My Materials

[Anonymous]

Hi all
i'm a newbie to AC10 (but loving it after tearing my hair out with AC8) and i'm amazed the material library has not been expanded.
I have recently spent hours on Sketchup as its so quick and easy and the material editor is a dream, but i've been forced to come back to AC as i need the sense of realism that its rendering provides.

Two questions then:
1. Can i alter a 'standard' colour? ie. One wall is green but i need the other wall to be the same green but a shade lighter..

2. How do i apply a material to an object? i have a nice library of brick samples etc but i cant seem to find a way to import, apply, scale/rotate texture etc

Basic stuff i know but my company cant justify spending £500 per day for training (even though i would happily scrap Autocad and use AC for everything) so i'm self teaching

ta muchly

[Dwight]

Two questions then:

1. Can i alter a 'standard' colour? ie. One wall is green but i need the other wall to be the same green but a shade lighter.
•••••••••••

Materials [Surfaces, actually] are represented differently in each of the three rendering engines. They are related, but not automatically and not directly.

In the Material Settings for each material is a color. Edit it. If you are working with textures or shaders, you'll need to replace the texture with another colored texture, or change the shader color.

There is a special shader "Wrapped Filtered Image" that permits tinting a texture map.

2. How do i apply a material to an object? i have a nice library of brick samples etc but i cant seem to find a way to import, apply, scale/rotate texture etc
•••••••••••••••
The Material Setting Dialog is where a texture is assigned, scaled and rotated.
Texture files must be installed in the library to be accessible.

COMMENT: I am sorry that your firm won't spring for a basic training for you because most of this could be addressed in a half-day. Rather have you flounder around like an idiot for weeks until you figure it out, I guess. And suffer the experimental results. Then cut your salary for being so unproductive. There's a formula for success.

To fully explain the material/texture/shader process would be an entire book. A book Graphisoft didn't write.

In your case, luckily, there's ArchiCAD University in Nottingham close by - annually, early next month - a fun-filled weekend of Archicad frolics.

PS: There's also this book......

[Anonymous]

Thanks Dwight

Firstly what in gods name are you doing in your avatar?! ive always wondered..
ok so...."In the Material Settings for each material is a color. Edit it." errr...how exactly?! i have searched all over AC and the only material dialog box is under Options, Element Attributes, Materials which confuses me even more as that seems to only apply to rendering.

[Anonymous]

Oh and i looked into the Nottingham Uni option btw and while it all looks very interesting i dont think the wife would approve of me paying £300 to stay for a weekend in a hotel (especially without her!)
I guess its back to the help files/forums on this one - your book interests me but again its not cheap - dont get me wrong im not scrooge or anything but i spent a lot on AC8 as well as tutorial books and could never get to grips with it then so once bitten....

[Dwight]

Anytime you look at a 3D image, it is "rendered."
Three rendering engines that matter:

Internal
OpenGL
LightWorks


Develop a basic understanding of material behavior.

Study the options in the Material Settings for each rendering method. Buy my book.

[Anonymous]

HYAGROUND wrote:
Firstly what in gods name are you doing in your avatar?! ive always wondered...

He is calculating the size of the red arrow on his next screenshot...

Keep it up Dwight!

[Dwight]

Rendering is a complex and subtle art that is poorly explained in technical literature. You need to invest in another alternative.

I've suggested two bargain solutions for you:

1: To commune for the measly bargain sum of £300[Weight of paper bills = 1/4 oz] with the UK's Archicad experts for three days, lodging, collegiality and training included. If you are so pussiwipt, take the wife along, already. It's a bargain to include her. Swimming pool/spa adjacent to Nightingale Hall. Exciting downtown Nottingham to be explored [joke]. Send her out for hair frosting or something on Friday.

or

2: A great full color book that will take you from beginner to skilled operator.

And here's an expensive solution:

1: Burn your time experimenting. I'm an expert at this stuff and took months with the Beta and my library of rendering books to figure out and apply LightWorks to Archicad. You will not figure this out in a weekend on your own, especially if you are starting from a place where you can't change a material color.

Cut down on pints and smokes for a couple days.

[Dwight]

avatar essay link:

http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?p=66943&highlight=avatar#66943

[Anonymous]

ok so...."In the Material Settings for each material is a color. Edit it." errr...how exactly?! i have searched all over AC and the only material dialog box is under Options, Element Attributes, Materials which confuses me even more as that seems to only apply to rendering.

Go to; Options menu > Materials. Note where is says surface color, double click on the colored square. This will bring up a pallete that will allow you to change the color.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Dave i tried Options, Element Attributes, Materials, Surface Colour but it dosnt make any difference to the door, wall etc - any ideas? (im using AC10)

Dwight, sorry to hear the stand-up thing didnt work but look on the bright side - now you are a highly paid architect instead (a measly sum of £300 you say?!)
Btw does the hotel have a creche as my 1 year old would have to come too...
Anyway enough of my bitching, i will endeavour to start saving for your book now (have to sell a kidney as my drinking/smoking only amounts to a fiver a week these days