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Are Primitives the answer?

Stryder87Stryder87 Posts: 899
in The Commons

I’m working with the new FirstBastion Police Station (love it!) and am trying to black out some of the upper windows.  I picked one and changed the opacity to make it solid, and about 8 other windows were blacked out too.  It seems that not every window it a separate object.  It was weird seeing a random mix of windows all over the building suddenly black.  (I’m not at home to try this, but the thought just hit me that maybe I could try ungrouping them… not sure if that is the problem)  So I figure the only way to block those windows is to create some kind of object to sit just behind them and put some kind of texture on it so it looks like curtains or something.

So my question is… since I’ve never done this… how do you create a long, flat object that you can apply a texture to?  I could probably find some kind of prop to stretch across, but considering that the distance from the camera is quite a ways off, it doesn’t have to be anything detailed, so a plain flat object could suffice.

Is a ‘primitive’ the way to go?  I’ve never created one, so I’m not sure how to create and design it.

Also, this could be in the same vein, I’m putting a bulletin board in the lobby and want to put papers on it with custom text.  Would I create those papers the same way?

I remember seeing a product in the store (http://www.daz3d.com/everyday-morphing-primitives) and that gave me the idea that that may be the way to go here.

Suggestions?

Comments

  • kaotkblisskaotkbliss Posts: 2,914

    you could do a primitive plane (create->primitive->primitive plane)

    which for quick, cheap curtains would probably be easiest and best. You can then go into the surface tab of the primitive and apply a texture like any other object.

  • KnittingmommyKnittingmommy Posts: 8,191

    Yeah, I would go for a primitive plane, too.  I use that all the time and it works great just applying an image to it.

  • Stryder87Stryder87 Posts: 899
    Knittingmommy said:

    Yeah, I would go for a primitive plane, too.  I use that all the time and it works great just applying an image to it.

    Would that work also to create a paper flyer?  How do you determine the size of the image you would need to create to properly go on the plane?  Trial and error or is there some kind of formula to get it to fit right?

  • KnittingmommyKnittingmommy Posts: 8,191
    edited May 2016

    I just wing it.  If there is a formua, I haven't seen it.  As for the image, it will adjust with the plane when you rescale the plane.  I use it for putting images as a backdrop all the time.  As long as you don't stretch it beyond the resolution of your image you should be fine.  I usually use an image that is around 2000 px at least on the smaller side, just to be on the safe side, because when using as backdrop you might have to go bigger than you think at times.  For inside a window as curtains, you probably wouldn't need anything near that resolution.  

    Edit to add:  Forgot to answer about the paper flyer.  I haven't actually done that, but, theoretically, it should work!

    Post edited by Knittingmommy on
  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 107,987

    You could also use the Geometry Editor tool to seelct the windows you want dark and assign them to a single Surface Group.

  • KnittingmommyKnittingmommy Posts: 8,191
    edited May 2016
    Richard Haseltine said:

    You could also use the Geometry Editor tool to seelct the windows you want dark and assign them to a single Surface Group.

    That I haven't done anything with yet.  One of the many things on my Need To Learn List!

    Post edited by Knittingmommy on
  • Melissa ConwayMelissa Conway Posts: 590

    I would create a new surface for just the window I wanted to black out.

    (In the event you don’t know how to do this: Select the object in your scene. Change the Draw Style to Wire Shaded by clicking the down arrow next to the little sphere at the top of your workspace. Click on Tools, Geometry Editor. Your cursor will now have a little red circle attached to it. I believe the default Selection Type and Selection Mode is polygon/drag, but if you right click, you will see options to change that if you like, plus many other options. You can hold the left mouse button down to select the polygons you would like to separate out, or use control + click. If you accidently select the wrong polygon, use alt + click to remove it. After you’ve selected all the polygons, right click and choose Geometry Assignment, Create Surface from Selected. A popup will appear asking for a name for the new surface. After you name it and click Accept, you will see your new surface under the Surfaces tab, where you will be free to change its properties independent of the other windows. Hope this helps.)

  • Stryder87Stryder87 Posts: 899
    Melissa Conway said:

    I would create a new surface for just the window I wanted to black out.

    (In the event you don’t know how to do this: Select the object in your scene. Change the Draw Style to Wire Shaded by clicking the down arrow next to the little sphere at the top of your workspace. Click on Tools, Geometry Editor. Your cursor will now have a little red circle attached to it. I believe the default Selection Type and Selection Mode is polygon/drag, but if you right click, you will see options to change that if you like, plus many other options. You can hold the left mouse button down to select the polygons you would like to separate out, or use control + click. If you accidently select the wrong polygon, use alt + click to remove it. After you’ve selected all the polygons, right click and choose Geometry Assignment, Create Surface from Selected. A popup will appear asking for a name for the new surface. After you name it and click Accept, you will see your new surface under the Surfaces tab, where you will be free to change its properties independent of the other windows. Hope this helps.)

    Well that's cool to know!  I'll have to give that a try.  I can think of other applications for that as well.  Good to know.  Thanks.

  • Stryder87Stryder87 Posts: 899
    Richard Haseltine said:

    You could also use the Geometry Editor tool to seelct the windows you want dark and assign them to a single Surface Group.

    Fast and easy.  I like it.

  • L'AdairL'Adair Posts: 9,479
    Stryder87 said:
    Knittingmommy said:

    Yeah, I would go for a primitive plane, too.  I use that all the time and it works great just applying an image to it.

    Would that work also to create a paper flyer?  How do you determine the size of the image you would need to create to properly go on the plane?  Trial and error or is there some kind of formula to get it to fit right?

    A primitive plane will be square. Perhaps the easiest way to create a flyer using a plane would be first create the image in your imaging program, (like Photoshop or Gimp.) Start with a square image, (1024 x 1024, 2048 x 2048, etc.,) and put your flyer together on another layer. I recommend centering the flyer. Save the image for the diffuse/base color. Now create a transparency map for opacity/cutout opacity with pure white for the flyer and pure black for excess on either side. Save that as well.

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 107,987
    L'Adair said:
    Stryder87 said:
    Knittingmommy said:

    Yeah, I would go for a primitive plane, too.  I use that all the time and it works great just applying an image to it.

    Would that work also to create a paper flyer?  How do you determine the size of the image you would need to create to properly go on the plane?  Trial and error or is there some kind of formula to get it to fit right?

    A primitive plane will be square. Perhaps the easiest way to create a flyer using a plane would be first create the image in your imaging program, (like Photoshop or Gimp.) Start with a square image, (1024 x 1024, 2048 x 2048, etc.,) and put your flyer together on another layer. I recommend centering the flyer. Save the image for the diffuse/base color. Now create a transparency map for opacity/cutout opacity with pure white for the flyer and pure black for excess on either side. Save that as well.

    Or divide the width by the height, multiply that by 100 to turn it into a percentage, and enter the result into the plane's x-scale value - you can actually let DS do that for you, just type

    width / height * 100

    in the X Scale number box.

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