Setting surfaces

Module(s): Animation + Shadow + Shortcut menu in navigation mode

You can use the Set Surface tool (How) to simulate materials by assigning surface properties (incl. luster, reflection and transparency) to each line color and pen color.
These settings are used in views of the Animation and RTRender types as well as by the Render and Record Movie tools.

Activate Set Surface in one of the following ways

• Menu bar: Change Presentation Animation

• Toolbar: Change
• Palette: Tools Change area in the following module(s):

Animation

• Shortcut menu: Navigation Mode selected - Right mouse button

Note: You can save all current surface definitions to a basic color surface file in SUR format by clicking Save as a favorite in the Define surfaces palette.
But if you save the settings in the Surface settings for selected color palette by clicking Save as a favorite, the program saves only the surface definition of the current color as a surface file in SURF format.

Note: The Shadow module also accesses the Set Surface tool; here, however, only the colors assigned are used. The Shadow module cannot process the other parameters.

Additional options for assigning surfaces

To assign a surface definition to a line color or to an element color

1. Click Set Surface (How).

   The Define surfaces palette opens. The program lists only the line colors with assigned surfaces.

   Note: Using or the shortcut menu of a surface, you can Rename or Delete these line colors.

   Tip: To redo all assignments:
   Click to reset all the values in the Define surfaces palette to their defaults.

2. Click New surface.

   Or:

   In order to change a defined surface, click it and go to step 6.

   The Surface settings palette opens.

3. In the Surface properties area, select the Line color you want to change.
4. If you want, you can enter a Name (up to 32 characters) for the surface of the selected line color.
   The default name is the color number with a "*" as a prefix.
5. Click the Change button beside Surface.

   The Surface settings for selected color palette opens.

   Tip: Click to reset the surface definition of the selected color to its defaults.

6. Click Load favorite and select a saved surface in SURF format.

   Or:

   Define the surface settings.

7. Click OK to confirm.

   The Surface settings palette opens again.

8. Click OK to confirm the palette.
9. Repeat steps 2 through 8 to assign more surface settings to line colors.
10. Using Save as a favorite, you can save all current definitions to a basic color surface file in SUR format.
11. Close the Define surfaces palette.

Tip: Using the Properties palette, you can adjust textures applied to 3D solids.