Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
You can open the Materials Editor directly from the Ribbon by clicking the
Materials panel launcher (the little arrow at the right end of the Materials panel la-
bel).
Which materials you use in a model depends on what you're trying to represent. For ex-
ample, you might choose to make a material semitransparent to communicate an idea
rather than a true material selection. After you create a material, you can apply it to the
objects in your 3D model. You can apply materials to objects in the following ways:
By Layer:
Globally assign materials to all objects on a particular drawing layer by
assigning a material to the layer. To assign materials by layer, open the Materials
slideout on the Render tab and choose Attach By Layer.
By Object:
Assign materials to an object by selecting the object, then right-clicking
the material you want to assign in the Materials Browser palette. From the right-
click menu, choose Assign to Selection. You can also drag and drop a material
from the Materials Browser palette onto an object in a drawing or change an ob-
ject's Material property using the Properties palette.
By Face:
Assign materials to individual faces of a 3D solid. Select a face using Su-
bobject filtering by holding down the Ctrl key and selecting the face you want to
apply a material to. Right-click the material you want to assign in the Materials
Browser palette and then choose Assign to Selection.
Defining a Background
While your model might now be looking a little more realistic with some user-defined
lighting and custom materials assigned to it, its setting might look a little . . . empty. You
can assign backgrounds to fill that empty space beyond the 3D model in your scene. A
background is a property of named views, and you can set them up in the View Manager
dialog box (I cover the VIEW command and View Manager dialog box in Chapter 12). You
can define a background as a solid color, a gradient (two or three colors), a raster image,
or a sky with a sun (available only when using photometric lighting).
Follow these steps to create a new named view and assign a background to it:
1. On the Views panel of the View tab, click Named Views.
