topic Re: Surface Catalog previews - any way to see larger versions? in Visualization

Surface Catalog previews - any way to see larger versions?

Karl Ottenstein — Thu, 11 May 2023 10:49:13 GMT

A recent post had me looking at the contents of the Additional Surface Catalog... and wondering if anyone has any tips for viewing the catalog thumbnails larger - at least double or even larger?

Attached is screenshot of a catalog browsing view for reference. The thumbnails are so ridiculously small, and on spheres, rather than flat surfaces, that it is really impossible to see what they will look like until tediously adding each one to the project so that you can apply it to a surface. I understand the rationale for spheres - to better show specular effects, as is standard in the world of 3D modeling/animation... but in architecture, most of our textures are applied to flat surfaces, or perhaps rounded columns, and very rarely to spheres. So the distortion gives no idea of the actual texture and bump details that are more important I think to our community.

Ideas? Is there a PDF from Graphisoft perhaps with all library surfaces illustrated when applied to walls/slabs perhaps?

Re: Surface Catalog previews - any way to see larger versions?

Stress Co_ — Sun, 11 Feb 2018 02:18:44 GMT

I add the library, then view the catalog in "Surface Painter".
Still spheres, but if you set to Large Icons... you can see them a
little better.

Re: Surface Catalog previews - any way to see larger versions?

Karl Ottenstein — Sun, 11 Feb 2018 19:50:33 GMT

That's at least something! Thanks, Marc!

Unfortunately - beyond seeing spheres for totally planar materials - I see no way to actually browse a catalog with Surface Painter.

You have to know what you're looking for and type in a search term. For me, when the search term is blank, rather than seeing all loaded surfaces, I just see some subset (the ones assigned to attributes perhaps - no idea where this set comes from). But, if I type "brick" than lots of surfaces with the phrase "brick" show up. I don't see any easy way of figuring out how to browse any catalog completely - or if I see something, to know what catalog it came from...??

Re: Surface Catalog previews - any way to see larger versions?

Earthworm — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 10:35:31 GMT

Press <space>, it'll show all materials if i'm correct