Reference Plane Parameters In v 10

[Bo Atkinson]

Does anyone one use Reference Plane Parameters expediently in v 10?

In past versions it was possible to scale images but formZ version 10  will not scale or rotate inside Plane Parameters Dialog, to match my underlay image, (the basis for modeling). The inputs had no effect today.

It takes for ever to accurately trace a simple a pattern for computer aided remodeling or cutting of house sheathing, (by use of telephoto image to reduce distortion).

The photo was hard to set up in Z with so many faults, that photo editing was needed to was scale the formZ project...

Slide controls that work are needed in underlay and elsewhere.

This operation should proceed so fast that it could be used on site when the physical work is done. Such features will come to tradesmen, one way or another and I hopeZ while meet this need.

[leclaire]

I often have to trace photos to build objects. I have not done it the way you described above in years! What I do, is I import the image via the billboard tool (first column, third row on tool palette). You can input the size and rotation of the billboard on the dialog box prior to placing the billboard. I then lock the layer the image is on, and trace away on a new layer. Never had a problem with this.

[Gyro]

I do the same - photograph the object on a telephoto with a tape measure of it's overall length and width place via the Billboard and scale, then trace away on a new layer. 

[Bo Atkinson]

Have either of you compared billboard with Color Maps in  /Renderzone/Material, (which displays in shaded render)?

Does Billboard display live video which would be great some building needs?

[leclaire]

I don't have Renderzone. Gave it up years ago.

[Des]

Hi Bo, I'm a regular user of the Billboard tool for tracing from etc. The great thing about it is that when you select an image to use for the Billboard, the object is created to the exact proportion to the image. The billboard can be scaled while placing the image or using the uniform scale tool which I prefer as I can draw a line or box that I know the size of and scale the billboard to that. It doesn't matter which render engine you use as long as the Shaded Work Display image textures size is set high enough trace from easily. You can use a .mov file to display an animation within an animation, see the Animation part of the manual to see how. So an example would be a TV playing in a room. You need to use the QuickTime .mov format I believe, it's a very long time since I tried it. And if I remember correctly there used to be a tutorial on the old FormZ forum, maybe ADDS could help digging that out for you?

[Trick]

What do you all use for underlays when you want to work in wireframe display mode?

[Des]

Just work in shaded work mode. You can always use the layer overrides to display other layers in wireframe. 

Edited May 8 by Des

[Bo Atkinson]

The  Color Map Material displays well in Shaded Full without RenderZone, but using their Material list, and this has plenty of editing options on any surfaces.

That is why I wondered if Billboard does more.

Live video in Z was once struggled for a computer-visor-aided measuring in building layouts... That hope passed for lack of budget and availability hassles.

Decades ago I used a digital projector for laying out on a sand mold.

Just now a simpler cut under 2 meters is maybe easier to scribe in place.

This photo is from 2008 when MB storage was too expensive for long photoshoots.
L

Laptop interposes my LED lit pen on top of sheathing to cut, as viewed inside formZ.

Edited May 8 by Bo Atkinson

[Trick]

16 hours ago, Des said:

Just work in shaded work mode. You can always use the layer overrides to display other layers in wireframe. 

Of course.

But you can set the scale of the underlay (in a ref plane) very easily with the measure tool. The trouble is with setting the right location of the reference plane the underlay is assigned to. You can move the reference plane to move the underlay, but you don't want to move around with coordinate systems. So you have to manually fill in the coordinates for the underlay location in the planes settings. This is very cumbersome. In v6 there was a nice plugin that could move around the underlay. Using billboards you have to know the realworld size of the underlay, which is cumbersome too.