12
AutoCAD and Its Applications—Advanced
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Introduction to 3D Model Display Introduction to 3D Model Display
Using Visual Styles Using Visual Styles
The display of a 3D model is how the model is presented. This does not refer
to the viewing angle, but rather colors, edge display, and shading or rendering. An
object can be shaded from any viewpoint. A model can be edited while still keeping
the object shaded. This can make it easier to see how the model is developing without
having to reshade the drawing. However, when editing a shaded object, it may also be
more diffi cult to select features.
A 3D model can be displayed in a variety of visual styles. A visual style is a
combination of settings that control the display of edges and shading in a viewport.
There are 10 basic visual styles—2D Wireframe, Conceptual, Hidden, Realistic, Shaded,
Shaded with
Edges,
Shades of
Gray, Sketchy, Wireframe, and X-ray. A wireframe display
shows all lines on the object, including those representing back or internal features. A
hidden display suppresses the display of lines that would normally be hidden.
A shaded display of the model can be created by setting the visual style to
Conceptual, Realistic, or one of the shaded visual styles. The
X-ray
style presents the
model in muted, translucent colors, and all hidden lines are displayed. This may be a
good choice to use in the design of a model. The
Realistic
visual style is considered the
most realistic shaded display. A more detailed shaded model, a rendered display of the
model, can be created with the
RENDER
command. A rendering is the most realistic
presentation.
Examples of the basic visual styles are shown in Figure 1-14. To change styles,
select one from the
Visual Style Controls
fl yout in the viewport controls. Refer to
Figure 1-10C. You can also use the
VSCURRENT
command or the drop-down list in
the
View
panel on the
Home
tab or the
Visual Styles
panel on the
Visualize
tab in the
ribbon. See Figure 1-15.
In the default 3D environment based on the
acad3D.dwt
template, the default display
mode, or visual style, is Realistic. In this visual style, all objects appear as solids and
are displayed in their assigned layer colors. Other display options are available. These
options are discussed in detail in Chapter 16, but are given here as an introduction.
• 2D Wireframe. Displays all lines of the model using assigned linetypes and
lineweights. The 2D UCS icon and 2D grid are displayed, if turned on. If the
HIDE
command is used to display a hidden-line view, use the
REGEN
command
to redisplay the wireframe view.
• Wireframe. Displays all lines of the model. The 3D grid and the 3D UCS icon
are displayed, if turned on.
• Hidden. Displays all visible lines of the model from the current viewpoint and
hides all lines not visible. Objects are not shaded or colored.
• Sketchy. Edges appear hand-sketched.
• Shades of Gray. Gray shades are shown with highlighted edges.
• Conceptual. The object is smoothed and shaded with transitional colors to
help highlight details.
• Realistic. The model is shaded and smoothed using assigned layer colors and
materials.
• Shaded. A smooth-shaded model is displayed, but edges are not shown.
• Shaded with Edges. Edges are displayed on the smooth-shaded model.
• X-Ray. The model appears transparent.
A variety of options can be used to change individual components of each of these
visual styles. A complete discussion of visual styles is given in Chapter 16. Detailed
discussions on rendering, materials, lights, and animations appear in Chapters 16
through 21.
VSCURRENT
Ribbon
Home
View
Visualize
Visual Styles
Type
VSCURRENT
VS