Solid Shapes

Solid is a CAD term which means a shape that has both an exterior surface and an internal volume. The shape is unambiguous, watertight, and manufacturable. Most Boxshot shapes are designed to look like something real, while solid shapes are designed to represent the real structure of the object.

At first sight, the Solid shapes look pretty similar to the shapes from the Simple Shapes section: cylinder, box, sphere, torus, etc. The key difference is that solid shapes are backed by the CAD engine, which allows performing effective boolean operations that are limited with other types of shapes in Boxshot.

Limitations

Solid shapes in Boxshot are limited to just one material per shape and automatic texture mapping. This applies to both simple and complex shapes. Consider converting finished solid shapes to embedded models and assigning materials there if you need more flexibility.

Solid Shape Properties

You can add a Solid shape from the CAD section of the Shapes panel in Boxshot.

At the very top, you’ll find the Shape type selector. Here you can switch between the supported solid types: box, cylinder, cone, sphere, etc.

Below, you’ll find the properties of the selected shape type. For instance, you get just Radius for the sphere shape, but many more options for a box or cylinder.

Some shapes with hard edges (like a box or cylinder) also feature a Bevel parameter that lets you round the edges.

Then comes the Advanced section, which provides properties common to all shape types:

• Texture mapping — here you can select the UV mapping applied to the object;
• Smooth angle — lets you configure the hardness of the object’s edges;
• Quality — controls the level of detail in the generated geometry.

At the very bottom of the panel, you can find the Convert to script button, which converts the solid shape to a script-based solid.

Solid Shape Types

There are three types of solid shapes in Boxshot:

• Simple — this is what we’ve just described: a simple box, sphere, cylinder, etc;
• Complex — the result of a boolean operation on other solid objects;
• Script — a solid shape defined by code.

The simple shapes were explained above. Complex shapes are created by applying boolean operations to other solid shapes (simple or complex). Finally, both simple and complex solid shapes can be converted to script-based solids by clicking the Convert to script button at the bottom of the panel.

You might need scripting if you want to create a complex or highly configurable shape and are comfortable with code. Check the solid scripting tutorial for more details.

Complex Solids

Once a boolean operation is performed on solid shapes, they are no longer simple, and their basic parameters (such as size or radius) can no longer be configured. You can still adjust the texture mapping, level of detail, and smoothness.

You can decompose a complex solid shape using the Restore source shapes button. This splits the boolean shape into its original parts, allowing you to edit them and combine back later.

Another way to configure a complex solid shape is to convert it to a scriptable solid and edit the script.

When To Use Solids?

You only need solid objects if you want to perform boolean operations on them. Although you can also perform boolean operations on most shapes from the Simple Shapes section, the result is usually much more stable and predictable when solid shapes are used. If you don’t need booleans, using Simple Shapes is preferable.

Дополнительная Информация

Рендеринг

• Улучшаем реализм — как сделать сцены более реалистичными;
• Освещение — управление окружением и направленным светом;
• Насыщенные отражения — как делать "сочные" отражения;
• Отражение в полу — эффект размытого отражения сцены в полу;
• Менеджер заданий — как отрендерить много и попозже.
• Рендеринг на GPU — как рендерить сцены быстрее;
• Длительность и качество рендеринга — учимся контролировать продолжительность рендеринга;
• Простое или реалистичное освещение — ускоряем рендеринг.

Материалы

• Текстурные слоты — использование текстурных слотов в Boxshot;
• Стеклянные материалы — об отражении и преломлении света;
• УФ-лакирование — добавляем эффект УФ-лака по маске;
• Фольгирование — добавляем поверхности блеска;
• Рельеф — добавляем неровности материалу;
• Копирование материалов — копируем материалы между объектами;
• Собственные материалы — расширяем стандартную библиотеку;
• Полупрозрачные этикетки — добавляем прозрачности;
• Материалы Boxshot — подробная информация о материалах Boxshot.

Возможности

• Булевы операции — объединяем и вычитаем объекты, делаем дырки;
• Наклейки — нанесение наклеек/декалей на объекты;
• Рельефные наклейки — добавляем локальный рельеф;
• Глубина резкости — добавляем реализма изображениям;
• Инструменты — информация об инструментах Boxshot;
• Управление изображениями — внешние ресурсы проекта;
• Экземпляры — легковесные копии объектов сцены;
• Model Editor — edit embedded models in many ways;
• Shrink Wrap — heat–shrink film simulation for objects wrapping;
• Physics Simulation — applying gravity to your scene;
• Palletize — arrange scene objects for the pallet;
• Snapshots — save scene state to re–use it later;
• Translation — teach Boxshot to speak your language;
• Vector Artwork — how to maintain the quality of vector artwork.

Объекты

• Lathe Objects — making symmetrical objects using revolving curves;
• Loft Objects — making custom objects with 2D cross–sections;
• 3D Text — making 3D text objects in Boxshot;
• Extruded Objects — how to make thick 3D object of your flat 2D curve;
• Conical Labels — making conical labels with distorted artwork;
• Dieline Box — a very realistic dieline–based box;
• Custom Shapes — adding custom shapes to the left panel;
• Solid Shapes — create boolean-friendly shapes;
• Script-Based Solids — create complex solid shapes with code;
• Third Party Shapes — importing third party shapes to Boxshot.