Creating a new texture
Create custom textures from the Resource Manager, and then apply them to 3D objects to make a model look more realistic.
If you're planning to previsualize your scene with the Vision program, use this workflow to ensure that your textures look realistic in Vision: Preparing High-Quality Textures in Vectorworks for Export to Vision 2021.
To create a texture resource:
From the Resource Manager, click New Resource, select Renderworks Texture, and then click Create. Alternatively, from the Resource Manager, select Renderworks Textures from the list of resource types on the Tool bar, and click New Renderworks Texture.
The Edit Texture dialog box opens. Specify the shader parameters.
Click to show/hide the parameters.Click to show/hide the parameters.
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Parameter |
Description |
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Name |
Specifies the name of the texture resource |
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Shaders |
Sets the type of shader or combination of shaders to use, and specifies the shader parameters |
|
Color |
Color shaders apply a color or pattern to the surface of an object. Select a color shader from the list, or choose Object Attribute to apply the object's fill color attribute. Image-based shaders require the selection of an image file. After selecting the shader, click Edit to edit the Color shader parameters. |
|
Reflectivity |
Reflectivity shaders control how much light is reflected from a surface. Select a reflectivity shader from the list. Image-based shaders require the selection of an image file. After selecting the shader, click Edit to edit the Reflectivity shader parameters. |
|
Transparency |
Transparency shaders control surface transparency or opacity. Select a transparency shader from the list. Image-based shaders require the selection of an image file. Mask-based transparency shaders create a transparent mask from an image based on specified settings. After selecting the shader, click Edit to edit the Transparency shader parameters. |
|
Bump |
Bump shaders apply a texture with bumps or dimples to an object surface. Select a bump shader from the list. Image-based shaders require the selection of an image file. After selecting the shader, click Edit to edit the Bump shader parameters. |
|
Size |
Sets the real-world size for each repetition of the texture. If applying a brick shader, specify whether to adjust the brick dimensions proportionally to match the change to the texture size. |
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For image-based textures, opens the Set Image Size dialog box to set the texture size by a measured line segment on the image. If multiple image-based shaders are used, you are prompted to select the shader image first. In the Set Image Size dialog box, drag to place the ends of the line segment as desired, and then enter the real-world size of the segment. If necessary, use the mouse scroll wheel to zoom, or click and hold the mouse wheel button to pan. |
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Shadows |
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Cast |
Allows objects with this texture to cast shadows (for rendering modes that display shadows) |
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Receive |
Allows objects with this texture to receive shadows (for rendering modes that display shadows) |
|
Surface Hatch |
Displays the name of the current surface hatch resource, for use in hidden line rendering with surface hatches. Surface hatches are an aspect of textures. |
|
Edit Surface Hatch |
Opens the Edit Surface Hatch dialog box, to select the surface hatch to associate with the texture, and to align and register the surface hatch and texture (see Editing surface hatches) |
|
Preview Options |
The Preview window displays the effects of shader and size selections on a preview object |
|
Preview Controls |
Adjusts the preview position and magnification. Click Pan and drag the preview to the desired location. Click Zoom In or Zoom Out and then click and drag to create a marquee; this zooms in or out on a particular section of the preview. Click Fit to fit the preview to the window (according to Obj Size). |
|
Obj Type |
Select the type of preview object from the list; for procedural (non image-based) shaders, the Flat object type is automatically used to create a preview for Shaded mode rendering to approximate the look of the solid shader |
|
Obj Size |
Specifies the preview object size |
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Shader check boxes |
Previews the associated shader; deselect to exclude the shader component from the texture preview |
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Opens the Indirect Lighting Texture Options dialog box, to set overrides for the texture when the model is rendered with indirect lighting (see Setting lighting options). Specify how the texture will receive and emit light, and whether the texture will be used as a portal for light transfer, such as exterior windows. The Portal setting affects only renderings that use both indirect lighting and physical sky or panoramic image backgrounds for lighting. |
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Revert |
Returns the texture parameters to the original settings, undoing any changes |
The texture is saved with the file and displays in the Resource Manager (the texture preview in the Resource Manager uses the Flat preview object at twice the texture size for ease of identification).
