TextureEditor

Texture Preview window

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Section contents

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Texture Preview window

Purpose
To preview an active texture on a selected preview object.

Usage
A preview of an object selected from the files listbox is updated while interactively creating textures. The window has three default positions in the working area: left, middle, and right. The window may be moved by clicking on the Texture Preview frame label with the left mouse button and dragging it across the screen. Releasing the left mouse button will move the window to its nearest default position.

Comments
There are three menu buttons for the Texture Preview window: light, for manipulating the position of the light source, files, for selecting the objects to be previewed, and options to set display options for optimal updates of the textures in the window.

light| light manager

Purpose
To preview the effects of changes in the position and intensity of the light source.

Usage
Light controls will be displayed in a Light Manager window for manipulating the simulated light source on the object.

The red dot in the gray circle locates the direction of the light source as if it were in front of the preview object. Select the red dot with the left mouse button and drag it in the gray circle area (keep either the left or middle mouse button pressed). This will change the direction of the light source. With a right mouse button click the light source will be restored to where the last left mouse button click was given.

back light
With the back light option active, the light source is located behind the preview object.

intensity and ambient scales
The intensity scale denotes the light intensity. The ambient scale denotes the percentage of the total light intensity that is ambient.

close
close closes the Light Manager window.
Comments
The light settings are simulated to give an impression of the light effects on the textures while editing. There is no influence on any light source in the stills or animations of GIG.

files

Purpose
To select a sample preview object.

Usage
files will display a list box for selecting an object on which to preview the edited texture. There are seven predefined objects in the TextureEditor which can be used to preview textures: a ball, a cone, a cube, a cylinder, a torus, a plane (useful to preview 2D textures) and a special 'default' object whose appearance is similar to those found in the materials section.

The objects are selected by clicking the left mouse button and pressing confirm or by double clicking on their name with the left mouse button.

Also user rendered files may be previewed. Create an object in GIG and go to the render menu . Select the render texted button. A name for the file will be requested. This name will appear in the files listbox in the TextureEditor.

Comments
An active object that is rendered with render texted and previewed in the TextureEditor will reflect what the texture will look like in GIG. However, any further changes made in GIG, such as camera position or transforming the object in any way, will not be carried over.

options

Purpose
To make changes in the way the image is updated in the window.

Usage
The option box contains three scales to select the way the preview window is updated: loop size, start pixels, and refine rate.

loop size
Complex textures will take a lot of time to update the preview window as well as the user interface. The loop size reflects the number of times the window is updated before the interface is updated, so setting the loop size to a lower value will improve the response of the interface in these cases.

start pixels
Denotes the size of the blocks when starting an update. Setting the start pixels too high will result in the picture being rough when starting an update, but it will become smoother in time. Setting the value too low will result in a change not being directly visible, but only pixel by pixel.

refine rate
Denotes how fast the pixels are updated from rough to fine. When the start pixels are set too low, the refine rate will have no influence.

transp thickness
Simulates a thickness for the object in the Preview window, to evaluate transparent textures. Because the preview image itself is not really raytraced, the refraction of the light rays is simulated using the preview object, the refraction value in the active texture, and the transparancy thickness.

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