3D Modeling in Silo.

DOI:
2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. 1
10.1016/B978-0-240-81481-0.00001-7
2011
Getting Started with Silo
In this chapter, we discuss how to view, select, and manipulate models in Silo.
If you are not familiar with Silo or polygon modeling, make sure to read the
About Silo section at the start of the book.
We recommend having Silo open and running as you read, as most of the
actual learning will co me as you try things out for yourself. Allow yourself to
play, have fun, and make mistakes; you will get comfortable with the software
much more quickly. If you do not already have Silo installed, a free 30-day trial
is included in the free downloadable content, and you can always fnd the
latest version available at www.nevercenter.com .
Viewing Objects
Working with a 3D model requires seeing the model from all angles. Changing
anything on the model to get it looking right from one angle has the potential
to negatively afect the way it looks from another. In Silo, you can easily zoom,
rotate, and pan the current viewport (i.e., the window used to see the model)
to make sure you are getting things right from all angles. It is important to
understand that you are not moving the model with these commands, just
CHAPTER 1
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3D Modeling in Silo
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changing the camera position. Basic viewport controls involve holding the
Alt key along with diferent mouse buttons as follows:

Rotate AltLeft Mouse Button

Zoom AltRight Mouse Button (or scroll with the scroll wheel)

Pan AltHolding Down the Scroll Wheel or Middle Mouse Button

You can customize all of these controls, but in this book, we will assume you
are using the default confguration that ships with Silo.

To get a feel for manipulating the view in 3D space, create a new Silo fle and
add a basic model by selecting Create>Custom Primitive>Base Man
With Feet from the top menu (more on custom primitives in Chapter 2).

Now try rotating, zooming, and panning to see the model from all angles
by holding down the Alt key and clicking and dragging with the diferent
mouse buttons or scroll wheel.
Viewport Cameras
So far weve been using the default viewport camera called Free Perspective,
which means it is a camera with perspective correction (i.e., objects further
away from the camera appear smaller) that is free to move in all directions.
Silo also includes nine additional viewport cameras to make sure you can get
a good sense of your model from all angles. The most important of these,
besides Free Perspective, are the fxed orthographic camera views, which
fx the viewport camera from the top, bottom, left, right, front, and back of
your scene. Orthographic views do not use perspective correction, so objects
further away from the camera do not appear smaller than objects close to the
camera.
Working from the various orthographic views feels more like working with
fat blueprints, although the model is of course still 3D. They ofer greater
technical accuracy, a quick way to see what is going on with the model from
FIG. 1.1 Right-click menu showing the various viewport cameras.
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Getting Started with Silo
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various sides, and (as youll see when we start modeling our main subject) you
can place images in these viewports to exactly match your model to reference
material.
The easiest way to switch between viewport cameras is via the right-click
menu (under Viewport Camera ), or use the number keys ( 0 through 9 are
each assigned to one view). As you try manipulating the view with diferent
cameras, you will notice that panning and zooming in the fxed orthographic
views work similarly to the free perspective viewport camera, but using the
rotate commands with a fxed camera will just spin your view (like turning the
blueprint) rather than rotating in 3D to the far side of the model.
Viewport Layout
To get the most comprehensive view of your model, you also have the option
to divide your workspace into multiple viewports, each with its own camera.
Depending on the size of your screen and the project, this can be very helpful.
You can right click in any viewport to change its camera, or left click to select
and start working in that viewport. (Whichever viewport is currently selected
is known as the active viewport, and is the one that will respond to your
input.)

Press the Down Arrow to switch to a four-viewport layout.

Use Spacebar to quickly expand the selected viewport in a single view

layout.

Press Spacebar again to toggle back to the previous multiview layout.

Other viewport layout options are available from Display>Viewport Layout .
Take a minute to get a feel for the various cameras and layouts. Dont worry
about mastering them all; the important thing is to know they are there to use
when you need them.
FIG. 1.2 A four-pane viewport layout shows views of the object from the free perspective, top, left, and front
viewports.
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3D Modeling in Silo
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Selection
As in most 3D graphics software, models in Silo are made up of components
known as vertices, edges, and faces. The vertex is the most basic unit of
3D graphicsa point in space with no actual size or shape. An edge is a line
created by connecting two of these vertices. Together, a web of these edges
and vertices is used to outline the structure of a model, much like scafolding
(often referred to as a wireframe). It defnes the shape, but isnt solid. Faces, or
polygons, are used to fll in spaces bordered by edges, like pieces of glass in a
stained-glass window, and make the model look solid. These components are
all interconnectedyou can move a vertex directly, or by moving any edges
or faces it is part of. 3D modeling is simply the creation and arrangement of
these components.
Learning to think of your model in terms of vertices, edges, and faces all at
once is essential, as some tasks are impossible with one component type but
easy with another. This kind of thinking comes quickly with practice.
Selection Modes
Selection Modes are a way to tell Silo which type of component you want to
work with. There is a separate selection mode for faces, edges, and vertices; a
Multi-select Mode , which lets you see all three at once; and an Object Mode ,
which we will get to in a moment.
Silos selection modes let you work in terms of these componentsin
Face Mode , you will be manipulating faces; in Vertex Mode , vertices; and
Edge Mode , edges. Multi-select Mode is sort of a shorthand that lets you
see all three kinds of components at once. Often the key to good modeling
is recognizing which selection mode is best for a given task. Many tools
are context-sensitive, and change behavior based on the current
selection mode.
FIG. 1.3 Anatomy of a polygon. FIG. 1.4 The keys and buttons for selection modes.
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Silo contains a ffth selection mode, Object Mode . Objects are a useful, if
surprisingly complex, concept. For now, it is best to think of each separate
part of a model, which is not physically connected (e.g., each of a characters
shoes), as a separate object. In Silo, you have to make sure the object is
selected in Object Mode before trying to edit it in other selection modes.
Many models will only contain one object, in which case it will be selected by
default.
Selection Styles
Optimizing a modeling working workfow often involves selecting multiple
elements with some precision, and to ease the process, Silo has three
selection styles: Paint, Area , and Lasso ( Figure 1.5 ).

Paint Style allows you to hold down the Left Mouse Button and paint
over additional elements to select anything that comes under the path of
the mouse cursor.

Area Style creates a box as you hold down the Left Mouse Button , and all
visible elements in the box are selected (to select through a model, just
hold down the Middle Mouse Button or Scroll Wheel instead).

Lasso Style works similar to Area Style , but allows the user to draw a
shape around specifc elements while holding down the Left Mouse
Button (or Middle Mouse Button or Scroll Wheel to select through and
model). Everything within the drawn shape will be selected.
You can also add to a selection regardless of the style by holding down Shift
and selecting additional elements ( Shift Ctrl to deselect).
To get a feel for the various selection modes and styles, load a custom
primitive ( Create>Custom Primitive>Base Man With Feet ) and a cube
( Create>Cube ) into a scene and try selecting objects, faces, edges, and
vertices with each of the selection styles.
FIG. 1.5 The three selection styles.
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Getting comfortable with selection and memorizing the keyboard commands
is a very important part of working quickly in Silo.
Manipulating Objects
With a feel for how to see models from all angles and how to select the various
elements, you are ready to start some actual modeling using a mainstay of 3D
software: the manipulator. In coming chapters well learn about more freeform
ways to work with polygon elements and objects, so dont get discouraged if
working with the manipulator feels a little too technical. Regardless of your
workfow, however, knowing how to use the various manipulators is crucial to
your 3D modeling success.
A manipulator is a small 3D object with handles that appears next to the
current selection and lets you interact with it. The three handles of the basic
manipulator point in each of the dimensions of a Silo scenes space. The colors
on the manipulator match the red and blue on the Silo grid and represent
the X (red) and Z (blue) directions. The green side represents the Y or vertical
direction. To start, the manipulator will align with the Silo directions on the
grid, but as you work with a model and adjust the manipulator the orientation
will likely change.
Three single-function manipulators in Silo allow the user to move, scale, and
rotate objects and polygon elements. Each manipulator has outer handles and
a center handle that you can click on and drag to perform its functions. There
is also a Multi-use Manipulator with handles for all move, scale, and rotate
operations; and a Snapping Manipulator that allows for precise movement
and rotation. With the exception of the snapping manipulator, buttons for
all the manipulators are in the bottom center of the screen, and hotkeys are
on the Q row of the keyboard. You can access the snapping manipulator in
the main menu via Selection>Manipulator Tool>Snap . Figure 1.7 is a
breakdown of each manipulator and what the various handles do.
Once you have had a chance to review the chart of the various manipulators,
it is time to start playing.

Open a Silo scene and create a primitive base bust ( Create>Custom

Primitive>Base Bust ).

Try selecting each element type and using each of the handles on the
various manipulators to modify the bust.
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For those just starting with 3D, do not be surprised if modifying the bust to
look a certain way is harder than you anticipated. We have just started to
scratch the surface of what Silo can do and how it works in a real-life modeling
situation. In the next few chapters, you will learn about various modeling
rules, Silo tools, and workfows that give the modeling process a much more
organic feel.
FIG. 1.6 The anatomy of a manipulator.
FIG. 1.7 The various manipulators, what the handles do, and the keyboard commands.
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