Exterior3D - Documentation
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ABOUT EXTERIOR3D
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(Version 1.0, December 4, 2003)
Exterior3D is a program for real-time, interactive digital terrain modeling (DTM). It can import and export DXF, making it an ideal utility for moving terrain data into 3D modeling programs. It can also be very helpful by allowing the user to see, simultaneously in both 2D and 3D, how triangulation and contouring change as data is manipulated.
Exterior3D requires Mac OS X 10.2 or newer, and hopes are for it to be ported to Windows in Spring 2004. The introductory price is US$100. A free demo may be downloaded from the web site.
COMPUneering Inc.
info@compuneering.com
905-738-4601; fax: 905-738-5207
www.compuneering.com
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FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS
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Exterior3D
(Version 1.0, December 4, 2003)
FEATURES
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DTMs with TINs
Create multiple digital terrain models (DTMs), using the Triangulated Irregular Network (TIN) method, in each document. There's no specific limit on how many data objects (points and polys) can be used as data.
Contour mapping
Contour lines are threaded through the model. You can interactively change parameters such as contour interval and the display of labels.
Import DXF
You can import raw data from a Tab-delimited or DXF-formatted text file. Exterior3D makes use of POINT, POLYLINE, LWPOLYLINE, and 3DFACE entities.
Import of tab-delimited point data
Exterior3D can import data from even the most basic spreadsheet or word processor. You indicate which items are to be read, such as point number, y, x, z, and description.
Export DXF
Export DTMs as 3DFACE or POLYLINE (polyface mesh) entities (for triangles or rectangular grid) and POLYLINE entities (for contour lines). The result is a DXF-formatted text file.
Compatible with modeling and CAD programs
Import data from, and export data to, 3D modeling and CAD programs such as SketchUp, VectorWorks, AutoCAD and BOA.
Uses points and/or polys as data
Work with discrete topo shots, polys derived from old maps, data entered by mouse, or any combination.
Add or remove data from models
Add or remove data from an existing terrain model, and the model will be automatically recalculated.
Data by mouse
Draw and edit points and polys with the mouse. Drag to move or raise points, polys, or poly vertices. Polys may be toggled back and forth between being open or closed.
Real-time manipulation
Watch the model being continuously redrawn in both 2D and 3D as you manipulate the data.
Multiple simultaneous views
Create multiple simultaneously-viewed 2D and 3D views, with independent controls for each. Any number of windows may be opened for each document. Each window may be toggled between 2D and 3D viewing. Using the mouse and keyboard, the view in each window may be individually and smoothly zoomed and panned.
3D view
In a 3D view, the models may be displayed in wireframe, or rendered and optionally smoothed, using OpenGL. Colors are set by the user. The view may be rotated at will by dragging with the mouse.
Drawing scale
Can be changed at any time, or set to fit the data. When printing, this scale is used, irregardless of the current zoom. Only a 2D view can be printed.
Multiple Undo
Undo and Redo any number of times since the document was last saved.
Units of measure
A wide variety of units of measure may be used, both English and metric; switch back and forth without changing the actual sizes or locations of objects.
Labels Each object and DTM may have a label consisting of a variety of optional items; the label is updated automatically as the object changes.
Cut and fill calculations
Calculate cut, fill, and net volumes for each model, as well as plan and slope areas.
Mac OS X, Aqua interface
Developed with Apple's own tools, Project Builder and Interface Builder, this Cocoa program sports the latest Mac OS X interface, Aqua.
SPECIFICATIONS
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Current version: 1.0 (December 4, 2003)
System requirements: Mac OS X version 10.2 or later. Windows: maybe Spring 2004; join our mailing list, or check back again.
Price: US$100 (limited-time introductory price).
Demo: Download a free demo.
Free support: We give free support for the current version of Exterior3D.
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EXTERIOR3D DOCUMENTATION
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INTRODUCTION
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Exterior3D Program Description and Documentation
(Version 1.0, December 4, 2003)
This document instructs how to use Exterior3D, and covers all details of the program. There is a separate features and specifications sheet which summarizes the features, price, etc.
You may want to start by watching the short movies at www.compuneering.com.
When you see a phrase such as “Choose SomeMenu > Some Command,” it means to choose Some Command from the SomeMenu menu in the menu bar. For instance, “Choose File > New” means choose New from the File menu.
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QUICKSTART 1: DXF IMPORT AND EXPORT
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To quickly use the program to convert a DXF file containing contours into a DXF file containing surfaces describing the terrain, proceed as follows.
* Double-click the program icon in the Finder.
A window will appear, as well as a Tools palette.
IMPORT DATA
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* Choose File > Import DXF....
* Select the file named Exterior3D sample input 1.dxf, and click the Open button.
The data (polys, in this case) in the file should now appear in the window, and all be selected (with blue handles appearing at each poly vertex). (You could instead import the file Exterior3D sample input 2.dxf; same idea, different terrain.) (See the chapter on Import for more details.)
CREATE A DTM
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* Choose DTM > Create DTM, or press Command-T.
(If the command is not available, click in the window, then press Command-A to select all objects again.) The selected objects will be used to create a DTM. You should see contour lines.
EXPORT
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* Choose File > Export DXF....
See the chapter on Export for more details. Read the contents of the sheet which drops down from your window’s title bar. In most cases you will want the file name to end with the default dxf suffix.
* Click the OK button.
Contours, if displayed in a 3D view, are exported as POLYLINE entities. Surfaces are exported as one polyface mesh (a POLYLINE variant which groups all the triangles or quadrilaterals together into one data structure), or as 3DFACE entities (one 3DFACE for each triangle of the TIN). Polyface is the default; 3DFACE is required for the architectural program BOA.
* Give the file a name, indicate where to place it, and click the Save button.
The file should now be ready for import into another program which reads DXF. (Each line is terminated with a carriage return, which is standard on the Macintosh.) The suffix assigned to the file name is “dxf” by default; you could change the suffix for an individual file if you need to.
* Use a 3D modeling or CAD program to open the file which you exported.
If this doesn’t work for you, contact COMPUneering Inc.
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QUICKSTART 2: VARIOUS FUNCTIONS
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To get more of a feel for the program, proceed as follows.
* If the program is not running, double-click the program icon in the Finder.
A window will appear, as well as a Tools palette.
* If the program was already running, choose File > New, or press Command-N.
This will start a new document. You could instead just select all the items in the original document, and press Delete.
CREATE DATA
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* Select the Point Tool (the fifth tool from the top, marked with an “X”).
* Click in several random spots in the window.
A point will appear at each location where you clicked. Try to have a point near each of the four corners of the window, so that most of the area of the window will be within your data cloud, and a few points within this area.
* Select the Selection Tool (the topmost tool, marked with an arrow cursor).
This is to avoid adding more points inadvertently later on.
* Choose Edit > Select All (or press Command-A).
All contents of the window will be selected.
CREATE A DTM
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* Choose DTM > Create DTM (or press Command-T).
A DTM will be created and displayed, representing the existing terrain. No contour lines will appear, since all data is by default at elevation 0.0.
CREATE A 3D VIEW
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* Choose Window > New Window (or press Shift-Command-N).
A new window will appear.
* Drag the new window to the right.
This is so that you can see the contents of both windows simultaneously.
* While the new window is frontmost, choose View > 3D (or press Shift-Command-T).
The contents will be displayed in 3D. Since the terrain is still all horizontal, this won’t be very impressive looking. Scroll in order to center the DTM in the window.
* Click the first window.
The original window (with the 2D view) will come to the front.
MANIPULATE THE DATA
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* Click in white space.
This is so as to deselect all objects.
* While holding down the Control key, drag a point up and down.
Holding down this key causes vertical mouse movements to raise and lower the selected point. Only the z value changes; the point will not move within the x-y (horizontal) plane. You can see contour lines appearing and changing in the 2D view, and triangles moving in the 3D view.
* Without holding any keys down, drag a point around.
You will see the contours and triangulation change as the point moves horizontally.
MANIPULATE THE 3D VIEW
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* Click in the window with the 3D view.
This brings the window to the front.
* Press the mouse button and drag around in the view.
This will move the viewpoint (where you are looking from). Your viewpoint is on the surface of an imaginary sphere, and you are looking towards the center of the sphere. Neither this nor any other view manipulation will change the data itself.
* Hold down both the Control key and the Shift key, and drag up and down.
This will zoom in and out, analogous to changing the radius of the imaginary sphere.
* Hold down both the Control key and the Option key, and drag around.
This will pan the view, analogous to moving the center of the imaginary sphere on which your viewpoint is located. There are no scroll bars for panning the 3D view.
MANIPULATE THE 2D VIEW
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* Click in the window with the 2D view.
This brings the window to the front.
* Choose View > Zoom Out (or press Command-hyphen).
This will zoom out by a factor of two, making everything look smaller.
* Choose View > Zoom In (or press Command-=).
This will zoom in (enlarge) by a factor of two. (Zooming in and out with these two commands also works in 3D views.)
* Hold down both the Control key and the Shift key, and drag up and down.
This will zoom in and out.
* Hold down both the Control key and the Option key, and drag around.
This will pan the view.
* Choose View > Fit to Window (or press Shift-Command-H).
This will zoom in or out by whatever factor is necessary in order for all data to just fit inside the window. (This applies only to the 2D view.)
UNDO/REDO
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* Choose Edit > Undo (or press Command-Z).
You can choose Undo any number of times, until you are back to the state of the document the last time it was saved (or until the document is blank, if it has never been saved). Undo affects both the data and most aspects of the views; it does not affect windows, defaults, etc. Any menu command, keyboard, or mouse action which affects the data in the drawing can be Undone.
* Choose Edit > Redo (or press Shift-Command-Z).
You can Redo any number of times, until the last action which you Undid has been Redone. You can go back and forth between Undo and Redo. But if you’ve Undone one or more times and then perform some action on the data, you can no longer Redo the actions which you previously Undid.
CREATING AND MANIPULATING A POLY
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* Make sure that the frontmost window is in 2D view.
* Choose View > Fit to Window (or press Shift-Command-H).
* Select the Poly Tool (the last tool).
* Click inside the DTM, near its left edge.
Make sure you press AND release the mouse button. This will begin the creation of a poly; as you move the mouse (with the button up), note that a line appears, connecting the location where you clicked to the current location of the mouse.
* Click inside the DTM, near its middle.
This establishes the first leg of the poly.
* Double-click inside the DTM, near its right edge.
Make sure you don’t move the mouse while you double-click. Double-clicking in one location (or single-clicking on the first vertex of the poly) will end the creation of the poly. If you moved the mouse, you could double-click again, then Undo the creation of the poly, and start creating a poly from scratch.
* Select the Selection Tool (the topmost tool).
* Press on any of the legs of the poly, and drag it around.
This demonstrates one way to move an entire poly. Then bring it back to where you started, or choose Undo from the Edit menu.
* Press on any one of the vertices of the poly, and drag it around.
This is the way to reshape a poly. Then bring it back to where you started, or choose Undo from the Edit menu.
* Choose Add to DTM from the Object menu.
This will cause the poly (which was still selected) to be considered as data for the DTM, and the DTM to be recalculated. The poly does not need to be totally (or even partially) within the DTM.
* While holding down the Control key, drag the poly up and down.
This will change the elevation of the poly; you can observe the effect on the DTM in both of the windows. If you Control-drag a leg up and down, the whole poly changes elevation; if you Control-drag a vertex, only the vertex changes elevation.
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IMPORT
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You can import data from an ASCII file.
Data in an ASCII file must be in one of the following formats: tabular (such as x, y, z); or DXF. It can be a Macintosh file (which ends with a carriage return); a Windows or DOS file (which ends with a newline character); or a Unix file (which ends with a carriage return and newline, in that order) (a newline character is the same as a linefeed character).
Before you import into a document, ensure that the units for the document match those of the data which you are importing.
TABULAR
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A dialog box will appear in which you can indicate whether a point number is to be read; whether x precedes y; whether a z value is to be read; whether a description is to be read; and whether the delimiting character (between fields) is a Tab or a comma. You can also indicate how many lines should be skipped at the beginning of the file, such as for headings. Blank lines interspersed among the data are ignored.
DXF
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The program can read a text (ASCII) DXF file, but not a binary DXF file nor a DWG file. The program does not read which units are used, so you must set the units of the document you are importing into before you import.
Only the ENTITIES section is read; no other section is required. The following entities are read: POINT, POLYLINE, LWPOLYLINE, and 3DFACE.
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EXPORT
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You can export a DTM by choosing File > Export DXF...; doing so creates a DXF file (text, not binary).
The file contains a basic HEADER section (giving the version number of DXF, which is Release 12), and the ENTITIES section. The lineweight and color are the same for all entities: black, and 1.
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TOOLS
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There are six tools in the Tools palette, as follows, starting from the top:
* Selection Tool
* Point Selection Tool
* Poly Selection Tool
* DTM Selection Tool
* Point Tool
* Poly Tool
All three of the specific selection tools will operate in the same way as the general Selection Tool, except that they can only select objects of a specific type.
The tools are used as follows.
Selection Tool
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2D view: Click an object (of any kind) to select it. Drag an object to move it. Hold down the Control key while you drag an object up and down in order to raise or lower it. Hold down the Control key while you drag a poly vertex up and down, to raise or lower just that vertex. Click in white space (where no object exists) to deselect anything which is selected. Press in white space and drag to define an imaginary rectangle; when you release, all objects which are wholly within that rectangle will be selected. Hold down the Shift key while you click an object to alternately select and deselect it, without changing whether other objects are selected. Double-click an object to display it in the Info palette.
3D view: Drag to do a flyaround (this will change your position on an imaginary sphere as you look towards the center of the sphere). This does not change the data.
Any view: Control-Shift-drag: zoom in and out as you drag up and down. Control-Option-drag: pan (moves the image around). Neither of these actions changes the data.
Point Selection Tool
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Same as the Selection Tool, but can only select points.
Poly Selection Tool
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Same as the Selection Tool, but can only select polys.
DTM Selection Tool
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Same as the Selection Tool, but can only select DTMs.
Point Tool
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Click in the 2D view to create a new point where you clicked. Remember to click on a selection tool when you are finished creating points.
Poly Tool
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Click in the 2D view to begin creating a new poly. After you release the mouse button, move the mouse to where you want the second vertex, and click again. When you reach the location where you want to place the last new vertex, double-click. If you want the poly to be a closed poly, click on the original vertex. Or terminate the poly by double-clicking when you create the last new vertex, then click the Close checkbox in the Info palette. (While the new poly is the only selected object, press Shift-Command-I to show the Info palette, if it’s not already showing.) Remember to click on a selection tool when you are finished creating polys.
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KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
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Command-?: Help
Command-A: Select All
Shift-Command-H: Fit Data to Window
Shift-Command-I: Show/Hide Info Palette
Command-N: New (new document)
Shift-Command-N: New Window (additional view of document of frontmost window)
Command-O: Open... (open a saved Exterior3D document)
Command-P: Print...
Command-Q: Quit
Command-S: Save
Command-T: Create DTM
Shift-Command-T: 3D/2D (toggles view in frontmost window between 2D and 3D)
Command-W: Close (closes frontmost window of a document)
Shift-Command-W: Wireframe (toggles between wireframe and solid)
Command-Z: Undo
Shift-Command-Z: Redo
Command-hyphen: Zoom Out (makes image appear smaller)
Command-=: Zoom In (makes image appear larger)
Control-Shift-drag: zoom in and out as you drag up and down
Control-Option-drag: pan
Control-drag: raise or lower selection in 2D view as you drag up and down
Delete: Delete
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MENU COMMANDS (SUMMARY)
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FILE
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New
Open...
Open Recent
Import Tab-delimited...
Import DXF...
Export DXF...
Close
Save
Save As...
Page Setup...
Print...
EDIT
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Undo
Redo
Cut
Copy
Paste
Delete
Select All
DOC
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Units ...
Scale and Origin...
Fit Drawing to Data
OBJECT
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Change Elevations...
Move...
Add to DTM
Remove From DTM
Toggle Labels
POINT
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Edit Points...
DTM
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Create DTM
Select Data
VIEW
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Zoom In
Zoom Out
Zoom to 100%
Fit to Window
3D/2D
Wireframe
Smooth Surface
Show/Hide 3D Controls
WINDOW
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New Window
Minimize
Show Info
Tools
Bring All to Front
(list of open windows)
HELP
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Exterior3D Help
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MENU COMMANDS (DETAIL)
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FILE
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New
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Create a new document. One window will appear, with a 2D view.
Open...
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Open a previously-saved document of the program. In order to import data from a DXF or Tab-delimited file, you need to have an Exterior3D document open (even if it’s new and empty), then use an Import command.
Open Recent
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A convenient list of Exterior3D files which were recently saved or opened.
Import Tab-delimited...
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Import Tab-delimited data (such as x, y, z) into the document. See the chapter on Import.
Import DXF...
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Import DXF data into the document. See the chapter on Import.
Export DXF...
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Export a DTM to an ASCII (text) DXF file. See the chapter on Export.
Close
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Close the frontmost window. If the frontmost window is the only open window of a document, and the document has been changed since the last time it was saved or created, you will be asked if you want to save the document.
Save
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Save the current document. If it has never been saved, you will be prompted for a name and location.
Save As...
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Save the current document under a different name. You will be prompted for a name and location.
Page Setup...
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Not much use in this version of the program.
Print...
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Print the contents of the 2D view of the document. Ignores the current zoom; uses the drawing scale and origin. If you were to zoom out, you would see a white rectange in a sea of gray; whatever is in the white rectangle will be printed. There isn’t yet any direct way to print the contents of a 3D view, though you could take a screen shot, open it in a program such as Preview, and print from there.
EDIT
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Undo
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Undoes the last action which you performed on the data. An action can be a menu command, a change in the Info palette, or the dragging of an object. You can Undo back to the last time you saved the document, or to a blank document if you never saved the document. Changes to views, document parameters (such as scale), etc. are mostly Undoable, though changes to windows (such as opening, closing, resizing) are generally not.
Redo
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Redoes the last actions which you performed on the data and subsequently Undid. You can Redo everything that you’ve Undone. If you’ve Undone one or more actions and then performed a new action, then you cannot Redo any of the actions which you Undid just before performing the new action.
Cut
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Not yet implemented.
Copy
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Not yet implemented.
Paste
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Not yet implemented.
Delete
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You can Delete any object or objects. They will be removed from the document. You can Delete a DTM even if none of its data is selected. It is recommended that you not delete all of a DTM’s data without deleting the DTM at the same time or beforehand. Pressing the Delete key is the same as choosing this menu command.
Select All
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This will select all objects of all types.
DOC
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Units...
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Allows you to change the units and numerical formats of various kinds of values. If you want to switch from one system of units to another, you typically will want to make the change for most of the kinds.
The number of digits which you specify will be the number of places to the right of the decimal point (minimum 0; maximum 15).
Changing units and numerical formats makes no difference to the actual values stored for the objects.
Scale and Origin...
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The scale of the drawing is in the form of a ratio. A scale of 1:1 means that 1 inch on the screen represents 1 inch in real world coordinates (zooming in and out changes the apparent scale in the window, but not for printing). A scale of 1:480 means that 1 inch on the screen represents 480” (or 40’) in real world coordinates. The scale is set automatically when you choose File > Fit Drawing to Data, and can always be set manually by you.
The origin can also be set manually or automatically, just like the scale. It is represented by two coordinates, representing the x and y values at the bottom left of the drawing (the white area in a 2D view).
Drawing size is currently limited to one page.
Fit Drawing to Data
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This will adjust the scale and origin so that all data will fit inside the drawing. You may need to choose View > Fit to Window (Shift-Command-H) after choosing this.
OBJECT
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Change Elevations...
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Change the elevations of selected objects. You can either set them TO a specific value, or raise them BY a value (a negative value would lower them). If you change the elevation of a poly to a certain value, all vertices of the poly will be assigned that elevation value, whether or not the poly was originally horizontal. If you change the elevation of a poly by a certain value, then each vertex will be raised by that value; a non-horizontal poly will remain non-horizontal in this case.
Move...
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Dialog box allows you to specify a distance to move the selected objects by, in the x, y, and/or z directions.
Add to DTM
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The selected points and polys will be incorporated into the selected DTM (if there’s only one DTM, it does not need to be selected). An object can be part of more than one DTM, though this could get confusing. The DTM will be recalculated.
Remove From DTM
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The selected points and polys will be disassociated from whatever DTM(s) they were associated with. The DTM will be recalculated.
Toggle Labels
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For each selected object, turns the label display on if it was off, or off it was on. This doesn’t guarantee that you’ll see anything in the label; you may have to first indicate for the selected objects what to show in the label when the label is displayed.
POINT
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Edit Points...
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You can enter values for certain parameters of the selected points. For label display, three-state checkboxes are used: a dash means no change to the selected points; a checkmark means turn the item on for all of the selected points; and an empty checkbox means turn the item off for the selected points. For coordinates, all of the selected points will acquire the given coordinate if and only if you also place a checkmark in the checkbox to the left of the value. If you were to place a checkmark in each of the x and y checkboxes, then all the selected points would end up at the same location; checking the z checkbox would also give them the same elevation.
DTM
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Create DTM
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Will use all selected data to create a DTM. If all the data is at the same elevation, you will not see any contours. If you want to see triangles in a 2D view, you’ll have to indicate your desire in the Info Palette.
Select Data
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All data of the selected DTM will be selected.
VIEW
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Zoom In
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Doubles the zoom factor; appears to magnify the data. Has no effect on the scale of the drawing or what is printed. (2D and 3D.)
Zoom Out
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Halves the zoom factor; appears to shrink the data. Has no effect on the scale of the drawing or what is printed. (2D and 3D.)
Zoom to 100%
--------
Zooms in or out so as to bring the zoom to 100%. This was the zoom before any zooming in or out. Printing is always done at a zoom of 100%, regardless of the zoom of the particular view you are looking at. (2D only.)
Fit to Window
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Zooms in or out, then pans, so that all data in the document will fit the window. (2D only.)
3D/2D
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Toggles back and forth between a 3D view and a 2D view in the window. (2D and 3D.)
Wireframe
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Toggles back and forth between a wireframe image and a rendered one. (3D only.)
Smooth Surface
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Toggles back and forth between a smooth rendering and a faceted one. Smooth may appear more natural, while faceted may be easier to compare with data. (3D only.)
Show/Hide 3D Controls
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Opens a drawer (an extension of the window) to the side of the frontmost window. In the drawer are several sliders which you can use to alter lighting and material properties. Changes apply only to the 3D view. (2D and 3D.)
WINDOW
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New Window
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Creates a new window for viewing the current document. You can have any number of windows displaying the contents of one document. The name of each subsequent window will be the same as the name of the document. The new window and view will be identical to the window which was frontmost when this command was chosen.
Minimize
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Moves the window to the dock; this is a service provided by the operating system.
Show Info
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Shows or hides the Info palette.
Tools
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Shows the Tool palette if it is closed.
Bring All to Front
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Moves all the application’s windows in front of the windows of all other open applications; this is a service provided by the operating system.
(list of open windows)
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Each open window is listed here, and can be brought to the front by choosing it from this list.
HELP
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Exterior3D Help
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Shows the standard Mac OS X Help Viewer, and displays the front page of the Exterior3D help contents. The contents are installed along with the program, so they are always available.
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CONTACT COMPUNEERING
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When in doubt, contact COMPUneering. Support is free for one year.
COMPUneering Inc.
113 McCabe Crescent
Thornhill ON L4J 2S6
CANADA
support@compuneering.com
Tel.: 905-738-4601 (9 AM - 5 PM, Eastern time, please)
Fax: 905-738-5207
URL: www.compuneering.com
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