Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
The As Displayed option prints the viewport as it appears in the drawing area. You use this
option to print the currently displayed visual style. Wireframe sets the viewport to a Wireframe
view. Hidden sets the viewport to a hidden-line view similar to the view you see when you
use the Hide command. At the bottom of the menu is the Rendered option, which sets the
view to use AutoCAD's Render feature when printing, described in Chapter 21, “Rendering 3D
Drawings.” You can use the Rendered option to print ray-traced renderings of your 3D models.
Remember these options on the shortcut menu as you work on your drawings and when you
print. They can be helpful in communicating your ideas, but they can also get lost in the array of
tools that AutoCAD offers.
Visualizing Solids
If you're designing a complex object, sometimes it helps to be able to see it in ways that you
couldn't in the real world. AutoCAD offers two visualization tools that can help others under-
stand your design ideas.
If you want to show off the internal workings of a part or an assembly quickly, you can use
the X-ray effect, which can be found in the Visuals Styles menu on the Viewport Controls.
Figure 22.39 shows an isometric view of the bracket using the Vsfaceopacity system variable,
which also gives an X-ray-like appearance to your model. The Realistic visual style combined
with the Vsfaceopacity system variable gives this effect. The color of the bracket has also been
changed to a light gray to help visibility. You can see the internal elements as if the object were
semitransparent. The Vsfaceopacity works with any 3D visual style, although it works best with
a style that shows some of the surface features (such as the Conceptual or Realistic visual style).
To use it, enter
VSFACEOPACITY
, and then enter a value for the opacity. You can start with 50
and adjust from there. The default value is -60 for an opaque object.
FIGURE 22.39
The bracket dis-
played using a
Realistic visual
style and the
X-ray effect of
the Vsfaceopacity
command.
