A view where an orthographic view is shown at full size (1:1). This view requires a large hardware display, especially for viewing large objects.
A file format used by Autodesk Showcase to describe an environment. This XML file references APF files, user settings, images and other files to display an environment.
A method of navigating to a view angle quickly by pressing down the Alt key and using the three mouse buttons to tumble, move, or zoom. To change the point of interest to another location, hold down the Ctrl+Alt keys and click the location with the left mouse button.
A collection of one or more alternatives . For example, your scene could contain a lineup for various hubcap alternatives, another lineup for various color studies, and so on.
A calculation to make objects look more realistic, with shadowing added to corners and other dark areas. These shadows are the result of occlusion, or the blocking of objects by other objects. See also drop-off distance , resolution, samples.
Autodesk packet file. Tessellated, stitched files that are created when importing a file into Autodesk Showcase. APF files are referenced by A3S files. See also autostitch, tessellation.
A process where contiguous surfaces are stitched together from the original NURBS surfaces to create water-tight (crackless) surfaces. Various options are available to specify the situations when surfaces are autostitched together. This process occurs when a model is converted to APF format during import.
An automated movement in a scene. For example, a turntable.
A type of image map that creates the illusion of relief (bumpiness) on surfaces (for example, tire treads or rough plastic). It does not alter the shape of the surfaces to which it is assigned, and is not a displacement mapping.
Bump maps must be normal map (that is, they must contain elevation as well as vector information).
A type of shot where the camera moves along a predefined path.
1. A machine that views online sessions presented by the host.
2. In floating license configurations, the machine that requests a license from the license server.
A type of image map that replaces a solid color with an image that repeats across a surface. For example, cloth or wood patterns.
For an image map , the projection of an image onto an object, as if the image were rolled into a tube and projected inwards towards the object. Use this option to apply a texture to the edge of a circular surface, such as a car tire tread.
Diffuse surfaces reflect (or scatter) light and color in many angles. Contrast with specular highlight
An image map that controls how light is reflected off dark surfaces. For example, wheel wells and rocker panels.
1. In lighting, a setting that controls the intensity of the ground shadows based on the distance between the object and the ground. 2. In ambient shadows calculations, the distance beyond which surrounding objects are no longer considered in the calculations.
1. In lighting, a setting that controls the intensity of the ground shadows based on the distance between the object and the light source. 2. In ambient shadows calculations, the lightening of ambient shadows as surrounding surfaces are located further away from the sampling point.
Settings that determine if surfaces respond to the environment lights and/or image-based lighting (IBL) . You can override the lighting for color (diffuse) and for specular highlight (specular surfaces).
An open-standard, platform-independent 3D file format (maintained by Autodesk) that provides interoperability with any software that supports the FBX format. FBX add-ins are included with Autodesk Maya software, Autodesk 3ds Max software, and is supported natively in Autodesk® MotionBuilder™ software.
A user-made 3D environment. Generic environments require a backdrop image and lighting maps.
(High Dynamic Range Image) An image using a format that allows for a large range of exposures, providing a more accurate representation of the lighting in a scene, from bright sunlight to dark shadows. In Showcase, this image format is required for the backdrop image , which must be an HDRI in a latitude/longitude (polar) format and have an aspect ratio of 1:2. Ideally, it should be at resolution 4096 x 2048.
A series of nodes that are combined for a purposeful relationship; for example, to represent the surfaces of a model.
Hierarchies are structured in a top-down manner, with one node at the top (the parent node or root node) and other nodes (child nodes or leaf nodes) attached and interconnected beneath the top node.
Selecting any node also selects all nodes contained in the hierarchy below.
Hierarchies enable you to create complex structures with relationships between components. For example, when you are animating an object on a turntable, you can select and move the parent node of the hierarchy and the rest of the model (child nodes) also moves.
See specular highlight.
An image map that creates the appearance of relief. Highlight maps work best to create visible noise that in the real world if touched would feel smooth. For example, metallic paint. Also known as specular maps.
Modulates or scales the intensity of clear coat. This value is also called specular rolloff.
A picture file in an image format such as jpeg, bmp, tiff, or png used in materials to create specific effects or patterns. Also known as texture map.
See also projection mapping, parametric (UV) mapping, color map, highlight map, reflection map, transparency map, bump map, normal map.
The number of different polygonal surface representations that exist for a particular model. Typically LODs vary from low-fidelity (meaning the surface quality is poor but the rendering speed is high) to medium-fidelity to high-fidelity (meaning the surfaces look very good, but may take time to render).
Images used to specify the lighting of materials, providing specular and diffuse highlights and reflections. These images must be in a vertical cross format in an exact 3:4 aspect ratio. In image-based lighting (IBL), there are three sets of lighting maps: reflection map, specular map, and diffuse map.
See alternative lineup .
A type of alternative lineup . Color and material studies applied to particular parts of a model.
A window for changing the properties of the particular material (or common elements of materials) assigned to selected objects. The controls available in this window vary by material. As you change their values, you can see the surfaces change in the scene. Select Material > Material Properties (or press Ctrl+M).
Surface normals indicate the orientation of the polygonal faces making up that surface. Applied materials look best when the normals are facing towards the viewer, so it is sometimes necessary to reverse surface normals. Otherwise, unpredictable results may occur when you apply materials to surfaces, or materials may appear patch-like across adjacent surfaces.
An image map that contains elevation as well as vector information. Required for bump maps.
Objects higher in the hierarchy of an object (the object an object belongs to, the object containing that object, and so on).
In image mapping, the case where no projection is used. Instead, the image is mapped to the UV coordinates of the surface. Each surface is mapped separately, so adjoining surfaces may show seams. See image map .
Parts are organized into a collection of groups, which then forms a project hierarchy.
A patch is a type of deformable object. It is similar to a NURBS surface, only the shape is defined by splines (as outlines) instead of NURBS curves. A patch object is useful for creating gently curved surfaces, and provides very detailed control for manipulating complex geometry. It can be any size. 3D software can create patches within areas defined by splines, or convert 3D primitives to patch objects, in which case the software determines the patch size.
In image mapping, the projection of a texture or image as if the image was placed on a level surface and projected onto the object. Use this option to apply a texture to one or more surfaces that are relatively flat (for example, wood paneling). See image map .
A type of alternative lineup to study the placement of models or objects. For example, exploded views versus regular views.
An image mapping technique that projects a texture 3D space onto a surface, acting like a slide projector.
See image map , cylindrical projection, planar projection, triplanar projection.
For cylindrical projection, an option to repeat the texture several times around the surface.
An image map used in Hardware rendering that provides an image for reflections that overrides the environment reflection map.
When calculating ambient shadows, the concentration of samples over a given area.
When calculating ambient shadows, the software shoots out a hemisphere of rays (samples) from various points on the surface, and calculates how many of these rays hit other geometry. The larger the proportion of rays that hit other geometry for any particular point, the darker that point will appear.
See also drop-off distance , drop-off rate , resolution, spread.
When Ray Tracing, the number of rays initially sent from each pixel into the scene to determine the color of the pixel. With lower quality, multiple pixels can be based off of a single ray. With higher quality, multiple initial rays are sent into the scene to sample the regions around each pixel to smooth out edges and produce more accurate colors.
A simplified version of the Showcase software available for use on a client machine driving a large display.
The number of points on a surface that are included in calculating ambient shadows. A higher number of samples and a higher resolution result in a sharper image, but take longer to calculate.
When calculating ambient shadows, sampling rays are cast (or spread) in a hemisphere of 180 degrees by default, but the spread can be reduced to a smaller angle.
A process that creates meshes to replicate surfaces. This process occurs when a model is converted to APF format during import.
A default conversion script containing a particular set of APF conversion settings for importing a model file.
See image map .
In image mapping, normally a texture repeats as it is projected across a surface. To apply marks, blemishes, decals or labels to one area on a surface, you can turn off texture tiling in both the U and V directions. Or, turn it off in one direction so the texture pattern repeats horizontally or vertically (like wallpaper).
An image map that determines which parts of an object are opaque and which parts are transparent. They can be used for materials with holes punched out such as a metal grill or perforated rubber. Darker areas of the transparency map produce an opaque material, while brighter areas create a more transparent appearance.
The projection of an image map from three perpendicular planes. Use this option for complex surfaces where the texture needs to be applied from multiple angles to follow the contours of an object.
A type of behavior where objects rotate around a pivot point, either horizontally as a turntable or vertically as a rotisserie.
A type of alternative lineup . Collections of objects or their attributes that you hide or show as a unit in a scene. For example, all the parts that make up a particular design for a hubcap
