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| AUTODESK 3D STUDIO RELEASE 3 |
| STUDENT EDITION |
| README.DOC |
| April 3, 1995 |
| |
|==================================|
Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995 by Autodesk, Inc.
This file contains information about 3D Studio Release 3 that became
available after the documentation was printed. We recommend that you look
over this information now, and then print this file and keep a copy with
your Reference Manual. Later, when you're more familiar with 3D Studio,
reread this document. Also, if you run into a problem with the program and
can't find the solution in the printed documentation, look again at the
README.DOC.
This document has been divided into 9 sections:
I. Preliminary Information
II. Memory Management
III. Operating Systems and Hardware
IV. Displays and Output Device Configuration
V. New 3DS.SET Parameters
VI. Rendering Notes
VII. Command Line/Batch Rendering
VIII. IPAS Notes
IX. Miscellaneous Notes
I. PRELIMINARY INFORMATION
==========================
I.1. Modifying the Executable Files
===================================
Customers are reminded not to tamper with or modify in any way the supplied
executable files (3DS.EXE) or unpredictable results will occur. If the
program does function unpredictably, it has been modified or damaged. At
that point, the only way to restore normal program function is to re-
install 3D Studio from the release disks using the INSTALL procedure.
I.2. Always Use the 3DS.SET File
================================
3D Studio is designed to work in conjunction with the parameters contained
in the 3DS.SET file (or an alternate .SET file that you may be using for
the same purpose). We do not recommend running 3D Studio without the
3DS.SET or alternate settings file.
I.3. Specifying an Alternate 3DS.SET File
=========================================
There is an error on page 22 of the Installation Guide in the section
describing the use of an alternate 3DS.SET file. Alternate 3DS.SET files
must be in the same directory as the 3D Studio executable, and when
specifying the name of an alternate 3DS.SET file, do not include the
path name. For example, if the alternate 3DS.SET file you want to use is
named SHARPEN.SET, start 3D Studio by entering the following at the
command line:
3DS SET=SHARPEN.SET
I.4. Correction to VISTA Parameter in 3DS.SET File
==================================================
On pages 57 and 84 of the Installation Guide, the 3DS.SET parameter that
sets the output mode of the Truevision ATVista card is incorrectly
identified as VISTA and VIDEO, respectively. The correct parameter is
VISTA-MODE, and the default setting is NTSC. The 3DS.SET file that
accompanies this release has the correct parameter.
I.5. Limitation to TEMP-PATH Parameter in 3DS.SET File
======================================================
The TEMP-PATH parameter is documented on page 35 in the Installation
Guide, but an additional limitation is not noted there. The TEMP-PATH
cannot be set to any root directory.
I.6. CompuServe Forum on 3D Studio
==================================
The CompuServe Information Service has a Forum dedicated to 3D Studio
questions and issues. Use GO ASOFT to access the Forum.
I.7. Corrections to Tutorials
=============================
A. On page 13-18, after step 3 at the top of the page, you must click on an
item in the lights branch first for the Omni light icon to appear.
B. On page 18-5 at step 4, make sure that the Hide button is also on.
C. On page 20-3, in the paragraph following the illustration, the reference
to chapter 3 in the Reference Manual should read as follows: "All the
options are described in detail in chapter 3, 'The Pull-Down Menus,' in the
Reference Manual."
D. On page 23-14, in step 7 at the top of the page, turn on the Selected
button before moving the selected faces.
E. On page 2-27, you should load TABLE.3DS, rather than TABLE.SHP.
I.8. Configuring Your Digitizing Tablet
=======================================
When you set the area of your digitizing tablet in the Program
Configuration dialog box (described in chapter 3 of the Reference Manual),
the defined area is lost when you reset or exit the program. To solve this,
save a 3DS.PRJ file after setting your tablet area, and the area will be
restored each time you enter 3D Studio.
I.9. Use Caution when Using Quit to Exit Materials Editor
=========================================================
At the bottom of page 9-10 of the Reference Manual, it may seem to suggest
that one of the options on the Library menu can be used to exit the
Materials Editor. In fact, the Quit option exits 3D Studio completely, as
documented on page 9-15.
II. MEMORY MANAGEMENT
=====================
II.1. Paging to Disk
====================
If you don't have enough RAM, 3D Studio will use your hard disk as virtual
memory. This is called "paging to disk." When it happens--usually during
rendering -- 3D Studio slows down a great deal. To see if 3D Studio is
paging to disk, select Status from the Info menu (or press ?). If the "Swap
File" value in the Status dialog box is greater than 0, you're paging to
disk and probably should get some more RAM. In any event, once you begin
paging, you need to exit 3D Studio and restart it to clear the swap buffer.
Note also that in chapter 3 of the Reference Manual, in the description of
the Info Menu/Status command, you are referred to the Advanced User's Guide
for more information on memory. This is incorrect. Instead, you should refer
to "Virtual Memory Management" in the Installation Guide.
II.2. Automated Memory Managers
===============================
If you feel you're having memory problems while using 3D Studio, or can't
properly shell out to external programs, reread the sections entitled "EMS
and 3D Studio" on page 104, and "Using CFIG386.EXE" on page 108 in the
Installation Guide.
Your memory manager might require manual configuration to use various
memory management schemes for different application programs.
As noted in the Installation Guide, automated memory managers such as
Quarterdeck QEMM and Qualitas 386-to-the-Max automatically reconfigure
memory as needed by different applications. We highly recommend that you
try these memory managers if you have any questions about your memory
configuration.
II.3. Restoring the Virtual Control Program Interface (VCPI) in QEMM
====================================================================
On page 106 of the Installation Guide, it states that disabling the page
frame with Quarterdeck QEMM or Qualitas 386-to-the-Max disables VCPI
support and prevents 3D Studio from running. Although this is true in
general, if you are using QEMM, you can add the switch "FEMS:Y" to the
QEMM line in your CONFIG.SYS file, This re-enables VCPI support, even when
there is no page frame. See your QEMM documentation for further details.
II.4. "Abnormal Program Termination" Error Message while Paging
===============================================================
On certain machines, you may receive an "Abnormal Program Termination"
error while paging to disk. This occurs because the Phar Lap parameter is
set, and it's incompatible with some BIOS'. To disable this, move to your
3DS executable directory, and type:
CFIG386 3DS.EXE -LFU -VSCAN 4000
To determine what your current settings are, type:
CFIG386 3DS.EXE
(Read the parameters from the bottom up.)
In addition to providing more Phar Lap compatibility with certain BIOS',
these settings may provide slightly faster swap file performance while
paging for all systems. Feel free to experiment, but remember... the best
thing to do if you're paging is to buy more RAM. You'll save money (by
saving massive amounts of time) in the long run.
III. OPERATING SYSTEMS AND HARDWARE
===================================
III.1. Weitek Coprocessors Are Not Supported in Release 3
=========================================================
The Weitek Math Coprocessor is not supported in Release 3. Only the Intel
and 100% compatibles are supported.
III.2. Using 3D Studio Under Windows
====================================
A. Vista cards do not function properly when using 3D Studio under Windows.
You can model, but you can't render to the Vista display.
B. Do not attempt to run 3D Studio as a slave system from the DOS shell
under Windows. You cannot exit slave mode in this situation, because
the Alt+Esc key combination required to exit slave mode is intercepted
by Windows, and causes Windows to switch to another application.
C. In order to run 3D Studio under Windows 3.1, you must edit the 3ds.pif
file to conform to your installation. Edit the Start-up Directory field
to match the drive and path where 3D Studio is installed. See page 96 in
the Installation Guide for more information on the PIF file.
D. Before starting 3D Studio under Windows, be sure your current Windows/
3D Studio configuration is functioning properly before starting work in
3D Studio. If your configuration is not operating properly, you may
lose your work if you switch from 3D Studio to another application, and
for some reason cannot return to 3D Studio.
E. You may have problems running 3D Studio under Windows if the display
board you are using does not have enough onboard memory. If you are
experiencing unsatisfactory results that may be due to display board
memory, try reconfiguring for a smaller resolution. Remember that
3D Studio requires at least a 640x480x256 display resolution.
F. Do not use 3D Studio under Windows with real mode display, digitizer, or
VTR controller drivers. For example, some VESA BIOS extension TSRs are
not compatible with Windows, thus preventing 3D Studio from using a VESA
display configuration.
III.3. 3D Studio R3 Does Not Support Windows NT
===============================================
3D Studio Release 3 does not run under the currently shipping version of
the Microsoft Windows NT operating system.
III.4. Configuring OS/2 for 3D Studio
=====================================
Although it has not been extensively tested, 3D Studio has been shown to
run successfully under OS/2, version 2.1. If you want to try running
3D Studio under OS/2, we recommend that you set the DOS settings for
3D Studio as follows:
A. Set DPMI to Enabled.
B. Set the DPMI Memory Limit to 64 MB, even if you do not have this much
memory.
C. Set Interrupt During I/O to ON.
III.5. Error: .RES File Not Found
=================================
If you receive this error on starting 3D Studio, and the file named 3DS.RES
is in the same directory as 3DS.EXE, examine the FILES parameter in your
CONFIG.SYS file. The default value of 8 is insufficient; we recommend that
you set FILES=40 as a minimum. Similarly, we recommend that you set the
BUFFERS parameter to a similar value to ensure a sufficient number of file
transfer buffers. See your DOS manual for more information.
III.6. SummaGraphics Driver Support
===================================
The SummaGraphics internal driver for the SummaSketch II graphics tablet
may operate erratically when using the stylus. To minimize this, use the
puck rather than the stylus, and move the puck slowly.
We do not recommend using an external (ADI) SummaGraphics driver.
IV. DISPLAY AND OUTPUT DEVICE CONFIGURATION NOTES
================================================
IV.1. Vision 16
==============
The 3D Studio Release 3 Installation Guide contains a section about the
Everex/Vision Technologies Vision 16 board on page 85. On this page the
environment variable settings are described, note that a leading zero must
be included in front of the EV680MAP environment variable, such as:
SET EV680MAP=06
IV.2. Configuring ADI Drivers
============================
CAUTION: Improper installation of ADI drivers can cause unpredictable
results in the operation of 3D Studio. Please read carefully the section
named "Configuring Protected-Mode ADI Devices" beginning on page 81 of your
Installation Guide. This section describes proper configuration of ADI
drivers. It's important to use the DOS set command to set the environment
variables used by 3D Studio to find the ADI drivers whenever they are
needed by the program. If you do not set the appropriate environment
variable before starting 3D Studio and then attempt to use an ADI device
from within the program, the function of the program might be limited and
unpredictable results might occur.
If, while running 3D Studio, you plan to use an ADI device but have not set
your environment variables, save your work, exit the program, and then set
the variables as instructed in the Installation Guide before restarting
3D Studio.
IV.3. Before You Use Your Release 2 RCPADI Driver
================================================
Your Release 2 RCPADI driver might not work with Release 3. Before using
it, check to see if your display device is covered by the internal Vibrant
drivers. If so, use the Vibrant drivers. If not, try your RCPADI driver. If
it works, fine. If it doesn't work, contact the manufacturer of your
display card for an updated version of the driver for Release 3.
In order to use an RCPADI display driver such as RCPVESA.EXP which was
included in the 3D Studio R2, you must choose a resolution larger than
640x480x256. This is due to a font requirement by the R3 Materials Editor.
The R3 Materials Editor requires a font no larger than 8x14 when run in
640x480 mode.
IV.4. New RDPVISTA.EXP
=====================
If you're currently using an RDPVISTA.EXP driver compiled before September,
1993, it won't work with 3D Studio Release 3. We're supplying a new
version of this driver for you as a convenience so you don't have to log
into ASOFT on CompuServe and download it. For more information about this
driver, contact Truevision.
IV.5. Vibrant Driver Updates
===========================
This release of 3D Studio includes an updated version of the Vibrant driver
configuration file, VIB3DS.VLM. This includes added support for the
following display cards:
ATI Mach 64
ATI Graphics ProTurbo
ATI Graphics Xpression
Diamond Stealth 24
Diamond Stealth 32
Matrox MGA
Matrox Impression 1024
Matrox MGA Ultima (2Mb)
Matrox MGA Ultima-Plus (4Mb)
S3 864/964
Diamond Stealth 64
Number Nine GXE64
Number Nine GXE64Pro
Western Digital 90C33
Gateway Rocket
As necessary, we will be uploading additional updates of the Vibrant
drivers on the ASOFT forum of CompuServe. Type GO ASOFT, enter a DL
library, and then type:
BRO ALL KEY: VIBRANT
IV.6. Using TIGA-Based Displays
==============================
If you are using a TIGA-based graphics adapter running TIGA version 2.x,
you must copy the VG920922.RLM file found in the 3DS3 root directory to
your TIGA directory in order for the Vibrant Graphics drivers to work
correctly with the TIGA standard. (The TIGA directory, typically called
"C:\TIGA", is created when you install the TIGA adapter.)
We recommend that you go through the following steps before attempting to
run the Vibrant TIGA driver with 3DS3:
A. Ensure that the TIGA 2.x driver has been installed correctly. (Refer to
instructions that came with your TIGA board.)
B. Make sure that the TIGA environment variables are properly set. In
general, this is accomplished by using the following SET statements:
set TIGA=-m<drive>:<dir> -l<drive>:<dir> -i?
<drive>:<dir>\TIGACD
<drive>:<dir>\TIGALNK -lx
where <drive>:<dir> denotes the drive and directory that contains the
TIGA support files (often "C:\TIGA"), and '?' is the interrupt setting
(usually '0x60'). TIGACD.EXE and TIGALNK.EXE are provided by your TIGA
board manufacturer. You may wish to add these statements to your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Note that TIGALNK.EXE may not always available or
necessary with some TIGA boards.
C. Copy the VG920922.RLM file to your TIGA directory.
D. Reboot your system with these parameters in place. Watch for any errors
reported by the TIGACD program and verify that you have the TIGA 2.x
device driver active.
E. Start the Vibrant Configuration Program by typing 3ds vibcfg from the
DOS prompt within the 3D Studio Release 3 directory, and configure for
the board-specific TIGA selection or use TIGA v2.x generic selection in
the card list. Test the video mode to ensure that you have properly
installed the TIGA device driver and Vibrant support files.
If you are running TIGA version 1.1, we suggest that you contact the
manufacturer of your board for a TIGA version 2.x upgrade, and then
For additional information on configuring TIGA-based systems for we suggest
you consult and download the appropriate files found in the CompuServe
ASOFT forum.
IV.7. Using a Compaq Model AG-1024 TIGA-Based Display
====================================================
If you are using a Compaq model AG-1024, you will need to copy the
VG920922.RLM file from the 3DS3 root directory to your TIGA directory. You
will need the TIGA 2.x driver and the VIG-AG1.EXE communication file for
the AG-1024. These are available from Compaq. Then follow the above
instructions for TIGA 2.x.
For additional information regarding configuring your Compaq AG-1024 for
3DS3, we suggest consult and download the appropriate files from the
CompuServe ASOFT forum.
IV.8. Dual Mode in VIBCFG Applies Only to Vibrant Drivers
========================================================
The Installation Guide mentions the use of the Vibrant DUAL mode at the top
of page 72. You can only use the DUAL mode with Vibrant drivers.
Configuring the DUAL mode with drivers other than the Vibrant driver can
cause unpredictable results.
IV.9. Running a Flic with Drivers Supporting Over 256 Colors
===========================================================
Use only flic drivers intended for running 8-bit flic files with 8-bit
(256-color) flics. Attempting to run a standard 3D Studio (8-bit) flic
with a flic driver designed for more than 256 colors will most likely cause
serious, unpredictable results. In some cases, it's possible to configure
VIBCFG to run a flic with many more than 256 colors, depending on the
display board you are using and the driver you select. There is no way for
the program to know what type of file you will be running under your
configuration, so it is not possible to warn a user that unwanted results
will occur.
IV.10. Using Highcolor and Truecolor Displays for Main Display
=============================================================
Although the Vibrant Configuration program may allow it for your display,
we do not recommend using a high-color (15- or 16-bit) or truecolor
(24-bit) display as the Main Display. 3D Studio will still run, but the
display colors may be unpredictable, and the display will run much slower
than when it's in 256-color mode.
IV.11. Disk-To-VTR with Targa+ 64-Bit Display Boards
===================================================
Because of random toggling problems with the twin 32-bit buffers used in
the Targa+ 64-bit display board, blank frames instead of the intended image
are rendered during Disk-to-VTR operations. (This does not occur with the
Targa16, Targa24, or Targa16/32.) To avoid this, instead of using the Disk-
to-VTR function, use the command-line image loader and editing utilities
supplied with your VTR controller. For example, DiaQuest provides
TPLUSLOA.EXE which avoids this problem. Do not, however, use the GETTGA.EXE
which comes with the Targa+ boards, since this causes the same problem.
IV.12. VTR Controller Driver from Lyon Lamb
==========================================
A sample ADI driver for the Lyon Lamb MiniVAS and PCVAS VTR controllers
from Lyon Lamb Video Animation System, Inc. has been included with
Release 3, and can be found in the \DRIVERS directory. To use this driver
(LLMVAS.EXP), refer to the accompanying LLMVAS.DOC file for instructions.
In addition to the inline support for DiaQuest controllers, Release 3 also
includes drivers for BCD and Videomedia VTR controllers, and the Sony
EVO-9650 VTR and LVR-3000N laser video recorder.
IV.13. VTPADI Drivers and Drop Frame Time Code
=============================================
When using the external VTPADI driver and an NTSC tape using Drop Frame
SMPTE time code, if you specify an inpoint at a time code that does not
exist on a Drop Frame tape, the results will be unpredictable. Set the
inpoint to any valid time code to avoid any problems (and we recommend
using the standard SMPTE Non-Drop Frame time code method).
IV.14. New EVO-9650 Driver Supports PAL and Insert Editing
=========================================================
There is a new driver for the EVO-9650 in this release that offers improved
performance and also adds support for both PAL standards and insert
editing. It has the same name as the previous driver, VTP-9650.EXP.
V. NEW 3DS.SET PARAMETERS
==========================
These commands are largely untested and may create anomalous behavior in
3D Studio Release 3. (The reason they're not documented in the Installation
Guide is primarily because they haven't been tested.)
Note for folks using varying 3DS.SET files in network environments: Since
each network slave requires the same 3DS.SET file, using any of these
commands is going to require that you update all of your 3DS.SET files.
You can do that simply with a network batch file that copies a
specifically-named .SET file on your master machine to all the slaves.
Also note that since you only want to invoke some of these parameters some
of the time, using these will require that you have multiple .SET files
with different names, and that you keep track of which one you're using.
V.1. Shadows That Move when They're Supposed To Be Stable
==========================================================
If your shadows are moving during an animation -- even though nothing else
in the scene appears to be -- it's probably due to the way the 3D Studio
calculates shadow bias. In Release 1 & 2 and (as a default) in Release 3,
the shadow bias is scaled RELATIVE to the scene, as defined by all the
geometry in the scene. Thus, you can have an apparently static scene where
the camera and all objects in the camera view are stationary, but if any
object OUTSIDE of the scene is moving, the shadow bias will change and the
shadows will move.
To avoid this, set the shadow bias to ABSOLUTE by turning on the
SHADOW-BIAS-ABSOLUTE parameter in your 3DS.SET file. This causes the shadow
bias value to be used directly, rather than scaling it by the scene
geometry dimensions. If you turn this switch on, you will probably have to
adjust your bias values to get the results you want. If your scene is very
large, then you will have to use a larger bias value, and if your scene is
small, you will have to use a smaller value. (A scene that is about 100
units deep will require little or no adjustment to bias).
A specific example would be: if your scene is 1000 units deep, you'd have
to make your bias 10 times larger than that it was set when in RELATIVE
mode.
Warning #1: Since this is a 3DS.SET parameter, it will affect all scenes
rendered, and will make scenes that were previously correct look different.
Warning #2: Since this isn't carried with the project file, it won't be
propagated through your network when doing network rendering. If you want
to use this setting with network rendering, you must make sure that it's
set consistently among all of your network slaves.
V.2. Setting Colors for the Text Editor
========================================
There are undocumented parameters at the end of your 3DS.SET file that let
you specify the color of text and selected text in the 3D Studio text
editor. ED-TEXT-COLOR sets the color of the text, and ED-SEL-TEXT-COLOR
sets the color of selected text.
V.3. IXP Processes and the OUTPUT-RENDER-COORDS Parameter
==========================================================
When set to ON or YES, this 3DS.SET parameter causes 3D Studio to output
screen coordinate minimums and maximums for each non-instance object to a
file on disk. This is required by some third-party IXPs, such as
FLARE.IXP, so that they can easily determine where objects are located on
the rendered image and operate on those areas exclusively.
V.4. Batch Rendering and the BATCH-RENDER-PAUSE Parameter
==========================================================
When set to ON or YES, if you render batch files with multiple lines, the
Renderer pauses at the end of each line, or sequence, and displays the
output. In order to proceed with the next line of the batch file, you must
press Esc. To perform unattended batch rendering with multiple line
scripts, set this parameter to NO or OFF; the Renderer will skip the
display of the result of each line of the batch file.
V.5. Increasing Pixel Size Using the MAX-PIXEL-SIZE Parameter
==============================================================
To increase the 1.5 limit for Pixel Size and completely eliminate "edge
ropiness" (sometimes also referred to as "rolling edges"), set this
3DS.SET parameter as described below:
MAX-PIXEL-SIZE = <float> ; defaults to 1.5.
For example, if you set this to 2 (the absolute maximum you can "safely"
set it to), you'll be able to type in values up to 2.0 in the Pixel Size
field within the program.
Note that we limited Pixel Size in 3DSr3 to 1.5 for a reason. Here's the
explanation: Pixel Size basically looks at an area around the pixel and
averages it into that pixel, which effectively increases the apparent
resolution enough to mitigate the "rolling edge" phenomenon associated with
rendering contrasty lines to video. At a Pixel Size of 1.5, the Renderer
is looking at a little over twice the area of each pixel, which reduces the
problem by about 75%. Optimally, in certain cases (such as architectural
walkthroughs and other scenes in which you've got lots of long, straight,
contrasty lines which could cause rolling edge problems) you'd want even
larger Pixel Sizes to completely eliminate the problem. Unfortunately,
it's impossible for the Renderer to completely eliminate the possibility of
pixels from objects behind the foreground object from showing through a
tiny bit at Pixel Sizes over 1.5 -- this is why we limited it. But
fortunately, this problem only will occur in 10-15% of the scenes you're
trying to render, and sometimes even when it occurs, it'll be unnoticeable.
Therefore, if you're having rolling edge problems in an animation that has
to be PERFECT, it may be helpful to re-render at a Pixel Size of 2.0.
Note that if the pixel-showing-through problem does happen, it'll show up
as single pixels randomly in your scene that look as if they don't belong
there.
Also note that increasing Pixel Size will always increase your rendering
time. Only use larger Pixel Sizes if you're doing photorealistic work to
video or film, and are having rolling edge problems!
Finally, note that this setting the maximum pixel size to 2.0 is something
you can do to all of your 3DS.SET files globally. Just don't use a value
over 1.5 unless you absolutely have to.
V.6. Sharpening Map-Filtering Using the TEXTURE-SHARPEN Parameter
==================================================================
The Blur (filtering) slider for maps in the Mapping Parameters dialog has a
bias that can be adjusted to make map-filtering sharper. The 3DS.SET
option for this is:
TEXTURE-SHARPEN = .6 <DEFAULT>
A value of 1.6 would make it twice as sharp for all maps within the system.
When we modified the map-filtering system for R3, our primary design goal
was to eliminate any pixel scintillation (quantizing effect) within the
maps. We took two approaches to this: 1) if enough memory is available,
Summed-Area Tables are an optimal solution but take huge amounts of RAM, or
2) under ordinary mip-mapping filtering circumstances, a little more blur
on the map will eliminate pixel scintillation.
Some people have requirements for sharper maps, and don't mind the
possibility of running into pixel scintillation problems. If you
absolutely need to increase the sharpness for a scene, you can pump your
TEXTURE-SHARPEN parameter up to 1.0-1.6 (never run at over 1.6 or you're
asking for massive texture aliasing problems).
V.7. Adjusting Ray-Traced Shadows Using the MAX-SHADOW-LEVELS Parameter
========================================================================
Ray-tracing data structures can be adjusted for memory consumption vs.
speed. This can be done via a new 3DS.SET parameter called:
MAX-SHADOW-LEVELS = 7 (the default... range is 4-9)
If you're having page fault or other memory problems with a scene that has
multiple raytraced lights, it's probably because the quad-trees that the
raytracer is building are trying to allocate more memory than is available.
To reduce the amount of memory that they allocate, you can set
MAX-SHADOW-LEVELS to 5 or 6 and the scene will probably render fine. Note
that this should only be done for scenes with the above-mentioned
problems... Don't run the system normally with it set this way, or your
raytraced shadows will take longer to compute than when MAX-SHADOW-LEVELS
is at its default.
V.8. Changing Object Name Sorting Using the SORT-CASE-SENSITIVE Parameter
==========================================================================
To change the object name sorting within the "By Name" dialogs, use this
3DS.SET command:
SORT-CASE-SENSITIVE = YES (the default is NO)
When set to ON or YES, the sorting within the By Name dialogs will sort all
the upper-case names first, and then all the lower-case names. Because
AutoCAD dxf layers come across all beginning with upper case, this can be
used to keep your entities created in 3D Studio separate from the ones
created in AutoCAD. It can make it easier to go back and forth merging dxf
files because the AutoCAD entities will always stay at the top.
V.9. Built-In Screen Dump Utility
==================================
There is a handy screen dump utility built into 3D Studio Release 3. This
is primarily for people who are doing docs for IPAS routines and book
writers, and others who need to be able to dump screens to disk. Here's
how it works:
In your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, include the following:
SET SCREENGRAB=YES
and reboot your system, then run 3D Studio. At any point in the program,
press Ctrl-Print Screen. The screen saver will snap a picture of how the
screen looks at this point, including the cursor position.
The program will pop up a simple filename entry dialog, which lets you
enter an 8-character filename with a 3-character extension. Type in the
name you want to use for the file, and specify the file type by including
the extension (.GIF, .TIF, .TGA, etc.). Then click on Save. (If you don't
include an extension, it uses the current image file type you've set in the
Configuration dialog.) This dialog does NOT respond to the Enter or Esc
keys to Save or Cancel; they would confuse the program if you were doing a
screen grab from within another dialog.
If you select Save, the image is saved to the IMAGE-PATH under the name you
entered. You may use any standard 3DS file type or .BXP file type. Saving
to flics, however, is NOT recommended.
The screen grab will not work if you are inside the screen grab itself,
viewing its file save dialog.
V.10. Additional Text Editor Controls
======================================
There are some Text Editor configuration switches that you can add to the
3DS.SET file that will modify your system defaults. They are:
ED-JOIN-LINES = YES/NO (Default YES)
ED-AUTO-INDENT = YES/NO (Default YES)
ED-SPLIT-LINES = YES/NO (Default YES)
ED-TRANSLATE-TABS = YES/NO (Default NO)
ED-TAB-LENGTH = 2-24 (Default 8)
See page 88 in the Advanced User's Guide for a discussion of the equivalent
options in the Configure Script Editor dialog box.
VI. RENDERING NOTES
====================
VI.1. Optimal Rendering Performance for 486 Computers
======================================================
For optimal rendering speed on a 486, we recommend the use of an extended
memory manager. We have found that some 486 computers will render at
almost twice the speed when an extended memory manager is being used. The
need for a memory manager for faster rendering speed is only required for
some 486 computers. Some 486 computers have an extended memory manager
built into the hardware.
VI.2. Making Flics Using High Palette Mode
===========================================
The color compression routines in 3D Studio R3 are so much better than the
routines in version 2.0, that High palette mode has become almost
unnecessary. In fact, under certain cases, High palette mode can actually
produce unwanted color artifacts. Therefore, we recommend that Medium
palette mode be used for making flics instead of High. There are still
times when Low and Custom modes may be necessary, and those should be used
accordingly. See "VGA Palette Control for Flics" on page 8-117 in the
Reference Manual for detailed instructions on how to create a custom
palette.
VI.3. Automatic Reflection Maps and Close Objects
==================================================
If an object with an automatic, non-flat reflection map is placed closer
than the Z-CLIP-NEAR distance from another object, that object will appear
clipped in the reflection map. If you see pieces of an object missing in
the reflection of a very close object, either lower your Z-CLIP-NEAR value,
or increase the overall scale of your scene so that the objects are greater
than the Z-CLIP-NEAR distance (in units).
VI.4. Previewing Field Renderings
==================================
If you are going to render an animation to fields instead of to frames, and
you want to examine each field before preparing the final rendering, you
can use the Preview/Make function in the Keyframer to do so. However, you
must first scale the animation to twice its original length before making
the preview flic. In this way, each frame of the preview flic represents a
field instead of a frame. This technique is only necessary when examining
an animation which might have abrupt changes on a field. Use the following
procedure to create a "field-accurate" preview flic:
A. Save your animation to disk before performing this procedure.
B. Load the animation and select Time/Scale Segment in the Keyframer and
set the number of frames to twice that displayed in the "Scale to:"
field.
C. Use Preview/Make to create the preview flic. Although the flic will not
accurately play back the speed of the animation, each frame will
correctly display the position of the objects for each field of the
animation.
D. IMPORTANT: Reload the original .3ds file to restore the correct frame
count before rendering your animation. For best results, do not use
Time/Scale Segment to halve the number of frames back to the original
total.
VI.5. Recommended Gamma Settings
=================================
There are certain instances in which you can't check the output gamma on
the output device because you're using a service bureau to output your
files. These include: D1 or D2 digital video, print media, slides, etc. In
these cases, it's best to ask the tech people at the service bureau what
gamma they want. If they don't know or aren't sure, use a file output
gamma of 1.8.
VI.6. Gamma Correction Can Make Dark Pixels Very Bright
========================================================
It may be surprising to you to see very dark pixels that are un-gamma-
corrected become much brighter when gamma corrected (especially to NTSC
gamma of 2.2). This is because the gamma-correction curve is extremely
steep at the dark end of the luminance scale. For example, the following
table illustrates how much a gamma value of 2.2 affects the original RGB
pixel value:
2.2 gamma-corrected
Original RGB value RGB value
0 0
1 20
2 28
3 33
4 38
5 42
6 46
7 49
8 52
9 55
10 58
Conversely, there is very little RGB shift at the upper end of the gamma-
correction curve... even with an extreme gamma value of 2.2.
2.2 gamma-corrected
Original RGB value RGB value
250 252
251 253
252 253
253 254
254 254
255 255
So, if you see large shifts at the lower end of the spectrum, don't panic.
That's how gamma-correction (especially NTSC gamma correction with a 2.2
value) works.
If you're interested in learning more about gamma correction and other
important aspects of computer graphic color technology, read "Illumination
and Color in Computer Generated Imagery" by Roy Hall, Published by
Springer-Verlag. It contains everything you ever wanted to know about the
subject.
VI.7. Wireframe Matte Attributes
=================================
The Matte attributes in the Modify/Object/Attributes dialog box will not
produce a wireframe matte with objects that are assigned Wire-attribute
materials. The Matte attribute always assumes a solid material.
VI.8. "Object Needs Mapping Coordinates" Error Message
=======================================================
If one or more objects with a mapped material assigned but no mapping
coordinates applied, when you render them, 3D Studio displays an alert box
that advises you that one or more objects needs mapping coordinates. this
alert is displayed only once, even if there is more than one such object.
VI.9. Command-Line Rendering of .PRJ Files
===========================================
When rendering .PRJ files from the command line, or using a batch file,
note the following:
A. The rendering resolution saved in the .PRJ file is not recognized. The
output image uses the default resolution.
B. The /N (Render Fields) and /M (Show Hidden Lines) switches are
overridden by the settings saved in the .PRJ file.
VII. COMMAND-LINE/BATCH RENDERING
==============================================
VII.1. Batch Mode Field Rendering May Yield Reversed Fields
============================================================
If you use command line or batch rendering to render animations and
render to fields, 3D Studio may render fields in reverse order. To avoid
this, you can render frames in reverse order to produce reversed fields.
In other words, when you use the /#[startframe],[endframe],[number],
[nthframe] option, set the endframe parameter lower than the startframe.
VII.2. New Command-Line Switch for Project File Rendering
==========================================================
There is an undocumented switch for command line and batch mode rendering
that lets you load a project file, rather than using a .3DS or .VUE file.
To render a project file, use the following syntax:
3DS RENDER MYFILE.PRJ /X [other switches]
The /X switch instructs 3D Studio to treat the filename as the name of a
project file. In order to render an animation using Video Post, you must
add the /#[s,e,n,l] parameter to instruct 3D Studio to render from the
Keyframer and use Video Post data.
VIII. IPAS NOTES
==============
VIII.1. If Your R2 IPAS Routine Doesn't Work
==========================================
Certain IPAS routines compiled with the Watcom compiler that work with
3D Studio Release 2 won't work with Release 3 because of the changes to
Release 3's version of Phar Lap. Try running IPASFVIII.EXE on the IPAS
routine if it appears to allocate all available RAM when you go into its
Setup dialog. If that doesn't solve the entire problem, contact the
developer of the IPAS routine for an update.
VIII.2. Using SXPs with Different Settings and Overlapping Objects
================================================================
If you use two materials that use the same SXP but have different SXP
settings on two different objects in your scene, and if the objects are
overlapping, rendering will go slower than usual. To avoid this, you can
copy the SXP to a unique file name (i.e., copy NOISE_I.SXP to NNOISE_I.SXP)
and use each unique version of the SXP in each material. This technique
can also be used if you want to morph materials between two objects that
have the same SXP, but with different settings.
X. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
======================
X.1. README File for the World-Creating Toolkit
===============================================
The readme file on the R3 World-Creating Toolkit CD-ROM is called
CDREADME.TXT rather than CDREADME.DOC as mentioned on page 49 in the
Advanced User's Guide.
X.2. .PFB Fonts on CD-ROM and in Fonts Directory
================================================
There are a total of 100 custom .PFB fonts included on the World-Creating
Toolkit CD-ROM, and a selection of them has been added to the installation
disks to be copied into the fonts subdirectory. Because there is more
space on 1.44MB (3.5") disks than on 1.2 MB (5.25") disks, more of these
sample files will be copied into your fonts subdirectory from the first
type of installation disks than from the second type. However, all 100
available fonts are included on the CD-ROM, no matter which type of disks
you have.
X.3. .PFB Fonts and Autodesk Animator Pro
=========================================
We do not recommend using the .PFB fonts that are included with 3D Studio
in Autodesk Animator Pro version 1.3a, as the fonts have been customized
for use in 3D Studio.
X.4. Acknowledgement for Custom .PFB Fonts
==========================================
The .PFB fonts included with Release 3 are optimized for 3D Studio.
They are provided courtesy of ANIM8, Inc. and are Copyright 1993, 1994
by ANIM8, Inc.
X.5. Rendering EASTER4.3DS from the R3 World-Creating Toolkit
=============================================================
In order to render the EASTER4.3DS mesh file found in the World-Creating
Toolkit CD-ROM supplied to you with Release 3, you must have the IPAS
program called NOISE2_I.SXP file in one of your map path directories. If
you already have a file named NOISE2_I.SXP, no further action is necessary.
However, if you don't have such a file, you can either copy NOISE_I.SXP as
NOISE2_I.SXP or use the Materials Editor to replace NOISE2_I.SXP with
NOISE_I.SXP in the material that uses this file.
X.6. Rendering SHUTTLE.3DS from the R3 World-Creating Toolkit
=============================================================
There are two maps required for rendering this mesh that were omitted from
the World-Creating Toolkit, or misnamed. Specifically, the S-WINGBOT
material requires the map file named WING_BOT.GIF. This map can be found in
the MAPS\MESHMAP2 directory. Reassign this map to the material in the
Materials Editor, and make sure that this path is a part of your map paths.
The second map, WING.GIF, is required for the material named S-WING. It was
inadvertently omitted from the World-Creating Toolkit CD-ROM, but is
installed in the 3DS3\MAPS subdirectory by the installation program. Again,
reassign this map to the material in the Materials Editor, and the shuttle
mesh should render properly.
X.7. Additional Sample Files in the Meshes Directory
====================================================
There are fifteen additional sample files in the meshes directory and one
additional sample file in the VPOST directory that merit special attention.
They are described in the SAMPLES.DOC file, which has also been copied into
the same directory as this readme.doc. We recommend that you load the
sample files, read the SAMPLES.DOC file, and experiment.
X.8. Utility to Create .IFL Files
=================================
We've included a small utility on the Release 3 disks, called MAKEIFL.EXE,
that creates an .IFL file from series of sequentially numbered image files.
It's run from the DOS command line using the following syntax:
MAKEIFL <file name> <prefix> <start frame#> <end frame#> (suffix)
The <prefix> argument is the first four letters of the image file name. For
example, the prefix for BOOK0000.TGA is BOOK. The (suffix) option lets you
specify the file suffix. (The default is TGA.) To use another file suffix,
enter GIF, CEL, JPG, or TIF here.
EXAMPLES:
MAKEIFL SKY CLDS 0 200
Creates SKY.IFL listing CLDS0000.TGA to CLDS0200.TGA.
MAKEIFL TVSCREEN SCRN 40 0 GIF
Creates TVSCREEN.IFL listing SCRN0040.GIF to SCRN0000.GIF.
To see brief instructions on how to use the utility, type:
MAKEIFL
NOTE: When the START frame number is higher than the END frame, the list is
created in descending order. This is a good method to reverse the order of
animated sequences and maps.
IX.9. .VUE Files Have Changed from Release 2.0
=============================================
.VUE files have changed in Release 3 so that the contents of the file
represent the absolute transformation matrix of an object. This should make
the object representation in the file less confusing than it was in the old
.VUE file. .VUE files created in 3D Studio R2 (2.0) are compatible with
Release 3, although .VUE files created in Release 3 are not compatible with
version 2.0. This change was implemented in Release 2.01, so that any .VUE
files created in that version are 100% compatible with Release 3 .VUE
files.
IX.10. Using Corel Draw Version 2.01 with 3D Studio
==================================================
When nested polygons are exported from release 2.01 of Corel Draw as Adobe
Illustrator (.ai) files, the program converts the curves into hundreds of
closely spaced vertices with linear segments. Follow these steps when
exporting text or nested objects to .ai format in Corel Draw 2.01:
A. Convert all text to curves. (Convert to Curves in the Arrange menu, or
[Ctrl]-[V].)
B. Break apart any objects with nested holes. (Break Apart in the Arrange
menu, or [Ctrl]-[K].)
C. Export the graphics normally, using the .AI filter. (Ignore the Convert
Text to Curves option.)
IX.11. .AI Files Cannot Be Loaded by Adobe Illustrator 4.0
=========================================================
.AI files saved by 3D Studio cannot be loaded into Adobe Illustrator
version 4.0, However, they can be loaded into Corel Draw.
IX.12. Restoring Data After a Crash
==================================
If you should crash while in 3D Studio, AND you have recently pressed the
Hold button in the icon panel, you can restore the data in the Hold buffer.
The Hold buffer is stored in the TEMP directory in a file called MODEH$$$.TMP.
Rename this file to anything with a .3ds extension (HOLD.3DS), and then load
the renamed file.
IX.13. Using Shapes/Align Left and Align Right in the 3D Lofter
==============================================================
When you use Shapes/Align Left and Align Right on a SurfRev path in the
3D Lofter, the direction of the path (clockwise or counterclockwise)
affects the direction of the face normals in the resultant object. For
example, using Align Left with the default counterclockwise SurfRev path
results in the face normals pointing outward; but using Align Right with
the same path results in the face normals pointing inward. On the other
hand, using Align Left with a clockwise path results in inward-pointing
faces, while using Align Right with a clockwise path results in outward-
pointing faces.
IX.14. Using Tracks/File Insert with Morph Keys
==============================================
When you use the Tracks/File Insert command in the Keyframer with Morph
keys, the morph target objects must have the same names in both the source
and destination files.
IX.15. Effect of Double Button in Track Info Dialog Box
======================================================
When you use the Double button in the Track Info dialog box to double the
length of an animation segment, remember that it overwrites the keys on the
last frame of the active segment with copies of the keys at frame 0. If you
have a 30-frame active segment, Double produces an active segment twice as
long, or 60frames. The keys on the last frame of the original active
segment frames, and any keys on the last frame of the active segment (frame
30) are overwritten by the keys on frame 0.
IX.16. Using Inherit Links with First Keyframe Other Than Frame 0
================================================================
If you do an Inherit Links operation on a frame before the first keyframe,
the keys are created at the first keyframe, rather than at frame 0, as
stated in the Reference Manual.
IX.17. Illustration Error in Reference Manual
============================================
On page 5-31 of the Reference Manual, the illustration labeled as union
represents the original two polygons, and the topmost illustration is the
result of a union operation.
IX.18. More About Face Mapping
=============================
As discussed on page 9-66 of the Reference Manual, the Face Map button in
the Materials Editor lets you place a mapped area in each rectangular facet
of an object without applying mapping coordinates to it. This method can
cause one facet to be mapped with the same portion of the bitmap. That is,
one of the rectangular facets will display the same half of the map, twice,
rather than applying the entire map to the facet. At this writing, there is
no work-around, so plan your images accordingly.
IX.19. Avoid Copying Multiple Objects with Hidden Faces
======================================================
If you want to copy several objects at a time using the [Shift]-command
method, make sure that all faces of all objects to be copied are visible
or unpredictable results can occur, including loss of data.
IX.20. If You Receive an "Allocator Error" Message while Aligning Vertices
=========================================================================
If you receive an error message that reads "Allocator Error" in part,
while using the Modify/Axis/Align/Vertex command in the User view in the
3D Editor, you may continue work without loss of data by holding down
the [Alt] key and pressing the [~] (serif) key to refresh the entire
screen.
IX.21. Using the Replace Mesh Menu Option with Morph Target Meshes
=================================================================
The Replace Mesh menu option is documented on page 3-24 in the Reference
Manual. This option can be used as documented there, except that if you
use it to replace mesh objects that are already assigned as morph targets
in the Keyframer, results will be unpredictable.
[END OF README.DOC]