The Autodesk(R) AutoVision(TM) software package lets you create rendered images of three-dimensional (3D) AutoCAD(R) objects. Using default rendering conditions, you can create images easily and quickly; more advanced options let you fine-tune the lighting and surfaces in your pictures.

NOTE: Windows should be read as Windows 3.1 and Windows NT 3.5 through out.

1. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ====================== The AutoVision software runs within AutoCAD Release 13. Therefore, the system requirements for AutoVision software are the same as for the AutoCAD software. See your "AutoCAD Installation Guide" for more information.

To run the AutoVision software, AutoCAD Release 13 must be installed and operating correctly on your system.

2. INSTALLING THE AUTOVISION SOFTWARE ===================================== This section describes what to do before installing the AutoVision software, and how to install it.

2.1 Before You Install ======================= Like the AutoCAD software, AutoVision refers to environment variables that tell it where to locate various files it needs to run properly. You must set these variables before running the software.

2.1.1 Setting the Environment Variables

 The AutoVision for Windows software relies on the settings of five environment variables:

o AVEMAPS

o RENDERCFG

o AVEFACEDIR

o AVEPAGEDIR

o ACAD

AVE Variables: These variables locate various AutoVision-specific files. How you set them depends on whether you are running on DOS or Windows. See your "AutoCAD Installation Guide" for details.

AVEMAPS The path for the bitmaps for the standard AutoVision materials library. This variable allows up to 128 characters.

RENDERCFG The location of the AutoVision configuration file.

AVEFACEDIR AutoVision temporary geometry database file.

AVEPAGEDIR AutoVision shadow-map files.

ACAD This variable is a file path statement used by both AutoVision and AutoCAD to locate support files. The AutoVision support paths AUTOVIS\AVDOS (on DOS), AUTOVIS\AVWIN (on Windows), AUTOVIS\AVIS_SUP and AUTOVIS\ANIM (on both platforms) should precede the AutoCAD directories in the statement.

How you set this variable depends on whether you are running on DOS or Windows. See your "AutoCAD Installation Guide" for details.

2.2 Installation ================= This section describes how to install the AutoVision software under DOS and Windows.

2.2.1 Under DOS from floppy disk

To install the AutoVision files under DOS from floppy disk:

1. Insert Disk 1 in your floppy disk drive.

2. Enter A:INSTALL. (Substitute another drive name if Disk 1 is not in drive A.)

3. Follow the on-screen instructions.

NOTE: If you get the following DOS message: Out of Environment Space this refers to the space that DOS allocates to environment variables. Change the names of new directories to make them shorter -- for example, you might change \AUTOVIS to \AV. Then edit the environment variables to reflect the directory name changes, and try again. You can also increase the size of the environment by changing the SHELL variable in your CONFIG.SYS file. See your DOS documentation for more information about changing CONFIG.SYS.

2.2.2 Under Windows from floppy disk

To install the AutoVision files from floppy disk:

1. Start Windows.

2. Insert Disk 1 in your floppy disk drive.

3. From the Program Manager File menu, choose Run and enter A:SETUP in the Command Line box. (Substitute another drive name if Disk 1 is not in drive A.)

4. Follow the on-screen instructions.

2.2.3 Under DOS from AutoCAD CD-ROM

To install the AutoVision files under DOS from AutoCAD CD-ROM:

1. Insert AutoCAD Release 13 in your CD-ROM drive.

2. Change the current drive to the active CD-ROM drive.

3. Change directory to \AUTOVIS.

4. Enter INSTALL.

 5. Follow the on-screen instructions.

NOTE: If you get the following DOS message: Out of Environment Space this refers to the space that DOS allocates to environment variables. Change the names of new directories to make them shorter -- for example, you might change \AUTOVIS to \AV. Then edit the environment variables to reflect the directory name changes, and try again. You can also increase the size of the environment by changing the SHELL variable in your CONFIG.SYS file. See your DOS documentation for more information about changing CONFIG.SYS.

2.2.4 Under Windows from AutoCAD CD-ROM

To install the AutoVision files from AutoCAD CD-ROM:

1. Start Windows.

2. Insert AutoCAD Release 13 in your CD-ROM drive.

3. From the Program Manager File menu, choose Run and enter D:\AUTOVIS\SETUP in the Command Line box (where D is the CD-ROM drive).

4. Follow the on-screen instructions.

2.2.5 Authorization Code

The first time you run an AutoVision command, the software prompts you to enter an authorization code. If you haven't already been given the code, use one of the following methods to obtain it:

For customers WITHIN the United States, Canada, and Latin America:

o Call the Autodesk Authorization Code Department at 800-551-1490, 5 AM to 6 PM Pacific Standard Time, Monday through Saturday.

For customers OUTSIDE the United States, Canada, and Latin America:

o Please contact your local authorized Autodesk dealer.

2.2.4 Uninstalling AutoVision

To uninstall AutoVision remove the AutoVision directories from your ACAD path (AUTOVIS\AVDOS, AUTOVIS\AVWIN, AUTOVIS\ANIM, and AUTOVIS\AVIS_SUP). To reclaim your disk space remove the the following directories AVDOS, AVWIN, ANIM, AVIS_SUP, and TUTORIAL.

3. CONFIGURING THE AUTOVISION SOFTWARE ====================================== Under DOS, the first time you run an AutoVision command the software prompts you to configure the rendering device. For highest quality renderings -- including previews of materials -- the display driver should support 256 colors or greater and a screen resolution of at least 640 x 480 pixels. (A regular VGA can support only 16 colors at 640 x 480 resolution, or 256 colors at only 320 x 200 -- these combinations don't produce good renderings.) See your "AutoCAD Installation Guide" for details on the AutoCAD Render configuration prompts, which apply to AutoVision software as well.

Under Windows, the render configuration is automatic.

To reconfigure the rendering device, use the RPREF command to display the Render Preferences dialog box, and then choose the Reconfigure button.

4. Using the AutoVision Software ================================ When you install the AutoVision software, the AutoCAD graphical user interface (GUI) is updated to support this application. The GUI differs between the DOS and Windows platforms, as follows.

4.1 DOS AutoVision Menu ======================= When you run AutoCAD and AutoVision under DOS, the standard Render menu is replaced by the AutoVision menu, found on the Tools pull-down menu. The AutoVision program loads automatically the first time you choose an option on this menu. From here, you can use AutoVision menu options (or commands) until you unload it yourself, or until you end the AutoCAD session.

4.2 Windows AutoVision Menu and Toolbar ======================================= On the Windows platform, AutoVision offers both a menu and a toolbar. These do not replace the AutoCAD Render menu and toolbar, but are available in addition. The menu is a top-level pulldown called Autovis. You can display the toolbar by choosing AutoVis Toolbar from the AutoVis menu. The toolbar is a set of icons representing the AutoVision commands.

 The AutoVision program loads automatically the first time you choose an option from the menu or toolbar. From here, you can use AutoVision menu options (or commands) until you unload it yourself, or until you end the AutoCAD session.

4.3 Unloading the AutoVision Program ===================================== If you need to unload the AutoVision program, enter RENDERUNLOAD at the command prompt. To reload the program, enter or choose any AutoVision command.

NOTE: Unloading the AutoVision executable does not restore the standard AutoCAD Render software. To do this, enter (ARXLOAD "RENDER") at the command prompt.

4.4 AutoVision Software and AutoCAD AME Software ================================================ If you are rendering solids created with the AutoCAD Advanced Modeling Extension(R) (AME(R)), be sure to load the AME program before you render. If AME is not loaded, solids and surfaces render incorrectly, or not at all. If the AME program is loaded when you render a scene, a call from the AutoVision program causes it to transform solids into meshes temporarily so they render correctly.

4.5 AutoVision Software and AutoSurf Software ============================================= You must turn AutoSurf(R) surfaces into meshes before you render them -- the AutoSurf software doesn't automatically mesh at render time. To create surface meshes, choose the Surface Display option from the AutoSurf pull-down menu. This option prompts you to select entities: pick the surfaces you're ready to render. When the dialog box appears, turn on the Polyface Mesh option with Unhide selected, and then click OK.

CAUTION: When you mesh or unmesh an AutoSurf surface, this can lose some AutoVision information such as material attachments and UV mapping assignments.

4.6 Getting Help ================ You can get online help for AutoVision commands by clicking Help in the AutoVision dialog boxes. Once you are in AutoVision help, you can jump to any AutoVision help topic. Click the Contents button at the top of the help window, and select a topic from there.

IMPORTANT: AutoVision help is separate from AutoCAD help, which you access with the <F1> key or via the Help menu. AutoCAD help contains information about AutoCAD Render, the features of which are replaced by AutoVision. Remember that the AutoCAD help topics covering Render, while in many cases similar or identical to those in AutoVision, are not the same as the AutoVision help topics. When you want online help with AutoVision, you must access it through an AutoVision dialog box.

5. TUTORIAL EXERCISES ===================== This section introduces you to AutoVision rendering by leading you through some hands-on examples of creating and saving rendered images. It demonstrates the major features of the AutoVision software.

IMPORTANT: The AutoVision program saves all rendering information in your drawing file, so when you want to take a break, choose File/Save As from the pull-down menu to save the current drawing under a name you recognize. (Don't overwrite the original file.) Later, you can open the file you saved and resume the tutorial where you left off.

Although the drawings used in this tutorial are comparatively simple, rendering always takes time. Be prepared to wait or take a break whenever you begin a new rendering.

SUGGESTION: If you would like to render more quickly while doing the tutorial exercises, select a lower resolution. For example, render at 640 x 480 x 256 on a Super VGA. The rendering quality won't be as good, but rendering time will be considerably reduced.

This tutorial runs on both the Windows and DOS platforms. Because the menu configuration differs slightly between the two platforms, the tutorial instructs you to access the AutoVision commands from the command line, not the menus.

5.1 Basic Rendering =================== Start by rendering some simple geometry.

1. Use File/Open to open AVTUT_1.DWG. This file, and all the other files you use in this tutorial, are in the \tutorial directory created when you installed the AutoVision files.

The drawing shows some wireframe objects: a surface with a cone, sphere, and wedge above it.

2. Enter RENDER.

The Render dialog box appears. If you haven't previously used an AutoVision option during this AutoCAD session, there will be a slight delay while the program initializes.

3. Don't worry about most of the options in the Render dialog box, but make sure of the following:

o In the Scene to Render list, *current view* should be highlighted.

o The selected Rendering Type should be AutoCAD Render.

o Under Rendering Options, the Smooth Shading check box should be turned off (the check box should be empty).

4. Click the Render button.

The objects are rendered in their AutoCAD colors -- the same that appear in the wireframe model. The rendering shows edges between the objects' facets.

The AutoCAD software uses meshes to represent 3D (and solid) objects such as spheres.

Now see how the AutoVision renderer renders the scene.

1. Enter RENDER again.

2. Select AutoVision from the Rendering Type dropdown list.

3. Click Render.

The rendering is similar to the previous one, but the lighting isn't as bright and more shades are used in rendering the objects.

When rendered, mesh faces appear flat unless you use smoothing.

1. Enter RENDER again.

2. Click the Smooth Shading check box under Rendering Options to turn it on.

3. Click Render.

In this rendering, the sphere and cone appear to have smooth surfaces.

Smoothing is one of a variety of techniques you can apply to AutoCAD geometry to increase the realism of a rendering.

5.1.1 The Statistics Dialog Box

If you want to know how long a rendering took, you can look at the Statistics dialog box.

1. Enter STATS.

A dialog box appears showing various information about the previous rendering, including the time it took.

2. Click OK to leave the dialog box.

5.1.2 Preview Renderings

Rendering can be a slow operation. Sometimes it's useful to look at a small version of a scene, or just a portion of the geometry you want to render.

Rendering an object: One way to preview more quickly is to render only selected AutoCAD objects.

1. Enter RENDER.

2. In the Render dialog box, click the Query for Selections button.

3. Click the Render button. The dialog box goes away, but the scene isn't rendered. Instead, a prompt asks you to Select objects.

4. Click once on the sphere and once on the cone, then press <CR> (or right-click your mouse).

Only the cone and sphere are rendered.

Stopping a Rendering: You can stop rendering at any time by pressing Ctrl + C. Frequently, you can tell from the portion of a rendering that's already displayed whether or not the full rendering will look the way you want it to, so using Ctrl + C can be another way to preview a rendering.

5.2 Introduction to Materials ============================= Solid colors are adequate for visualizing the shape of some objects, but aren't usually adequate for realistic images. AutoVision materials let you model a variety of surfaces when you render.

o Enter RMAT.

The Materials dialog box appears. The Materials list at the left of the dialog box shows the names of several materials that have been prepared for this exercise.

Previewing materials: Before you decide to use a material in a rendering, you can preview it to get an idea of how it will appear.

1. In the Materials list at the left, select BEIGE MATTE, and then click the Preview button.

A beige sphere is rendered in the preview window.

NOTE: If the preview panel appears blank -- or nearly so -- after you click Preview, this could be because the AutoVision program can't find a bitmap associated with the material. The AVEMAPS environment variable must point to the directory that contains materials bitmaps. See "Installing the AutoVision Software" earlier in this document. A misplaced bitmap might also be the cause when the preview shows only a blank white circle.

2. Select CHECKERS in the Materials list.

Notice that the preview doesn't change. To save time, the AutoVision program doesn't display a preview unless you request one.

3. Click the Preview button.

The sphere is rendered with a checker pattern and a shiny highlight. Previews can show a sphere or a cube. Also, previews use a default orientation that might not be the same as the mapping you've assigned in your drawing. For these reasons, a material preview won't precisely show you how a material will render, but gives you a general idea.

Attaching materials: To see materials in a rendering, you attach them to objects in your drawing.

1. In the Materials list at the left of the dialog box, select AQUA GLAZE, and then click the Attach button.

The AutoVision program hides the Materials dialog box so you can see the AutoCAD graphics screen.

2. Click to select the edge of the large square surface, and then press <CR>.

 The Materials dialog box reappears.

3. Select BEIGE MATTE from the Materials list (notice that AQUA GLAZE is deselected), and then click Attach.

4. On the graphics screen, click to select the cone, and then press <CR>.

5. Select CHECKERS from the Materials list, and then click Attach.

6. On the graphics screen, click to select the sphere, and then press <CR>.

7. Select BLUE MATTE from the Materials list, and then click Attach.

8. On the graphics screen, click to select the wedge, and then press <CR>.

9. In the Materials dialog box, click OK.

Now you're ready to see the results of attaching these materials.

1. Enter RENDER. Make sure that AutoVision is the current rendering type, Query for Selections is off, and the Apply Materials toggle is turned on.

2. Click Render.

The scene is rendered with various surfaces: a aqua square with a checkered sphere, brown cone, and matte blue wedge on top of it.

5.3 Introduction to Lights ========================== Even more than materials, lighting is crucial for creating the effect of realism in a rendering. The exercises in this section introduce the AutoVision lighting capabilities.

5.3.1 Point Lights and Spotlights

To simulate interior lighting, as in a building or a photography studio, you will most often use two kinds of lighting "instruments": point lights, which are omnidirectional (like bare light bulbs), and spotlights, which cast a directed beam. In general, you use point lights to create general background or fill lighting; you use spotlights as key lights to illuminate areas of special interest.

1. Use File/Open to open AVTUT_2.DWG.

This drawing shows the interior corner of a room -- or perhaps a stage set.

NOTE: If you didn't close your AutoCAD session between the previous exercise and this one, save your work before proceeding with the lighting exercise; otherwise, click Discard Changes, open AVTUT_2.DWG, and then go on to step 2.

2. Enter RENDER, and then click Render.

With the default lighting, the scene is rather dim and featureless. The post blends in to the wall behind it.

NOTE: The default lighting is a single "over the shoulder" distant light (that is, behind the current viewpoint) and an ambient light intensity of 0.30.

Start by adding the fill light.

1. Enter LIGHT.

2. In the Lights dialog box, select Point Light from the dropdown list next to the New button.

3. Click the New button.

4. In the New Point Light dialog box, enter FILL1 as the Light Name.

The AutoVision dialog boxes often require you to specify a name for a new AutoVision object -- such as a light, material, or scene. If you change an attribute before you specify the name, a warning message appears at the bottom of the dialog box.

1. Click the Modify button under Position.

2. A prompt asks for the position of the new point light. Enter -5,2.5,2.5 and then press <CR>.

3. Click the Show button to verify the changed position.

A Show Light Position dialog box appears, with the X,Y,Z values you entered under the Location caption. (If these numbers aren't -5, 2.5, 2.5, repeat steps 2 and 3.)

(The Target values, grayed out here, are used with spotlights.)

4. Click OK to leave the Show Light Position dialog box, OK to accept the new point light parameters, and then OK to leave the Lights dialog box.

5. Enter RENDER, and then click Render.

Now the scene is brightly lit. The post is distinct, but the angle between the floor and left-hand wall is washed out.

To improve the scene, you'll reduce the fill light and add a spotlight.

1. Enter LIGHT.

The Lights dialog box appears again.

2. In the Lights list, select FILL1, and then click the Modify button.

3. In the Modify Point Light dialog box, use the Intensity slider to reduce the light's intensity to about 12, and then click OK.

Now you're ready to add the spotlight.

1. In the Lights dialog box, select Spotlight from the New dropdown list, then click New.

2. In the New Spotlight dialog box, enter SPOT1 as the Light Name.

3. Use the Intensity slider to set the spotlight's intensity to about 12.

4. In the Color area, set the color to a light yellow -- Red and Green should both be 1.00, and Blue 0.50.

You still need to set the spotlight's position and its target.

1. Click the Modify button under Position.

2. A prompt asks for the position of the new spotlight's target (not the position of the light itself). Enter 7,5,1.5 and then press <CR>.

3. The next prompt asks you to enter the spotlight's location. Enter -5,-5,5 and then press <CR>.

You're returned to the Spotlight dialog box.

4. Click the Show button to verify the changed position.

A Show Light Position dialog box appears, with the X,Y,Z values you entered for both the Location and Target of the light. (If these numbers aren't correct, repeat steps 2 through 4.)

5. Back in the Spotlight dialog box, use the slider to set the Hotspot to 20, and then use the slider to set the Falloff to 22.

6. Click OK to accept the new spotlight parameters, and then click OK to leave the Lights dialog box.

7. Enter RENDER, and then click Render.

The spotlight casts a circle of yellow light on the corner, bringing out some detail in the area it illuminates.

Besides using them to illuminate a scene, you can place light sources in a scene. The AVTUT-2 drawing contains a block representing a simple lamp shade to demonstrate this effect.

1. Enter REDRAW to redisplay the wireframe geometry.

2. Enter DDINSERT.

The Insert dialog box appears.

3. Click the Block button.

4. In the list of Blocks Defined in this Drawing, select LAMPSHDE, and then click OK.

5. In the Options area, click the Specify Parameters on Screen toggle to turn it off.

6. Enter the X,Y,Z position as 2,5,3. Leave the Scale set to 1.0 in all dimensions and leave the Rotation Angle set to 0.

7. Click OK.

A triangular lamp shade appears on the wall.

Give the lamp shade a material before you render it.

1. Enter RMAT.

2. In the Materials dialog box, select WHITE PLASTIC 2S in the Materials list.

3. Click the Attach button.

4. On the AutoCAD graphics screen, pick the lamp shade block, and then press <CR>.

5. Click OK to leave the Materials dialog box.

Now create the light source itself.

1. Enter LIGHT.

2. In the Lights dialog box, select Spotlight from the dropdown list next to the New button, then click New.

3. Enter SPOT2 as the Light Name.

4. Use the slider to set the Intensity at about 8.0.

Notice that this is less than the intensity of the overall scene illumination.

5. Click the Modify button.

6. A prompt asks for the position of the new spotlight's target (not the position of the light itself). Enter 2,4.75,10 and then press <CR>.

7. The next prompt asks you to enter the spotlight's location. Enter 2,4.75,3.5 and then press <CR>.

The Spotlight dialog box reappears.

8. In the Color area, set the Red component to 0.92, Green to 0.36, and Blue to 0.08. The color swatch should show a deep orange.

9. Use the sliders to adjust the Hotspot to 79 and the Falloff to 90.

This will give the light a wide falloff area, like much interior lighting.

10. Click OK to create the new spotlight.

A spotlight icon block appears on the wall in roughly the same location as the lamp shade block.

11. Click OK to leave the Lights dialog box.

Now you're ready to see the effect of the light in the scene.

o Enter RENDER, and then click Render.

On the wall, a yellow-orange light appears to emerge from behind the lamp shade.

5.4 Introduction to Animation ============================= This tutorial is a brief tour of the AutoVision animation feature. It shows you how to animate both a camera and a light source.

Note: FLCREATE, and the animation players are on the AutoCAD CD-ROM and in the supplemental pack that you get when you order AutoVision. If you have installed from the AutoVision disks that came in the AutoCAD box, you do not have FLCREATE and the animation players yet, and you cannot go on with this tutorial. If you installed off the CD-ROM, or have installed the supplemental pack you may continue.

5.4.1 Camera Animation

This part of the tutorial uses the same model as the other AutoVision tutorials. It shows you how to animate a scene by revolving the camera around the model.

Creating Camera Movement

First, load the drawing:

Use File Open to open REVOLVE.DWG. This file, and the other file you use in this tutorial, are in the \TUTORIAL directory created when you installed the AutoVision files. The cone, wedge, sphere, and plane are in plan view encircled by a polyline and lit by a point light and a spotlight. The polyline will be the camera path.

Make sure render preferences are set appropriately:

1. Enter RPREF.

2. Make sure Rendering Type is AutoVision.

3. Make sure Destination is set to File and file type is TGA (click More Options under Destination to view the file type).

Depending on how much time you have and the quality of image you want, you can turn Apply Materials on or off, set Sub Sampling to a higher level, and so on. See the reference section on the Render command for details. You can easily and dramatically speed up processing just by turning Sub Sampling up to 2:1, for example.

4. Click OK when you're done with the render settings.

Now you can start specifying the animation.

1. Enter ANIMATE.

The Animation dialog box appears.

2. Click the New button.

3. In the Animation Name dialog box, enter REVOLVE and click OK.

 The name appears in the Animation list.

4. Click Camera Path.

5. In the Camera Path dialog box, click Insert Movement.

The drawing screen reappears and the program prompts you for the camera movement. You can enter the coordinates of a point, use the current camera position, or select a path. In this case you'll select a path.

6. Press Enter, then use the mouse to select the large circular polyline.

The polyline does not highlight, but the command prompt tells you it's picked.

7. At the Target movement prompt, enter PO, then enter the coor- dinates 17,17,8, and press Enter to complete the specification.

The Camera Path dialog box reappears.

8. Click Camera View to see the model from the camera's initial viewpoint, then press any key to return to the dialog.

9. Click OK to dismiss the Camera Path dialog box.

10. In the main Animation dialog box, click Preview.

11. In the Animation Preview dialog box, unselect the Pause Between Frames option, then click OK.

After a pause, the program shows the animation in wireframe.

12. When the main dialog reappears, click the Options button.

13. In the Image File Name Template edit box, enter REVXXXX. Leave the other fields at their default values.

14. Click OK to dismiss the dialog.

Creating and Running the Script

1. Still in the main Animation dialog, click the Save Script button.

2. Click OK to dismiss the dialog.

3. Click Run Script.

The program proceeds to render the image files and store them as .TGA files in the \TUTORIAL directory.

When the process is complete, the AutoCAD prompt appears.

Creating a Movie

To compile the .TGA image files into a .FLC movie file, you must run the FLCREATE program from the DOS prompt. If you are running AutoCAD under DOS, you must exit AutoCAD first. If you're running under Windows and have enough memory, you can start a DOS shell and run FLCREATE from there. If you don't have enough memory, you must exit AutoCAD and Windows and then run FLCREATE.

To run FLCREATE:

1. Enter END to exit AutoCAD.

2. Go to the \ANIM subdirectory of your AutoVision directory.

3. Enter the following command:

FLCREATE ..\TUTORIAL\REV*.TGA /OREVOLVE.FLC

This tells the FLCREATE program to compile all .TGA files starting with rev into a .FLC file called REVOLVE.FLC. The program displays its progress and returns you to the DOS prompt when it is done.

Playing the Movie

To play REVOLVE.FLC, you can run the AAPlay for Windows program or the Player for DOS, depending on which platform you have available. See your "Animation Players Manual" for details on configuration and use of both players.

To run the Player for Windows:

1. From the Program Manager, double-click the Player icon.

2. From the File menu, choose Open Animation, then select REVOLVE.FLC.

3. Click the Play control.

4. Use the other VCR-like controls to stop motion and to move forward or back one frame at a time.

To run the Player for DOS:

1. At the DOS prompt in the \ANIM subdirectory of the AutoVision directory, enter ANIPLAY.

2. When the player screen appears, choose Screen Size from the File menu, select a high-resolution driver appropriate for your system, and click OK.

3. Choose Load Flic from the File menu.

4. In the dialog that appears, enter REVOLVE.FLC in the File field and the path for the \TUTORIAL directory in the Dir field, and then click Load.

5. In the Frames box, click the double-arrow to play the movie. Right click to stop the animation. Press ESC to quit the player.

Other options: Use the single arrow to advance frame-by-frame. Set a play speed of about 35 to produce a good animation effect.

 5.4.2 Light Animation

This part of the tutorial uses a drawing of a house to illustrate how to animate a scene by moving a light source.

First, load the drawing and set render preferences.

1. Use File Open to open SUNSTUDY.DWG. The house appears in plan view.

2. As in the last exercise, make sure the AutoVision renderer is active and set to render to TGA file.

Start the animation function:

3. Enter ANIMATE.

The Animation dialog box appears.

4. Click the New button.

5. In the Animation Name dialog box, enter SUNSTUDY and click OK.

 The name appears in the Animation list.

Now create a camera view:

1. Click Camera Path.

Although you aren't animating the camera in this exercise, you still need a camera view for the animation.

2. In the Camera Path dialog box, click Insert Movement.

This time, when the program prompts you for the camera movement, enter a point.

3. Enter PO, then enter the coordinates 7,5,100, then press Enter.

4. At the Target movement prompt, enter PO, then enter the coordinates 7,5,0, and press Enter to complete the specification.

The Camera Path dialog box reappears.

5. Click Camera View to see the model from the camera's view- point from above the house, then press any key to return to the dialog.

6. Click OK to dismiss the Camera Path dialog box.

Create the light movement

1. In the main Animation dialog box, click Light Path.

2. In the Light Path dialog box, select the light named Sun in the list box.

3. In the Animate On dropdown box, select Time.

4. Click Start/End Time.

5. Enter 8:00 in the Start Time box (or use the slider).

6. Enter 18:00 in the Finish Time box.

7. Click OK to dismiss the dialog.

8. Click Start/End Date.

9. Leave 9/15 as both the Start Date and Finish Date boxes, then click OK to dismiss the dialog.

10. Click OK again to dismiss the Light Path dialog box.

11. Back in the main Animation dialog box, click Options.

12. In the Image File Name Template box, enter SUNXXXX.

13. In the Frames per Second box, enter 15, then click OK.

14. Click Save Script.

15. In the file dialog, enter SUNSTUDY.SCR as the filename, then click OK.

16. Click Run Script.

This creates TGA files SUN0001-SUN0016.TGA.

17. Use the instructions in the last exercise to create and play the a movie, using the SUN0001-SUN0016 TGA files.

Now you have a basic idea how the animation feature of AutoVi- sion works. If you want to explore further, try animating the dis- tant light Sun by date, or animating another light type such as a spotlight, using the SUNSTUDY drawing. Or load the REVOLVE drawing again and try the walk-through feature of the Camera Path dialog. See the Animate command in the "AutoVision User's Guide and Reference" for details.

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