3D Objects, Fixtures, Attachments, Lights, Cabinets

These objects include objects built in 3D workshop either by the user or by Punch!. These latter objects are termed "fixtures" or "attachments". One further class of objects are those built by specialized PowerTools, such as fireplaces, pools, ceilings and mantles (new in 12.0), and TKE's Exterior Decorator and GeoDome. The "3D objects" are created by the user (or downloaded from a user library). Fixtures are also 3D objects, but they are drawn by Punch! and attached to certain tools like the floor drain in the Plumbing tab. Attachments are objects that are created with Punch! tools (like the toilet and electrical outlet tools), and that must be attached to a wall. Lights are actually fixtures (except for the floodlight, which is an attachment) which have options for showing a lighted glow and throw shadows. Cabinets are a class of 3D objects created by the Cabinet Wizard PowerTool, and handled specially. The attachments and fixtures often have special effects that 3D objects don't have; for example, spas, tubs and showers may have dimensions set as properties, the lights have settings, and doors can be opened and closed. (While doors and windows are technically attachments, they'll be discussed separately below).

3D Objects

For InSync's purposes, Fixtures are treated as 3D Objects. A list of such fixtures includes:

The dialog for adjusting 3D oobjects is shown below on the left.

Elevation selects the elevation of the object. Setting this will set all the 3D objects so that the share the same elevation. Elevation has a special meaning for attachments, because the elevation is measured relative to the bottom of the wall rather than to the zero reference plane.

Shadow sets for all the objects that they will or won't cast shadows when the rendering asks for shadows.

Finish sets all the objects' surfaces to a single color or texture. As described on the Finish page any custom color, color selected from a color wheel, standard texture, custom texture or palette finish (or combinations) may be selected. Most surfaces in an object can be separately colored; this option colors all surfaces the same. A sample of the selected finish is displayed beside the button.

Shading allows the direction of shading of all the surfaces of an object to be selected; the possibilities are default, transparent, down, left right and up (the latter four represent the direction of the light-to-dark gradient). This option is only available in 8.0 and up; the transparency choice is only allowed in 10.0 and up.

If the Shading choice is "transparent", then this option is enabled and allows the amount of opaqueness (the inverse of transparency) to be chosen, from 0 to 100%. 100% opaqueness is 0% transparent. All transparent surfaces in the selected objects are set to the same value. This option is only available in 10.0 and up.

   

Attachments

The Attachment dialog is displayed above on the right.

Attachment type selects the exact kind of attachment for all the selected attachments. A list of types include:

Elevation sets the attachment's elevation as above. The only difference is that for attachments the elevation is set relative to the bottom of the wall it is attached to, not the zero plane, so it is ina addition to the wall's elevation. As outlined in The Ten Commandments of the Vertical, a elevation of zero would cause the attachment to rest on the wall's autofloor.

Wall side determines which side of a wall the attachment is visible on. When looking down a wall from its start point towards the end point, the right side of the wall is on the viewer's eight hand. The choices are, of course, Left and Right.

Width and Depth are a pair of measurements that are available for use when the attachment type is a tub, a spa or a shower. They will set the attachment's respective dimensions.

Lights

Lights are functionally fixtures (except for the floodlight, which is a wall attachment), but they all have the ability to be a light source as well as a fixture, so they are grouped separately with a distinct dialog box to handle those distinct properties.

There are a number of light types:

The glows are designed to be used with other lighting objects. All of the lights except for the ceiling fixture have glow effects and beam effects controlled by the settings below; the ceiling fixture has glow effects only. The ligting dialog is displayed below.

Elevation sets the elevation of the lights selected. If a light is a floodlight the elevation is relative to the wall it is attached to, or for other types, simply their absolute elevation.

Wall side sets, for floodlights only, the side of the wall the fixture is attached to.

Light on sets the lights on or off.

Ambient is an on/off toggle whose effects are not known.

Brightness set brightness of the fixture glow in the range 0 to 100%.

Radius sets the radius (focus) of the beam from 0 (wide) to 100 (narrow).

Falloff sets the strength of the beam over distance in the range from 0 (hi falloff) to 100 (low falloff).

Cabinets

Cabinets are created as 3D objects by the Cabinet Wizard, but they carry forward special parameters which allow them to be re-edited within the Cabinet Wizard. Editing these parameters will not change the existing cabinets; they will only take effect if the cabinets are drawn back into the Cabinet Wizard. Since they are 3D Objects, they can also be edited in the 3D Workshop, but note that these edits will disappear if the Cabinets are ever edited in the Cabinet Wizard. InSync does not provide editing of cabinets as yet.

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