Menu Cells

Info -> Selection

The Info -> Selection command is available in all modules except Tools. It displays information about the selected object. A different dialogue box is displayed according to the type of object that you select. In these dialogue boxes, you can often edit most parameters.

Note:: If a branch of a hierarchy is selected, the Info -> Selection command dialogue box displays the total number of triangles for all the objects included in that branch.

Procedure

1. Select an object or element (you must be in the Single selection mode).

2. Choose the Info -> Selection command. A dialogue box is displayed for:

Curve Info
- Bezier on Curve Info (Bezier)
- Linear, Cardinal, B-Spline on Curve Info (Linear, Cardinal, B-Spline).
- NURBS on Curve Info (NURBS)
Face Info on Face Info
Patch Info on Patch Info
NURBS Surface Info on NURBS Surface Info
Null Info on Null Info
Polygon Info on Null Info
Meta-Element Info on Meta-Element Info (for meta-clay systems, see the Meta-Clay -> Setup command.)

The dialogue boxes for camera, light, material, 3D texture, 2D texture and named selections are also displayed so that you can view the current settings; refer to the appropriate menu cells for a description of the available options for these elements.

The selected object name can be edited and you can add a prefix. The default names are representative of the object, but naming objects yourself can help you better organize your work. A maximum of 100 characters is allowed for each prefix and name.

You can also name entire hierarchies in a single step. When an Info dialogue box on a selected root object is displayed, you can enter a prefix name for the root object. The prefix name is automatically applied to all the objects in the hierarchy.

For more information on naming and saving objects, see the Managing Files section in the Working with SOFTIMAGE 3D User's Guide, and the Save command starting on Save -> Scene.

Curve Info (Bezier)

The Curve Info (Bezier) dialogue box allows you to view and edit information related to the currently selected Bezier curve.

Note:: Two parameters (Continuity and Segment) are repeated in the upper and lower portion of the dialogue box. In the lower portion, these two parameters allow you to modify existing control points on the curve, whereas in the upper portion, the same two parameters set the default for any new control points you may subsequently add.
Note:: In this dialogue box, "keys" refer to control points.

Parameters for Existing Control Points

Prefix

Adds a prefix to the curve name.

Name

Displays the current name, which you can edit.

No. Keys

Displays the number of control points on the curve.

Step

Number of small straight lines drawn between each knot to approximate the curve. The number of steps defines the resolution of curves and surfaces, both for viewing and rendering. When you draw a Bezier curve, the default step is 10. To edit this, change the Step value in this dialogue box.

Close

Allows you to open/close the curve by joining its first and last control points.

Key #

Displays the number of the currently selected control point. If you click the Next or Previous button, this number is updated accordingly and the appropriate point is highlighted on the curve.

Local Coordinates

Displays the control point's local coordinates and allows you to modify them. For example, set a new Left value and Position value for Key #2 in local coordinates and click Modify. The specified control point moves interactively to the new location.

Global Coordinates

Displays the control point's global coordinates and allows you to modify them. For example, set a new Left value and Position value for Key #2 in global coordinates and click Modify. The specified control point moves interactively to the new location.

Modify

Modifies (interactively) the control point specified in Key #, using the new settings for Position and Left and Right value.

If you click Ok without clicking Modify first, your changes will be lost. Furthermore, your modifications are cancelled if you click the Cancel button.

Left Value

For the selected control point, these are the x, y, z coordinates of the left handle's end point. These coordinates can be changed. They can be expressed in local or global coordinates, depending on your selection of coordinate type.

Position

For the selected control point, these are the x, y, z coordinates of the point itself. These coordinates can be changed. They can be expressed in local or global coordinates, depending on your selection of coordinate type.

Right Value

For the selected control point, these are the x, y, z coordinates of the right handle's end point. These coordinates can be changed. They can be expressed in local or global coordinates, depending on your selection of coordinate type.

Continuity

Sets the continuity type for the selected control point.

C0 (discontinuity) lets you change the length and angle of one handle independently of the other handle. C0 lets you create points in a curve. The handles turn cyan.
C1 (mirror) is the default continuity. The angle and length of one handle are reflected in the other handle.
G1(colinear) lets you change the length of one handle independently of the other handle. The handles turn magenta.

Segment

Determines whether the selected curve segment is linear or curved.

Selection

Shows the selection mode used to select the curve: node, branch, or tree.

Triangles

Not applicable for curves. This item is dimmed.

Displays the settings for the previous control point.

Displays the settings for the next control point.

Cancel

Exits the dialogue box without applying any settings, even if you have already modified the control points using the Modify button.

Ok

Applies all settings and exits the dialogue box. If you have not already clicked Modify, your changes are lost.

Parameters for Control Points to be Added

Default for Additional Key

For any new control points you may add to the existing curve, these options set default values for continuity and type of segment.

Continuity sets the default continuity type for any control points you add.
Segment sets the default type of segment (linear or curve) for any control points you add.

Curve Info (Linear, Cardinal, B-Spline).

The Curve Info (Linear, Cardinal, B-Spline) dialogue box allows you to view and edit information on the currently selected curve.

Parameters

Prefix

You can add a prefix to the curve's name.

Name

Displays the current name, which you can edit.

Modify

Shows if the curve was modified since it was last saved using the
Save -> Scene or Save -> Selected Models commands.

When the curve is created, Yes is displayed by default.

Type

Linear, B-Spline, or Cardinal.

Point

Number of points defining the curve.

Note:: Cardinal and B-Splines have two points more than were actually used when drawing the curve. These extra points are calculated automatically to achieve end point interpolation for these two curve types. Thus, when a
B-Spline or Cardinal curve is drawn with 8 points, the Curve Info dialogue box registers Point: 10. To visualize and/or modify these added control points, deselect the Automatic Phantom Keys option.

Close

Shows if the curve is closed or open.

Tension

For a Cardinal curve, this controls the smoothness of curve.

Step

Number of small straight lines drawn between each knot to approximate the curve. The number of steps defines the resolution of curves. When you draw a curve, it is automatically drawn with a step of 10. To edit this, change the Step value in this dialogue box.

Automatic Phantom Keys

For Cardinal and B-Splines only, two extra control points are automatically calculated so that the curve can appear to have end point interpolation. If this option is selected, these extra control points are hidden (phantom). If deselected, they are visible. By default, this option is selected.

Selection

Shows the selection mode used to select the curve: node, branch, or tree.

Triangles

Not applicable for curves. This item is dimmed.

Clusters

If there are tag clusters on the curve, this button displays the Cluster List dialogue box, in which you can select a cluster by name. The selection becomes the active cluster and the points in the selected cluster are shown tagged. You can either exit and work on the tagged points or delete the active cluster or only its animation. This is the same as choosing the Tag -> Cluster List command in the Model module.

Shapes

Displays the Shape List dialogue box and allows you to modify the shape's parameters. Refer to the Shape -> Shape List command for a description of the Shape List dialogue box.

Face Info

The Face Info dialogue box allows you to view and edit information on the current face, and any elements on it.

Parameters

Prefix

You can add a prefix to the face name.

Name

Displays the current name, which you can edit.

Parent

Parent name of object if in a hierarchy.

Sibling

First defined sibling name of object.

Child

First defined child name of object.

Triangles

Number of triangles of the object. In branch or tree selection mode, it is the number of triangles of the selected hierarchy.

Modify

One or more letters indicating the types of modifications made to the object since the last Save -> Scene or Save -> Selected Models operation. These are S - Scaling; R - Rotation; T - Translation; G -Geometry; H - Hierarchy: M - Material; T - Texture; D- Dynamics; F - Flags (refers to modifications in tagged points, edge flags), and "no".

By default, SRTGH is displayed as soon as you create the object.

Selection

Shows the selection mode used to select the object; node, branch, or tree.

Scroll Box

Displays the elements in the face. These include the exterior of the face and holes, if there are any. When you select an element from the list, the name is displayed below the scroll box and related information is displayed for the parameters Type, No. points, Tension, and Step.

The elements listed in the scroll box are:

Exterior (only one per face)
Holes, if any (each hole is numbered)

Displays the name of your current selection (exterior or hole) in the scroll box.

Type of selected element (Linear, Cardinal, B-Spline). If the selection is a NURBS curve, this displays the degree which can be Linear or Cubic. An imported NURBS curve's degree can be Linear, Quadratic, Cubic, Quartic, Quintic, Sextic, 7, 8, 9, and so on.

Number of control points on the selected element.

Tension of control points on selected element (Cardinal curve only).

Number of small straight lines drawn between each knot to approximate the face. The number of steps defines the resolution of faces, for both viewing and rendering. When a face is created, the default step value is 10. To edit this, change the Step value in this dialogue box.

Render Setup

Displays the Render Setup dialogue box which is used to set up the mental ray renderer for this object. For a full description of the render setup, see Render Setup for mental ray.

Clusters

If there are clusters on the face, this button displays the Cluster List dialogue box in which you can select a cluster by name. The selection becomes the active cluster and the points in the selected cluster are shown tagged. You can either exit and work on the tagged points or delete the active cluster or only its animation. This is the same as choosing the Tag -> Cluster List command in the Model module.

Shapes

Displays the Shape List dialogue box and allows you to modify the shape's parameters. Refer to the Shape -> Shape List command for a description of the Shape List dialogue box.

Patch Info

The Patch Info dialogue box allows you to view and edit information on the currently selected patch surface.

Parameters

Prefix

You can add a prefix to the patch surface name.

Name

Displays the current name, which you can edit.

Parent

Parent name of object if in a hierarchy.

Sibling

First defined sibling name of the object.

Child

First defined child name of the object.

Triangles

Number of triangles of the object. In branch or tree selection mode, it is the number of triangles of the selected hierarchy.

Modify

One or more letters indicating the types of modifications made to the object since the last Save -> Scene or Save -> Selected Models operation. These are S - Scaling; R - Rotation; T - Translation; G - Geometry; H - Hierarchy: M - Material; T - Texture; D - Dynamics; F - Flags (refers to modifications in tagged points, edge flags), and "no".

By default, SRTGH is displayed as soon as you create the object.

Selection

Shows the selection mode used to select the object; node, branch or tree.

Matte

Specifies if you want the object to be a matte or not. The matte value of an object can have a value between 0 (black) and 1 (white). All the values between 0 and 1 are shown as levels of grey. This allows you to place this object either in front of, or behind a live actor or prop. For example, the objects that are the background part of your scene should have a static matte value of 0. This can be viewed in the Matte view mode in any window type.

Garbage Matte

You can also creates a garbage matte for the matted object by selecting the Garbage Matte option. Garbage mattes are used when you create a virtual scene compositing live characters with computer generated images. The garbage matte surrounds the blue screen stage area, and allows you to hide anything that is not in this area, such as the camera or other technical equipment.

U and V

Describes the surface along the U and V directions.

Type

Type of curve (Linear, Cardinal, B-Spline) used to create the object.

Point

Number of control points on the selected direction.

Close

Shows if a patch is closed or not along the specified direction.

Curve

Number of lines displayed on the object (this is a visual aid only - it does not affect definition). Setting a higher level of curve can be useful for extracting curves and reskinning them to form a new object with more definition in certain areas.

Step

Number of small straight lines drawn between each knot in the U and V directions to approximate the surface. The number of steps defines the resolution of surfaces, both for viewing and rendering. Increasing the step allows you to smooth out the patch surface, which is useful if rendering a high-resolution image.

Lowering the resolution speeds up animation playback and direct manipulation, as well as rendering time.

Tension

Tension applied on control points to control curvature of curve (Cardinal curve only).

Capping

Capping groups points lying on the first or last row of a patch surface with a kind of magnet effect. These points are not merged, but can be manipulated as one. It is useful when point manipulation is involved for shape animation or lattices and deformation operations.

If you turn off capping, the points do not return to their former position, but they can be moved individually.

Capping is not the same as closing the surface. The two operations are mutually exclusive.

Render Setup

Displays the Render Setup dialogue box which is used to set up the mental ray renderer for this object. For a full description of the render setup, see Render Setup for mental ray.

Clusters

If there are clusters on the patch, this button displays the Cluster List dialogue box in which you can select a cluster by name. The selection becomes the active cluster and the points in the selected cluster are shown tagged. You can either exit and work on the tagged points or delete the active cluster or only its animation. This is the same as choosing the Tag -> Cluster List command in the Model module.

Shapes

Displays the Shape List dialogue box and allows you to modify the shape's parameters. Refer to the Shape -> Shape List command for a description of the Shape List dialogue box.

Curve Info (NURBS)

The Curve Info (NURBS) dialogue box allows you to view and edit information on the currently selected NURBS curve.

Parameters

Prefix

You can add a prefix to the curve's name.

Name

Displays the current name, which you can edit.

Modify

Shows if the curve has been modified since the last Save -> Scene or Save -> Selected Models operation.

When the curve is created, Yes is displayed by default.

Type

NURBS

Point

Number of points defining the curve.

Close

Shows if the curve is closed or open.

Degree

Displays the degree of the NURBS curve as described under the parameter "Type" in NURBS Curve Setup on NURBS Curve Setup. The degree can be Linear, Quadratic, or Cubic. An imported NURBS curve's degree can be Linear, Quadratic, Cubic, Quartic, Quintic, Sextic, 7, 8, 9, and so on.

Step

Number of small straight lines drawn between each knot to approximate the curve. The number of steps defines the resolution of curves. When you draw a NURBS curve, it is automatically drawn with a step of 10. To edit this, change the Step value in this dialogue box.

Parameterization

Displays the parameterization of the selected NURBS curve. The parameterization can be Non-Uniform, Chord length, Centripetal or Uniform; these are described in NURBS Curve Setup on NURBS Curve Setup.

Selection

Shows the selection mode used to select the curve: node, branch, or tree.

Triangles

Not applicable for curves. This item is dimmed.

Clusters

If there are tag clusters on the NURBS curve, this button displays the Cluster List dialogue box in which you can select a cluster by name. The selection becomes the active cluster and the points in the selected cluster are shown tagged. You can either exit and work on the tagged points or delete the active cluster or only its animation. This is the same as choosing the Tag -> Cluster List command in the Model module.

Shapes

Displays the Shape List dialogue box and allows you to modify the shape's parameters. Refer to the Shape -> Shape List command for a description of the Shape List dialogue box.

NURBS Surface Info

The NURBS Surface Info dialogue box allows you to view and edit information on the currently selected NURBS surface.

Parameters

Prefix

You can add a prefix to the NURBS surface's name.

Name

Displays the current name, which you can edit.

Parent

Parent name of object if in a hierarchy.

Sibling

First defined sibling name of the object.

Child

First defined child name of the object.

Triangles

Number of triangles of the object. In branch or tree selection mode, it is the number of triangles of the selected hierarchy.

Modify

One or more letters indicating the types of modifications made to the object since the last Save -> Scene or Save -> Selected Models operation. These are S - Scaling; R - Rotation; T - Translation; G - Geometry; H - Hierarchy: M - Material; T - Texture; D - Dynamics; F - Flags (refers to modifications in tagged points, edge flags), and "no".

By default, SRTGH is displayed as soon as you create the object.

Selection

Shows the selection mode used to select the object; node, branch or tree.

Matte

Garbage Matte

U and V

Describes the surface along the U and V directions.

Degree

Displays the degree of the NURBS curve used to create the object, as described under the parameter "Type" in NURBS Curve Setup . The degree can be Linear, Quadratic, or Cubic.

An imported NURBS curve's degree is displayed as Linear, Quadratic, Cubic, Quartic, Quintic, Sextic, 7, 8, 9, and so on.

Point

Number of control points on the selected element.

Close

Shows if a NURBS is closed or not along the specified direction.

Curve

Step

Number of small straight lines drawn between each knot in the U and V directions. The number of steps defines the resolution of NURBS surfaces, both for viewing and rendering. Increasing the step allows you to smooth out the NURBS surface, which is useful if rendering a high-resolution image.

Lowering the resolution speeds up animation playback and direct manipulation, as well as rendering time.

Capping

Capping groups points lying on the first or last row of a NURBS surface with a kind of magnet effect. These points are not merged, but can be manipulated as one. It is useful when point manipulation is involved for shape animation or lattices and deformation operations.

If you turn off capping, the points do not return to their former position but they can be moved individually.

Capping is not the same as closing the surface. The two operations are mutually exclusive.

Parameterization

Displays the parameterization of the selected NURBS surface. The parameterization can be Non-Uniform, Chord length, Centripetal, or Uniform; these are described in NURBS Curve Setup on NURBS Curve Setup.

Trims:

If the NURBS surface has any trim curves, this scroll box is displayed, listing the names of such trim curves. You may highlight one, click on the Trim button below and display information on the selected trim curve in the NURBS Curve Info dialogue box, described on Curve Info (NURBS). For more information on the NURBS trimming operation, see the Modelling NURBS Surfaces with Projected Curves section of the Modelling User's Guide.

Render Setup

Displays the Render Setup dialogue box which is used to set up the mental ray renderer for this object. For a full description of the render setup, see Render Setup for mental ray.

Clusters

If there are tag clusters on the NURBS surface, this button displays the Cluster List dialogue box, in which to select a cluster by name. The selection becomes the active cluster and the points in the selected cluster are shown tagged. You can either exit and work on the tagged points or delete the active cluster or only its animation. This is the same as choosing the Tag -> Cluster List command in the Model module.

Shapes

Displays the Shape List dialogue box and allows you to modify the shape's parameters. Refer to the Shape -> Shape List command for a description of the Shape List dialogue box.

Trim

When you highlight a trim curve in the Trims scroll box and click on the Trim button, the NURBS Curve Info dialogue box for the selected trim curve is displayed. This allows you to view and modify the step values for the selected trim curve. For more information, see Curve Info (NURBS).

Null Info

The Null Info dialogue box allows you to view and edit information on the currently selected null object.

Parameters

Prefix

You can add a prefix to the null object name.

Name

Displays the current name, which you can edit.

Nature

Indicates the type of null selected (standard, instance, joint 3D, gravity, and so on). For example, a null as an end effector in a chain is a 2D or 3D chain type.

Modify

By default, SRTGH is displayed as soon as you create the object.

Parent

Parent name of object if in a hierarchy.

Sibling

First defined sibling name of object.

Child

First defined child name of object.

Selection

Shows the selection mode used to select the object: node, branch, or tree.

Triangles

Not applicable for a null. This item is dimmed.

Polygon Info

The Polygon Info dialogue box allows you to view and edit information on the currently selected polygon mesh object.

Parameters

Prefix

You can add a prefix to the polygon mesh name.

Name

Displays the current name, which you can edit.

Modify

By default, SRTGH is displayed as soon as you create the object.

Faceted

If selected, the normals' orientations are not averaged, thus revealing the faceted aspect of polygon mesh objects.

You can switch between Faceted and Keep exactly computed normals.

Automatic Discontinuity

If selected, normals are computed by averaging. You can also control the angle at which discontinuity occurs, using the related text box. If the angle between two neighbouring normals is less than the automatic discontinuity angle, an average is calculated and the result is smooth shading. If the angle is greater, no averaging is done and the angularity is visible. The default angle is 60� which usually gives satisfactory results. Hidden-line rendering uses automatic discontinuity to evaluate if an edge should be visible or not.

You can switch between Faceted and Automatic Discontinuity. However, when you switch from Keep exactly computed normals to Automatic Discontinuity, you cannot reverse the process. Also, a message appears stating "Normals have been averaged."

All predefined polygon mesh primitives are created using this method, except for cubes and spheres.

Keep Exactly Computed Normals

This method uses a a process which gives better shading results on the resulting object the averaging method.

Predefined Cube or Sphere polygon mesh objects are created using this method of normal computation. You can still select Faceted or Automatic Discontinuity as the method of computation of normals. However, if you select Automatic Discontinuity, you cannot reverse the process.

Furthermore, some operations (such as extrusion with bevelling and Boolean operations) automatically apply this computation method to create the resulting object. In this case, the Keep exactly computed normals option becomes automatically selected and the message below it reads "Normals have been computed exactly." The information of the original object(s) on which the computation was based cannot be recovered.

Process Normals

The use of this option depends on whether normals have been averaged or computed exactly. If the message "Normals have been computed exactly" appears above it, you should select the Process Normals option.

Conversely, if the message "Normals have been averaged" appears, deselect the Process Normals option.

Matte

Garbage Matte

Parent

Parent of the object if in a hierarchy.

Sibling

First defined sibling name of the object.

Child

First defined child name of the object.

Triangles

Number of triangles of the object. In branch or tree selection mode, it is the number of triangles of the selected hierarchy.

Selection

Shows the selection mode used to select the objects: node, branch, or tree.

Polygons

Number of polygons of the object.

Edges

Number of edges of the object.

Vertices

Number of vertices of the object.

Volume

Internal volume of the selected object in SOFTIMAGE units.

Surface

Surface of the selected object in SOFTIMAGE units.

Closed

Denotes "No" if the object is an open volume (such as a bowl), or "Yes" for a closed volume (such as a sphere).

Render Setup

Displays the Render Setup dialogue box which is used to set up the mental ray renderer for this object. For a full description of the render setup, see Render Setup for mental ray.

Clusters

If there are tag clusters on the object, this button displays the Cluster List dialogue box, in which to select a cluster by name. The selection becomes the active cluster and the points in the selected cluster are shown tagged. You can either exit and work on the tagged points.or delete the active cluster or only its animation. This is the same as choosing the Tag -> Cluster List command in the Model module.

Shapes

Displays the Shape List dialogue box and allows you to modify the shape's parameters. Refer to the Shape -> Shape List command for a description of the Shape List dialogue box.

Meta-Element Info

The Meta Element Info dialogue box allows you to view and edit information on the currently selected meta-clay element.

Parameters

Prefix

You can add a prefix to the meta-clay element name.

Name

Displays the current name, which you can edit.

Parent

Parent name of the object. A meta-clay element is always part of a meta-clay system hierarchy.

Sibling

First defined sibling name of the object.

Child

First defined child name of the object.

Blending Influence

Allows you to modify various parameters related to density and visibility.

Note:: If you alternately set the Core Ratio, Weight, or Influence Zone, it is very difficult to return to the original settings since all three depend on each other.

The value at the centre of the meta-clay element. If the value is greater than 0 and less than 1, it contributes density to the system but does not have a defined surface by itself. If the value is less than 0, it subtracts the surface from other elements in the system. This allows you to create holes or concavities.

A value derived from the weight. It defines where the boundary of the surface will be.

If the Weight is set to a value less than 1, there is no surface and the Core Ratio is set to 0.0. If you set the Core Ratio to its maximum level, there is no influence zone.

A value derived from the Core Ratio. It sets the weight and scaling for the object. It is used to modify the size of the influence zone without changing the core radius size.

Superquadric Exponents

Allows you to modify the equation of the sphere to create unlimited shapes that vary between octahedron, ellipsoid, and a rounded square or rectangle.

Modifies the superquadric exponent in X, Y, Z. Values range from 1.0 to 8.0. The default value is 2. Try out different combinations of each value to combine types of shapes.

Interactive Refresh

Allows you to refresh the background to see the results as you modify parameters in the dialogue box.

Key

Creates a keyframe for the selected element. You can click this button for each keyframe you want to create without closing this dialogue box. You can use the time line pointer to change the current frame to set other keys. Parameters that can be keyframed are displayed with a double border.

Render Setup for mental ray

In each object type's dialogue box (except for meta-clay objects, curves, or null objects), there is a Render Setup button which is used for rendering with mental ray. When you select this button, the mental ray Render Setup dialogue box is displayed in which you can set the mental ray rendering parameters for the selected object.

If you want to use Render Setup on multiple objects, see the Info -> mental ray command, which is almost identical to this Render Setup dialogue box.

Object Visibility

The three Object Visibility options determine if an object is visible when rendered with mental ray. You can also choose to have a visible shadow and reflection of that object. These options can be selected individually or combined to achieve the desired effect. The default is that all three options are selected.

Primary rays refers to all rays emitted from the camera. It allows you to specify the visibility of an object in the scene. When this option is selected, the object is visible.
Secondary rays allows you to turn an object's reflection in a mirrored surface on or off. When selected, a reflection is visible.
Shadows allows you to turn an object's shadow on or off. When selected, a shadow is cast.

For example, if you create two characters (an angel and a devil) and make them both walk past a mirror, you can set the Object Visibility parameters so that only the angel is visible to the camera, but the shadow and the reflection in the mirror belong to the devil. To do this, select only the Primary rays option for the angel, and select only the Secondary rays and Shadows options for the devil.

Motion Blur

The motion blur options allow you to specify varying degrees of motion blur for a selected object.

None deactivates all motion blur for the selected object.
Linear calculates motion blur, with reference to the camera, according to the motion of the object's centre only. This means that translation is calculated, but not scaling, rotation, or shape animation.
Exact applies full motion blur to the object. This option requires the most computing time of the three.

Surface Approximation

Surface Approximation options are available only for patch and NURBS surface objects. These parameters allow you to decide how surfaces are divided into triangles. The settings you choose determine the smoothness of your rendered objects' edges.

Static

This option allows you to set the number of divisions in the U and V directions of the selected surface. The greater the number of divisions you specify, the more generated triangles there are and the more closely their edges follow those of the object. This results in a rendered object with a higher resolution. Objects closer to the camera need to have a higher resolution than those further away from the camera, so they require a greater number of triangles.

Adaptive

The values you enter for the Adaptive options specify the maximum distance between the triangle and the surface; in other words, you can specify how close the triangles are to the actual surface edge. This value essentially determines the number of triangles that are created; the smaller the value, the higher the resolution of approximation (more divisions which results in a more refined rendered object).

You can define the unit of measurement as either System or Pixel length. See Units definition for an explanation of these units of measurement.

Spatial allows you to specify the maximum size of the generated triangles. The resulting number of triangles are equally distributed over the entire patch.
Curvature divides according to the curvature of the surface. It is the most efficient method for computing curved surfaces because it calculates enough subdivisions to create refined curves, but not more than is necessary for the straight-edged areas. This means that the resulting triangles are more numerous in curved areas of the surface than in straight-edged areas. For example, a table with rounded edges has more triangles at the edges than it does along the flat table surface.
- Cord length is the distance from the tessellation (division) to the curve.
- Angle checks the angle between surface normals of adjacent triangles.
Subdivision Limits is used with Adaptive surface approximation. It allows you to set the minimum and maximum number of subdivisions that can be done, thus preventing unnecessary computation of triangles.
Units definition allows you to choose one of the following measurement units to be used for Adaptive surface approximation.
- Pixel length sets the units to represent diagonal pixel length. This means that no surface triangle will be larger than the pixel length you specify. This is used to guarantee the accuracy of the triangles representing the surface. This option is very useful for displacement mapping with 2D textures.
- System sets the units to the currently used system of measurement in the scene, which are SOFTIMAGE units.

SOFTIMAGE 3D Reference - 19 APR 1996