Artlantis Manual

Users Manual
Version 4.5
www.abvent.com
Artlantis is a registered trademark of ABVENT S.A. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, LaserWriter, Finder, Mac
OS, QuickTime, QuickTime VR, QuickDraw are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.; Windows is a
registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation; AutoCAD and DXF/DWG are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc.
RealSpace is a registered trademark of Live Picture Corp; Mart is a registered trademark of Meta CS. All other
trademarks are property of their respective owners.
About Artlantis
Created and developed by ABVENT R&D, Artlantis software is protected by copyright laws
that are the sole property of ABVENT R&D S.A.R.L, all rights reserved internationally
(1989-2002).
Have contributed in the creation of this manual: Tara Salman, Jacques Sdille for the
translation and Nadia Dhoukar for the text and layout. The entire manual is the sole property of
ABVENT S.A. (2002).
Thus, in compliance with copyright laws, the software, program, and manual cannot be copied,
photocopied, reproduced, translated, partially or entirely, without the prior written permission
of ABVENT, in accordance with the license contract granted to the user.
Warranty and Liability Limitations

Although ABVENT has tested the program described in this manual and revised its contents,
ABVENT S.A. and ABVENT R&D cannot expressly or tacitly guarantee that the quality,
performance or capacity of this software will comply with any particular use. Consequently,
the software and its manual are sold as is and the purchaser assumes all risks as to their quality
and operation. ABVENT S.A. and ABVENT R&D S.A.R.L reserve the right to modify the
contents of the software and its manual without prior notice.
Registered Trademarks
Artlantis is a registered trademark of ABVENT S.A. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh,
LaserWriter, Finder, Mac OS, QuickTime, QuickTime VR, QuickDraw are registered
trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.; Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft
Corporation; AutoCAD and DXF/DWG are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. RealSpace
is a registered trademark of Live Picture Corp; Mart is a registered trademark of Meta CS. All
other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Network Protection
Artlantis is sold as a single-user license: to install Artlantis on multiple computers, a new
license must be purchased for each workstation. However, when launching Artlantis on
several computers forming a network, all machines, except the one on which the application
was initially launched, will display an alert message every 25 seconds and interrupt any
operation in progress. Click Continue to proceed with your work.
Welcome to Artlantis!
Artlantis is a rendering software for computer-generated images, VR panoramas and objects,
animation sequences. Designed to help you create high-quality photo-realistic images from
your 3D files, Artlantis is perfectly compatible with most standard file formats.
Artlantis gives you full and realistic views of your scenes, which you can modify as you like
while observing your changes in real-time in the Preview Window. You can adjust your 3D
scenes parameters easily and instinctively with simple mouse clicks, then determine different
ways of calculating you images before rendering them. You can also directly interact with your
scene. Artlantis renders high-quality 3D images, VR panoramas and VR objects, and
animation sequences like never before with unequaled calculation speeds. With this ergonomic
and complete software, you can create extremely realistic renderings. Versatile, efficient and
easy-to-use, Artlantis makes computer-generated imaging, animation and virtual reality
accessible to all.
In order to learn how to use this software quickly and easily, you can download Abvents
online tutorials which will guide you step by step to design and view 3D scenes:
www.artlantis.com.
New Features in Artlantis 4.5
New unique file format: atl

Flat, mono-facetted and multi-facetted Billboards.
Parallel Views with clipping
Site insertion
Choice of working unit in decimals, metric and imperial systems.
Compatible with Mac OS X
Table of Contents
About Artlantis................................................................................................................................3
Warranty and Liability Limitations .................................................................................................3
Registered Trademarks ....................................................................................................................3
Network Protection ..........................................................................................................................3
Welcome to Artlantis! ....................................................................................................................4
New Features in Artlantis 4.5.........................................................................................................4
Table of Contents
............................................................................ I
Introduction....................................................................................................9
Chapter One
................................................................................... 11
Installation...............................................................................11
System Requirements.....................................................................................................................11
Installing Your Software................................................................................................................11
Initial Settings................................................................................................................... 12
Language ........................................................................................................................................12
Choose a Working Unit..................................................................................................................12
Display Status Bar..........................................................................................................................12
Tesselation Quality.........................................................................................................................12
Chapter Two ................................................................................... 15
File Management ......................................................................15

Opening a Document......................................................................................................................15
Opening an Artlantis Document ................................................................................................15
Opening an AutoCAD DXF or DWG Document ......................................................................16
Opening an ElectricImage Document.........................................................................................17
Opening an IGES Document.......................................................................................................17
Opening a RIB Document ...........................................................................................................17
Opening a 3DStudio Document ..................................................................................................18
Opening a VRML Document ......................................................................................................18
Merging...........................................................................................................................................18
Opening with Reference ................................................................................................................18
Memory Status ...............................................................................................................................19
Saving and Printing .......................................................................................................... 19

Closing a file................................................................................................................................19
Saving a file .................................................................................................................................19
Save as..........................................................................................................................................19
Printing ...........................................................................................................................................20
Page setup ....................................................................................................................................20
Print ..............................................................................................................................................20
Quitting...........................................................................................................................................20
Edit Menu ......................................................................................................................... 20

Undo .............................................................................................................................................20
Cut ................................................................................................................................................20
Copy .............................................................................................................................................21
Table of Contents
II
Paste .............................................................................................................................................21
Copy Preview ..............................................................................................................................21
Dressing and Appearance........................................................................... 23

Chapter Three
................................................................................ 25
Display ....................................................................................... 25
The Preview Window....................................................................................................... 25
Preview Window Quality............................................................................................................25
Level of Reflections ....................................................................................................................25
Level of Refractions ....................................................................................................................26
Display Options ................................................................................................................ 26

Ray Tracing .................................................................................................................................26
Transparency ...............................................................................................................................27
Cast Shadows...............................................................................................................................27
Zoom............................................................................................................................................27
Zoom from Original Size ............................................................................................................28
Revert to Original Size................................................................................................................28
Recalculate...................................................................................................................................28
Chapter Four .................................................................................. 29
Dressing .................................................................................... 29
Materials ........................................................................................................................... 29
Display the Materials List..............................................................................................................29
Level of Smoothness ...................................................................................................................29
Visibility ......................................................................................................................................29
Shadows.......................................................................................................................................30
Import Materials.............................................................................................................................30
Reapply Materials ..........................................................................................................................31
Create New Materials..................................................................................................................31
Shaders.............................................................................................................................. 32
Selecting the Shader Folder...........................................................................................................32
Using Another Shader Folder .....................................................................................................32
Shader Library................................................................................................................................33
Flip through the pages of the Current Library ...........................................................................33
Apply Shaders to Materials.........................................................................................................33
Rearrange the Display of Each Family.......................................................................................33
Display All Library Families ......................................................................................................34
Change the Family of a Shader...................................................................................................34
Editing Shaders ..............................................................................................................................35
Using Colors................................................................................................................................35
Working on Surfaces...................................................................................................................37
Editing Shaders Sizes and Patterns.............................................................................................37
Changing the Anchoring Point (Point of Origin) of a Shader on a 3D Model .........................38
Saving a New Shader.....................................................................................................................39
Saving a Shader Family.................................................................................................................39
Textures ............................................................................................................................ 40
Editing a Texture............................................................................................................................40
Table of Contents
III
Add a texture ..................................................................................................................................40

Automatic Adjustement...............................................................................................................41
Dimensions ..................................................................................................................................41
Space ............................................................................................................................................41
Positioning a Texture...................................................................................................................41
Moving a texture..........................................................................................................................41
Projection Types ..........................................................................................................................42
Working on Texture Surfaces .....................................................................................................42
H&V Flip .....................................................................................................................................43
Masking........................................................................................................................................43
Scale .............................................................................................................................................44
Bump ............................................................................................................................................44
Billboards.......................................................................................................................... 45
Inserting a Billboard ....................................................................................................................45
Moving a Billboard......................................................................................................................45
Duplicating a Billboard ...............................................................................................................46
Editing a billboard..........................................................................................................................46
Chapter Five ................................................................................... 47
Lighting ......................................................................................47
Lights ................................................................................................................................ 47
Interface ..........................................................................................................................................47
Edit Lights Window.....................................................................................................................47
3D Preview Window ...................................................................................................................48
Projected View Window .............................................................................................................48
Types and Characteristics of Light Sources..................................................................................48
Point Light ...................................................................................................................................48
Parallel Light................................................................................................................................48
Directional Light..........................................................................................................................48
Editing Lights .................................................................................................................................49
Parameters....................................................................................................................................49
Global Illumination......................................................................................................................50
Expert Mode.................................................................................................................................51
Heliodon Lighting ............................................................................................................ 54

Configuring the Heliodon ..............................................................................................................54
Date and Time..............................................................................................................................54
Geographic Coordinates ..............................................................................................................54
Orientation ...................................................................................................................................55
Sky Types.....................................................................................................................................55
Shadows .......................................................................................................................................55
Rendering the Heliodon .................................................................................................................56
Launching the Calculation...........................................................................................................56
Sun Study name ...........................................................................................................................56
Format ..........................................................................................................................................56
Size ...............................................................................................................................................56
Rendering Parameters..................................................................................................................57
Render now ..................................................................................................................................57
Sun Study Parameters..................................................................................................................57
Table of Contents
IV
One-day Sun Study......................................................................................................................57

Sun study for a specific time of the day .....................................................................................57
Sun study for a longer period of time during one day ...............................................................57
Choose an interval between two images ....................................................................................58
Animation length.........................................................................................................................58
Sun Study between two dates .....................................................................................................58
Chapter Six ..................................................................................... 59
Environment ............................................................................. 59
Background ....................................................................................................................................59
Color Backgrounds......................................................................................................................59
Uniform Background ..................................................................................................................59
Graduated Background................................................................................................................59
Graduated Line ............................................................................................................................59
Background Images.....................................................................................................................60
3D Background............................................................................................................................60
Motif ............................................................................................................................................61
Atmosphere ....................................................................................................................................61
Visibility Distance.......................................................................................................................61
Maximum Distance .....................................................................................................................61
Color ............................................................................................................................................61
Density .........................................................................................................................................62
Turbulence ...................................................................................................................................62
Scale.............................................................................................................................................62
Visualization ................................................................................................ 63
Interface................................................................................... 65
Display Types ................................................................................................................................65
Bounding Boxes ..........................................................................................................................65
Wireframe Display ......................................................................................................................65
Gouraud shading..........................................................................................................................65
Textured Display .........................................................................................................................65
Displaying the Projected View Window.......................................................................................65
Rendering Parameters....................................................................................................................66
Transferring Coordinates...............................................................................................................66
Chapter Seven ................................................................................ 67
Fixed Image ................................................................................ 67

Fixed Cameras .................................................................................................................. 67
Interface..........................................................................................................................................67
Fixed Cameras Dialog Box.........................................................................................................67
3D Preview Window ...................................................................................................................67
Editing a Fixed Camera .................................................................................................................68
Changing the Focal Angle...........................................................................................................68
Changing the Tilt Angle of the Camera on the y Axis (Pitch) ..................................................68
Editing the Position of the Fixed Camera ..................................................................................68
Table of Contents
Interactively Changing the Perspective in the 3D Preview Window ........................................68
Depth of Field................................................................................................................... 69
Editing Depth of Field....................................................................................................................69
Activating Depth of Field............................................................................................................69
Choosing a Focal Point................................................................................................................69
Adjusting the Depth of the Sharpness Zone ...............................................................................70
Site Insertion..................................................................................................................... 71
Interface ..........................................................................................................................................71
Site Insertion Dialog Box ............................................................................................................71
3D Preview Window ...................................................................................................................71
Inserting a 3D Model into a Site....................................................................................................72
Choosing a Background Image ...................................................................................................72
Calculating the Focal Angle........................................................................................................72
Determining the Fixed Point on the 3D Model ..........................................................................73
Positioning and Calibrating the 3D Model .................................................................................73
Validating and Refining ..............................................................................................................74
Rendering Fixed Images ................................................................................................................75
Launching the Rendering ............................................................................................................75
The Render Menu ........................................................................................................................75
Rendering Fixed Cameras..............................................................................................................75
Fixed Camera Name ....................................................................................................................75
Format ..........................................................................................................................................75
Size ...............................................................................................................................................76
Anti-aliasing.................................................................................................................................76
Ray Tracing..................................................................................................................................76
Transparency................................................................................................................................76
Alpha Channel .............................................................................................................................76
Render Now .................................................................................................................................77
Render Later.................................................................................................................................77
Render all Fixed Cameras ...........................................................................................................77
Render ..........................................................................................................................................77
Batch Rendering ..........................................................................................................................77
Chapter Eight ................................................................................. 79
Parallel Views .........................................................................79

Interface ..........................................................................................................................................79
Parallel Views Window...............................................................................................................79
3D Preview Window ...................................................................................................................79
Editing a Parallel View ..................................................................................................................80
Positioning the Camera................................................................................................................80
Modifying the Position of the Parallel View..............................................................................80
Interactively Modifying the Parallel View Preview Window ...................................................81
Defining the size of the Visualization Zone ...............................................................................81
Create a Section (or Clipping).....................................................................................................82
Rendering Parallel View(s)............................................................................................................83
Table of Contents
VI
Parallel View Name ....................................................................................................................83

Format..........................................................................................................................................83
Scale and Image Size...................................................................................................................83
Rendering Parameters....................................................................................................................83
Render Now.................................................................................................................................83
Render Later ................................................................................................................................83
Chapter Nine ................................................................................... 85
VR Panoramas .......................................................................... 85
Interface..........................................................................................................................................85
Panoramas Window.....................................................................................................................85
3D Preview Window ...................................................................................................................86
Editing a Panorama........................................................................................................................86
Modifying the Position of a Panorama.......................................................................................86
Modifying the Target Direction..................................................................................................87
Modifying the Focal Angle.........................................................................................................87
Modifying the Tilt Angle (Pitch)................................................................................................87
Creating Links between Panoramas ..............................................................................................87
Linking Two Panoramas .............................................................................................................88
Starting Panorama .......................................................................................................................88
Starting View...............................................................................................................................88
Nodes ...........................................................................................................................................88
Modifying the Starting Image.....................................................................................................88
Modifying Sensitive Zone...........................................................................................................88
Rendering panoramas ....................................................................................................................89
Panorama name ...........................................................................................................................89
Format..........................................................................................................................................89
Size...............................................................................................................................................90
Rendering Parameters .................................................................................................................90
Resolution....................................................................................................................................90
Render Now.................................................................................................................................90
Render Later ................................................................................................................................90
Render all panoramas..................................................................................................................90
Chapter TEN ................................................................................... 91
Animation .................................................................................. 91
Interface..........................................................................................................................................91
Edit Animations Window............................................................................................................91
3D Preview Window ...................................................................................................................93
Camera Path ...................................................................................................................................94
Modifying the Path......................................................................................................................94
Creating Editable Points..............................................................................................................94
Modifying Editable Points ..........................................................................................................94
Camera Behavior ...........................................................................................................................95
Path Behavior ..............................................................................................................................95
Local Traveling Behavior ...........................................................................................................95
Table of Contents
VII
Global Target Behavior ...............................................................................................................95

Target Behavior ...........................................................................................................................95
Adding a Behavior.......................................................................................................................96
Modifying Camera Behavior.......................................................................................................96
Modifying the Focal Angle .........................................................................................................96
Transition Crosses .......................................................................................................................96
Passage Time..................................................................................................................................97
Rendering Animations ...................................................................................................................98
Animation name...........................................................................................................................98
Format ..........................................................................................................................................98
Size ...............................................................................................................................................98
Images/second..............................................................................................................................98
Rendering All Images..................................................................................................................99
Rendering a serie of Consecutives Images .................................................................................99
Chapter Eleven ............................................................................ 101
VR Objects .............................................................................. 101

Interface ....................................................................................................................................... 101
Edit VR Objects Window......................................................................................................... 101
Projected View Window .......................................................................................................... 102
3D Preview Window ................................................................................................................ 102
Editing a VR Object .................................................................................................................... 102
Positioning a VR Object........................................................................................................... 102
Moving the Sphere.................................................................................................................... 102
Modifying the Spheres Ray .................................................................................................... 103
Modifying the Focal Angle ...................................................................................................... 103
Limits ........................................................................................................................................ 103
Vertical Limit............................................................................................................................ 103
Adjusted vertical limit: ............................................................................................................. 103
Horizontal Limit ....................................................................................................................... 103
Defining the Starting View ...................................................................................................... 104
Adjusting the Fluidity of VR Objects ...................................................................................... 104
Rendering VR Objects ................................................................................................................ 104
Launching the Rendering ......................................................................................................... 104
VR Object Name....................................................................................................................... 104
Format ....................................................................................................................................... 104
Size ............................................................................................................................................ 105
Parameters Rendering ................................................................................................................. 105
Index......................................................................................... 107
ABVENT in the World ................................................................. 112
Table of Contents
Introduction
11
Chapter One
Installation
System Requirements
The software has been tested to work on the following systems:
For Power Macintosh:
Equipment: Power Macintosh.
System: Mac OS 8.6 (CarbonLib 1.4 minimum) to 9.2 and Mac OS X.
RAM: 128 MB minimum, 256 MB or higher recommended.
Hard Disk Space: 130 MB for complete software installation; 100 MB minimum
recommended.
Millions of colors.
QuickTime 4.0 or higher.
For Windows 98, NT, Me, 2000 or XP:
Equipment: Intel Pentium.
RAM: 128 MB minimum, 256MB or higher recommended.
Hard Disk Space: 130 MB for complete software installation. We recommend a minimum
hard disk space of 100 MB.
Video: 24-bit card recommended.
QuickTime 4.0 or higher.
QuickTime :
Artlantis uses QuickTime for animations and QuickTime VR for panoramas and objects.
QuickTime comes with Mac OS but not with Windows, so if not already installed on your PC,
you will find it in the Utilities folder of the Artlantis CD -Rom.
Installing Your Software

Insert the Artlantis CD into the CD-Rom drive. Double-click on the Install Artlantis
icon. In the menu that appears, select the folder where you would like to install Artlantis, and
click Next. In the next menu, you will have the choice between a typical, compact and custom
installation. We recommended the typical installation, which includes the following: the
Artlantis program, the Ray-tracing Accelerator engine; the Externals folder containing the
plug-ins required for Artlantis to work; the Plug folder containing the standard Artlantis
Shader Library; and the Tutorial folder. Click Next twice and wait for Artlantis to install.
Click Close. When launching Artlantis for the first time, a dialog box will appear prompting
Chapter I: Installation
12
you to enter your name, the name of your company and the serial number of your software
(you will find it on your Registration card). Fill in these fields and click OK. Congratulations!
You have successfully installed Artlantis.
Initial Settings
Language
Choose the language (Path:File/Preferences/Language or Artlantis/Preferences/Language (MacOS
X)) in which you want to use Artlantis. The changes will be made immediately.
Choose a Working Unit

Still in the Preferences dialog box, you can choose one of six units of measure, as well as the
number of decimal points.
Display Status Bar

The Display Status Bar (Path: Windows/Display Status Bar) is a window that appears at the
bottom of your screen allowing you to see how much memory is still available on your
computer.
For some functions, an alert message will appear in the Display Status Bar along with a beep.
For example, when activating the Transparency option (Path: Options/Transparency) to view a
transparent material (Path: Windows/Edit Shaders then Windows/Library), you will get a message
indicating that you have to Recalculate in order to view the result.
Tesselation Quality
Tessellation Quality (Path: File/Preferences) allows you to regulate the tessellation level of your
3D scene by choosing the number of facets that will be generated while a file is being opened.
Tessellation quality of 128 facets, which produces a basic sphere but speeds up
calculation time. This option is best for large-scale 3D models.
13
Tessellation quality of 512 facets, producing a smoother image.

Tessellation quality of 2048 facets, producing high-quality anti-aliasing generally used
for final renderings of more detailed images, as well as high-output formats.
Note: The higher the tessellation quality, the larger the file and the longer the calculation
time.
15
Chapter Two
File Management
Artlantis allows you to import and work on a 3D model created in different file formats. This
chapter provides instructions on how to open and import different files.
Opening a Document
By selecting the Open command (Path: File/Open), Artlantis reads the file containing a 3D
scene you wish to open from your hard drive or peripheral device in one of the compatible file
formats (see the compatible file formats in the images below). You can then apply shaders to
different objects, adjust the rendering parameters, calculate an image or create animations and
VR panoramas all on an existing 3D model.
An opened file is displayed as it looked when it was last saved.
Upon selecting the Open command, a dialog box will pop up asking you to select the name of
the file to open:
Mac OS
Windows
Opening an Artlantis Document

Artlantis opens two types of files:
.atl format creates a single file on both Mac OS and Windows. By saving your file in
thisformat you can easily transfer it from one platform to the other.
Ascii format (OPT/DB) contains two file formats with the same name and the extensions
.db and .opt. Your document must contain both formats to open it. The .opt file is
opened by the application and contains the reference to the .db file to be loaded.
Chapter II: File Management
16
The .db file contains the geometric description of the scene objects (materials, polygons,
lighting, etc.), whereas the .opt file contains the data required to view the scene (fixed
cameras, background color, etc.).
When opening a file not in Artlantis format (.atl), a
warming message will appear informing you that your file
will be converted into .atl. After clicking O K, a window
with progress bars will then appear indicating the progress
of your file being read, then two windows with progress
bars will appear displaying the different preparation phases
executed.
Opening an AutoCAD DXF or DWG Document

DXF and DWG (version 14 or earlier) formats are standard to many different CAD software
programs and Artlantis can import them.
When opening a document in this format, a dialog box will pop up allowing you to choose how
Artlantis should read and display this file:
The Scale Factor lets you reduce or enlarge the size of
readable objects in DXF or DWG files. The scale factor is a
resizing function applied to all objects as they are being
read. Artlantis translates their values into centimeters, so if
your file is in meters and you want to keep this scale in
Artlantis, enter a scale factor of 100.
The Number of Segments per Arc corresponds to the
number of lines needed to create ARC entities or POLYLINE curve entities. This number is
doubled for CIRCLE entities.
Characteristics of the DXF Format: Artlantis
imports AutoCAD DXF files (version 12 or earlier).
When opening a document in this format, a dialog box will
appear allowing you to choose how Artlantis should read
and display this file. You can:
Close Polylines
Manage Layers by Blocks: If this option isnt checked,
all readable elements will be displayed the same way in a
single layer, and Artlantis will apply the same material to
them.
The Read Line Entities option is not taken into
account when Artlantis opens a DXF file.
The Shaders by Layers option lets you apply the same color and shader to all objects on
the same layer in your modeller.
17
Note: When creating a DXF file, you should put the objects with different materials on
different layers because Artlantis applies the same shader to all objects on the same layer.
List of DXF14 and DWG14 entities read by Artlantis: LINE3D; CIRCLE; ELLIPSE;
ARC; TRACE; SOLID; INSERT; POLYLINE; FACE3D. Other entities such as 3DSOLID
(ACIS entities) are ignored.
Opening an ElectricImage Document

Artlantis opens .FAC files* (FACT format on Mac OS) using the ElectricImage plug-in.
ElectricImage (EIAS) is an animation and photorealistic rendering system created by
ElectricImage Inc., USA. Once open, the file contains the following information:
3D Geometry of the Model: All 3D objects are converted since ElectricImage only
produces one kind of entity: 3- to 4-points convex polygon lists.
Surface Materials: When converting 3D objects, materials are applied to them using the
parameters (distributed colors, reflections, etc.) in the FACT file. If an object has no texture in
the FACT file, a default material will be applied. ElectricImage does not export cameras or
lighting, so Artlantis places them by default.
A word about using the ElectricImage plug-in on a PC: ElectricImage only works on Mac
OS, so if you want to transfer an ElectricImage file from a Mac to a PC, add the .FAC
extension so the plug-in can recognize it.
Opening an IGES Document

Artlantis opens IGES files using the plug-in of the same
name (version 5 and earlier). IGES (Initial Graphics
Exchange Specification) is a set of specifications permitting
the standard exchange of product definition data. IGES is
used by DAD/FAD systems and is not exactly a 3D format,
but it does contain the most common entities for the plug-in
to work. When opening an IGES file in Artlantis, a
Conversion Option window will appear in which you can specify the Scale Factor.
Opening a RIB Document

The RIB format is used by many 3D modelers and computer-generated imaging (CGI)
applications.
Artlantis reads all RIB geometric entities, except for CSG, and uses RIB shaders to create
different materials. All objects using the same shader are grouped together under the same
material.
18
Opening a 3DStudio Document

Artlantis opens 3DS files created in Autodesk 3D Studio 3.0 or
4.0.
By opening a 3DS file in Artlantis, you can set different
conversion options such as lights and/or cameras, specify the
Scale Factor and determine the position of the objects according
to the geometrical points in your scene. 3D objects and their
colors (triangular polygon lists) are systematically interpreted.
Opening a VRML Document

VRML stands for Virtual Reality Modeling Language.
Artlantis opens VRML files (with the extension .wrl) using
this plug-in.
Merging
The Open feature also lets you merge several databases. For example, you can open another
file by selecting Open and add it to the already-opened file. A dialog box will appear asking
you if you want to add a new database: click O K or Cancel. You can perform this function
using any format, except for the Artlantis binary format.
Note: Artlantis saves merged files as one file.
Opening with Reference

The Open with Reference... command (Path: File/Open with Reference) allows you to apply
all the previously saved parameters (shaders, lighting, fixed cameras, animations, VR objects
and panoramas) to the file you open. The Artlantis file containing the predefined parameters
will be used as a reference for the new file. By using this function, you can easily import any
file format (DXF, DWG, 3DS...) from your favorite modeler without doing any retouch in
Artlantis in case you have to make corrections to the original file (add an object, modify or
move it, etc.) in your 3D modeler. Regardless of the 3D format, editing files has never been
easier!
For example, lets say you want to add a window to a project:
1. Save your file in Artlantis (call it myproject.opt)
2. Go back to your 3D modeler, add the window, and save your file in DWG format by
calling it myproject2.dwg.
19
3.
Import the DWG file to Artlantis by clicking the Open with Reference... command
in the File menu. Artlantis will ask you to open a file; select myproject2.dwg.
Artlantis will then ask you to open a reference file; select myproject.opt.. The first
file will then open and you will see the new window added to it and updated with all
the Artlantis parameters you set for myproject.opt before modifying it as a DWG
file in your modeler.
Note: If you open a file with the Open with Reference... command, and click Save; only the
modifications of the first file will be saved. However, if you use Save as, and rename your
file, all modifications in the new file will be saved.
Memory Status
Each time you open a file, Artlantis performs a memory check before you can work on it. If
you get a green dialog box with a message warning you that the file cannot be opened because
the memory is saturated, this means that there is not enough memory (RAM) left on your
computer. In other words, your computers memory is nearing zero. The Save As dialog box
will then appear; click on it to rename your file and save your work.
Note: The more polygons in a file, the more memory required by Artlantis. The same goes
for large textures, which use up a lot of memory.
Saving and Printing

Closing a file
The Close command (Path: File/Close) closes your file; if you have made any changes to your
document without saving it, a dialog box will appear prompting you to do so. Click OK to save
your document before closing it, or Close to close the file without saving it.
Saving a file
The Save command (Path: File/Save) saves the file you are working on under its current name
and in Artlantis OPT/DB format. The former file with the same name will then be deleted
from your disk and replaced by the new one.
Note: If you used the Reapply Materials command (described later in this guide), the Save
command will be grayed out and you will have to save your document using the Save as
command.
Save as
You can save your file under any name and anywhere on your computer with the Save as
command (Path: File/Save as). The name you gave the file name by default and will be
displayed in the title bar of the Preview window.
20
You should save the different versions of the document you are working on under different
names using the Save as... command instead of the Save command.
Printing
Page setup
This command (Path: File/Page Setup) displays a dialog box with the parameters of the
previously selected printer. In Page Setup, you can determine the paper size, orientation, and
other parameters of the documents you want to print.
Print
After selecting a printer and determining the Page Setup, you can print (Path: File/Print)
On Mac OS:
The scene as it appears in the Preview window the moment you launch your print job.
The last calculated image after rendering, with the title bar at the top of the image.
On Windows:
The main window containing the Preview window, the calculated image, the materials list,
and/or any other window open in the main window. It is similar to a screen shot.
Quitting
By quitting the program (Path: File/Quit), you can return to your Windows desktop or Mac
Finder. If you made any change to your document, a dialog box will appear asking you to save
(see instructions above) your document before quitting. Click either Quit to exit Artlantis
without saving your document, or OK to save your document and exit the program.
Edit Menu
The Edit Menu contains standard editing tools to make certain basic operations easier.
Undo
By selecting this command (Path: Edit/Undo) you can cancel the last modification you made to a
scene, fixed camera, animation, VR panorama or object.
Cut
By selecting this command (Path: Edit/Cut) you can remove a shader on a selected object in the
Preview window and place it in your clipboard. The cut shader will then be grayed out.
21
Copy
By selecting this command (Path: Edit/Copy) you can copy all the parameters of a shader to the
clipboard. For example, if you created a shader for a wall and you want to apply it to another
object in the scene, copy and paste it to the object.
Paste
By selecting this command (Path: Edit/Paste), you can apply a shader stored in the clipboard to
an object (see Copy above).
Copy Preview
By selecting this command (Path: Edit/Copy Preview), you can make screenshots of your scene
by placing the entire contents of the Preview window on the clipboard in PICT (Mac OS) or
BMP (Windows) format. This way you can save different phases of your document or archive
them in an image catalog, for example.
22
Dressing and Appearance
25
Chapter Three
Display
The Preview Window
Even novice users will notice how Artlantis renders final
images in record time. Also, most rendering software programs
only allow you to preview the application of a material to a
single object without even being able to see the final rendered
image.
The Preview Window is the window in which you work in
Artlantis, where you can view all the changes you make to an
image, such as applying shaders and customizing surface
parameters. This way, you dont get any unpleasant surprises
during the final rendering!
Changing the Size of the Preview Window (from

128 x 196 to 640 x 480 pixels): select Preferences in the
File menu and move the cursor right or left.
Note: The larger the Preview window, the longer the calculation time, and the more memory
required. The amount of available memory depends on the number of objects in a scene, and
especially on the options you have chosen: ray tracing, transparency and cast shadows require
more calculation time. If the size of the Preview window is more than 300 x 300 pixels,
calculation time will require more than 10 MB of memory.
Preview Window Quality

Your 3D scene appears in the Preview window as it does in the fixed camera. You can edit this
camera by moving it around, or even create new ones. If you want to do this before dressing
your scene, go to Chapter 7 p.67, which deals with fixed cameras and viewpoints.
Level of Reflections
This parameter indicates the number of reflections from a ray of light while the Ray Tracing
option is on (see the Options Menu further below). The number of reflections ranges from 1 to
6 and is set at 2 by default. It is best to use the default value in the Preview window to quickly
Chapter III: Display
26
see the visual effects. If you enter a higher value, and there are several reflective objects like
mirrors, calculation time will take longer.
Level of Refractions
This value allows you to specify the number of reflections of a ray of light on a transparent
material that has a refraction of more than 1, like water and glass. It also lets you specify the
number of consecutive transparent facets you want to view. For example, lets say you have
three slightly offset windows (3 rectangular but not square facets) placed one behind the other
facing a brick wall. If the number of refractions is 2, you will not see the transparency of the
third window, nor the brick wall through it. However, if the number of refractions is 3, you will
see the transparency of the third window and the brick wall through it.
The level of roughness (between 1 and 16) corresponds to the number of surfaces exposed to a
ray. A value between 4 and 6 generally gives good results.
Display Options
You can activate the different parameters of the Preview window in the Options menu.
However, the effects of these parameters will not be visible until they have been recalculated
(see p. 28). The only effect youll be able to see immediately is on the material you last
selected and applied parameters to.
Each option that you activate can slow down the updating speed of the Preview window. For
the Ray Tracing and Transparency options, we recommend that you watch the indicator light
below the Shininess sliding gauge in the Editing Shader dialog. When it is red it means that the
rays and/or reflections will be calculated. You can then choose whether or not to activate these
options based on the number of calculations to be performed and the complexity of your scene.
We recommend that you not activate the Cast Shadows option unless it is important to your
scene, or to use it sparingly because using too many light sources slows down calculation time.
Ray Tracing
Checking the Ray Tracing option (Path: Options /Ray Tracing) activates the ray tracing
calculation and makes reflections of reflective objects visible.
Ray Tracing off
Ray Tracing on
27
Transparency
Checking the Transparency option (Path: Options/Transparency) activates the transparency
calculations by ray tracing in the Preview window.
Transparency on
Transparency and Ray Tracing on
Note: To see the effects of transparent objects with a high refraction index, check both Ray
Tracing and Transparency.
Cast Shadows
Activating the Cast Shadows option (Path: Options/Cast Shadows) calculates shadows the next
time you recalculate your scene. This means that shadows are cast on all objects illuminated by
light sources that give off shadows
Zoom
By selecting the Zoom command (Path: Options/Zoom) you can focus on and enlarge an area of
the Preview window. A rectangle will be displayed in the center of the Preview window. You
can move this rectangle around by clicking on one of its sides and dragging it with the cursor,
which becomes a hand, to the area you want to zoom in to; then let go of the mouse. To enlarge
the rectangle, click on one of its corners and drag it outwards until you get the size you want.
Then, move your cursor inside the rectangle; it will become a magnifying glass. Click once
inside the rectangle to zoom into your selection; if you click outside the rectangle, you will
cancel the zoom function.
28
Zoom from Original Size

Use this option (Path: Options/Zoom from original size) after zooming into a particular area (see
Zoom above) to zoom into another area of your scene in its original size. A rectangle, similar
to the one in Zoom (see Zoom above), will appear. Move it by clicking on one of its sides and
dragging it to the area you want to zoom into, then let go of the mouse button. To enlarge it,
click inside the rectangle.
The Zoom and Zoom from original size options in Artlantis are great tools for working
with shaders and dont affect the frame of the image during the final rendering.
Revert to Original Size

By selecting this option (Path: Options/Revert to original size) and clicking inside the rectangle,
your scene will revert back to its original size. Clicking outside the rectangle will cancel this
option.
Recalculate
Select this option (Path: Options/Recalculate) to recalculate your entire scene with the parameters
you specified in the Options menu commands (see. p. 26). p. Erreur ! Signet non dfini.).
29
Chapter Four
Dressing
Materials
In Artlantis, 3D scene objects are distinguished by the materials applied to them. The
materials in your scene are the ones you specified in your modeler: an object can have several
materials and a material can be applied to different objects. By default, all materials are visible
in your scene and appear in the materials list.
Display the Materials List

This command (Path: Windows/Display Materials List) displays a
window containing the list of materials you applied to different
objects while preparing your scene (table, wall, etc.). To apply
a shader to an object or modify it, simply click on the object in
the Preview window : see p.32 .If the name of the material is
shaded, this is because it is not currently visible in the Preview
window. However, for smaller objects or those placed inside
transparent objects, it is easier to select the object from the
materials list.
Materials have the following three parameters:
Level of Smoothness
It determines the smoothness of an object; any angles less than 60 between two facets are
smoothed by default and best for sphere-, column- and cylinder-type objects.
To increase or decrease the smoothness of an object, click on the name of the material in the
list to select it, then slide the cursor either way along the Smoothness slider below while
observing the effects in the Preview window.
Visibility
It makes a material visible or invisible in the Preview window. For example, if you want to
make an object located in the foreground invisible without changing the geometry of the
database, choose the material you want to make invisible by selecting its name from the list,
then remove the bullet () or the cross (x) in the left-hand column. To see the result in the
Preview window, select the Recalculate command in the Options menu.
Chapter IV: Dressing
30
Shadows
By default, all materials emit shadows. The Shadow parameter lets you cast shadows on
objects or remove them. For example, lets say you want to make an object visible but the
shadow of another object is hiding it: follow the steps in visibility above, but this time remove
the cross (x) or bullet () in the right-hand column. To see the result in the Preview window,
select the Recalculate command in the Options menu.
Import Materials
When you are working on a file, you can open another .opt or .atl file to import its materials
using the Import Materials (Path: File/Import Materials) item. This function replaces all the
present materials with those from your original file (but only for the materials contained in
both files). This function is very useful to test different shader parameters, quickly compare
different rendering combinations, and apply a collection of different types of materials to create
several declinations of the same model. Also, if you have customized and saved a set of
selected materials (each combination = one file), then you can apply them immediately to any
scene containing the same materials. Here is a scene with the same parameters created in
different combinations.
1st combination
file
2nd combination
file
3rd combination
file
31
Reapply Materials
Reapplying a material directly in Artlantis without
reopening your file in your original modeler saves you a
considerable amount of time. In the Reapply Materials
window (Path: Windows/Reapply Materials), you can create
or delete materials or modify their application. Also, an
object originally composed of one material can now be
composed of two.
Create New Materials

Select Reapply Materials from the Windows menu
(Artlantis can handle up to 65 535 materials). Click
Create in the dialog box that pops up. A new object will
appear in the materials list under the default name
Material X, and it is numbered according to the rest of
the materials in the list.
Change the Name of a Material: double-click on a
material name. A window will pop up asking you to enter a new name. Enter a new name, click
OK, and the new name will appear in the Materials List.
Delete Materials not used in the 3D scene: select a material you want to delete from the
Reapply Materials list and click Delete. If the material you selected in the list is not used in the
3D scene, you can delete it by clicking Delete. If a material has elements in the 3D scene, the
Delete button will be grayed out.
Select a Material to Apply the Element to: You can select elements in four different
ways: by planes, by parallel planes, by objects or by materials. In the Preview window, simply
click on an element to apply a material to: the selected surfaces will be highlighted in grey. The
number of total selected polygons of an element is indicated under Material to Reapply at the
top of the Reapply Materials window.
If you want to change your selection, click the Deselect button to cancel it (this button is
grayed out if nothing is selected), then re-click the elements you want to select. Once you have
made your selection, you can choose the material to apply.
Reapply Materials: Select a material from the Materials list, or create a new one; you can
also do this by holding down the CTRL key and selecting a material from the Preview window
to apply to the selected elements. Then click Reapply: the original material will be modified.
Note: All changes made to your file will be lost if you re-open the same file in your modeler.
Once you have reapplied the materials, the Save command will not work, so you will have to
use Save as and save your file under another name.
32
Shaders
Selecting the Shader Folder
Artlantis uses shaders to dress surfaces. In the Library the shaders are grouped by families.
The shader families are located in the Shaders folder in the Artlantis program folder. The
shaders are organized in such a way that you can easily drag and drop families and shaders
from one family or folder into another, in Artlantis or on your desktop, thus customizing the
Library. You can also delete families and shaders so they no longer appear in the Library. The
Library therefore offers you a lot of flexibility in organizing shaders.
Using Another Shader Folder

In the Preferences dialog (Path: Files/Preferences), click the Select button: a dialog box will
appear. Select the folder where you want Artlantis to read the shaders from and click Choose
on Mac OS or OK in Windows.
Note: Artlantis manages up to 100 families per shader folder, but there is no limit to the
number of shaders in a family.
If you selected a shader folder from Artlantis version 3.5 or earlier, Artlantis 4.5 will
automatically detect it and suggest that you convert your old Library. (If you want to keep it,
we strongly recommend that you make a copy of your shader folder before converting it.) If
you click OK, a dialog box will appear with progress bars and thumbnails of the shaders.
Error messages may also appear during the
conversion, especially if the folder being converted
contains previously customized shaders and is
missing the images associated with these shaders.
In this case, the shader files generating errors will be
placed in a different folder called Conversion
Errors located in the converted Library. The Library
also has another folder called Error Log containing
error information like cannot find image associated
with shader.
If you want to add another converted folder to the active library, just move it there and the
library will immediately display both the old and new shaders.
33
Shader Library
Selecting Library (Path: Windows/Edit
Shaders, then Windows/Library): displays
the Shader Library. You can browse its
different shader families and organize
them. You can also:
Flip through the pages of the

Current Library
Because of the size constraints of the
Library window, not all the shaders of a
family are visible; this is why it is
organized by pages, so you can flip through it using the arrow buttons.
Apply Shaders to Materials

Click on a shader thumbnail in a family, hold down the mouse button and drag it to the desired
material in the Preview window. Release the mouse button: the shader will be applied to the
material and the scene will immediately be updated. Repeat this process to apply more shaders
to scene materials.
Rearrange the Display of Each Family

To change the position of a shader in the currently displayed family:
Click on the thumbnail of the shader and, while holding down the mouse button, drag the
shader to the desired position. Release the mouse button and the family will be reorganized.
If you cannot view the entire family because the window is too small, or because you have to
change pages:
Click on the shader you want to move and, while holding down the mouse button, slide the
arrow buttons in either direction to turn the page. Continue holding down the mouse button and
turning the pages until you get to the page you want. Then, still holding down the mouse
button, drag the shader to the desired position. Release the mouse button and the family will be
reordered.
34
Display All Library Families

To display another family in the library, click the scroll-down menu
at the bottom of the Library window. Then hold down the mouse
button and select the name of the family to display. Release the
mouse button and the shaders of the selected family will be
displayed in the Library window.
You can also display the Families List by clicking on the icon at the
bottom left of the Library window. Use the arrows to browse the
list, and click on the family you want to view. In this window, you
can also:
Create Families : click on the Create button in the Families
List. A dialog box will appear prompting you to name the new
family. Enter the new name and click OK.
Delete Families : select the name of the family to delete from the Families List and click
Delete.
If the family you want to delete contains shaders, a message will appear informing you that the
operation cannot be completed. You have to delete all the shaders from a family before
deleting it. You can delete a Library family from your Desktop either by moving the Shader
folder to another folder, or by moving it to the Recycling (or Trash) Bin to permanently delete
it.
Change the Name of a Family : double-click on the name of the family you want to
change. Enter a new name in the dialog box that appears and click OK.
Change the Family of a Shader

Select a family from the Families List, and then select a shader from the family. Hold
down the mouse button and drag the shader to another family in the Families List. Release the
mouse button and the shader will appear last in its new family. The original family will be
reorganized without the shader.
You can also change the family of a shader from your Desktop. In the Shader folder, a
shader is made up of different files. Basic shaders are made up of three non-image files:
A001.TXT; A001.ASH and A001.PRW. If the shader has a texture, it will also have a fourth
TGA file. Therefore, to move a shader to another family, you will have to move all its files to
the new family.
35
Editing Shaders
Shader interfaces may be very different from one another.
However, some share the same commands in terms of
their appearance and functions. The most common
functions are described below:
Using Colors
You can access Artlantis different color pickers from the
scroll down menu pictured on the right.
Artlantis Color Pickers

It is divided into three parts: You can
choose a basic color from the palette in the middle, just like choosing a
color pencil. You can choose the saturation level of a color in the top part.
You can also choose a color by entering its numerical values in the color
scale at the bottom of the picker.
Note: If you enter equal numerical values in each field of the color scale (RGB or CMY), you
will always get a grey shade ranging from black to white.
The CMY Picker

You can modify the Cyan, Magenta and Yellow in the three sliders on top.
You also can enter the numerical values of these colors in the CMY scale
below. If you want to display another picker after this one, except for the
RGB Picker, the numerical values will remain in CMY.
The Nuancer
You can choose colors from this picker like choosing color pencils, but the
colors in the Nuancer can be modified and stored with the programs
preferences. To save a color created in another picker, select the Nuancer
from the Picker menu, then hold down the CTRL key and click in the box
where you would like to save this color: it will then be applied immediately.
Note: If the new color erases another one in the Nuancer, you will not be able to retrieve it
unless you know its exact numerical values in CMY, HSV or RGB.
36
The HSV Picker

You can choose a color from the RGB disk using this picker, then modify its
luminosity using the vertical saturation slider, and the corresponding
numerical values will be displayed in the HSV color scale below.
As you move away from the center of the RVB disk, the colors increase in
saturation.
The RGB Picker

You can modify the amounts of red, green and blue using the three vertical
color sliders on top.
You can also specify the numerical values of these colors using the scale
below.
If you select another picker after this one, except for the CMY picker, the
numerical values will remain in RGB mode.
For shaders that have two colors, the picker will display two color palettes
instead of one. You can control the gradation level between these two colors in
the Color Table below.
The Color Table

Using the Color Table, you can define a colors degree of gradation, i.e.
how one color will gradate into another, on any shader made up of at least
two colors. The color mix depends on the geometry of the shader: the
results will differ according to whether the shader is made up of parallel
lines, squares or an irregularly shaped material like marble. By adjusting
the graph with your mouse, you can change the gradation degree of complex color
perturbations (veins in marble or wood, for example) as well as of materials with several
colors.
To use the Color Table:
Click on the graph, hold down the mouse button and redraw the graph.
The graph reading will determine the degree of gradation:
A horizontal line in the upper or lower part of the table means that Artlantis will
recognize only one color. There is almost no gradation.
A straight, diagonal line represents a normal gradation from one color to another.
A stepped-line or a line with high peaks results in dramatic gradations between the two
colors.
A smooth curve without peaks creates a progressive gradation from one color to the other.
37
Working on Surfaces
Shininess
The Shininess slider lets you control the luminosity of a material. If a
material becomes bright enough to reflect its environment
(reflection), the light below the slider will turn red to warn you that
this reflection effect will slow down calculation time. To see the
reflection (mirror effect), activate Ray Tracing in the Options menu (see. p.26).
Roughness
The Roughness slider lets you control the way light react on a surface.
If you move the cursor to the left, the light becomes more diffuse and
spreads out along the surface, corresponding to a mat surface. If you
move the cursor to the right, the light becomes more concentrated,
corresponding to a more metallic material. By combining shininess and roughness, you can
adjust the way light reacts against a surface.
Opacity
This slider indicates the transparency of a material: To the left, the
material is more opaque, and to the right it is more transparent. To see
the transparency effect, activate Transparency in the Options menu
(see p. 27).
Refraction
The Refraction slider gives a material its refraction index. It defines the angle
at which light rays deviate upon contact with a transparent material. If you
choose liquid, the refraction index will increase, whereas if you choose
plexiglas, it will decrease. The light next to the slider will turn red to indicate
refraction, which means that the light rays are deviating upon contact with
the material. To see the refraction effect, activate both Ray Tracing and
Transparency in the Options menu (see p. 27).
Editing Shaders Sizes and Patterns

Scale
The Scale slider defines the relative size of a shaders pattern or
motif, without affecting the proportion of the colors that may be
applied to the material.
38
Proportion
The Proportion slider defines the geometric relationship between the
colors in a shader that has a motif composed of at least two colors.
Many shaders in Artlantis have both the Proportion and Scale
parameters because each shader has very varied geometric motifs. Both
parameters always work the same way.
Turbulence
The Turbulence slider lets you control the turbulence of some shaders
(such as wood), or, in other words, monitor a noise that can deform the
shader.
The Compass
The Compass lets you orient a shader 360 on its surface, as if you were rotating a
piece of paper on a table.
Flip Button
It allows you to rotate a shader symmetrically by 90. The shader will be pivoted
around the geometry of the texture to which it is applied. The example below best
illustrates four flips of a cube.
Bump (Relief) Map

It allows you to simulate 3D effects such as craters and mounds on the
surface of a material, based on gray levels in its texture. To turn off the
Bump effect, click the red light and it will turn green to indicate that
the function has been deactivated.
Changing the Anchoring Point (Point of Origin) of a Shader on a 3D Model

Hold down the CTRL key: the cursor will then change into a cross in the Preview Window.
Click anywhere on a material in the Preview window to change the anchoring point.
39
Saving a New Shader

You can save a shader (Path: File/Save Shader), and all the parameters you set for it by creating
then naming an image that will appear in the Library.
Activate the Library in the Windows menu, then select Save
Shader from the File menu: A rectangle representing the
thumbnail of this shader will appear in the Preview window. The
cursor will turn into a hammer inside this rectangle, a hand
around its edges, and another symbol outside of it. Move the
rectangle by clicking on one of its sides and dragging it to the
desired area; then release the mouse. Validate the position of the
rectangle by clicking inside of it; the shader will immediately
appear in the selected family of the shader library, ready to be
used again.
To make your own families, use simple 3D shapes that clearly display each shader. For
example, a column for stone, a vase for liquid, a frame for a mirror, etc.
Note: If the Save Shader function is grayed out even if the Library is open, it is because the
Preview window is too small for the rectangle to display the image of the shader.
Saving a Shader Family

You can create a new shader family in the
Library by selecting the Save Shader Family
command (Path: File/Save Shader Family). The
new family will be named after the file you are
working on, and the shaders will be copied
from those used in your working file.
The shaders in the Library correspond to those
originally placed on the objects in your scene,
so if a shader or family already exists,
Artlantis will prompt you to update it. If you
click OK, Artlantis will then add the additional shaders and replace those that have been
modified.
With the Save Shader Family command, you can create a new Library folder, which like an
archive of your file since it contains all the shaders used in it.
40
Textures
A texture is an image that you import to Artlantis then
apply a material to in order to dress your 3D scene.
This image can be a TGA, JPEG, BMP or PICT (on
Mac OS only) file from anywhere on your computer.
: By checking this box in the Edit
Shader Dialog, the Texture Mapping window will pop
up, allowing you to open one or more textures, position
them and modify their appearance:
Editing a Texture
To add a texture to a material and/or a shader, click
Create. A Windows dialog box will appear:
(Mac OS)
(Windows)
Choose the image you want to import and click Open: an image-size definition dialog box will
appear, in this case the Dimensions texture editor, displaying the width and height of the image
in pixels. By checking the Keep Proportion box, you can maintain the height/width rate ratio
when modifying either value. There are two methods for adjusting the dimensions of a texture:
41
Automatic Adjustment: when this radio button is

activated, the texture is enlarged to retrieve the entire
surface of the imported material.
If the Keep Proportion box is checked, the texture will
maintain its proportions and adjust in height or width. The
best mapping is achieved when the surface is rectangular
and plane with a flat projection (see Projection Types
further below). Otherwise, this may produce anomalies.
Dimensions: by selecting this radio button, you can
specify the size of the texture in centimeters in proportion
to the scale of your 3D scene. Space allows you to specify
the spacing in textures that are mapped in a repetitive
manner on the material.
The Textures List is displayed in the following order: the last texture created appears at the top
of the list and on top of the other textures on the material in the Preview window, and so on. To
change the order, click on the name of the texture you want to move in the list and, while
holding down the mouse button, drag it to the desired position and release. The textures in the
list and the Preview window will be subsequently updated. Click Delete to delete a texture
from the list.
Positioning a Texture
Moving a Texture: if you didnt check the Automatic Adjustment box, you can move the
default position of a texture from when it was first opened. You can do this either by changing
the anchoring point in the texture (located in the middle of the texture by default) in the
Texture Mapping window, or by moving the texture by its anchoring point in the 3D window.
In the Texture Mapping window, hold down the CTRL key and click on the cross on the
texture thumbnail. Then, still holding down the mouse button, drag the cross to the desired
position: the image will be repositioned in the scene according to its new anchoring point. To
change the position of the anchoring point on the 3D model, hold down the CTRL key and
click anywhere on the material in the Preview window.
Note: If an object on the first level blocks the exact positioning of a texture, you can
temporarily delete this object from the scene by making it invisible in the Materials List (see
Materials list, p.29).
42
Projection Types: After pasting an image to an object, you can
select a projection type (click the

icon for the menu), so the
image will better fit with geometry of the object.
When you place a texture on an object, Artlantis automatically
chooses the best projection for it. To change the default projection
and thus the texture of the object, click on the projection icon and
select another projection from the scroll-down menu.
Vertical Cylindrical - the image will adopt a cylindrical shape and cover the object vertically
while leaving gaps from top to bottom.
Horizontal Cylindrical - the image will adopt a horizontal shape and cover the object
horizontally while leaving gaps from left to right.
Spherical - the image you want to project will adopt a spherical shape according to its size,
possibly leaving gaps. This projection adapts exactly to the anchoring point and changes shape
on the rest of the image.
The Simple projection will spread vertically on the object. In other words, the horizontal parts
will fit the image exactly, whereas the other parts will only fit partially.
The Parallel projection will only fit parallel planes.
The Cubical projection has the same characteristics as the Spherical projection, except for its
shape: The image may be a little deformed if the geometry of the object cannot adapt to that
type of projection.
The Planetary projection appends an image to an object vertically and by its poles: it does not
leave any empty spaces on the object. Unlike the other projections, it cannot be modified.
After selecting a different projection, you can then re-parameterize your texture (see next
section below).
Working on Texture Surfaces

Some parameters define the surface of a texture. These parameters are totally independent of
those of a material. The parameters we used for shaders like Shininess, Roughness and Opacity
(see p.37) are applied the same way for textures. However, here we will look at the parameters
that differ from those of shaders.
Compass
It allows you to orient a texture 360 around its axis by rotating its pointer.
43
H & V Repeat
You can adjust the space separating each repetition with the Space slider. Note that the values
you set in the Space fields of the dialog box that pops up when creating a texture become the
reference value of the Space slider.
The H&V Repeat lets you duplicate a texture based on its horizontal (H) and vertical (V) axes.
Note: If you want to modify the Space value, double-click the name of the texture in the list
in the Texture Mapping window to access the image size definition dialog box.
By checking the H and V Flip boxes, you can flip the texture horizontally and/or vertically
over its axes.
Masking
With Artlantis, you can create masks to prevent areas of a texture from being mapped by
hiding a textures color. There are three ways of masking:
Select a color to mask: Check the first box and click the
corresponding radio button. Then choose the color, either from the
textures thumbnail above, or from the color picker below.
Select two colors to mask: Repeat the above step for each color.
Select a color range between two color extremities: select the two
color extremities and click the second radio button to link them.
44
Note: Masking will affect the calculation of the texture on the object but not on the original
image, so you can customize masking each time you use the same texture on another material.
Color Mix
This option allows you to color the texture.
Click the Color Mix radio button below left and choose a color from the Picker. Then
slide the cursor of the Color Mix slider either way to determine the intensity of the mix.
Scale
You can adjust the dimensions of your texture using the Scale slider.
The dimensions you set in the dialog box and that appears when
creating a texture become the reference value of the Scale slider.
Note: If you want to modify the size of a texture, double-click its name in the list in the
Texture Mapping window to access the image-size definition dialog box.
Bump
You can simulate a 3D effect on a material using different texture
luminosity levels on the Bump slider: metal corrosion, waves, raised
logos, cut-stones, stucco, engravings, etc. The Bump slider gives a
materials surface an undulating effect by modifying a textures grey
levels. To deactivate the Bump slider, click on the red light below, and it will turn green to
indicate that the function has been turned off.
45
Billboards
Billboards are 3D components of a facet and an associated image. They allow you to enhance
your scene with realistic details like people or vegetation. Inserting a billboard is easy to do
and is exactly like inserting a shader.
Inserting a Billboard
To insert a billboard in your scene, display the Shader Library (Path:
Windows/Library), and then in the Families list, select a Billboard
family (preceded by the initials BB). There are three types of
billboards distinguished from each other by an icon located in the
top right-hand corner of their thumbnail.
flat billboards are composed of only one facet and stay coplanar to the surface no
matter where you insert them.
mono-facetted billboards are composed of one facet and are inserted vertically to the
ground (e.g. a person).
multi-facetted billboards are composed of at least two cross-facets and are also
inserted vertically to the ground (e.g. trees).
Make sure that Transparency is activated (see. p. 27), then select the thumbnail of the billboard
you want to insert and drag it to the desired
position in the Preview Window.
Moving a Billboard
You can interactively move a billboard that has
already been inserted simply by dragging the
circle below the billboard to the desired
position. As you move the billboard, the
perspective effects (e.g. size) are automatically
generated.
46
Duplicating a Billboard
Select the billboard, then move it to the desired position while holding down the ALT key
(Mac) or CTRL key (Windows). The billboard and its editable parameters will be duplicated
here.
Editing a billboard
Once youve inserted the billboard, you can
modify it in the Edit Billboard window by:
Working on its surface aspect: the
Roughness and Shininess parameters are the same
as for shaders (see p.37). The Luminosity slider
allows you to increase or decrease the amount of
light emanating from the billboard.
Rotate the billboard: using the compass.
Resize the billboard: using the Scale slider:
the billboard will automatically be resized in the
Preview window.
By checking the H and V Flip boxes, you can
flip the texture horizontally and/or vertically over
its axes.
Camera Constraint
: this parameter only functions for mono-facetted billboards. It
ensures that the billboard will always be facing the camera. If you check this option, you will
not be able to rotate the billboard with the compass.
47
Chapter Five
Lighting
Lights
Because you can preview your scene in real-time in Artlantis, you can work interactively on
lighting. For example, you can illuminate your scene with global lighting, including indirect
light sources. Thanks to Artlantis innovative lighting technology, you can create very realistic
images.
Artlantis can generate up to 128 light sources including heliodon lighting, omnidirectional or
lamp, directional or spot lighting and parallel lighting.
While setting up the scene with the rights shaders provides basic realism, lighting will give life
to your scene: lights create shadows, volume, darkness and hierarchy in space. You can
parameterize the different light sources in the Lights, Projected View and Preview windows.
There are two ways of selecting lights: either by choosing its name from the Lights window list
or clicking on the light in the Projected View window.
Below is an explanation of the Lights interface. Notice that heliodon lighting has its own
interface separate from the other three light sources mentioned above.
Interface
Edit Lights Window
(Path: Windows/Edit Lights).
You can choose a light source and parameterize it in the

Edit Lights window.
In the Lights list, the lights that are active in your scene
are preceded by a bullet () or a cross (x). To turn off a
light source, remove the bullet or cross in the left-hand
column next to it. To duplicate a light source, select it,
hold down the CTRL key, click Create, and a new light
source will be created with the exact same parameters as
the original. To move a light source but keep its
direction, hold down the ALT key while moving it in the
Projected View window. To delete a light source, simply
select it and click the trash bin.
Chapter V: Lighting
48
3D Preview Window
In this window, you will observe the different effects of your
light parameters.
Projected View Window

You can position your lights in this window. To display it, click
the
button. The Projected view window displays a 2D
wireframe representation of
your scene with top, bottom and side views.
At the bottom of the Projected View window are three icons
that control the way the lighting is displayed: the cube (top,
left and right views), the hand (to move pan) and the
magnifier (to zoom).
Artlantis uses specific icons in the Projected View window
to distinguish between light sources, which you can also
move around in this window.
Types and Characteristics of Light Sources

There are three types of light sources characterized by their color, intensity, and position in
space, as well as by their own features.
Point Light
The Point Light (or Lamplight), is an omnidirectional light source characterized by
its maximum and minimum lighting zones (spherical). Its characteristics can be seen
and modified in the Projected View window by clicking on its editable points.
Parallel Light
The Parallel Light (or Sunlight) illuminates the scene in a given direction. It is
characterized by its direction, represented by an arrow.
Directional Light
The Directional Light (or Spotlight) is characterized by a direction (represented by
an arrow), the opening angle of its cone, as well as by its sharpness level and
maximum lighting zone.
Chapter V: Lighting
49
To change a light source, select it from the list and click another light source.
Point Light
Parallel Light
Directional Light
Editing Lights
Parameters
Each light source has both individual and shared parameters.
Position and direction

The position and direction of lights can be modified graphically and numerically:
In the Projected view window, click on the yellow light source. Then hold down the mouse
button and move it around until you get the position you want. To modify the direction of
parallel and spot lights, click the light or the end of the arrow representing their direction.
Then, hold down the mouse button and move it around until you get the direction you want.
Note: If you hold down the SHIFT key, the position and/or direction of the light source
moves according to the horizontal or vertical axes of the floorplan, or in 45 angles. You can
keep the direction of a light source by holding down the ALT key while moving it.
You can also directly modify the position of a
light source by defining its contact point in the
Preview window when the Edit Lights window is
displayed: Select the light you want to edit, then hold
down the CTRL button and click on the new contact
point in the Preview window. The position and direction (for parallel or spot lights) will be
modified automatically to maximize the lighting around the new contact point.
Numerically: click the Expert button and in the dialog box that appears, enter the absolute
coordinates (in the unit of measure you selected in Preferences) of the position and direction of
the light source in the corresponding fields.
Chapter V: Lighting
50
The Color Picker

You can use this tool to change the color of the light source.
Intensity
Adjusting the intensity of light sources is key to making a scene
more realistic. For light points and directional lights, Artlantis uses
a unique interface offering you total control over a light sources
intensity, ranging from candle to stadium lighting.
You can increase or decrease the intensity of a light source using the slider below the Color
Picker. This slider also has two buttons (+ and -) at either end allowing you to control the
intensity on different scales from 0 to 0.5 (candle lighting), 0 to 5 (indoor lighting), 0 to 500
(outdoor lighting) or 0 to 5000 (distant lighting).
Note: For parallel lighting, the Intensity slider has a scale between 1 and 100.
Global Illumination
Global illumination is a very realistic light source: when a light source directly lights other
objects in a scene, these objects reflect the light from that source and become new light sources
whose rays illuminate other scene objects.
For example, lets take a scene with a table illuminated solely by a spotlight. The light source
can only illuminate the table and floor without affecting the rest of the scene. This is direct
lighting..
However, to make the scene more realistic, the spotlight can be used to indirectly illuminate
the rest of the scene. The table, floor and seats should receive some of the spotlight and light up
other scene objects such as the ceiling, walls, etc. This is indirect lighting. These objects will
also reflect some of their color onto the objects they illuminate and brighten up the general
atmosphere of the room.
Global illumination encompasses both direct and indirect lighting in a scene.
Warning: Version 3.5 files may have different lighting levels in Artlantis 4. For example,
spot and point light sources are different from those in 3.5, so some scene objects may be
over- or under-exposed if illuminated by them (see page 52 for more information).
Therefore, we recommend that you not use
as many lights as you did in 3.5. Delete some
and use indirect lighting for others. By using
less light sources you will get better scene
lighting.
You can activate indirect lighting for each light source by selecting a light in the Lights list,
then checking the Global Illumination box to enable both control sliders.
Chapter V: Lighting
51
Quality Slider
It has five levels of remitted light quality. You can control the intensity of the remitted light
from 1 to 100 using the second slider to the right . To maximize light quality without making
the intensity of the scene too bright or dim, do not hesitate adjust the light source intensity
using the Intensity slider below the Color Picker. Adjust the quality and intensity of the
remitted light using the Global Illumination control sliders, and set the Ambiance slider to 0.
Cast Shadows
Artlantis has two sliders that control the
quality of shadows cast by light sources. To
activate the shadows of a light source, select
the light to edit, then check the Shadows button
to enable the control sliders:
You can control the intensity of cast shadows with the first slider, which ranges from 0 to
100: 30% casts a clear shadow, 50% to 60% is standard, and 100% casts dark shadows.
You can control the quality of directional light (spot) with the second slider. In its initial
position, the spotlight slider projects shadows with sharp outlines calculated in Ray
Transparency (RT) mode. When the spotlight slider is between 1 and 13, it projects soft
shadows with fuzzier contours depending on the RT level.
Expert Mode
In Expert Mode, you can choose the type of lighting, determine
the XYZ coordinates of the light source, and define other light
source parameters including:
Ambient Light
The Ambiance slider allows you to brighten or dim
the entire scene. This parameter is unique and
common for the 3D scene.
Chapter V: Lighting
52
Lighting Limits
Artlantis light sources are "reality-based", meaning that the closer an object is to a light
source, the brighter it gets.
The Maxi (A) slider covers the zone that receives the most amount of light from the point
where the light source originates. Lighting intensity also depends on the color of the light
source.
The Limit (B) slider indicates the distance at which the light source will stop illuminating
an area. Light source intensity increases form A to B.
These values expressed in the unit of measure chosen in Preferences, can be adjusted by typing
a value in the fields or sliding the cursor along the slider.
To modify the distance between Maxi A and Limit B in the Projected View window: select the
light to edit and click on the point on the circle representing the maximum distance (A). Then,
while holding down the mouse button, move this point towards point B and release.
Opening
This slider is only available for the spotlight. It defines the opening
angle of the light cone in degrees, and its maximum value is 180.
Sharpness
This slider determines the sharpness of the edges of a zone
illuminated by omnidirectional and spot lights. A value of 100
gives a sharp definition, whereas a value of 50 defines a larger area
between shadow and light and is then less sharp.
Soft Shadows
This slider controls auto-shading (the facets of a material that cast shadows on other facets of
the same material) on a material for spotlights only. The illustrations below indicate different
effects of the Soft Shadows slider:
1 -The deck-cleat is illuminated by a spotlight casting a shadow in RT mode (sharp edge).
Chapter V: Lighting
53
2 -The cleat is illuminated by a spotlight casting soft shadows (level 2). Part of the shadow
(indicated by the white arrow) on the cleat has disappeared. You will notice that once you
move the RT slider to the left, the Soft Shadows slider in Expert mode is reset to 30 by default.
3 -To prevent the cast shadows from shifting, lower the level of the Soft Shadows slider.
Here, 1 is sufficient.
4 - An even lower Soft Shadows level may cause extra shadows to appear on the facets of
a material.
Note: Artlantis uses a shadow-mapping technology to create soft shadows and maximize
their effect when light sources are relatively close to an object. You can try experimenting
with several different distances to see which one creates the best effects for your scene.
Depending on the number of polygons in the scene, a short delay may be needed for Artlantis
to compute the texture.
Chapter V: Lighting
54
Heliodon Lighting
Configuring the Heliodon
Heliodon lighting is the calculation of light in a scene
in relation to the position of the sun, which is
determined by the place, time and type of sunlight
chosen.
Configuring the Heliodon is done in the Heliodon tab
of the Lights window, as well as in the Projected View
window.
The Heliodon has a whole range of parameters in the
Lights window. It can be turned on or off by checking
or un-checking the Direct Sun button.
Date and Time

You can define the suns position by entering a specific
date and time and see the immediate effect in the
Preview window.
Enter the day of the month into the appropriate field,
then select the month from the adjacent menu. This will
automatically
calculate and display sunrise and sunset times. You can
also define the position of the sun for a specific hour by
moving the cursor or entering the hour and minutes in the
corresponding fields.
Geographic Coordinates
You can choose a city from the Cities menu. If the city you are looking for isnt there, you can
create it with the Edit Cities button:
Chapter V: Lighting
55
A new dialog box will appear in which you can create a

city: Click Create to add a new city to the list, then doubleclick "City", and rename it in the dialog box that pops up.
You can also specify the geographic coordinates of the new
city by entering its longitude and latitude in the
corresponding fields, then clicking OK to save your new
city.
Orientation
You can determine the orientation of the projection by
specifying the North cardinal point with the compass. By
rotating the compass arm, you will immediately see the North
orientation of the heliodons parallel rays in the Projected
View window.
Sky Types
The type of sky (clear or covered) you choose will affect the global
illumination of your scene making it either more or less intense. This
parameter also affects shadow intensity. If the cursor is at the extreme
left of the slider, the sky will be completely covered and there will not
be any cast shadows. If the cursor is at the extreme right, the sky will be clear and the cast
shadows will be intense.
Shadows
By checking the Shadows box, you can give the Heliodon a shadow. The
Shadow Intensity slider ranges from 0 to 100 (see. p. 51).
You can also use Global Illumination with the Heliodon (see. p. 50).
Note: For indoor lighting scenes, you will get better global illumination effects with spot or
omnidirectional lighting than with heliodon lighting.
Chapter V: Lighting
56
Rendering the Heliodon

Launching the Calculation
If the heliodon is on, you can calculate your sun study.
You can create two media types in the Render
Heliodon menu (Path: Render/Render Heliodon): still
images or movies. Upon choosing this option the
following window will appear:
Sun Study Name: you can name your image,
animation or image folders to be calculated in this
field. Then, by clicking on the
icon next to it,
select the folder where you would like to save your
animation.
Format: You can choose an output format for the
calculated image from this pull-down menu. The
following formats are available: PICT Compressed
(Mac OS), PICT (Mac OS), TGA Compressed, TGA,
BMP, JPEG, QuickTime Compressed, QuickTime,
AVI (Windows). The QuickTime format will be
grayed out if the QuickTime plug-in is deactivated or
not installed on your system.
A rendered animation generates:
On Mac OS, a QuickTime movie.
On Windows: a QuickTime movie or an AVI movie. The animations can be viewed on
QuickTimeTM on Mac OS or Windows MediaPlayer on Windows.
For images rendered in PICT Compressed, PICT, TGA Compressed, TGA, BMP or JPG, a
folder will be created containing all the images; you can then use video editing software to reenact the sequence.
PICT or QuickTime Compressed produce smaller movie files and images. If you choose either
format, a dialog box will appear in which you can parametrize the compressor and compression
rate: Apple Animation and Cinepak compressors are recommended.
Note: When creating a sun study in Artlantis, you can either create images of your model at a
specific time and place, or an image producing an evolution during a given time-frame.
Size: You can choose a predefined format for your final image
or animation, or specify a custom size in the Width and Height
boxes.
You can also directly enter the height and width of the animation
or the final images in the corresponding fields.
Chapter V: Lighting
57
Rendering Parameters
To activate the parameters, check the boxes below.
Once youve activated these parameters, additional options will appear next to Antialiasing, Ray Tracing and Transparency.
Render now: clicking this button will
immediately launch the calculation of an image or
series of images, taking into account the last
modifications you made in the Render Parameters
window. By clicking OK, you will save these changes
without launching the calculation. If you click Cancel,
you can close the Render Heliodon window but will
lose all modifications.
Note: To close this dialog box without saving the modifications you made, simply dismiss the
dialog by clicking the X in the upper right (Mac OS) or left (Windows) hand of the window.
Differed Rendering isntt available for sun studies.
Sun Study Parameters

In Artlantis, you can create one-day sun studies or sun studies at a given time for a given
period (e.g. 4pm every day for three weeks in February).
One-day Sun Study : to create a sun study for one day, click the
Render Heliodon window.
button in the
If the Time Interval box

isnt checked, the
Render Heliodon menu will look like the image on the
left, and you can only produce an image of your scene
for a specific time of day by entering the date, minute
and hour in the corresponding fields. Select the month from the pull-down menu.
If you check the Time Interval box

, you can
create a sun study for a longer period of time within
one day. The Render Heliodon menu will look like
the one on the right. To modify the starting and
finishing times and dates, enter their values in the
corresponding fields. Select the month from the pulldown menu.
Note: By default, the starting and finishing times of the sun study correspond to sunrise and
sunset times of the date and city chosen. If you have modified these parameters and want to
retrieve them, just click on the From Dusk Till Dawn button.
Chapter V: Lighting
58
Choose an Interval Between Two Images : specify the animation length (the time lag
between two images) in minutes, hours or images per second. If you choose minutes or hours,
you will have to specify the periodicity of the images in the adjacent field.
Note: The film you create will play at 25 images per second by default, so always check how
many images will be created to avoid creating a movie that's so short, you can't even see its
evolution.
If you want to Set the Animation Length , select the img./sec menu and specify the final
duration of the movie. In this case, the number of images will be calculated to generate 25
images per second for the sun study period you specified above. The advantage of this method
is that it offers a quick view of the length of your movie and processes the number of ensuing
images.
Sun Study Between Two dates : if you click the
Time Period
button and uncheck the Time
Interval
box, you can only calculate a still image
for an exact time of day entered in the corresponding
fields. You can also get this effect by following the
steps mentioned further above for a one-day sun study.
To execute your sun study for at an exact time for more than one day, click the
button in
the Render Heliodon window, then check the Interval

box, and the dialog box will then
look like the one on the right. Next, enter the hour and minutes for the time of day and the
starting and ending days of your sun study in the corresponding fields.
Note: By default, the starting and ending days of the sun study are between January 1st and
December 31st of a calendar year and are based on the hour and city you chose in the
Heliodon interface. If youve modified these parameters and want to retrieve them, click on
the 01 to 12 button.
Choose the Interval between two images by determining the duration between two images
(days or months), or the animation length (see Set the Animation Length, p. 58). If you select
days or months, you will have to specify the periodicity of the images by entering a value in
the adjacent field.
Chapter V: Lighting
59
Chapter Six
Environment
Background
One of the most frequent problems of computer-generated imaging is that they sometimes lack
realism. The world is full of details, imperfections and perturbations that are often missing in
computer-generated images. However, with Artlantis, not only can you apply surfaces
(shaders and textures) and lights to make scenes more realistic but you can also use other
special effects such as applying backgrounds (Path: Windows/Edit Background) and atmosphere
(Path: Windows/Edit Atmosphere).
The background is behind the 3D scene. Its role can be
essential in the calculation of reflection for the objects
of the model, in the integration of the model into a site,
and in the ambient light of images, animations, and
panoramas resulting from it. Artlantis can handle six
types of backgrounds: three colored backgrounds
(Uniform, Graduated and Graduated line) and three
image backgrounds (Stretched Picture, 3D Image and
Motif ( Pattern)).
Color Backgrounds
They are composed of one or more colors from the Colors Picker:
Uniform Background is made up of a single color from the Color Picker.
Graduated Background is made up of two colors mixed linearly. By default, it consists
of a high-band color and a low-band color in the image, with a vertical gradation between
them. Use the compass to change the orientation of this gradation.
Graduated Line is made up of two colors mixed linearly. By default, it consists of a color
horizontally centered in the image as well as a high-band color and low-band color with a
gradation between them. You can define the width of the center color area using the Line
Width slider, and change the orientation of the gradation with the compass.
Chapter VI: Environment
60
Background Images
With Artlantis, you can import background images. There
are three kinds of background images: Stretched Picture,
3D Background and Motif (Pattern). If you open a file with
no background image and choose one of these background
image options, a dialog box will appear prompting you to
select an image file from your hard drive. The recognized
formats are PICT, TGA, BMP and JPG.
The image that you choose will simultaneously be
displayed in the Background and Preview windows.
If you click the Change button, the Open file dialog bow
will reappear so you can select another background image. If you dont want a background
image, you can choose one of the three background colors.
Stretched Picture: it adjusts to the size of the
Preview window according to its height/width ratio.
Note: To get the right background for a VR
panorama, choose an image respecting the ratio of
VR Panorama (2496 x 768).
The 3D Background
allows you to create a more
complete environment for your
scene by using an image that
will cover a 360 panorama.
Select the 3D Image Background radio button, then select a background
image file and click Open. Next, hold down the mouse button and the
CTRL key at the same time and click on your scene in the Preview
window. The 3D background image will rotate around the scene by moving along its horizon
line. The farther away you click from the center of the Preview window, even outside of it, the
faster the 3D background image will translate. You cannot move the 3D background lengthwise since it is placed horizontally, not vertically. The 3D background image will rotate 360 to
cover the entire scene along the horizon and length-wise, which is why its important to verify
the left-right continuity of the image youre using.
Note: To get a good-quality 3D background, the image should be 960 pixels in size for a
medium-size rendering and proportional to the height/width ratio (640 x 480) of the
rendering. To get the best quality 3D background, the image should have the following
dimensions: width = (Wr) * 360 / (fc) height = (Hr) * 360 / (fc), where Wr and Hr represent
the width and height of the rendering, respectively, and fc represents the focal angle of the
camera used during the rendering. For animations, if the focal angle varies, choose the
smallest value. For VR panoramas, the opening angle (fc) of the image is 87. However, if the
size of the background image is different from the optimal size, Artlantis will use a filter to
fix any undesirable pixelization effects.
61
Motif ( Pattern): this type of background generates a repetitive image.

If the size of the background image is smaller than that of the final
rendering, you will get a repetition of this image both in height and in
width depending on the width and height discrepancies between the
calculated image and the background image. If the size of the
background image is larger than the calculated image, only the top left
part will be visible. Unlike the stretched image, the motif will not be
deformed before or after the rendering.
Atmosphere
Artlantis lets you create a volumetric atmosphere with
controlled turbulence. Edit Atmosphere (Path:
Windows/Edit Atmosphere) displays the Atmosphere
control window. If you want to activate the parameters
to see their effects in the Preview window, check the
box. The Atmosphere window has the
following parameters:
Visibility Distance
It is expressed in the unit of measure
you selected in Preferences and
corresponds to the distance between
the camera and the moment the blur
is first perceived in the scene. You can enter this value
explicitly in the dialog box or by clicking on an object
in your 3D scene while holding down the CTRL key.
Maximum Distance
It corresponds to the distance of the vanishing point beyond which simulated
the fog becomes opaque. You can enter this value (expressed in the unit of
measure you selected in Preferences) in the dialog box or click on an object
in the 3D scene.
Color
You can give your atmosphere a color from the Color Picker. For example, a very dark color
will create a night ambiance and white or light grey will create fog.
62
Density
The atmosphere effect of your 3D scene also depends on various density
settings. There are three levels of density: the top slider controls the
density of the blur above the camera, the middle slider controls the
density of the horizon, and the bottom slider controls the density of the
fog below on the camera.
Turbulence
The noise parameter creates a cloud effect for the entire atmosphere of
you scene and can only be controlled globally (meaning not on any
specific area of a scenes atmosphere) using the Turbulence slider.
Scale
It allows you to increase or reduce the cloud effect caused by the
Turbulence.
Visualization
65
Interface
The above icons are located on the top part of Fixed Camera, Animation, VR Panorama and
Object dialog boxes.
Display Types
Fixed Cameras, Animations, VR Panoramas and Objects can be displayed four different ways
in the Preview window:
The quality of the display in the 3D Preview changes in order to optimize the display when you
edit Fixed Cameras, Animations, VR Panoramas, Parallel Views and VR Objects.
Nevertheless, you can choose between 4 display levels:
: Bounding Boxes : each object is displayed by a box delimiting its virtual contours.
This display type is recommended when working on a complex scene because it considerably
speeds up the display. We also recommend it for finding fixed cameras.
: Wireframe Display : each object is displayed by its facets.
: Gouraud Shading : objects are displayed by a smooth or Gouraud rendering. This
effect is mostly recommended for smaller files.
: Textured Display : objects are displayed by a smooth rendering detailing all the
textures composing the shaders. Warning: this display does not take into account the
procedural part of a shader.
If a shader is 100% procedural, it is displayed exactly like Gouraud Shading. Otherwise, its
display depends on other textures used without procedural deformations. For other textures
used with shaders or the Apply Texture option, the following parameters are not taken into
account for this display type if the shader is opaque: Shininess, Roughness, Bump, and
Transparency.
Displaying the Projected View Window

: you can open the Edit Rendering Parameters dialog box by clicking on the tripod icon in
Lights, Fixed Cameras, Animations, VR Panoramas and VR Objects editing windows.
Visualization : Interface
66
: you can open the edit rendering parameters in the dialog box that appears by clicking the
Camera icon in the Fixed Cameras, Animations, VR Panoramas and VR Objects editing
windows.
Transferring Coordinates
: allows you to transfer the current view coordinates to another visualization mode. For
example, you can transfer a VR Panorama coordinates to multiple camera view points. In most
cases, only the selected view is transferred, unless view points are transferred to an animation:
in this case, all active view points will be sent to the animation. If one view point is transferred
to the animation, a circle will be created whose center will be the target point. If two view
points are transferred, a line will be traced between these two points. If three or more view
points are transferred, they will form a curve along joining all points in the Projected View
Window.
Active Fixed Cameras, Animations, VR Panoramas and Objects are preceded by a cross or a
bullet. To disable them, simply click on the cross or bullet.
Visualization: Interface
67
Chapter Seven
Fixed Image
Fixed Cameras
By activating the Edit Fixed Cameras option (Path: Windows/Edit Fixed Cameras) the Fixed
Camera dialog box will appear.
Interface
Fixed Cameras Dialog Box
It is graphically composed of three graphic parts: see p.
65 for an explanation of the first part, which contains
all the icons common to all Artlantis visualization
modes.
In the second part you will find a list of all fixed
cameras: the active fixed cameras are preceded by
black bullets () or crosses (x). To disable the fixed
cameras, simply remove the crosses or bullets by
clicking on them. To enable them, click in the left-hand
column and the cross or bullet will reappear. Only the
active fixed cameras can be added to animation
sequences and calculated during final renderings. The
set of parameters in the dialog box apply to the fixed
camera currently selected in the list. An open file
contains at least one fixed camera in the list by default;
click Create to add a new one. To rearrange the fixed cameras list before adding them to
animation sequences , select one from the list (there should be at least two) and, while holding
down the mouse button, move it anywhere you want in the list, then release the mouse button.
To delete a fixed camera from the list, select it and click Delete.
The third part of the dialog box allows you to activate and set the depth of field
parameters, as well as to modify the coordinates, target points, focal angles and tilt angles
(pitch) of fixed cameras.
3D Preview Window
In this window you will be able to see the effects of all the changes you made to the fixed
cameras in the Fixed Camera dialog box or in the Projected View window. You can also
interactively modify the perspective view in this window.
Chapter VII: Fixed Image
68

It is a 2D representation of your scene in which you can
interactively modify the focal and target points while
observing them in real time in the 3D Preview window.
The camera is represented by a square, and the focal point
(or its direction) by an arrow.
Editing a Fixed Camera

Changing the Focal Angle
You can increase or decrease the opening of the focal angle (or visualization
cone) by sliding the cursor right or left along the slider. The focal angle
ranges from 1 to 180.
Changing the Tilt Angle of the Camera on the y Axis (Pitch)

Using the compass, you can modify the tilt angle of the camera in relation to the
horizon. To rotate the compass by slight angles, click on the compass needle and,
while holding down the mouse button, move your cursor around the compass but
away from it. Turn the compass until the desired position and release the mouse
button. If you want to reset the compass to its original position, turn it to 0.
Note: Holding down the CTRL key while clicking on the compass will rotate its needle by
15 increments.
Editing the Position of the Fixed Camera

In the Projected View window, you can directly modify
the position and direction of fixed cameras.
If no fixed camera is selected, click on the square
representing its position, or select it from the fixed camera
list. Once youve selected a fixed camera, its target point
and visual cone will be displayed in yellow. To reposition
a fixed camera, select the square, hold down the mouse
button and move the fixed camera around the arrow.
Repeat this step for the target point by clicking on its
arrow.
You can also change the position of fixed cameras and
target points by entering values in the XYZ fields.
Interactively Changing the Perspective in the 3D Preview Window

In the preview window, you can modify the target point simply using your mouse. To move
forward the fixed camera and the target point at the same time and in the same direction, hold
69
down the ALT key and move either the fixed camera or the target point. To go backwards, also
hold down the SHIFT key.
Depth of Field
Editing Depth of Field
When you take a picture of an object with a reflex camera
equipped with a standard lens (50mm), you focus on the
object until it appears clearly in the lens. The other objects
will be more diffuse depending on their position, as well
as on the focal angle, the type of diaphragm used, and the
distance between the camera and the object.
The depth of field is determined by the size of the focal
angle and diaphragm; the shorter the focal angle, the
narrower the diaphragm, and the sharper the zone. Artlantis lets you to control the sharpness
level of a scene at specific distances. Thus, depth of field is an efficient way to focus on certain
elements in your scene.
Activating Depth of Field

The diffusion effect of the depth of field is associated
with a fixed camera and therefore accessible via the
Fixed Camera window.
Create or select the fixed camera you want to apply
depth of field to and check the Depth of Field box.
Choosing a Focal Point

You can adjust the depth of field by determining the focal point as well as the depth of the
sharpness zone.
You have four options:
Focal point on an object: check this radio button, then, while holding down the SHIFT
key, click on an object in the 3D Preview window.
Focal point on a target: In Artlantis, each viewpoint is defined by a cameras position
and its target point. The target point can be adjusted in the Projected View window and used as
the focal point of a scene. After determining the target point, simply check the on target radio
button to make it the focal point of your scene.
Focal point on a background: the background is used as a reference point.
Focal point at the distance of: You can determine the target point at a certain distance
from the camera: enter it in the corresponding field. The units are ones chosen in the
preferences settings (see p. 12).
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Adjusting the Depth of the Sharpness Zone

It is important to determine this parameter because if you choose an
object as a focal point, it should be totally sharp regardless of its
size, from a vase to a large couch. You can modify the depth of the
sharpness zone using the Sharpness Zone cursor.
Note: The amount of diffusion applied to a fixed camera can change in the final definition of
an image. Because the diffusion effect is achieved by "mixing" a certain number of pixels that
are close to one another, the same image calculated in low resolution will create more
diffusion whereas a higher bandwidth definition will create less. In low resolution, the
surrounding pixels used to calculate the diffusion take up more space in the image.
The objects seen through a transparent surface will be sharp, even if the other objects located
at the same focal distance, but not seen through this same surface, are blurred. Because of the
large calculation required to display the depth of field, you can only see its effects in the 3D
Preview window.
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Site Insertion
This function allows you to accurately position a camera connecting your model to an imported
background image (see p.60). Before using this function, it is recommended to first create a
new camera (cf. p. 67). Next click the
and the following dialog box will appear:
button in the Edit Fixed Cameras window,
Interface
Site Insertion Dialog Box
It is graphically divided into three
parts:
In the first part you will choose
the axis (X, Y or Z) that will
determine the proportions of the 3D
model relatively to the photo.
The second part allows you to,
using corresponding check boxes to,
control the display in the preview
window of the two planes used to
determine the focal angle, the
reference axes and the 3D model.
In the third part, there are three buttons: the Focal button calculates the focal angle
according to the position of the two planes in the Preview window (therefore available only
when the focal angle box is checked). The Reset button reverts to the initial settings. The
Calibrate button allows you to start the insertion simulation once all the parameters have been
set. Once activated, the Calibrate button turns into a Validate button so you can stop the
calibration. Note, however, you can continue to adjust the insertion parameters at any time
during the calibration process.
3D Preview Window
In this window you can interactively set the focal angle
and position and calibrate your 3D model according to
the background image. It is in this window that will be
displayed in real time insertion of your 3D model after
the parameters have been set. You can at any time
control in this window the camera focal angle,
orientation and position.
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The Projected View window is a 2D representation of
your scene in which you will precisely position the axes
on a reference point that will be next reported to the photo
I(n the Preview Window).
Warning: Modifications made to the axes in the
Projected View window are not reflected in the Preview
window.
Inserting a 3D Model into a Site

Choosing a Background Image
Before inserting a 3D model into a site, you have to
first import a stretched picture for the background
image (see p. 60). The stretched picture will adapt
to the size of the Preview window while respecting
the height-width ratio.
Warning: For a successful insertion, the
background image should neither be a montage nor
a retouched photo.
Once the background image has been imported,
click on the Insertion button in the Edit Fixed
Cameras window and open the Projected View
window. Your 3D model will be displayed in the Preview Window. For faster operations, you
can hide it by checking the
box.
Calculating the Focal Angle

If you know the value of the photo focal angle in degrees, enter it in the corresponding field in
the Edit Fixed Cameras window. If you dont know the focal angle, there are two things you
can do:
Your background image provides six reference points defining the vanishing lines of the
perspective view: check the corresponding box in the Insertion dialog box and the planes
representing the focal angle will appear in the Preview window. Then, in the Preview window,
move the planes onto a reference object (a building or piece of furniture, for example) in the
background image by aligning their points with the edges of the object. When you have
properly positioned the two planes, click the Focal button in the Insertion dialog box: the
value of the focal angle in degrees will appear in the corresponding field of the Edit Fixed
Cameras window.
73
Your background image doesnt provide any reference point:

check the box of the Insertion dialog box to display your model.
Next, enter an arbitrary value of 60 in the focal angle field of the
Fixed Cameras window. Your model will then be adjusted in the
Preview window: you can then refine the adjustment of the focal angle by moving its sliding
gauge.
Determining the Fixed Point on the 3D Model

If it is visible, hide the 3D model in the Preview window.
In the Projected View window, you will now
interactively place the origin of the reference axes
using the snap points of the model. Once youve
positioned the origin, you just have to orient the
axes. In the I n s e r t i o n window, choose the
dimension reference axis (usually X), which will be
used to scale the 3D model according to the photo,
and then adapt its size to the model.
Positioning and Calibrating the 3D Model

In the Preview window, interactively place the origin of the reference axes in the photo. There
are two ways of doing this:
You have determined the focal angle of the photo using the two planes displayed in the
Preview window: point the origin of the axes while holding down the CTRL key, then move it.
The axes will automatically adjust to the focal planes.
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You have manually determined your focal angle by entering its value in the corresponding
field in the Fixed Cameras window: place the origin of the reference axes on the desired point,
then individually adjust each axis respecting the system constraints (Y should be pointing
towards the background, Z should be pointing upwards, and X, if its the reference axis, should
be used to size the model).
Warning: Make sure the positioning of the reference axes in each window is not selfcontradicting.
Validating and Refining

Once it looks like youve got the right parameters, display the 3D model, then click Calibrate:
the insertion will be performed; however, you can still adjust the axes in the Preview window
at any moment and observe the modifications in real time.
The real-time calibration effect in the Preview window may give look like the 3D model is
adjusting to the background image: in reality, its the camera that is moving, not the model.
Warning: In most cases, the parameters described above are enough to create a site insertion.
However, if the calibration starts to loop, all you have to do is slightly stretch or move one or
more axes in the Preview window until you get the right insertion.
If you want to start from scratch (re-parameterizing the focal angle and re-positioning the
axes), click the Reset button in the Insertion window.
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Rendering Fixed Images

Launching the Rendering
The Render Menu (Path Render/Render) is about
settings the rendering parameters and launching the
computation. Computation time depends on the
parameters you chose for a rendering. The parameters
must be chosen according to the final image quality
desired.
Rendering Fixed Cameras : when you select this

option, the dialog box on the left will be displayed.
Fixed Camera Name: in this field, enter a name
for an image or series of images to be rendered.
Choose the destination folder for your rendering by
clicking
, located to the right of this field. If
Artlantis finds a file with the same name in the same
destination, it will not overwrite it. Instead, Artlantis
will postfix a number to form a new file name.
Format : in this menu, you can choose an output
file format for the rendered image or series of images calculated. The following output formats
are available: PICT Compressed (Macintosh only), PICT (Macintosh only), TGA Compressed,
TGA, BMP, JPEG, EPIX (Piranesi), and TIFF.
If you choose the PICT Compressed format, a dialog box will
appear in which you can select a compression mode thus
obtaining a smaller file size.
All rendered images have a resolution of 72 dpi (dots per
inch, one inch being equal to 2.54 cm). If you need a higher
resolution, you can choose a larger size image in the
rendering settings (see below) and then edit the image in
photo retouching software.
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Size : in this menu, you can select a predefined size for the image
or series of images to be rendered. Image size corresponds to the
resolution of the rendered image in pixels. The larger the size, the
longer the rendering time and the more memory required.
Note: You can also enter directly the desired height and width of an image for its final
rendering in the corresponding edit boxes. In this case, if the size entered does not correspond
to any predefined values, the Special item will automatically be selected in the menu.
by clicking this icon you can keep the height-width ratio of the image to be rendered.
You can either multiply or divide the size of the image by two using the + and - buttons.
To activate these parameters, check their respective
boxes. Once youve activated these parameters,
additional ones will appear for Anti-aliasing, Ray
Tracing and Transparency.
Anti-aliasing allows you to attenuate the crenellation effect at the edge of different color
zones. For final renderings, there are three levels of anti-aliasing quality - Good, Excellent and
Special:
- Good mode gives satisfying results in most cases.
- Excellent mode is used when textured elements or strong contrasts do not come out
well in the Good option.
- Special mode is the best type of anti-aliasing, but it takes longer to computer, so
use it selectively. For example, you can use it on final images where polygons are
reduced to a size smaller than a pixel because perspective, or for images where
textures are on or near their capacity limits.
Ray Tracing and Transparency: if these options are activated, you can set the number of
Ray Tracing reflections, which varies from 1 to 6 rebounds, and the number of Transparency
refractions which varies from 1 to 16 rebounds (see p. 27).
Note: A high number of reflections and/or refractions can significantly increase the
computation time.
Alpha Channel : If this option is checked, the background of the rendered image will be
considered as a mask. You can then easily modify this mask using image retouching software.
This option is not available for JPG and BMP formats.
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Render Now : Clicking this button will immediately launch the rendering of an image or
series of images, taking into account the last modifications you made in this window.
Render Later: You can defer image rendering by clicking this option. Artlantis will then
display a dialog box named by default after the file in use, but you can change the name of the
deferred rendering. All differed renderings are saved as scripts in the Scripts folder of the
Artlantis parent folder.
Note: Deferred Rendering is not available for Epix and TIFF formats. If several scripts are
created for one file, Artlantis will process the last saved parameters found in all these scripts
during Batch Rendering.
Render all Fixed Cameras: to activate this option, check the corresponding box. Once
youve enabled it and clicked the Render button, Artlantis will render all the images
corresponding to the number of active fixed cameras (preceded by a bullet or cross in the list of
the Fixed Cameras window). If you leave this box unchecked, Artlantis will only calculate the
image corresponding to the currently active fixed camera.
Render: this option allows you to launch the rendering of an active fixed camera. By
default, the image is rendered in TGA format and saved in the same folder as the opened file.
If the rendering was interrupted, it will be called "Interrupted" in the Batch Rendering window.
A rendering window will appear and the rendering will be calculated according to its last
modified parameters and type (Fixed Cameras, Animations, VR Panoramas, VR Objects,
Parallel Views).
To stop a rendering in progress, close the Rendering Control window. The rendering will stop
after a few seconds and the window will close. Then you can launch the last interrupted
rendering by selecting Batch Rendering from the menu.
Batch Rendering: this option lets you execute deferred
renderings. Each deferred rendering has a script name in
the Batch Rendering list. The active scripts are preceded
by bullets () or crosses (x); remove them to deactivate the
scripts. Only active scripts can be rendered. To delete a
script, select it and click the trash can. The scripts are
named either after how you named them or by the default
name "Interrupted" given to them by the Artlantis during
the last interrupted rendering. The right-hand column
displays the type of script: animation, VR panorama or
object, etc.
To launch your rendering, click Render in the Batch
Rendering window. Artlantis will then prompt you to
save your file. Click Save, Cancel or Close. If you choose Save, the rendering will begin but
you can stop it at any time by closing the dialog box. You can then re-launch the deferred
renderings from the point where they were last interrupted.
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79
Chapter Eight
Parallel Views
Select Edit Parallel Views (Path: Windows/Edit Parallel Views) to display the Parallel Views
dialog box.
Interface
Parallel Views Window
The Parallel View window is graphically divided into three
parts, see p. 65 for an explanation of the icons on the top
part of the window, which can be found in all Artlantis
visualization modes.
In the second part is the list of parallel views: the
active ones are preceded by a bullet () or cross (x);
clicking on either symbol will remove it and deactivate a
parallel view; to reactivate a parallel view, click back in the
left-hand column and either symbol will reappear. . Only
active parallel views will be added to the list and calculated
during final renderings. All the parameters you define
apply to the parallel view you have selected in the list. By default, each new file contains at
least one Parallel View: click Create to create a new one (Artlantis allows up to 256). To
rearrange the list, select a parallel view and, while holding down the mouse button, move it
anywhere in the list as long as its between two other parallel views, and release. Click Delete
to delete a parallel view.
In the third part of the window you can choose the type of parallel view, modify the
coordinates of the parallel views and target points, and determine the position of your camera
as well as the width of your parallel view.
3D Preview Window
In this window you can instantly observe all the modifications you make to the parallel views
in the Parallel Views dialog box or in the Projected View window. You can also interactively
move your parallel view in this window.
Chapter VIII: Parallel Views
80

The Projected View window is a 2D wireframe representation
of your scene. In this window you can interactively modify
parallel views while observing your modifications in real
time in the Preview window. The camera is represented by a
square and its target point (or direction) by an arrow.
Editing a Parallel View

Positioning the Camera
Choose one of the following options:
place the camera Elevation view

place the camera in Floor Plan view
place the camera in Axonometric view
Use the compass to modify the cameras pitch. To rotate the compass in slight
increments, click on the compass needle and, while holding down mouse button,
move the cursor away from the compass. Turn it to the desired position and release.
To reset the cameras pitch, turn the compass to zero.
Modifying the Position of the Parallel View

You can directly modify the position of a parallel view in the Projected View window. If the
parallel view you want to edit isnt selected, click the square representing its position, or select
it from the parallel view list. Once it is selected, the target point and rectangle will be displayed
in yellow. Then, while holding down the mouse button, reposition the parallel view by
dragging it, and release. You can also numerically reposition parallel views and target points
by entering their coordinates in the XYZ fields.
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Interactively Modifying the Parallel View Preview Window

In the Preview window you can move the target point simply by using the mouse. To move the
fixed camera, hold down the ALT key and the mouse button. To move the fixed camera and
target point at the same time, hold down the CTRL key and the mouse button; to move
backwards, also hold down the SHIFT key.
Defining the size of the Visualization Zone

In this field you can determine how much of the scene you want to view, in the
working unit you specified in the Preferences (see p. 12).
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Create a Section (or Clipping)

In the Projected View window you can interactively create sections of your scene. Only the
parts contained between the fixed camera and target point will be visible during the final
rendering.
Warning: Artlantis will process the cast shadows of the entire 3D model and not only of the
clipped sections.
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Rendering Parallel View(s)

When you activate this command (Path: Render/Render Parallel
the dialog box on the left will appear. It contains.
Name : in this field you can specify the name of the
rendered image file(s).
Views),
Format : in this menu you can specify an output format

to render the image or series of images. The available formats
are Pict Compressed (Mac only), Pict (Mac only), TGA
Compressed, TGA, BMP, JPEG, EPIX (Piranesi), and TIFF.
If you select the Pict Compressed format, a compression
settings dialog box will appear in which you can select a
compression mode and obtain smaller files.
You have to choose between Scale or Image Size to render
your image:
Scale: Select a scale from the scroll-down menu, then the resolution
in dpi: Artlantis actually renders all images with a maximum resolution
of 72 dpi. If you choose a higher resolution, Artlantis will increase the
file size correspondingly. You will have to load the resulting image in
your image retouching software and save it back at the resolution chosen in order to
obtain an image at the right scale and resolution.
Image Size: Select a pre-defined size from the scroll-down menu, or
select Special and enter the size in the Width x Height fields. If the chains
are linked (yellow), the width/height ratio will be kept. The larger the size,
the longer the rendering time and the more memory required.
Rendering Parameters: most of these parameters are identical to those

of the Edit Fixed Cameras on page p. 76.
Render Now and Render Later function exactly the same as for rendering fixed cameras on
see p.77).
Note: If several scripts are created for the same file, Artlantis will process the last saved
parameters (lights, shaders) during the final rendering; in other words, only the parameters
found in all the scripts of the same file.
Render All Parallel Views : if this box is checked, Artlantis will render all active
parallel views in the list in the Edit Parallel Views window. If this box is left unchecked, only
the currently active parallel view will be rendered.
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85
Chapter Nine
VR Panoramas
With Artlantis, you can create panoramic scenes using QuickTime VR (QuickTime Virtual
Reality) technology and RealSpace.
You can define a scene or series of scenes using cameras or "panoramas" that create a 360
cylindrical image around a fixed point in QuickTime VR or Real Space, which you can then
view and in QuickTime VR Player by Apple or Real Space Viewer. You can also enlarge the
view and move it up or down.
Panoramas are created and edited in the Edit Panoramas interface (Path: Windows/Edit
Panoramas), which has three control windows.
Before we look at the different ways of creating and editing panoramas, here is an overview of
the Edit Panoramas interface.
Interface
Panoramas Window
This window is divided into three parts. For the first
part, see p. 65 for an explanation of the icons of in the
top part of the window, which are found in all
Artlantis visualization modes.
In the second part of the window is the panoramas
list: active panoramas are preceded by a black bullet
() or a cross (x). You can remove them by clicking on
them once, thereby deactivating the panorama. To
reactivate them, click once in the left-hand column and
the cross or bullet will reappear. Only active panoramas are calculated during the final
rendering. You can create a new panorama (Artlantis can create up to 150) by clicking the
Create button. By default, the new panorama will adopt the same characteristics as the
selected panorama, and will be superposed to the currently selected panorama in the Projected
View window. Click Delete to delete a panorama.
In the third part of the Edit Panoramas interface, you can modify the coordinates and view
the focal angle of the calculated panorama.
Chapter IX: VR Panoramas
86
3D Preview Window
In this window you can modify the fixed camera view direction around the position of the
panorama by clicking anywhere in your scene, then holding down the mouse button and
moving your cursor horizontally. However, you cannot move the view direction of the fixed
camera up or down, nor zoom in or out.

Displays a 2D wireframe representation of
your scene from top, side or frontal views. Its
horizontal toolbar has:
Three standard icons controlling the

display: a cube , a hand , and a magnifier
.
Panorama mode icons:
: allows you to define a starting panorama in

a group of panoramas.
: creates a link between two panoramas.
: delete a selected link.
By default, any file you open has a panorama represented by a camera in the Projected View
window indicated by:
A square for the camera.
An arrow representing the starting image of the panorama.
Editing a Panorama
To select a panorama, click the yellow square in the Projected View window, or select its name
from the panorama list in the Edit Panoramas interface.
Modifying the Position of a Panorama

You can change the position of a panorama by modifying its XYZ coordinates in the Edit
Panorama interface, or interactively in the Projected View window by selecting a panorama
with your cursor and moving it while holding down the mouse button. Its coordinates will
change as a result in the Edit Panoramas interface.
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Modifying the Target Direction

The target direction corresponds to the starting view, or the view you will define as the point
that will first be seen first when opening the panorama in QuickTime VR. The target direction
forms a 360 circle around the panorama. To modify the target direction of a panorama, first
select the panorama you want to edit from the Projected View window, then click the end of
the yellow arrow representing the panoramas target direction. Next, hold down the mouse
button and rotate the arrow until you get the direction you want. As you turn the arrow, you
can watch the changes in the 3D Preview window.
You can also change the target direction in the 3D Preview window: Click the end of the arrow
representing the target direction in the Projected View window. A rectangle encompassing the
part of your scene that will form the panorama will appear in the 3D Preview window. Move
your cursor in this rectangle horizontally until you get the desired position.
Modifying the Focal Angle

The VR Panoramas window displays the focal angle corresponding to the width of the view. It
is set vertically at 87 for a 4:3 ratio. To modify it, select the arrow in the Projected View
window, then click on a corner (indicated by points) of the rectangle in the 3D Preview
window and drag it outwards or inwards to enlarge or reduce it.
Modifying the Tilt Angle (Pitch)

Select the arrow in the Projected View window and, in the 3D Preview window, move the
rectangle up or down by clicking then dragging its top or bottom sides.
You have now defined the different settings of your panorama, which will be applied during
the final rendering.
Creating Links between Panoramas

QuickTime VR and RealSpace files can be composed of several panoramas linked together, so
you can interactively visit your house, apartment, etc.
Before establishing links, make sure you have created at least two panoramas that are not
superimposed: these two panoramas will form a group.
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Linking Two Panoramas

In the Projected View window, select the
starting panorama and click the Create Link
icon; a line will then be drawn to your cursor
which you will place on the second panorama
in order to link the two.
The created link controls the path of a
panorama to another at the time of the final
rendering.
You can create up to 255 links with Artlantis.
Each link created between two panoramas
defines:
The Starting Panorama of the group, distinguished by a second yellow arrow
corresponding to the starting image of a group. The starting panorama is also identifiable by its
hole-pierced square, whereas the other panoramas have a full square.
The Starting View for each panorama, represented by an arrow. When you select this
arrow, part of the link is highlighted to identify the panorama to which this arrow is attached. A
new arrow is created for every link, and the starting panorama always has an extra one.
Two Nodes defining a sensitive zone controlling the path from one panorama to another:
the first node represents the transition from panorama 1 to panorama 2, and the second the
transition from panorama 2 to panorama 1.
Modifying the Starting Image

Defining the starting image for linked panoramas is the same as for panoramas that are not
linked (see. p. 86).
Modifying Sensitive Zone

You define hot the sensitive zone in the Projected View window. Select the destination
panorama you want to edit and then the node you wish to modify: it will be highlighted in
yellow along with part of the link. Reshape the connecting line by dragging its node to define
the transitions you want to establish between the two panoramas. For example, in the case of
two linked panoramas placed on opposite sides of wall, you
could position the connecting zone representing the transition
between them where the door is. The sensitive zone is
simultaneously positioned in the 3D Preview window.
You can also modify the sensitive zone in the 3D Preview
window: click on the link in the Projected View window: a
rectangle with a cross in the middle representing the sensitive
89
zone will appear in the 3D Preview window. Click inside the window and interactively move
the sensitive zone to the desired position. The point representing the node will move
simultaneously in the Projected View window.
Once youve determined the sensitive zone, you can adapt the
rectangle to fit objects in your 3D scene by clicking on its
handles and dragging them.
Note: If you select RealSpace as an output format, the rectangle
bounding the four points is used to the defined sensitive zone.
Links can be deleted by selecting their nodes and clicking on the
trash can.
Rendering panoramas
By activating this function (Path: Render/Render
Panoramas) the window displayed on the left will
appear. It contains the following parameters:
Name: you can enter a name for the panorama or
image files in this field.
For QuickTime VR renderings, the .mov extension
will be added to the filename.
For Real Space renderings, the .ivr extension will be
added to the filename.
For TGA Compressed, TGA, PICT, PICT
Compressed, JPEG or BMP renderings:
For a panorama with only one node, the extension
corresponding to each format will be added to the
filename.
For a panorama with multiple nodes, each node in the
group is indexed (01, 02, 03,) and the index is added to
the name, followed by the extension of the chosen
format.
In fact, with the image output there are as many images as there are nodes. In QuickTime VR
format, there will be as many .mov files as groups. In Real Space format, to each group will
correspond an .ivr file and a folder containing the .jpg images.
Format : In this menu you can define an output format for your panorama or images files
to be rendered in. The available formats are PICT Compressed (Mac only), PICT (Mac only),
90
TGA Compressed, TGA, BMP, JPEG, QuickTime VR 2.0 Compressed, QuickTime VR 2.0
and RealSpace 2.0.
QuickTime format rendering is available for both Mac OS and Windows. The QuickTime
formats will be grayed out if the QuickTime plug-in is deactivated or not installed. A rendered
panorama produces a QuickTime movie, compressed or not, or a RealSpace movie.
For panoramas rendered in PICT Compressed, PICT, TGA Compressed, TGA, BMP or JPEG,
a folder will be created containing all the indexed images.
PICT and QuickTime Compressed formats produce smaller movie or image files. If you select
these formats, a dialog box will appear in which you can choose a compression mode.
Size: In this menu, you can choose a pre-defined size for the
panorama to be rendered in. This size is used only for the QuicTime VR
format, and corresponds to the size of the QuickTime VR Player window
in which you will visualize your rendered panorama.
In the RealSpace format, the size of the rendered image is in JPEG format
and depends on the resolution selected. The size of the window in which
you will view your rendered panorama corresponds to that of RealSpace Viewer and can be
enlarged or reduced.
For the other formats - PICT Compressed, PICT, TGA Compressed, TGA, BMP, TIFF and
JPEG, the size of the image being rendered corresponds to the resolution selected in the Render
Panoramas window.
Certain parameters are identical to those of Rendered Fixed Cameras on 76.
Resolution: There are three resolution levels low (1248 x 384 pixels); standard (2496 x
768 pixels), and high (4992 x 1536 pixels).
The panoramic image used to create a VR panorama must be in high definition. We advise to
use low resolution (1248x384) to test VR panoramas.
Render Now and Render Later function exactly the same way as for Render Fixed
Cameras. See p. 77).
Note: If several scripts are created for the same file, Artlantis will render the last saved
parameters (lights, shaders) shared by all scripts of the same file.
Render All Panoramas : if this box is checked, all active panorama groups listed in the
VR Panoramas window will be rendered and Artlantis will create a VR multi-node file per
panorama group. If this box is not checked, Artlantis will create a single-node QuickTime VR
or RealSpace file, which will correspond to the last selected panorama.
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Chapter TEN
Animation
For many years, creating still computer-generated images were the only way of communicating
3D projects within reasonable deadlines. Today, faster computers and software that can adapt
to these speeds like Artlantis have made camera animation a common feature.
In Artlantis, an animation is composed of one or more sequences, each sequence
corresponding to a series of images calculated according to parameters you have defined. The
animation sequence traces the camera path. You can choose a camera type and parameterize its
behavior as well as the path along which it will travel in the Edit Animations (Path:
Windows/Edit Animations) window. By default, each file has an animation sequence represented
by a camera and a path in the Projected View window. You can create and parameterize
animation sequences in the Animation, Projected View and 3D Preview windows.
However, before creating and editing animation sequences, lets take a look at the Edit
Animations interface first.
Interface
Edit Animations Window
This window is divided into three parts: for an
explanation of the first part, which contains all the
icons found in all Artlantis visualization modes, see p.
65.
In the second part is the list of animation
sequences: the active animation sequences are preceded
by a black bullet () or a cross (x). To deactivate an
animation sequence, remove the bullet or cross next to
it by clicking on it once. To reactivate an animation
sequence, click once in the left-hand column next to it
and the cross or bullet will reappear. Only active
sequences are calculated during the rendering. You can
create a new sequence and add it to the list by clicking
the Create button. The path of the new sequence is
indicated by a circle whose center corresponds to the
center of the Projected View window, and its diameter
to 1/3 the width of the Projected View window. This circle is positioned on a plan parallel to
the X, Y or Z axis depending on the projected view (top, bottom or side views) and the position
of the camera. To delete an animation sequence, select it and click the Delete button. The
Chapter X: Animation
92
second part of the Edit Animation interface also features the animation control buttons and
sequence duration parameters
The third part of the Edit Animations interface is where you can edit an animation
sequence, modify the pitch and focal angle and define camera behaviors and related
parameters.
Note: If you want to create an animation sequence with a path that will pass through precisely
positioned points, it is better to create it rather in the coordinates section of the Edit Fixed
Cameras window by entering the numerical values of the editable points, then adding your
newly created path to Animations (see. p. 65).
Animation Control Mode

You can play with the animation using the control buttons before rendering it.
: opens and closes a sequence path between its first and last editable points.
: changes the direction of the camera along the path.
: stops the animation from playing in the 3D Preview window.
: plays the animation in the 3D Preview window.
: rewinds by frame.
: advances by frame.
The stop-play option, only available for open paths, allows you to
specify a null speed at the beginning and end of a sequence.
Sequence Duration : in these fields, you can specify the exact duration
of a sequence in minutes, seconds and images. You can also give an image a
precise path: for example, you can choose to see image number 101 from the
300 images that make up the sequence, and the corresponding viewpoint will
instantly appear in the 3D Preview window while the fixed camera will move
in the Projected View window. Finally in this field, you can parameterize the
number of images per second, which will then be common to all sequences.
Because an animation is the succession of sequences, its
total duration corresponds to the cumulated duration of
each animation sequence. The total duration is displayed above the control panel.
93
3D Preview Window
In the following cases, you can, by holding down
your cursor and moving it around your scene,
modify the cameras target point: when the path
consists of a sole target behavior regardless of its
position, or when the path has multiple types of
behaviors. In the latter case, the cameras position
on the path must coincide with that of one of its
behaviors.

In the Projected View window, the camera is represented by a grey square indicating its
position, a yellow arrow designating the target points direction, and a visualization cone
corresponding to the focal angle. Its path or trajectory is represented by a red spline editable
via its control points and tangents.
It is mostly in this window that you will define
or modify different animation parameters,
especially camera paths and behaviors.
Edit Path Mode (A)
Edit Camera Behavior Mode (B)

: switch between path editing mode(when the icon is grayed-out) and camera behavior
editing modes with time frame control. A different toolbar is displayed for either mode (see
toolbars A and B above).
: create a new editable point on the path at the current cameras position.
: create a time frame control at the current cameras position.
: create a new behavior at the current cameras position.
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Camera Path
According to the type of animation you wish to create, you can act on the following three
parameters: path, camera behavior and time frame.
Modifying the Path

Editing the shape of the path is mostly done in Edit Path Mode in the Projected View window.
Generally, modifying the shape of the path is done via editable points, which are represented
by small squares and two segments indicating the direction of the tangents. These points
control the camera path. If the path has been created with a single viewpoint, there are two
editable points: the first corresponds to the position of the starting viewpoint, and the second is
diametrically opposed to the first on a circle. For a path created with several viewpoints, the
number and position of editable points corresponds to those of the viewpoints.
You can edit the spline by modifying its editable points and creating new ones when the
icon is grayed-out.
Creating Editable Points

Click on the path at the desired location. The camera
(square + direction and visualization cone) will move to
this spot. Click the
: icon to create a new editable
point. Repeat this step to add more editable points. You
can then modify the shape of the curve by moving its
tangents and/or editable points.
Note: If you press the ALT key while clicking on the path in Edit Path Mode, you will
automatically create an editable point. However, you cannot create two superimposed editable
points.
Modifying Editable Points

To modify editable points, you must act either:
On the point: click on it to select it: the point and one of its tangents will be highlighted in
yellow. Holding down the mouse button, and move the point anywhere you want, thereby
modifying the path. If you have trouble selecting a point because several editable points are too
close together, use the SHIFT key to move from one selection to another.
95
On the tangents: select the tangent to be modified by clicking on its end. Holding down the
mouse button, move the end of the tangent to change its direction: the second tangent will then
adopt the same direction as the first. By holding down the ALT key, you can work with the
direction of only one of the tangents, which will break the curve.
To delete an editable point, select it and click the trash can.
To move the entire sequence, select an editable point, hold down the CTRL key, and move the
sequence anywhere in the Projected View window.
Camera Behavior
A sequence is materialized by the movement of a camera according different behaviors. The
camera is defined by the direction of its target vector in the scene along the path. There are four
types of camera behaviors corresponding to four radio buttons at the lower left of the
Animations window.
Path Behavior : the camera always looks in the

direction of tangent to the path. The distance between the camera
and the target point varies from 0 to 100 % and can only be
modified in the Animation window.
Local Traveling Behavior : the target vector maintains the

defined angles (horizontally and vertically) with the tangent to the path.
Global Traveling Behavior : the target vector maintains the

defined angles (horizontally and vertically) with the global coordinate system, no matter the
curvature of the path.
Target Behavior : the camera always looks in the
direction of a fixed point all along its path.
You can also alter the animation by modifying the behavior and/or the
parameters of the camera and/or adding camera behaviors at various
locations on the path. Click on the
button in the Projected View window to switch to
Edit Camera Behavior Mode. The time frame and behavior buttons will appear:
.
Each behavior is represented by a brown circle (or yellow if it is selected) containing the
behavior symbol, as well as by its target vector.
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Adding a Behavior
Click anywhere on the path you want to insert a
behavior; the camera will be positioned there. Click on
the behavior
icon: a new behavior will be created
where the camera is positioned and will adopt the same
behavior as the last one on the path. You can then
modify its characteristics. To delete a behavior, select it
and click the trash can.
Note: In Edit Camera Behavior Mode, you can create a behavior by pressing the ALT key and
clicking on the path. If you have trouble selecting a behavior because several objects
(behaviors, time frames, etc.) are superimposed on each other, use the SHIFT key to move
from one behavior selection to another.
Modifying Camera Behavior

In the Projected View window, select a behavior by clicking on its representation (brown
circle with white symbol): it will be highlighted in yellow. In the Edit Animation interface,
check a behavior radio button and change the cameras parameters either in the interface or in
the Projected View Window.

By sliding the cursor right or left along the slider, you can increase or
decrease the focal angle (or visualization cone), and the effects can be seen
immediately in the Projected View window. The focal angle
ranges from 1 to 180.
Transition Crosses
Two symbols are attached to each behavior: a circle with an
arrow representing the selected behavior type, as well as a
cross. The cross, associated to a behavior, represents the
moment when the camera leaves the current behavior to
assume the next one. Depending on the desired effect, you
can place the cross on any point on the path between these
two behaviors. You can also choose not to place the cross; in
this case the interpolation between the two behaviors will start from the beginning. The cross,
unlike the behavior type, is invisible at first. A cross can move only between two behaviors and
a behavior can move only between two crosses (the behavior will butt out the cross). The first
behavior of a sequence cannot be moved because it indicates the start of the sequence;
however, you can modify its type.
97
To display and move the transition crosses: hold down the ALT key. Click on the
behavior; the cross will be selected. Then hold down the mouse button and move the cross
anywhere between two behaviors from the start of the interpolation of the first one to the next.
Passage Time
A sequence can have different passage times
corresponding to a point on the path associated with a
forced time of passage. Depending on the position of the
time lapse in relation to the length of the sequence, the
animation will either be sped up or slowed down. For
example, placing a three-second passage time in the
middle of a six-second sequence will have no effect.
However, if you place the three-second passage time at a
quarter length of the sequence, the animation will move
slowly at first, then speed up. Thus, placing passage
times is equivalent to modifying the camera speed
balance along the path: you will define acceleration and
deceleration phases of animation sequences.
To place passage time, click the Edit Camera Behavior Mode icon at the bottom of the
Projected View window and the stopwatch icon will appear next to it. Click anywhere on the
path and the camera will move there. Click the stopwatch icon: a chronometer will be created
on this spot. Then, in the appropriate numerical fields, enter the forced passage time expressed
in minutes, seconds and number of images (instead of second fractions : at 12 images per
second, one image = 1/12th of a second).
The graph in the Edit Animation interface represents a
kinetic curve: the X axis corresponds to the time, and
the Y axis corresponds to the distance of the curve in
space.
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Rendering Animations
When you select this function (Path: Render/Render
Animations), the dialog box on the left will appear. It
contains the following parameters:
Animation name : you can rename your animation
in this field and select the folder in which it will be saved
by clicking on the
icon
Format: in this menu, you can define an output
format for a rendered image. The available formats are
PICT Compressed (Macintosh only), PICT (Macintosh
only), TGA Compressed, TGA, BMP, JPEG, QuickTime
Compressed, QuickTime, and AVI (Windows only).
The QuickTime formats will be grayed-out if the
QuickTime plug-in is deactivated or not installed on your
computer. A rendered image generates the following:
On Mac OS: a QuickTime movie (compressed or not).
On Windows: a QuickTime movie (compressed or not) or an AVI movie.
These animations can then be viewed in QuickTime Player on Mac OS or with Windows
Media Player on Windows.
For animations rendered in PICT Compressed, PICT, TGA Compressed, TGA, BMP, or JPEG
formats, a folder will be created containing all the numbered images. You can then use a video
editing software to reconstitute the sequence.
If you choose PICT Compressed or QuickTime Compressed formats, you will get smaller
movie or image files.
When you select either of these two formats, a compression parameterization dialog box will
appear in which you can choose a compressor: Apple Animation and Cinepack codecs are
recommended.
Size: in this menu you can choose a pre-defined size for
your animation to be rendered in. Otherwise, you can customize
the height and width of your animation by selecting Special.
Some parameters are the same as those in the Render Fixed
Cameras Dialog box on page 76.
Images/second : This parameter defines the number of images per second to be calculated
in the final rendering of an animation. You can also set this parameter in the Edit Animations
interface.
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Rendering All Images: if this option is checked, Artlantis will create the movie using all
the images of the sequence.
Rendering a Series of Consecutives Images : if the "from image...to...." is checked,

Artlantis will only calculate the consecutive images between those specified.
100
101
Chapter Eleven
VR Objects
To completly understand the shape and volume of an object, it is necessary to look at it from
all angles. With Artlantis VR Object technology and QuickTime by Apple, you can virtually
move around an object and study it from all angles. By placing an object in the center of a
sphere and photographing it from a number of points on the surface of this sphere, it is possible
to simulate its manipulation. Whether its a simple object or a complex 3D scene, the
QuickTime VR files you create offer a new way to communicate the project. VR objects
created in Artlantis can be played using QuickTime Player by Apple or an Internet browser
equipped with the QuickTime VR plug-in.
Interface
Creating and editing VR objects is done in the Edit
VR Objects interface of the Windows Menu (Path:
Windows/Edit VR Objects), which has three control
windows.
Edit VR Objects Window

It is graphically divided into 3 parts: see p. 65 for an
explanation of the icons in the first part of the window,
which are shared by all Artlantis visualization modes.
In the second part of the window is the list of VR
objects preceded by black bullets () or crosses (x).
Click on these markers to remove them and deactivate
the VR object; to reactivate it, click in the left-hand
column and the bullet or cross will reappear. Only
active VR objects are calculated during final
renderings. By default, when opening a file, there is
always one VR object named "VR Object 1: click the
Create button to create a new one (Artlantis allows up to 100). Each new VR object created is
named "VR Object-x" by default. Double-click it to rename it and enter a new name in the
dialog box that appears, then click OK. To delete a VR object, click the Delete button
In the third part of the window, discussed in details below, you can parametrize the limits
and the horizontal and vertical steps, modify the target point coordinates as well as the focal
angle of a VR object.
Chapter XI: VR Objects
102

In this window, a VR object is represented by:
the bounding sphere, circumscribed by a red sphere
corresponding to the distance between the camera and the
object. All cameras creating a VR object will be
positioned on this sphere. You can also modify the size of
the sphere in this window.
the camera, represented by a hole-pierced square
corresponding to the starting view of the VR object.
The bottom of this window displays icons specific to the
VR Object mode:
this icon defines the selected view as the starting view
these icons allow you to move the fixed camera along the bounding
sphere.
3D Preview Window
In this window, you can interactively turn around the object in any direction, holding down the
mouse button and moving your cursor around the Preview window.
You can also enlarge and reduce the view. To enlarge the view (zoom in), hold down the
CTRL key and click in the 3D Preview window. To reduce the view (zoom out), hold down the
CTRL and SHIFT keys and click in the 3D Preview window.
Editing a VR Object
You can define the bounding sphere of a VR object, which is the distance of the camera to the
target point and as well as the extents of the VR object.
Positioning a VR Object
Moving the Sphere is done either numerically in the Edit VR Objects dialog box by
modifying the XYZ coordinates of the center of the sphere or by moving the sphere
interactively in the Projected View window: Click on the cross representing the target point of
the VR object (center of the sphere), then hold down the mouse button and move the VR object
anywhere in the Projected View window. The values will be modified simultaneously in the
coordinates section of the Projected View window.
103
Modifying the Spheres Ray allows you to define the distance between the target point
and the VR object. You will be able to apply zoom effects when the VRF Object will be played
in a viewer. To modify the ray, click on camera corresponding to the initial view (yellow
holed-square) to select it, then hold down the mouse button and enlarge or reduce the spheres
perimeter by dragging it outwards or inwards.

By sliding the cursor either way along the slider, you can increase or
decrease the focal angle between 1 and 180 degrees.
Limits
Vertical Limit: the VR Object technology allows you to

observe a 3D object from any angle by putting it at the center of a
complete sphere of possible view points. In this case, the vertical
angle for the camera has a range of 180. You can however limit the possible views
to a semi-sphere instead. For example, if you want to create a VR object of a house, views
under the ground level do not have much interest, in which case it is advisable to set the
vertical angle range to 90. This is done simply by clicking on the hemisphere icon, which will
automatically adjust the vertical limit to 90.
Adjusted vertical limit: allows you to limit the camera movement to other configurations
than the complete sphere and the semi-sphere. For example, lets take a piece of furniture
placed along a wall: creating a VR object based on a complete sphere would not be effective
because you may find yourself on another floor when moving around the object. In this case, it
would be better to limit the views of the VR object vertically between ground and ceiling
levels of the room (adjusted vertical limit).
You can parameterize the vertical limit by moving the cursor either way
along the vertical limit slider (0 to 180). You can see your changes in realtime in the Projected View window. Still in the example above, to adjust the visible part of the
object and limit the view to the floor and ceiling, use the vertical adjustment buttons, which
limit object views.
Horizontal Limit : Still in the
example further above, it would be a
good idea to limit the VR object
horizontally so it doesnt run to the other side of the wall.
To parameterize the horizontal limit of a VR object, use
the horizontal limit slider (0 to 360).
To limit the VR object to the visible
part of the room, use the horizontal adjustment buttons.
You can see the modifications in real-time in the
Projected View window.
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Defining the Starting View

To define the starting view of a VR object, which is what you will see upon opening the file in
QuickTimeTM, select the object you want to edit by clicking a camera in the Projected View
window, then choose your new initial starting point either by navigating within your VR object
in the 3D Preview window, or by clicking the arrows in the Projected View window. You will
notice the camera moving up by notches in the second option. When you get the position you
want, validate your selection by clicking the icon in the Projected View window
Adjusting the Fluidity of VR Objects

Whereas a VR panorama is made up of a single image in a cylindrical projection, a VR object
is made up of several images taken from different points of the sphere. Like for a movie, the
fluidity of a VR object depends on the number of cameras. You can parameterize the number
of fixed cameras composing a VR object by modifying their vertical and horizontal pitches,
which is the angular distance between two successive camera
positions:
. You can modify the pitches in the field
shown by entering their values in degrees using the + and buttons.
Note: By default, the horizontal and vertical angular pitches are set at 10. This value is a
compromise between the number of required views (enlarging the file size) and the fluidity of
your VR objects (so they will play smoothly).
Rendering VR Objects
By selecting the Render VR Objects function (Path:
Render/Render VR Objects) , the window on the left will
appear. It contains the following parameters:
Name: you can rename the VR Object or image files
you want to render in this field.
Format: In this menu you can define an output format
for your rendered VR Object or image files. The available
formats are PICT Compressed (Mac OS), PICT (Mac OS),
TGA Compressed, TGA, BMP, JPEG, QuickTime VR 2.0
Compressed, and QuickTime VR 2.0.
QuickTime format is available both for Mac OS and
Windows.
Both QuickTime formats will be grayed-out if the
QuickTime plug-in is deactivated or not installed on your
computer. In the second case, you will find the plug-in in the Utilities folder of your Artlantis
CD.
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A rendered VR object generates a QuickTime movie, compressed or not. For PICT

Compressed, PICT, TGA Compressed, TGA, BMP or JPEG formats, a folder will be created
containing all the numbered images.
If you select PICT Compressed or QuickTime Compressed formats, you will get smaller size
movie or images files, and a dialog box will appear in which you can select a compressor and
compression rate.
Size: In this menu you can choose a pre-defined size for a rendered
object. This size is only used for QuickTime VR Compressed format and
corresponds to the size of the QuickTime Player window in which you
will view your VR object. However, you can customize the dimensions of
the rendered image for PICT Compressed, PICT, TGA Compressed,
TGA, BMP, TIFF and JPEG formats.
The other rendering parameters are identical to those in the Render Fixed Cameras window;
see p.76.
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Index
A
Alpha Channel...................................................76
Animation..........................................................91
activate an animation sequence...................91
adding a behavior ........................................96
control mode ................................................92
deactivate a plan ..........................................91
global target behavior..................................95
interface .......................................................91
local traveling behavior...............................95
modifying camera behavior ........................96
modifying the focal angle ...........................96
modifying the path ......................................94
path behavior ...............................................95
rendering ......................................................98
rendering parameters...................................98
sequence duration ........................................92
target behavior .............................................95
time lapses ...................................................97
transition crosses .........................................96
Anti-aliasing......................................................76
Atmosphere .......................................................61
color .............................................................61
density..........................................................62
maximum distance.......................................61
scale..............................................................62
turbulence ....................................................62
visibility distance.........................................61
B
Background .......................................................59
color backgrounds .......................................59
graduated ................................................59
graduated line.........................................59
uniform ...................................................59
images ..........................................................60
3D background.......................................60
motif .......................................................61
stretched picture.....................................60
Batch Rendering................................................77
Billboards ..........................................................45
duplicating ...................................................46
editing ..........................................................46
flats...............................................................45
inserting........................................................45
mono-facetted ..............................................45
moving .........................................................45
multi-facetted...............................................45
C
Cast shadows............................................... 27,51
Closing...............................................................19
Colors
Artlantis picker...........................................35
CMY picker .................................................35
color table ....................................................36
nuancer.........................................................35
picker HSV ..................................................36
picker RGB ..................................................36
Compass ............................................................68
Copy...................................................................21
Copy preview ....................................................21
Cut......................................................................20
D
Depth of Field ...................................................69
activating......................................................69
focal point ....................................................69
sharpness zone .............................................70
Display
family ...........................................................33
materials list.................................................29
projected view window ...............................65
status Bar......................................................12
Display levels ....................................................65
bounding boxes............................................65
gouraud shading...........................................65
textured ........................................................65
wireframe .....................................................65
108
E
Edit
animations ................................................... 91
atmosphere .................................................. 61
background .................................................. 59
fixed cameras............................................... 67
lights ............................................................ 47
panoramas.................................................... 85
parallel views............................................... 79
shaders ......................................................... 32
VR objects .................................................101
Edit (menu)
cancel........................................................... 20
copy ............................................................. 21
copy preview ............................................... 21
cut 20
paste ............................................................. 21
Expert Mode ..................................................... 51
ambient light................................................ 51
lighting limits .............................................. 52
opening ........................................................ 52
sharpness ..................................................... 52
soft shadows ................................................ 52
F
Family
change a shader of family ........................... 34
change the name.......................................... 34
create............................................................ 34
delete............................................................ 34
display.......................................................... 33
display all library families .......................... 34
File (menu)
closing.......................................................... 19
Import Materials.......................................... 30
open ............................................................. 15
opening
a 3D Studio document ........................... 18
a AutoCAD DXF or DWG Document . 16
a RIB document..................................... 17
a VRML document................................ 18
an Artlantis Document ......................... 15
an ElectricImage Document.................. 17
an IGES document................................. 17
merging .................................................. 18
Index
opening with reference................................18

page setup ....................................................20
quitting.........................................................20
save as..........................................................19
save shader ..................................................39
saving...........................................................19
saving a family ............................................39
Fixed cameras
add to animation sequences ........................67
changing the focal angle .............................68
create............................................................67
interface .......................................................67
perspective...................................................68
pitch .............................................................68
position ........................................................68
render all fixed cameras..............................77
rendering fixed cameras..............................75
Flip button.........................................................38
Focal Point ........................................................69
H
H & V Repeat ...................................................43
Heliodon............................................................54
choose a city ................................................54
choose an interval between two images .....58
date and time ...............................................54
one-day sun studie.......................................57
orientation....................................................55
render now...................................................57
rendering......................................................56
set the animation length ..............................58
sky types ......................................................55
study between two dates .............................58
study for a longer period.............................57
study for a specific time of the day ............57
I
Import Materials ...............................................30
Installation
installing Artlantis .....................................11
system Requirements ..................................11
109
L
Language ...........................................................12
Library ...............................................................33
Lighting limits...................................................52
Lights.................................................................47
cast shadows ................................................51
create............................................................47
delete............................................................47
direct lighting...............................................50
direction .......................................................49
duplicate.......................................................47
global illumination ......................................50
indirect lighting ...........................................50
intensity...................................................50,51
parallel light.................................................48
point light.....................................................48
position.........................................................49
quality ..........................................................51
Limits (of Parallel Views) ..............................103
M
Materials
change the name ..........................................31
create new materials ....................................31
delete............................................................31
display materials list....................................29
import...........................................................30
level of smoothness .....................................29
reapply .........................................................31
shadows........................................................30
visibility .......................................................29
Memory .............................................................19
Merging .............................................................18
O
Opacity ..............................................................37
Opening a document
opening with reference................................18
Options (menu)
cast shadows ................................................27
ray tracing ....................................................26
recalculate ....................................................28
revert to original size...................................28
transparency.................................................27
zoom.............................................................27
zoom from original size...............................28
P
Panoramas
create ............................................................85
deactivate .....................................................85
focal angle....................................................87
interface........................................................85
linking two panoramas ................................88
position.........................................................86
render all panoramas ...................................90
rendering ......................................................89
rendering parameters ...................................90
sensitive zone...............................................88
starting panorama .................................. 86,88
starting view.................................................88
target direction.............................................87
tilt angle .......................................................87
Parallel Views ...................................................79
activate .........................................................79
deactivate .....................................................79
defining the visualization zone ...................81
delete ............................................................79
interface........................................................79
making a cutting ..........................................82
modifying the Position ................................80
perspective ...................................................81
positioning the camera ................................80
render ...........................................................83
render all parallel views ..............................83
rendering parameters ...................................83
Paste...................................................................21
Preferences
choose a working unit .................................12
language .......................................................12
size of the preview window ........................25
tessellation quality.......................................12
using another shaders folder .......................32
Preview window................................................25
copy..............................................................21
level of reflections .......................................25
level of refractions.......................................26
quality ..........................................................25
size ...............................................................25
Printing ..............................................................20
110
page setup .................................................... 20
Q
QuickTime ........................................................ 11
Quitting ............................................................. 20
R
Ray tracing...................................................26,76
Recalculate........................................................ 28
Refraction.......................................................... 37
Render ............................................................... 77
Render (menu)
batch rendering............................................ 77
render........................................................... 75
render animations........................................ 98
render fixed cameras ................................... 75
render hliodon............................................ 56
render panoramas ........................................ 89
render parallel views ................................... 83
render VR objects......................................104
Render later....................................................... 77
Render now ....................................................... 77
Revert to original size....................................... 28
Roughness......................................................... 37
S
Save as............................................................... 19
Saving................................................................ 19
a family (of shaders) ................................... 39
shader........................................................... 39
Shaders .............................................................. 32
apply to materials ........................................ 33
change a shader of family ........................... 34
library .......................................................... 33
saving a family ............................................ 39
saving a new shader .................................... 39
selecting a folder ......................................... 32
sizes and patterns ........................................ 37
bump....................................................... 38
compass.................................................. 38
flip button............................................... 38
proportion............................................... 38
scale........................................................ 37
Index
turbulence...............................................38
using another folder ....................................32
Shadows ............................................................30
cast shadows ................................................27
Sharpness Zone.................................................70
Shininess ...........................................................37
Site Insertion
calculating the focal angle ..........................72
determine the Fixed Point...........................73
interface .......................................................71
positioning the 3D Model ...........................73
validate.........................................................74
Soft Shadows ...............................................51,52
Status Bar ..........................................................12
System Requirements .......................................11
T
Tesselation ........................................................12
quality ..........................................................12
Textures.............................................................40
add................................................................40
adjusting ......................................................41
bump ............................................................44
delete............................................................41
dimensions...................................................41
flip................................................................43
Masking .......................................................43
moving .........................................................41
projection types ...........................................42
repeating ......................................................43
scale .............................................................44
space ............................................................41
Transferring Coordinates..................................66
Transparency................................................27,76
V
VR Objects
adjusting the fluidity of VR Objects.........104
global sphere..............................................102
icons...........................................................102
interface .....................................................101
limits ..........................................................103
modifying the focal angle .........................103
modifying the spheres Ray ......................103
moving the sphere .....................................102
111
rendering ....................................................104
starting view ..............................................104
W
Windows (menu)
display materials list....................................29
display status bar .........................................12
edit
animations ..............................................91
edit atmosphere............................................61
edit background ...........................................59
edit fixed cameras........................................67
edit lights......................................................47
edit panoramas.............................................85
edit parallel views........................................79
edit shaders ..................................................32
edit VR objects ......................................... 101
library...........................................................33
reapply materials .........................................31
Working Unit ....................................................12
Z
Zoom..................................................................27
Zoom from original size ...................................28
ABVENT in the World

ABVENT
France
17, Boulevard Henri IV

75004 Paris
Tel: 01 53 01 05 05
Fax: 01 53 01 05 00
e-mail: commercial@abvent.fr
ABVENT
International
17, Boulevard Henri IV

75004 Paris
Tel : (33) 01 53 01 05 09
Fax : (33) 01 53 01 05 01
e-mail: sales@abvent.fr
ABVENT
Canada
360, Notre-Dame West Street

Suite 402
Montral, QC H2Y1T9
Tel: (1) 514 842 1050

Fax: (1) 514 842 1055
e-mail : sales@abvent.com
ABVENT
Switzerland
Champ de la Vigne
Estavayer-Le-Lac 1470
Tel: (41) 26 663 93 50

Fax: (41) 26 663 93 51
e-mail : info@abvent.ch
ABVENT
Hungary
lloi ut 121
6th Floor
1091 Budapest
Tel: (36) 1 476 85 47

Fax: (36) 1 476 85 48
e-mail: hungary@abvent.com
June 2002

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Users Manual

Warranty and Liability Limitations

New Features in Artlantis 4.5

New unique file format: atl

File Management ......................................................................15

Saving and Printing .......................................................................................................... 19

Edit Menu ......................................................................................................................... 20

Dressing and Appearance........................................................................... 23

Display Options ................................................................................................................ 26

Add a texture ..................................................................................................................................40

Heliodon Lighting ............................................................................................................ 54

One-day Sun Study......................................................................................................................57

Fixed Image ................................................................................ 67

Interactively Changing the Perspective in the 3D Preview Window ........................................68

Parallel Views .........................................................................79

Parallel View Name ....................................................................................................................83

Global Target Behavior ...............................................................................................................95

VR Objects .............................................................................. 101

Installing Your Software

Choose a Working Unit

Display Status Bar

Tessellation quality of 512 facets, producing a smoother image.

Opening an Artlantis Document

Chapter II: File Management

Opening an AutoCAD DXF or DWG Document

Chapter II: File Management

Opening an ElectricImage Document

Opening an IGES Document

Opening a RIB Document

Chapter II: File Management

Opening a 3DStudio Document

Opening a VRML Document

Opening with Reference

Chapter II: File Management

Saving and Printing

Chapter II: File Management

Chapter II: File Management

Chapter II: File Management

Chapter II: File Management

Dressing and Appearance

Changing the Size of the Preview Window (from

Preview Window Quality

Ray Tracing off

Chapter III: Display

Transparency and Ray Tracing on

Chapter III: Display

Zoom from Original Size

Revert to Original Size

Chapter III: Display

Display the Materials List

Chapter IV: Dressing

Chapter IV: Dressing

Create New Materials

Chapter IV: Dressing

Using Another Shader Folder

Chapter IV: Dressing

Flip through the pages of the

Apply Shaders to Materials

Rearrange the Display of Each Family

Chapter IV: Dressing

Display All Library Families

Change the Family of a Shader

Chapter IV: Dressing