Edit Menu

Edit Menu
ֲ	Chapter 4.Picture to Part	ֲ

Edit → Undo

Reverses the last change made. Undo is a repetitive command.

The number of Undo levels is defined in the cimagraphi8.ini file: Under the [P2P] section, variable UndoLevels.

	Note
	For very large jobs this may slow you down and consume a lot of disk space.

Activate Undo either by selecting this option from the Edit menu, by pressing Alt-BackSpace, or by pressing Undo shortcut button.

Edit → Redo

Recalls the last Undo change. Redo is a repetitive command, and can be executed only after pressing Undo , or a previous Redo. Losing the Undo information will cause the loss of the Redo information.

Activate Redo either by selecting this option from the Edit menu, by pressing Shift-Alt-BackSpace, or by pressing Redo shortcut button.

Edit → Cut

Deletes the marked entities from view and sends them to the system clipboard.

In Component mode, marked groups are Cut. In Assembly mode, marked surfaces are Cut.

The clipboard may be treated as an additional datastack, holding the entities sent to it as raw material ready to be restored at the desired time. A Cut entity disappears from the screen.

An element must be marked before it can be Cut. Select Cut from the Edit menu or press Ctrl-X to cut an element.

Edit → Copy

Takes the entities and sends them to the system clipboard in a similar manner to the Cut command. However, all entities remain on the drawing.

An element must be marked before it can be copied. Select Copy from the Edit menu or press Ctrl-C to copy an element.

Edit → Paste

Takes the system clipboard contents and inserts them into the drawing using the original coordinates.

In Assembly mode, a previously Cut replicated object is pasted as a new component.

Select Paste from the Edit menu or press Ctrl-V to paste an element.

Edit → Delete

To delete an object, in Component mode, once a geometry is marked included, Delete it. In Assembly mode, marked surfaces will be deleted.

Select Delete from the Edit menu or press Delete to delete.

Delete is recoverable with the Undo command.

Edit → Sculpting Tool

Figure 4.9. Edit Sculpting Tool Dialogue

This powerful tool enables you to create the Picture to Part surface manually by defining an Active Tool cursor and choosing an action from the list. Select Sculpting Tool from the Edit menu; the 3D Paintbrush Manager appears in the Macro Panel.

The 3D Paintbrush dialog box is divided into several areas:

Tool shape, size, and orientation. Two scroll bars are used to modify the tool shape (elliptical to round), and tool orientation (+45ֲ° to 45ֲ°in case of an elliptical /rectangular tool).

	Rotates the cursor.
	Changes the cursor from circle to ellipse or from square to rectangle.
	Changes the size of the cursor.

Basic tool shape: Rectangular or Circular set by the two push buttons.

Tool operation - to be selected from the list.

Operation value -floating point number described below.

Tolerance - defines the minimum grid step size for creating the surface. This parameter can be in units only, regardless of the Tolerance by parameter in the System Options dialog box.

Extra Smooth - softens sharp corners.

WACOM Pen - enables the user to use WACOM tablet with an e-pen and the pressure parameter to "carve" the surface into a handmade shape. The red gauge on the right side of the dialog box shows the pressure that the pen applies on the tablet.

E-Pen effect (only if WACOM pen is active):
- Depth: Pressure is applied as a Z value only, resulting in a cylindrical tool shape.
- Depth/Width: Pressure is applied as both Z value and pen size, giving the effect of conical tool shape.
Close button .

To activate and deactivate the tool, select Edit ג†’ Sculpting Tool from the menu, or press Ctrl-T.

Mouse vs. Pen:ֲ The system uses the pen as a pressure-sensitive mouse. Whenever the mouse is selected, pressing the left button is considered a full pressure pen operation.

Mouse: In order to move the tool, hold down Shift while moving the mouse. To activate the tool, press the left mouse button and drag the tool while Shift is still pressed.

To stop the tool-effect calculation, release the left mouse button.

Pen: Move the pen on the tablet thereby moving the tool over the fractal surface. To activate the tool, press it gently against the tablet. The gauge on the dialog box will indicate the pen pressure and the tool display will be automatically updated. Lifting the pen will start the tool-effect calculations.

Table 4.1.Sculpting Tool Operation

Set Value (mouse)	Set a fixed value, defined in the entry window, to the marked area.
Set Value (Pen)	Change the surface Z to a fixed value according to the pen pressure. Strong pressure will apply the predefined value while weak pressure will leave the surface as is.
Pull Up To (mouse and pen)	Raise the marked area to constant height according to the value in the entry window.
Push Down To (mouse and pen)	Lower the marked area to constant height according to the value in the entry window.
Increment By (mouse)	Add to the selected area by the value in the entry window.
Increment By (pen)	Add the selected area by the maximum of the value in the entry window, relative to the pen pressure.
Smooth (mouse and pen)	This effect will polish and soften the surface area on those areas that are marked. Areas that are not marked will remain untouched. The Smooth function can be repeated for deeper smoothing with values from 1 to 5.
Smear (mouse and pen)	This effect produces a smooth, smeared effect on the edges of a surface. The Smear function can be repeated for deeper smearing with values from 1 to 5.
Repair(%) (mouse and pen)	Imported scanned images can incur faults (holes) in the image during its importation. Select Repair to fill these faults. Insert in the adjacent text box, the percentage level of fault repair.

Tableֲ 4.2.ֲ Sculpting Tool Operation Value

Tool Operation	Device	Means	Value
Set Value	Mouse	Set the surface to Value height	Final Z
Set Value	Pen	Pushing the surface to Value height	Final Z for full pressure
Pull Up To...	Mouse/Pen	Increases Z to Value, if lower	Final Z
Push Down To...	Mouse/Pen	Decrease Z to Value, if higher	Final Z
Increment By...	Mouse	Add Z Value to surface height	ֲ± increment
Increment By...	Pen	Add up to Z Value to surface height	ֲ± increment for full pressure
Smooth	Mouse/Pen	Smooth surface	1 (light) to 5 (heavy)
Smear	Mouse/Pen	Smear surface	1 (light) to 5 (heavy)
Repair	Mouse/Pen	Repair surface	1 (light) to 5 (heavy)

Edit → Sketch

Sketch enables you to create geometries within the Picture to Part module. The tool is extremely useful in Reverse Engineering (importing Cloud of Points files) and then defining areas to be embossed or machined on the fractal surface.

Figure 4.10. Sketch Dialogue

Arc	To draw arcs, select the Arc radio button. An arc requires: One click to define an arc that is tangent to a previously sketched entity. Two clicks: one for the arc end-point and the second for defining the circumference. This option is active in corner sketching mode. Three clicks: first arc on a sketching chain requires start-point, the second for end-point and the third for defining the circumference.
Line	To draw lines, select the Line radio button. A line requires one click: for the line end-point (except from the first line on a sketching chain that requires two points for start-point and end-point).
Curve	Draws a 3D spline curve projected on the surface.
Corner	The default is Corner sketching, which means that sharp corners will connect two neighboring entities:
Tangent	To create smoother chains, select Tangent. Each entity that comes after an arc or is an arc itself, will be displayed as tangent to the previous entity:
Snap 5	Forces diagonal lines to set to the nearest 5ֲ° line. This is useful when sketching over geometry that involves parallel lines. The sketched lines will be parallel even with non-accurate digitations. Arcs are affected by their end angle to match the 5ֲ° roundup.
New Shape	Start a new chain on the next click position, disconnected from the previous one.
Loop	Automatically connect the edges of the last sketched chain in a straight line to form a closed contour.

Edit → Weave

The Weave tool produces an image of interwoven lines with differing Z values. Using the Weave function produces 3D curves, to convert to a 3D surface, weave flowlines need to be embossed. This process is described at the end of the section.

Figure 4.11. Weave Surface

To activate select Weave from the Edit menu; the following dialog box appears:

Figure 4.12. Edit Weave Dialogue

Display Area

The display area gives an XY-Top view of the weave. The colors indicate the number of Knots contained in the weave. The colors are automatically generated.

Show Grid

Displays a grid, which the woven image is based on.

Enter the number of rows and columns required in your weave. The left text box is for rows, the right text box is for columns.

Elasticity

Varies the elasticity of the lines. Moving the slide to the left increases elasticity.

Angle

Varies the angle of the weave. Moving the slide to the left increases the angle.

	Note
	The more tort the elasticity, the less effect it will have on the angle.

Select one of the four predefined weave images.

Size, Height

Insert the required dimensions for height and size.

To create a 3D effect on the woven surface, you will need to use the Emboss Ruled Surface function.

When working with a woven image of more than one Knot each Knot needs to be embossed separately.

To emboss a single knot: Mark a single level and select Emboss Ruled Surface from the Component menu; the single flowline appears in the Emboss Ruled Surface work area. Right-click, and from the menu select Add Section. Click on any Corner Control Point; a wire frame surface is displayed. From the Surface section in the Macro Panel ensure that the Into Volume radio button is selected. Select Process to start the surface creation process.

When embossing subsequent Knots, unmark the flowline you have just embossed and mark a new Knot. These operations can be performed in the Group Panel. Right-click on the Emboss Ruled Surface work area select Flowlines ג†’ New; right-click again and select Flowlines ג†’ Paste; the next marked knot appears. Right-click, and from the menu select Add Section. Click on any Corner Control Point; a wire frame surface is displayed. From the Surface section in the Macro Panel ensure that the Into Volume radio button is selected. Select Process to start the surface creation process.

Two emboss subsequent knots follow the procedure described in the last two paragraphs.

Edit → Z Level Group

Enables you to create 2D geometries from cutting the surface with a horizontal plane (equi-Z surface). This command is useful for designing parting lines to surface.

Selecting this menu item brings up the Z Equal Level dialog box:

Figure 4.13. Edit Z Level Group Dialogue

The red numbers identify the higher and lower levels that the surface reach. These are the limits for the Z level input box. Enter a value and press OK to start calculating the geometry. The result is a 2D group, residing at the Z level and identifying the intersection between the surface and a planar surface at the specified Z level.

Step Z	Enter the distance between slices.
Maximum Z/Minimum Z	Enter the highest and lowest levels of the fractal surface reach.
	Use the slide to select the smoothness of the curves. The left side is increased smoothness. Smoothness will soften the curves in the equal-Z contours. This option is useful especially in a situation where the surfaces are "jagged" and the resulting contour has to be smooth.

	Note
	The Z Level Group function is only available in Component mode.

Edit → Project and Smooth groups

Project a 2D contour over the Picture to Part surface. The 2D contour will become a 3D contour.

Edit → Material Library

Select the material you want to add to your material collection, and define the different lighting parameters that will affect the display of the surface.

Figureֲ 4.14.ֲ Edit Z Level Group Dialogue

Reflection

Move the dial to the left to increase the reflective properties of the surface. Move the dial to the right to decrease the reflective properties of the surface.

Translucency

Move the dial to the left to increase the translucent properties of the surface. Move the dial to the right increase the translucent properties of the surface.

Emission

Move the dial to the left to increase the emission properties of the surface. Move the dial to the right to increase the emission properties of the surface.

Color

Click on this button to change the color of a surface. A display like the one below appears.

Figureֲ 4.15.ֲ Windows → Color Dialogue

Select from the Basic colors or select Define Custom Color to choose your preferred colors. This option contains all the 32-bit range of colors from the Microsoft Windowsג„¢ operating system.

Texture

Enables you incorporate a texture from a saved picture file.

Figureֲ 4.16.ֲ Material Texture Dialogue

File Name

Bitmap texture file.

Style

Defines how to add the texture to the material:

None - no texture mapping.
Replace - material color will be replaced by the texture.
Modulate - material color and texture color are modulated.
Blend - material color and texture color are blended.
Reflect - acts like the Replace function, but with a reflecting effect.

Pixels

Fill In

In order to map a texture on a surface, the bitmap should be a square. The size of the bitmap is set to 128/ 256/ 512/ 1024 pixels. To get the bitmap into the set size it must be truncated, tiled or stretched.

Add material that you defined.

Delete material that you defined.

	Note
	Delete button is enabled only if there are no open components.

Press Apply to make changes to the surface.

Edit → Measure

Measure evaluates vertical, horizontal and diagonal distances as well as angles between two points. After you select the measure function, a rectangle with eight control points will appear on screen followed by the measure dialog box. Move the control point to the desired locations in order to get the distances and angles between the rectangle control points. You can continue measuring until the Measure dialog box is closed.

The values in the measure dialog box can be copied into the Windows clipboard by marking the value you whish to copy (make it appear with blue background) press the right mouse button and select Copy from the pop-up menu.

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