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Table Modeling Tutorial

This tutorial will demonstrate creation and modification of simple DInsight models. We are going to create model of a table. It is recommended to keep the target model Table.glm located in Models\Tutorial\Table folder of the installation directory (C:\Program Files\DInsight\ by default ) opened in another instance of 3D Debugger for reference during the modeling.

Step 1. Creating top of the table.

Step 2. Creating leg of the table.

Step 3. Joining legs to the table.

Step 4. Creating frame of the table.

Step 1. Creating top of the table.

• Launch 3D Debugger or, if it is already open, select File > New menu command. Select Model > "New Object" menu command. Make sure that Solid\General\Box node is selected in the tree control of the dialog. In the Object Name edit box type "Top" to be able to distinguish the object later in Model Explorer. Press Modify button and enter dimensions 120, 80, and 3 starting from the top edit box. Pres OK two times to create the object. Save the model model using File > SaveAs menu command. 

• Later, after the model is finished, you can change shape and dimensions of the table top by selecting points and segments in cross-section and dragging them around. You can also change any side to an arc by using "Change Class" command and modifying its curvature with the mouse or by using "Cur Elem" page of the form.

• Hide the local axes by clearing "Show Local Frame" check box on "Cur Sect" tab.

• Select an appropriate color by using Options dialog available on "Current Object" > Options menu command. Default color is displayed when the object is not selected as current.. To see the color in 3D view, open Model Explorer ( Model > Explore ), select the "Top" node ( the only one currently available ) and press "Make Not Current" button. This will deactivate the object and will show its natural color. Press the button again to make the Top object current.

• To add a texture to the top open "Current object">Material. Select Texture > Load from the menu. Browse to DInsight\Data\Textures\Wood folder and select wood001.bmp file. Check "Use loade texture check box at the top. Press OK."

• The top is ready. Save the model using File > Save or by pressing "s" while holding the Control key.

Step 2. Creating leg of the table.

• Select Model > New Object. In the appeared New Object dialog select Solid\ Rotation Symmetric\Cylinder node. In Object Name edit box type "Leg". Press Modify button to change default dimensions. In the appeared dialog type 2 for radius and 70 for Height. Press OK. Press OK in the New Object dialog. 

• Use the right mouse button to zoom in appropriately. Note that grid changes accordingly, which helps to make more precise mouse operations.

• We will make shape of the leg curved. Press "Break Line" command button on "Cmd" tab and click on the segment in Cross-section View at approximately x = 13.0 position. This will add a new point to the segment. Add another point at approximately x=25.0. Select the segment between these two new points and change it to an arc using "Change Class" command from the context menu (right mouse click in the window). Drag the middle of the arc up a little  to change its curvature.

• If no changes appear in 3D view, increase geometrical resolution for surface calculation For this small feature to be drawn properly the resolution 20 should be enough. In Options dialog, available from "Current Object" > Options command, type 20 in "Simplex per dim" box and press OK. Remember that increasing resolution improves appearance of the surface but also significantly increases computational load on the computer.

• Select the point at x = 0.0 and drag it up a little to make the top joint of the leg to look more stable. 

• If you wish, make further modification to the leg  in a similar fashion according to you taste. 

• Open "Cur Sect" tab of the form view. This tab allows changing position of the current object, which currently is the leg, with respect to global axes of the model and hence with respect to the table top. Select "z" radio button. Click into "Translate by" edit box. Its background should turn green, which means that this edit box is currently attached to the form's slider. Move slider slightly down to move the leg away from the top surface. Then, switching between x and y radio buttons and using the slider, move the leg into corner of the table. If slider has reached its limit release the button. It will be positioned in the center again so you can continue the movement.

• Select appropriate color by using sub menu "Current Object" > Options dialog. This color can also be saved into Catalogue  for later use in other parts of the model or other models. See Catalogue. 

Step 3. Joining legs to the table.

• The leg should be joined to the top of the table so that whole table can be moved in 3D as a solid object. To join, use Model > Explore menu command.  In the tree on the left the "Leg" node should be draw current ( its icon should have green background). Select "Top" node in the tree and in the dialog's menu select Action > Join. Leg will become child object of the Top object, which will be reflected in the dialogs tree control. Close the Model Explorer.

• The previous operation did not change anything in 3D view. To make sure that objects are joined correctly save the model to keep a backup. Modify position of the leg using edit boxes from the  "Cur Obj" tab. Notice that the top of the table moves with the leg. This would also happened if we have selected Top as the current object and moved it in any way. Press Undo button on the tab to restore original position.

• Next we will add three copies of the leg. One way to do that is to save the leg into a separate model and use Import Objects operation three times.  Instead, we will do it by using symmetries.

• Select "Current Object" > Symmetries menu command. In the opened Symmetries dialog select Mirror radio button and press Add. "Mirror symmetry" will appear in the list. Make sure it is selected and press Properties button. In the opened Mirror Symmetry dialog check Show option to see the mirror plane in 3D. In Location group enter 30 into Y edit box. In the Direction group set X, Y and Z values to 0, 1, and 0 respectively. The mirror plane will be positioned in the middle of the table along its longer side. A copy of the leg will appear on its other side. Clear Show check box and close the Mirror symmetry dialog.

• To add the other two legs we could have added another mirror symmetry. Instead, we will try Translation symmetry. Open Symmetries dialog again, select Translation and press Add button. Select Translation in the list, open its properties and enter 100, 0, 0 into X, Y and Z edit boxes respectively. Close the dialog. Another two copies of the leg (or rather another copy of the previous pair ) will appear in 3D.

• Hide local axes by clearing "Show Local Frame" check box on "Cur Sect" tab and save the model.

Step 4. Creating frame of the table.

• Here we will create a simple flat plank to use it in assembly of the table. Open New Object dialog and make sure Solid\General\Box node is selected. Enter "Short Plank" name for the object. Press Modify button. and enter X=2, Y=62, Z=9 for dimensions. Press OK twice to create the object.

• Move the plank using "Cur Obj" form page to connect two legs on the left side of the table. More precisely: Select x axis. In the "Translate by" edit box type 10 and press tab key. Select y axis and enter 10 into the "Translate by" box..

• To add a replica of the plank of the opposite side open "Current Object">Symmetries dialog. In "New Symmetry" group select Translation and press Add. Press Properties button. Enter for the translation vector (100, 0, 0) and press OK.

• Clear "Show Local Frame" check box on "Cur Sect" tab.

• Join the plank to the Top section like in the beginning of the Step 3.

• Set color close to one of the leg using "Current Object" > Options dialog. You can also use stored materials to keep colors consistent.  See Catalogue.

• Create another plank for the rear part of the table frame by adding a new box object like above with dimensions X=100, Y=2 and Z=9. 

• Position the plank between rear legs and join it to the Top section.