouse button, the dotted outline becomes solid and an object or surface feature is created. Create 6-Sided Object Tool The Create 6-Sided Object Tool draws a 6-sided polygonal object outline or surface feature. To create a 6-sided object or surface feature, select the Create 6-Sided Object Tool, point to the location where you want to place the center of the outline or surface feature and drag in any direction. As you drag outward from the center, a dotted outline is displayed. When you release the mouse button, the dotted outline becomes solid and an object or surface feature is created. Create Square Object Tool This tool draws a square polygonal object outline or surface feature. To create a square object or surface feature, select the Create Square Object Tool, point to the location where you want the center of the outline and drag in any direction. As you drag outward from the center, a dotted object outline is displayed. When you release the mouse button, the dotted outline becomes solid and an object or surface feature is created. Create Triangular Object Tool This tool draws an equilateral triangular object outline or surface feature. To create a triangular object or surface feature, select the Create Triangular Object Tool, point to the location where you want to place the center of the outline and drag in any direction. As you drag outward from the center, a dotted outline is displayed. When you release the mouse button, the dotted outline becomes solid and your object or surface feature is created. Create N-Sided Object Tool This tool draws a polygonal outline with a user-specified number of sides up to 32. The number of sides, can be specified by double-clicking the Create N-Sided Object Tool. This action takes you to the Preferences, Defaults dialog where you can specify the number of sides. Once an object is drawn with this tool, the sides can be changed with the Sides command in the Modify Selected submenu under the Edit menu. To create an n-sided object or surface feature, select the Create N-Sided Object Tool, point to the location where you want to place the center of the outline and drag in any direction. As you drag outward from the center, a dotted outline will be displayed. When you release the mouse button, the dotted outline becomes solid and your object or surface feature is created. The Create Irregular Object Tool This tool draws an irregular-shaped polygonal outline, one segment at a time. This tool does not draw non-convex objects or surface features. (See Convex Objects.) To create an irregular object or surface feature, select the Create Irregular Object Tool and point to the location where you would like to add one of the vertices (meeting of two sides represented by a handle) of the outline. Click to establish the vertex and move the mouse to another location. Click again. Do this for all the vertices. There is no limit to the number of vertices allowed; however, there is a convex space limitation. If you double-click, a line is drawn from where you double-clicked to the starting point, thus closing or finishing the object outline. When creating an irregular object with this tool, you are limited to the immediate drawing area in the window. If you want your object outline to go beyond the confines of the window, drag the cursor. In other words, instead of simply clicking to establish a vertex, press and hold down the mouse button as you move to establish the next vertex. If the mouse button is down, the window will scroll automatically any time that the cursor touches the window border. Another method of creating an irregular-shaped object or surface feature is to create a regular-shaped object or surface feature, then use the Add/Remove Handle Tool to change the object shape. Create Rectangular Object Tool This tool draws a rectangular polygonal outline. To create a rectangular object, select the Create Rectangular Object Tool, point to the location of one of the corners of the rectangle and drag to the opposite diagonal corner. As you drag, a rubber-banding dotted line is displayed, indicating where the object or surface feature is being positioned. When you release the mouse button, the dotted line becomes solid and your object or surface feature is created. Connect Surfaces Tool The Connect Surfaces Tool functions in the Design View and is used to connect two objects at a common surface. A connection between surfaces is necessary before you can see common surface features such as the colored, transparent or translucent surface features representing doorways or windows. Without the connection, surface features between objects will not be shared and holes will not penetrate both surfaces. To connect object surfaces, click inside one of the objects to make it active. Click on the Connect Surfaces Tool. If the object surfaces you want to connect are already touching, click on the line that represents the touching surfaces. A "snap" sound indicates a connection has been made. If the object surfaces you wish to connect are not touching, drag the surface of the selected object toward the surface of the second object until you hear a "snap" sound. A connection can be broken by dragging one object away from the other with the Select Object Tool. The See Through option in the Preferences, Rendering dialog allows connections to be seen. If not selected, all connections within the model cannot be seen (you cannot see through any transparent or translucent surfaces between objects). Add/Remove Handle Tool The Add/Remove Handle Tool functions in the Design View and the Surface Editor, and is used to add a new handle to an object or surface feature or remove an existing handle. A handle represents a vertex, the meeting of two object surfaces. To add a handle, select the object or surface feature that you want to modify and click the Add/Remove Handle Tool. Point to the location on a segment of the outline where you want to add the new handle, then click. Depending on the complexity of the object or surface feature and the speed of your machine, there may be a brief pause before the handle appears. If a handle does not appear, select the Add/Remove Handle Tool, point to the location on the outline where you want the new handle, click and drag the surface slightly outward. To remove an existing handle, select the Add/Remove Handle Tool, point accurately to the handle and click. Again, depending on the complexity of the object or surface feature and the speed of your machine, there may be a brief pause before the handle disappears. You may reposition a new handle at the same time that you add it by dragging instead of clicking. Adding a new handle to a regular polyhedron or polygon breaks its type (for example, an octagon will no longer be an octagon), but breaking the object's type can be avoided by holding down the Option key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows). If your goal is to create an irregular object or surface feature, you might want to try the Create Irregular Object Tool instead of the Add/Remove Handle Tool. Both tools can accomplish the same result, but you may prefer one method to the other. Rotate Object Tool The Rotate Object Tool functions in the Design Views and the Surface Editor, and is used to rotate an object or surface feature. When rotating an object, this tool works in any view, allowing rotation on more than one axis. To rotate an object or surface feature, select the object or surface feature that you want to rotate, click on the Rotate Object Tool and point to any location to establish the center of rotation. Click and drag the pointer away from the center of rotation. A dotted line will appear between the pointer and the center of rotation. As you drag the pointer farther from the center of rotation, you gain finer control over the angle of rotation. Drag the pointer in an arc around the center point to rotate the object. If Snap to Grid is selected (see Snap to Grid) when you rotate the object or surface feature, the rotation snaps to 5-degree increments. If you hold down the Shift key when you rotate the object or surface feature, the rotation is constrained to 15-degree increments. Contained objects are rotated with the container unless you hold down the Option key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows) when you rotate an object. Holding the Ctrl key down rotates the container, but not the contained objects. If objects are grouped (see Group), they will maintain their orientation relative to each other when the group is rotated. Scale Object Tool The Scale Object Tool functions in the Design Views or Surface Editor and scales an object or surface feature about its center or about a specified anchor point. Objects may be scaled independently along any of the three coordinate axes. Objects may also be scaled uniformly in all dimensions (X, Y and Z) by holding down the Shift key before dragging. When an object is scaled, its contents and any surface features are scaled with it unless you hold down the Option key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows) while you are dragging. To scale an object about its center, select the object to be scaled, select the Scale Object Tool, point to a reference point (like a corner), and drag to the new position. To scale an object about a specified anchor point, select the object, select the Scale Object Tool and point to the desired location of the anchor point. Hold down the Option key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows) and click to establish the new anchor point. Point to a reference point and drag to a new location. Skew Object Tool The Skew Object Tool distorts an object from its true symmetrical form. An object can be skewed on more than one axis, but only from the view (or opposite view) in which it was created. To skew an object, select the object you wish to skew and select the Skew Object Tool. Point inside the object outline, click and drag in the direction(s) you wish to skew. Contained objects are not skewed with the container. Color Bar The Color Bar functions in the Design Views, the Surface Editor and the Tumble Editor, and displays the default color for new objects. It also allows new colors to be selected, created and assigned to objects or surface features. Colors can be applied to translucent as well as opaque objects and surfaces. The current color displayed in the Color Bar is the default color for all newly created objects or surface features. The default color and the color of existing objects or surface features can be changed. To change the default color, point to the Color Bar and mouse down. The color selector will appear. Drag the pointer to the desired color on the color selector and release the mouse button. The color you selected appears as the default color in the Color Bar. If an object is selected when you change the default color, the object assumes the default color. To change the color of an existing object, select the object and double-click the Color Bar to give the object the default color, or select the object and select a new color from the color selector. Color palette Each time you select a new color, that color appears as a small square across the top of the color selector. This section of the color selector is the color palette. If you have selected several colors since you started the program, each of those colors will be displayed as a small square in the color palette. This helps you keep your color selections consistent. By recording the last 30 colors that you selected, the color palette allows you to select the same shade of color for the same types of objects. For example, you might select a light shade of blue from the color selector and apply that color to a glass window. Every time you create another glass window, you will be able to give it exactly the same shade of blue by selecting from the color palette rather than from the color selector. Custom colors If the colors in the color selector do not contain the desired color, click and drag the mouse to the icon in the upper left corner of the color selector and release. This action displays the standard Macintosh Color Picker or Windows Basic Color Palette and Custom Color Selector in one window. (For Windows, The Color Palette and Custom Color Selector are normally displayed in separate windows.) To select a new color from the Windows Basic Color Palette, point to the desired color and click. To define a custom color, point to a shade of color in the color refiner box (within the Custom Color Selector) and click. To the left of the color refiner box is the Windows Vertical Luminosity Bar (brightness control). You may slide the Vertical Luminosity Bar up or down to change the shade of a color in the color refiner box, thus creating a custom color. If you wish to add a selected custom color to the Windows Basic Color Palette, click the Add button. (See your Windows documentation for more about standard Windows color.) Opacity Modifiers Opacity Modifiers function in the Design Views, the Surface Editor and the Tumble Editor, and edit the opacity of entire objects, selected object surfaces or surface features. Object surfaces can be modified in the Tumble Editor or the Surface Editor, and surface features can be edited only in the Surface Editor. Make Opaque Modifier Functions in the Design Views, the Surface Editor and the Tumble Editor, and makes selected objects, object surfaces or surface features opaque (solid). To make an object, object surface or surface feature opaque, select the object, object surface or surface feature and choose Opaque in the Modify Selected submenu under the Edit menu. Or select the object, object surface or surface feature and double-click the Make Opaque Modifier in the Tools window. If your're modifying a whole object, any surfaces or surface features with a different opacity will not be affected by this procedure unless they are edited individually, either in the Surface Editor or the Tumble Editor. Make Translucent Modifier Functions in the Design Views, the Surface Editor and the Tumble Editor, and makes selected objects, object surfaces or surface features translucent (like glass). To make an object, object surface or surface feature translucent, select the object, object surface or surface feature and choose Translucent in the Modify Selected submenu under the Edit menu. Or select the object, object surface or surface feature and double-click the Make Translucent Modifier in the Tools window. If you are modifying a whole object, any surfaces or surface features with a different opacity will not be affected by this procedure unless they are edited individually, either in the Surface Editor or the Tumble Editor. Make Transparent Modifier Functions in the Design Views, the Surface Editor and the Tumble Editor, and makes selected objects, object surfaces or surface features transparent (invisible). To make an object, object surface or surface feature transparent, select the object, object surface or surface feature and choose Transparent in the Modify Selected submenu under the Edit menu. Or select the object, object surface or surface feature and double-click the Make Transparent Modifier in the Tools window. If modifying a whole object, any surfaces or surface features with a different opacity will not be affected by this procedure unless they are edited individually, either in the Surface Editor or the Tumble Editor. Inflation Modifiers Determine the inflation type, or shape, of an object. Inflation is the process of creating a 3-D object from a 2-D polygonal outline. The distance and the direction of object inflation are determined by the Depth Controls. (See Depth Control, Inflation). Inflate Straight Modifier Inflates an object with straight sides perpendicular to the object base, like a box. To create an object that is inflated straight, select the Inflate Straight Modifier and draw the object. To make an existing object inflate straight, select the object and choose Straight in the Modify Selected submenu under the Edit menu, or select the object and double-click the Inflate Straight Modifier in the Tools window. Inflate Double-Pointed Modifier Inflates an object with sides that converge to two points, like a diamond. To create an object that is inflated double-pointed, select the Inflate Double-Pointed Modifier and draw the object. To make an existing object inflate double-pointed, select the object and choose Pointed, then Double in the Modify Selected submenu under the Edit menu. Or select the object and double-click the Inflate Double-Pointed Modifier in the Tools window. Inflate Double-Rounded Modifier Inflates an object with sides that round to two points, like a sphere. To create an object that is inflated double-rounded, select the Inflate Double-Rounded Modifier and draw the object. To make an existing object inflate double-rounded, select the object and choose Rounded, then Double in the Modify Selected submenu under the Edit menu. Or select the object and double-click the Inflate Double-Rounded Modifier in the Tools window. Inflate Pointed Modifier Inflates an object with sides that converge to a point, like a pyramid. The object can be inflated to a point in the opposite direction with the Inflate Pointed Flip Modifier. To create an object that is inflated pointed, select the Inflate Pointed Modifier and draw the object. To make an existing object inflate pointed, select the object and choose Pointed in the Modify Selected submenu under the Edit menu. Or select the object and double-click the Inflate Pointed Modifier in the Tools window. To reverse the direction of the point, select the object and choose Flip in the Modify Selected submenu under the Edit menu. Inflate Rounded Modifier Inflates an object with sides rounded to a point, like a dome. The object can be inflated rounded to a point in the opposite direction with the Inflate Rounded Flip Modifier. To create an object that is inflated rounded, select the Inflate Rounded Modifier and draw the object. To make an existing object inflate rounded, select the object and choose Rounded in the Modify Selected submenu under the Edit menu. Or select the object and double-click the Inflate Rounded Modifier in the Tools window. To reverse the direction of the rounded inflation, select the object and choose Flip in the Modify Selected submenu under the Edit menu. Inflate Pointed Flip Modifier Inflates an object to a point in the opposite direction of the Inflate Pointed Modifier. To create an object that is inflated pointed and flipped, select the Inflate Pointed Flip Modifier and draw the object. To make an existing object inflate pointed and flipped, select the object and choose Pointed, then Flip in the Modify Selected submenu under the Edit menu. Or select the object and double-click the Inflate Pointed Flip Modifier in the Tools window. To reverse the direction of the point, select the object and choose Flip in the Modify Selected submenu under the Edit menu. Inflate Rounded Flip Modifier Inflates an object with sides rounded to a point in the opposite direction of the Inflate Rounded Modifier. To create an object that is inflated rounded and flipped, select the Inflate Rounded Flip Modifier and draw the object. To make an existing object inflate rounded and flipped, select the object and choose Rounded, then Flip in the Modify Selected submenu under the Edit menu. Or select the object and double-click the Inflate Rounded Flip Modifier in the Tools window. To reverse the direction of the rounded inflation, select the object and choose Flip in the Modify Selected submenu under the Edit menu. Layer List Displays the names of the different layers that may have been created in a model. Though some existing models may have more than one layer, Virtus WalkThrough VRML will only allow you to create a model with one single layer named DRAW LAYER. Coordinates Window The Coordinates Window identifies the position of the mouse cursor in the active drawing area. The information in the Coordinates Window helps you measure and draw accurately. The Coordinates Window does not function in the Walk View. The type of display is determined by the Tracking option in the Preferences, Editor dialog under the Edit menu. The two choices for Tracking are World and View. If View is selected as the Tracking option, the information in the Coordinates Window is in the following format: h: the horizontal distance from 0,0. v: the vertical distance from 0,0. f: the current floor setting, the lower endpoint of the depth control. d: the current inflation distance, the length between the two endpoints of the depth controls. When you press the mouse button, the Coordinates Window changes to display local coordinates. This gives you the size of the object you are drawing so you don't have to add and subtract ruler measurements. When the mouse button is down the following information is displayed: h: the horizontal distance from 0,0. v: the vertical distance from 0,0. h: the horizontal distance from where you began dragging. v: the vertical distance from where you began dragging. l: the diagonal (length) distance from where you began dragging. a: the angle in degrees of the diagonal from where you began dragging. If World is selected as the Tracking option, the information in the Coordinates Window, depending on which Design view is active, is in the following format: x: the linear distance from x to 0 in the world. y: the linear distance from y to 0 in the world. z: the linear distance from z to 0 in the world. d: the current inflation distance, as set by the depth controls. When the mouse button is down, the Coordinates Window changes to display the following information: x: the linear distance from the x coordinate of the point where you began dragging. y: the linear distance from the y coordinate of the point where you began dragging. z: the linear distance from the z coordinate of the point where you began dragging. l: the diagonal distance from where you began dragging. a: the angle in degrees of the diagonal from where you began dragging. Zoom Tools Used to increase or decrease the apparent size of the drawing. They're located at the bottom of the Tools Window. ZOOM IN TOOL (Magnify) Each click of the Zoom In Tool increases the apparent size of the drawing by a factor of two. There is a limit to how close you can zoom in. When you reach the limit, clicking the Zoom In Tool will have no effect. You can also zoom in by selecting Zoom In command under the Design menu. (See also Constrained Zoom Tool.) ZOOM OUT TOOL Each click of the Zoom Out Tool decreases the apparent size of the drawing by a factor of 2. There is a limit to how far you can zoom out. When you reach the limit, clicking the Zoom Out Tool will have no effect. You can also zoom out by selecting Zoom Out under the Design menu. Constrained Zoom Tool Allows you to define the area to zoom to. To define an area to zoom to, click the Constrained Zoom Tool. The area to zoom to is defined by dragging a box around it. As you drag, a rubber-banding box will appear. Drag the rubber-banding box around the area that you wish to zoom to and release the mouse button. The apparent size of the drawing in the defined zoom area increases to the largest possible size within the constraints of the window. To reverse the effects of the Constrained Zoom Tool, you must use the Zoom Out Tool. SURFACE EDITOR The Surface Editor Tool functions in the Design Views and Tumble Editor, and accesses the Surface Editor. Like the Tumble Editor, the Surface Editor allows you to edit object surfaces selected in the Design View or the Tumble Editor. Edits to selected object surfaces include changing the color or opacity of the entire surface. (See Surface menu.) The Surface Editor is also used to create surface features. A surface feature is a polygonal 2-D object that can represent items such as a door, window, floor or a wall feature with a specified opacity and color. Surface features are created as objects are with any of the drawing tools, but do not have a depth and, therefore, are not affected by the Depth Controls. Surface features can be edited in the Surface Editor just as objects can be edited in the Design Views, they can be scaled, rotated, stretched, and their color and opacity can be changed. It is important to remember that every selected object surface has two sides, interior and exterior, relative to the object that the surface belongs to. You can toggle between the sides of a surface by choosing the Change View submenu under the View menu. PLACEMENT MODIFIERS When changing the color of a surface or when adding a surface feature, it is important to consider the two sides of the surface. For example, you may want the color of the interior side of an object surface to be different from the color of the exterior side. Or you may want a surface feature to appear on one side but not the other. Or you may want a surface feature on both sides. The placement of surface features is determined by the Placement Modifiers. By selecting the correct Placement Modifier, you can edit the outside, inside or both sides of a surface. Place on Front Makes surface edits on the side of an object surface that is facing you in the surface window. If this modifier is active when you select a color, only the side facing you will reflect the color change. If this modifier is active when you draw a surface feature, the surface feature will appear on the side facing you in the Surface Editor window. To change the placement of any surface feature, select the feature and double-click the desired Placement Modifier. You can toggle between the inside and outside surface by choosing Opposite in the Change View submenu under the View menu. Place Through Makes surface edits on both sides of an object's surface. If this modifier is active when you select a color, both sides of the surface will reflect the color change. If this modifier is active when you draw a surface feature, the surface feature will appear on both sides of the surface. This is the placement required for making holes such as a doorway or a window. To change the placement of any surface feature, select the feature and double-click the desired placement modifier. Place on Back Makes surface edits on the opposite side of a surface in the surface window. If this modifier is active when you select a color, only the opposite side of the surface will reflect the color change. You will not be able to see any changes unless you choose Opposite in the Change View submenu under the View menu. If this modifier is active when you draw a surface feature, the surface feature will appear on the opposite side of the surface in the Surface Editor. To change the placement of any surface feature, select the feature and double-click the desired Placement Modifier. To select a surface feature that is placed on back, you must first flip the surface by choosing Opposite in the Change View submenu under the View menu. SURFACE EDITING To select an object's surface and open the Surface Editor from a Design View, select an object and click on the Surface Editor Tool. Click the surface you wish to edit, or click the Surface Editor Tool and double-click on the object surface you wish to edit. You can click on a visible surface or on a line representing a surface perpendicular to the active view. If you wish to edit a surface not visible in the active view and not perpendicular to the active view, change views so the surface is visible, or rotate the object within the Tumble Editor. (See Tumble Editor.) When the Surface Editor is opened, the Surface Editor Tools appear in the Tools window and the selected surface appears in the surface window. Also, a Surface menu is added to the menu bar. The surface window has the same features of the Design Views window except there are no Depth Controls because individual surfaces have no depth. The Surface Editor does show rulers, Non-Reproducing Guidelines and a Movable Origin. Once you have an object surface in the surface window, you can edit it or add surface features to it using the tools in the Surface Editor Tools window. Most of the tools in the Surface Editor Tools window are identical to tools found in the Design Views Tools window except that the Surface Editor Tools deal with surface features and selected object surfaces rather than whole objects. To change the color of a whole surface, click on the surface to select it and double-click the default Color Bar to assign the default color to the surface. Or drag open the Color Bar to reveal the color selector, point to the desired color, click and release the mouse button. (See Color Bar.) To change the opacity of a whole surface, click the surface to select it and choose an opacity from the Modify Selected submenu under the Edit menu. Or click the surface to select it and double-click the desired opacity modifier. If translucent opacity is selected, the translucency will assume the default color displayed in the Color Bar. The color of the translucency can be changed by dragging open the Color Bar and selecting the desired color. Surface Feature Editing A 2-D object that is drawn through an object's surface (such as a glass window), or is placed on the outside or inside of an object's surface (such as a door). Whether a surface feature is drawn through, or placed outside or inside the object surface is determined by the Placement Modifiers. (See Placement Modifiers.) To add a surface feature to a selected surface in the Surface Editor, select any drawing tool, click and drag to create the desired shape of the surface feature. Notice that a surface feature has handles (see Handles) that indicate whether a surface feature is selected. You can select a color or an opacity for a selected surface feature, just as you can change the color and opacity of an object. Surface features, like objects, can be rotated and scaled, and their shape can be changed by manipulating handles. More than one surface feature can be drawn on a selected surface. Surface features can overlap each other and the order of the overlap can be rearranged with commands under the Surface menu. (See Surface menu.) If surface features are to be shared between objects, it is necessary to connect the objects. (See Connect Surfaces Tool.) TUMBLE EDITOR Tumble Editor Tool Functions in the Design Views and accesses the Tumble Editor. The Tumble Editor allows you to add a surface to a selected object by slicing off a piece of the object. The Tumble Editor also allows you to edit the color and opacity of a selected object or object surface. The Tumble Editor can be accessed in the Design Views and in the Surface Editor, and is used to view a three-dimensional object from different orientations, allowing access to all sides of the object. (See Tumble menu). The Tumble Editor allows you to slice off a piece or several pieces of an object, creating a new surface for each slice. The Tumble Editor also allows you to edit the color and opacity of whole object surfaces or entire objects. The color and opacity of object surfaces can also be edited in the Surface Editor. Unlike the Surface Editor, the Tumble Editor cannot be used to create surface features. (See Surface Editor.) The Tumble Editor window has the same features as the Design Views window except that it has no Depth Controls. It does show rulers, Non-Reproducing Guidelines and a Movable Origin. To open the Tumble Editor, select an object, click the Tumble Editor Tool and click the selected object. Or click the Tumble Editor Tool and double-click the object that you wish to edit. When the Tumble Editor is open, the Tumble Editor tools appear in the Tools window and the selected object appears in the Tumble Editor window. Also, a new menu, the Tumble menu, is added to the menu bar. You can edit the color and opacity of the whole object, or edit the color and opacity of a selected surface using the Tumble Editor Tools. Most of the Tumble Editor Tools are identical to tools used in the Design View Tools window. Additional tools specific to the Tumble Editor are: Move Tool Used to tumble (orient in 3-D) the object in the Tumble Editor window or to tumble the Orientation Cube. In the Tumble Editor tools window, the Move Tool is also used to select specific surfaces on the object or on the Orientation Cube. To tumble an object, select the Move Tool and drag the object in any direction, or drag the Orientation Cube (in the tools window) in any direction. The Orientation Cube and the object are linked, and when one is tumbled, the other tumbles with it. If you hold down the Option key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows) while you tumble, the link between the Orientation Cube and the object is temporarily suspended and the tumble speed increases. Rotation Constraint Tools Affect how the Orientation Cube and the object in the Tumble Editor window can be rotated. There are three Rotation Constraint Tools. At least one Rotation Constraint Tool must be selected at any time. If a Rotation Constraint Tool is turned off, rotation is not allowed in the direction associated with that tool. The Rotation Constraint Tools can be turned on and off by clicking. Allow XY Motion Tool If selected, this tool allows rotation in the apparent XY plane. Allow XZ Motion Tool If selected, this tool allows rotation in the apparent XZ plan. Allow YZ Motion Tool If selected, this tool allows rotation in the apparent YZ plane. Orientation Cube Represents the location of the selected object within the Virtus world. Each side of the cube is marked with a letter: T=Top, b=Bottom, F=Front, B=Back, L=Left and R=Right. The Orientation Cube can be tumbled to view other surfaces. As the Orientation Cube is tumbled, the object in the Tumble Editor window imitates its movement. To rotate the Orientation Cube, select the Move Tool and drag the Orientation Cube in any direction. By holding down the Option key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows) when tumbling, you can temporarily suspend the link between the object being tumbled and the Orientation Cube so that they rotate independently of each other. This increases the tumble speed. The Orientation Cube's rotation is affected by the Rotation Constraint Tools. Slice Tool Adds a surface to an object by slicing off a piece of that object. To slice off a piece of an object, select the Slice Tool, click and drag a line through the object. The direction of the drag determines how the slice is made. If you drag from left to right or from top to bottom, the portion above or to the right of the line will be sliced off. If you drag from right to left or from bottom to top, the portion below or to the left of the line will be sliced off. To reverse the direction of a slice, hold down the Option key (Macintosh) or Ctrl key (Windows) while slicing. Or after slicing, choose Reverse Slice from the Tumble menu. After a slice is made it can be edited. To edit a slice, click the Select Object Tool and then click the slice that you wish to edit in the Slice List. (See Slice List). The slice will appear on the object in the Tumble window. If you don't know which slice in the list corresponds to the slice that you wish to edit on the object, click each one until you see the appropriate slice appear in the Tumble window. The slice can be edited by dragging to a new location, or you can change the angle of the slice by dragging one of the slice's handles. To delete a slice (and thereby replace the portion of the object that was removed), select the slice from the Slice List and choose Cut or Clear from the Edit menu. Or press the Delete key or the Backspace key. A slice can be copied from one object to another. Each slice knows its position relative to the origin of the object. If you select a slice and then select Cut or Copy under the Edit menu, the slice is saved to a clipboard. If you edit another object in the Tumble Editor, you can paste the slice with the Paste command under the Edit menu and maintain the same slice angle and object rotation angle; however, since a slice knows its position relative to the object origin, you may have to drag the slice to position it correctly. Slice List Displays the word slice and a number for each slice that you make in an object. If you wish to edit a slice, click the slice in the list and it will appear in the Tumble Editor window. If you aren't sure which numbers correspond to which slices, click on each name in the list until the desired slice appears. Editing a Whole Object in the Tumble Editor To change the color or opacity of an object, you need not tumble it; however, when editing the color of an object, you must consider placement. (See Placement Modifiers). To change the color of the whole object, make sure that no surfaces are selected (this is done by clicking in the Tumble Editor window away from the selected object), then double-click the Color Bar to change the object to the default color. Or drag open the Color Bar to reveal the color selector, point to the desired color, click and release the mouse button. (See Color Bar.) To change the opacity of the whole object, make sure that no surfaces are selected (this is done by clicking in the Tumble Editor window away from the selected object), then double-click on the desired opacity modifier. If translucent opacity is selected, the translucency will assume the default color. The color of the translucency can be changed using the Color Bar. (See Color Bar.) Editing a Selected Surface in the Tumble Editor To select a single surface for editing, tumble the object until the desired surface can be seen. Select the surface by double-clicking it with the Move Tool or with the Select Object Tool. Or tumble the Orientation Cube and double-click the side of the Orientation Cube that corresponds to the surface of the object that you wish to select. Double-clicking the Orientation Cube will re-orient the object, but will not select the surface. You must double-click the object surface in the Tumble Editor window to select it. After you double-click a surface, the object will re-orient itself so that the surface you selected is perpendicular to your line of sight and shaded with dots. To change the color of a surface, check the Placement Modifiers to verify the desired placement. (See Placement Modifiers). Double-click the Color Bar to change the surface to the default color. Or drag open the Color Bar to reveal the color selector, point to the desired color and release the mouse button. (See Color Bar.) To change the opacity of a surface, select the desired surface and double-click the desired Opacity Modifier. (See Opacity Modifiers.) Placement Modifiers When editing a whole object's color or the color of a selected object surface in the Tumble Editor, you must consider which side of the object or surface you are editing. Every object has an inside and an outside, and every surface has an inside and an outside relative to the object that it is part of. You can edit the inside, the outside or both sides in the Tumble Editor. The side of the object or surface to be edited is determined by the Placement Modifiers. There are three Placement Modifiers: Place on Front, Place Through and Place on Back. Place on Front Modifier If this modifier is active when you select a color, only the outside of the object or selected surface will reflect the color change. Place Through Modifier If this modifier is active when you select a color, both sides of the object or selected surface will reflect the color change. Place on Back Modifier If this modifier is active when you select a color, only the inside of the object or selected surface will reflect the color change. You will not be able to see the change in the Tumble Editor; you will have to go to the Walk View and walk inside the object to see the change.