Swift 3D
V4 Review
reviewed by kirupa
In the previous
page I started to cover creating and editing 3D in Swift
3D. This page will finish off what the previous page
started.
Being able to view a three dimensional
object on a 2D screen can be a little tricky, but
you are provided with numerous
camera views from which you can look and move your object
from various sides at the same time. This is similar to
walking over to the camcorder section at an electronics
store and seeing yourself displayed in several of the TV
displays from several cameras located at a different angle!
I think that is pretty cool - not to mention very useful for
being able to edit your 3D object.
The Property Tools area of
your screen gives you extensive control over your object,
the environment, and more. You will use this area often, for
a lot of the properties of your 3D object that are specific
only that object will be found in this area. For example, if
you were to select a 3D Text object, you will see that the
Property Tools area includes options for changing the font,
adjusting font size, etc.
Another area where you will
find the Property Tools area useful is for making precise
position, width, height, radius, and other related adjustments. In Swift you can
always make adjustments by selecting your object and and
using your mouse to alter your object. While that is easy,
it may not always be precise. For making precise adjustments
relying on numerical values as opposed to your mouse skills,
you will need to use the Property Tools area:
[ the
Property Tools area gives you more precise control over your
3d object ]
Of course, you
are not limited to only directly modifying 3D shapes. You
are given extensive control of the camera and lighting
positions via two really cool, spherical track balls:
By using the
icons and the actual trackballs themselves, you can perform
a lot of useful tasks such as adding extra lights, removing
current lights, and locking certain axis of your object
for easier rotation.
Another nice
feature is the varied collection of colors and surfaces that
you can apply to your 3d objects. Swift 3D comes with
numerous pre-made textures and colors that you can drag and
drop onto your object. Creating your own custom color or
surface tricks to your object is very simple, and you can
even add your own creation to the Gallery Tools area where
you can use them later.
The following is
an image showcasing all of the Reflective colors found in
the Gallery Tools that you can apply to your own objects:
[ the
gallery tool's color selection is extensive ]
In the next page
we will discuss the next thing that makes Swift 3D popular -
animation. So, let's head on over to the
next page!
 |
page 3 of 5 |
 |
|
|
