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Managing Visual Styles in Autocad 2007

7 Comments Nov-27-2007 | Posted by Erhan Toker | Printable Version | Level |

Visual Styles are one of the best features that have entered our lives with AutoCAD 2007®. Orhan had already prepared the relevant article about Visual Styles. We also started to get use of this feature frequently in our projects. As you know Visual Styles can be accessed by DASHBOARD command. You don’t need to use the command if your DASHBOARD is already open. We can reach Visual Styles by just enlarging the relevant part (Fig.1)

Fig.1

Just under the relevant icon, there is a button with double arrow symbol on it, and it is becoming active when you come on it. It is really a nice user-interface design. In the list, which is over the menu, there are 5 default settings that is prepared by AutoCAD, as you already know from before (Fig 2.).

Fig.2
During this article, you will also learn how the 6 default settings, which is seen in Fig.2, is added. We will reach ‘Visual Styles Menager…’(Fig.4) with the button ()that is located on the upper right corner in Fig. 2.

Fig.4

Autodesk used a palette in this window. We have no objection . There are 4 small icons just under the list with pictures in the upper side. Among the New, Edit, List, Add and Delete commands in the list, “Delete” command is not working on the 5 default settings coming with AutoCAD. Of course, we have nothing to do with these settings, we already need a new visual style, and in order to prepare one we press the ‘Create New Visual Style…’ button on the left end. After entering name and definition, 6th default value is added in the list with pictures. Let’s look at its properties by choosing this setting (Fig.5).

Fig.5

Let’s have a short look at all of the titles:
Face Settings: Setting that is about how the surfaces will be shown. It has Face style, Real (Real colors coming from the layers or the blocks, Gooch (Cartoon of concept view) or None (Does the same job as Hide command. Like old wireframe) options. Lightning quality, can be adjusted as Smooth or Faceted (gradual color transition). With the other options, we are adjusting the effect of light over the surfaces and the opacity level (X-Ray mode uses this option).

Materials and Color: Material display, determines how the materials will be applied over the surfaces. There are Materials and textures (It applies the material properties and textures), Materials (it applies only the material properties) and Off options. Face color mode is about the application of surface colors, and is composed of Normal (no change), Monochrome (Makes hatching with the chosen single color), Tint (It prepares concept views by changing saturation and color properties), Desaturate (It decreases the saturation of the material to 30%) options.

Environment Settings: It controls the shadow and background. Shadow modes are No shadows, Ground shadows only (It makes shadows on fall only on grounds) and Full shadows (all shadows are applied). It has two options as background open and close.

Edge Settings: It has Facet Edges, Isolines (Makes all edges of surfaces except background, visible), Faceted ( concept view, background invisible lines are optional) ve None (surfaces are only identified with colors) settings.

Edge Modifiers: They are view options of edges; diffusa rate of Overhang lines. When this option is on, you will see that the lines diffuse from corners. Jitter Edges makes edge lines as if they are drawn by hand with a thick pencil. Pencil thickness can be adjusted. Crease angle enables the joints etween the surfaces to be shown up to an angle and a smooth transition. It is same as ‘Smoothing Angle’ settings in 3DS. Halo gap setting enables a space between the main object intersections and the invisible lines on the back. It creates a nice effect if it is used together with Jitter.

Fast Silhuette Edges: It is used for silhouettes to be drawn thick. We are using it especially in architecture in general view drawings.

Obscured Edges: Here, it is adjusted how (hidden lines) will be seen. Especially it is useful for concept view.

I suggest you to come up with a main idea on what kind of a view you would like to prepare, and focus on the relevant settings accordingly. By using different values, you can observe their effect on the drawing. This will be great use to you. After you complete your settings, you can transfer this default setting to DASHBOARD by pressing the third button (Export selected…) among the four buttons just under the list with pictures.

Bu yazinin Turkcesini okumak icin tiklayiniz…

Related articles:

• Visual Styles in Autocad 2007