New Shape properties dialog “3D Height and Tilt”
3D Visioner implements a logical and clean separation with MS Visio flat drawing concept by establishing 3D representation of the “top down” drawing view. All user actions happen on the drawing and objects on it. Moving shapes on the ground surphase, resizing and rotating is easy and natural in MS Visio. However, in 3D, objects do have height (as vertical size) and elevation (as a position above the ground). These aspects are not visible in flat drawing mode, but any shape can be adjusted with these parameters, so that in 3D scene it is at certain heigh with certain vertical size.
Except its own ribbon menu, 3D Visioner adds one and only menu into MS Visio — shape-specific “3D Height and Tilt” context menu. This menu is visible as “shape properties” — invoked via right mouse click, it opens “3D Height and Tilt” panel, which contains all height and elevation parameters and model rotation (tilt) angles.
First field in “3D Height and Tilt” dialog is “Height 3D, %”. This is a scale modifier of the vertical size of 3D model. With this parameter you can stretch or squeze the model. 100% is original size, no change of height; 50% will make 3D model to be 2 times shorter and 200% twice taller than the original. Using this parameter it is possible to design a row of the same kind of objects varying in size, like a set of trees or cabinets of different heights.
Second field is “Height 3D” with the indication of the units of measurement after input field. This is a setting of 3D model height in the actual physical units according to the drawing scale. Using this parameter it is possible to achieve the exact height of any object. Also inlcuding the case where one kind of object can be arranged to match the specific desired height or a hight of another object. One good example would be making a staircase from varying types of stones and making them to match each other’s height.
Next checkbox, “Height 3D Lock” is very powerful and simple modifier: when switched on, it will preven an object to alter its height when resized. Normally, when a shape changes size, its 3D model also resized to match shape dimension, and model’s height is following the scale of the model as well — height increases when shape is getting bigger, and vise versa. With “Height 3D Lock” you can fix the 3D object hieght at its current state and when its shape on the drawing will be resized, 3D model will be resized as well, but only in width/length dimensions — so the 3D model will still match its shape size, but the vertical size will remain unchanged. For example, this is useful for making surfaces from pieces, making them larger without scaling height.
“Base Elevation”, next field is already familiar to our users, it defines the height at which 3D model of this shape will appear above the floor or ground level. In this new version the dialog is enhanced and now showing the value in physical units of measurement according to the drawing scale and units.
Following two fields — “Tilt X Axis” and “Tilt Y Axis” are very important new addition to the 3D mechanics in this new version. With these fields it is possible to apply an angle to the 3D model in scene, tilting it in any direction or turning to the sides or upside down. X and Y aces are parallel to the floor and act as “pitch and yaw” modifications of the 3D model position. Using this feature it is now possible to create variety of new designs, including sloped roofs, beams, flipped-over things, leaning stacks, et cetera.
On this example you see a bridge constructed from sloped plates, cars rolled at various angles, couple of stones (the same shape, flipped 180 degrees). There is also angled roof on the building, and if you visit 3D Visioner’s 2017 new demo drawing “Angles and Heights”, you will see more objects with height manipulations.
Super Tip: when adjusting a shape elevation, height or angles, set a convenient point of view to the 3D scene overlooking the object which position you are changing, Use arrow keys to set the view to the side along the floor level.
