Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials 1

Zaxwerks Inc.
5724 Camellia Ave.
Temple City, CA 91780
(626) 309-9102 phone
(626) 309-9142 fax
http://www.zaxwerks.com

Sales: [email protected]
Tech Support: [email protected]

© 1996 - 2003 Zaxwerks Inc. All rights reserved.

This manual, as well as the software described in it, is furnished under license and may only be used or copied
in accordance with the terms of such license. The information in this manual is furnished for informational use
only, is subject to change without notice, and does not represent product specifications or commitment on the
part of Zaxwerks. Zaxwerks assumes no responsibility or liability for any error or inaccuracies that may appear
in this document.

The Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator is a trademark of Zaxwerks Inc. After Effects, Illustrator and Photoshop are trade-
marks of Adobe Systems Inc. FreeHand is a trademark of Macromedia Inc. Apple and Macintosh are regis-
tered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Windows 2000 and Windows XP are registered trademarks of
Microsoft, Inc. OpenGL is a trademark of Silicon Graphics Inc. All other product names or trademarks are the
property of their respective owners.

2 Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials

 How To Make Lights Cast Shadows . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Table of Contents How To Move Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 How To Save A Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Additional Tipes When Working With
BASIC CONCEPTS Illustrator Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Surface Set-Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Scene Set-Up & Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

MODELING, SURFACING, & LIGHTING

How To Create a 3D Logo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
How To Make Objects Invisible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Moving 3D Objects - Part 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
How To Reset 3D Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Moving 3D Objects - Part 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Camera Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Camera Shortcuts Exercise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Adjusting The Thickness of Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
How To Apply An Edge Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
How To Apply A Single Material To An Object . . . . 36
How To Add A Second Material To An Object . . . . 38
How To Split A Profile To Fine Tune
Material Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
How To Create An Object Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Coloring The Other Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials 3

4 Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials
 Installation Instructions
Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials 5
System Requirements
System Requirements - MACINTOSH System Requirements - WINDOWS
- G3 Power Mac (G4 recommended) - Intel Pentium III or 4 processor
- Mac OS 9.1, 10.1 or 10.2.6. - Windows 2000 or Windows XP Pro or Home Edition
- Apple’s OpenGL system extension - OpenGL system .dll file
- QuickTime 5 or 6.1 - QuickTime 5 or 6.1
- Color monitor capable of displaying at least - Color monitor capable of displaying at least
1024 x 768 in Millions of colors 1024 x 768 in True color
- 128 MB RAM, (256 MB recommended) - 128 MB RAM (256 MB recommended)
- 100MB unused hard-disk space - 100MB unused hard-disk space
- CD ROM drive - CD ROM drive

Software specifications subject to change without notice. Software used under license.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Refer to the Zaxwerks End User License for more information.

6 Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials

Installing the Software
The Invigorator does not use an automatic installer. You only
need to do one step to install the software.

If you are installing from a CD...

1- Find the ProAnimator (or ProModeler) folder on the CD and
drag it into the Applications folder on your main hard drive.

If you are installing from a downloaded file...

1- Unstuff or Unzip the download, then drag the ProAnimator
(or ProModeler) folder into the Applications folder on your
main hard drive.

TROUBLESHOOTING TIP!
The ProAnimator/ProModeler folder contains many files
and folders. DO NOT touch the contents of the main folder.
Drag ONLY the ProAnimator/ProModeler folder to the
Applications folder and all these other files and folders will
be moved to the Applications folder too.

You are now ready to launch the program and create your first
Invigorator project. Open the Applications folder, then open the
ProAnimator or ProModeler folder, and double click on the
program icon.

Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials 7

 Entering An Authorization Code For The First Time
The first time you launch the software it will ask you to enter
some information. Type your Name and Organization, and type
the Authorization Code exactly as it was given to you. Then press
the OK button.

A Temporary Code looks like this: A1234-B1234. A Permanent

Code looks like this: IPMS30-A1234-B1234-C1234 A Temporary
Code lasts for 30 days to give you time to contact Zaxwerks and
register the software. Once registered, Zaxwerks will give you a
permanent authorization code. (See the next section for infor-
Fill in all fields then click the OK button.
mation on how to enter a permanent code.)

If you already have a Permanent Code there is no need to enter

the Temporary Code first. Type the Permanent Code when you
see the Authorization window and you’ll be ready to go.

TROUBLESHOOTING TIP !
On some Windows systems you may have trouble typing
into the Authorization Window. If this is the case, open a
program such as NotePad and type the information there.
Then copy and paste the information, one line at a time,
into the Authorization window.

8 Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials

Demo Mode
If you don’t have either a Temporary or a Permanent Authoriza-
tion Code you can run the program in Demo Mode by clicking the
DEMO button at the bottom of the authorization window. Demo
mode adds a watermark to the renderings and also limits the
program in some ways, but other than that most everything
works. Demo mode lets you get an idea of how the program runs
so you can see how fast and easy it is.

Entering A Permanent Authorization Code

(If this is the first time you have run the software see the
previous section titled: Entering An Authorization Code For
The First Time.)

If you have been running the software using a Temporary Authori-

zation Code, double click on the program icon to launch it. You
will see a message window saying how many days you have left
to run the program. At the bottom of this message window will
be a “Register” button. Click the “Register” button then enter
your Permanent Authorization Code.

A Permanent Code looks like this: IPAS30-A1234-B1234-C1234

Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials 9

 How To Get A Permanent Authorization Code
A Permanent Authorization code is sent to you directly from
Zaxwerks. Contact Zaxwerks in one of the following ways:
Register by email: [email protected]
Register online: www.zaxwerks.com/Register_English.html
Register by phone: 1-800-549-0250

You will be asked for your Temporary Authorization Code and

your contact information so you can receive notices about bug
fixes and updates.

Click this link on the Zaxwerks Home page to If you bought the program directly from Zaxwerks you will have
get to the registration page.
received a green Invoice/Receipt with the Permanent codes
printed on stickers at the bottom.

10 Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials

 Basic Concepts
Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials 11
12 Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials
BASIC CONCEPTS
The Invigorator creates its own models and images. It does not
DEFINITIONS
process existing footage to give it a “3D effect”. You create
models that have depth and size, arrange them in space, and then
take pictures of them. Modeling
The creation of the objects and adjustment of
The Invigorator is a true 3D program, but it has differences that their shape.
make it unique from any other 3D program. There is a tremen-
dous amount of technology and workflow design packed into this Surface Set-Up
program, in order to make it easier to learn and faster to use. The paint job that is applied to the surface of
the objects. Often called “Surfacing”.
If you are new to creating 3D graphics here is a short overview of
the steps involved: Scene Set-Up
The positioning of the objects and lights within
Modeling the 3D scene and the positioning of the
The Invigorator creates models out of Adobe Illustrator files and camera which views the scene and takes the
fonts installed on your computer. Models can be modified using picture.
the controls in the Object Tab. A selection of over 100 preset
edge profiles come built into the program or you can make your Animation
own. You can also import models created in other programs. Moving the objects or camera over time.

Rendering
Creation of the final 3D image or movie.
“Taking the picture”.

Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials 13

Surface Set-Up Animation
The Invigorator has a completely unique way of handling Animation is created in a new way that is visual rather than
surfaces. Up to six different materials can be applied to technical. Feedback is continuous so you can watch the
each object and those materials can be used in a variety of animation as you edit it. There is no need to stop and
ways. Once you try it you will see how the Invigorator has render a preview.
finally given artists the tools to create a new generation of
3D title and logo graphics. Graphics like you have never Rendering
seen before.
The rendering engine is designed for the rigors of profes-
Scene Set-Up And Lighting sional production. It creates beautiful images of any
resolution with excellent antialiasing, image mapping, soft
Setting up a 3D scene has been streamlined to make it shadows, transparencies for glass and chrome effects.
easier for 2D graphic artists to make the jump to 3D. A Images and movies come with alpha channels for composit-
scene can have as many objects as you need and objects or ing without the need to key the source footage.
groups of objects can be rotated and positioned indepen-
dently. Up to six lights can be used, and once you get your
lights perfect they can be saved and reused in future
projects.
Object manipulation within the 3D scene is done in a way
that’s completely new. Single and multiple objects can be
manipulated with speed and fluidity. There are a full
compliment of short cut keys. Even nudge keys are
supported.

14 Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials

Modeling, Surfacing and Lighting
Tutorials
Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials 15
16 Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials
Let’s create a 3D logo and work through some of the problems
you may run across. Logos are oftentimes more difficult than
straight text because they usually have overlapping elements and The Advanced Tutorials assume that you know
there is a need to preserve the integrity of the original design. all of the skills covered in the Beginning
Tutorials. If you find yourself lost, or things are
The “look” of the logo is often the point about which a client gets moving too quickly, stop and do the Beginning
the most picky. So the great challenge with doing 3D work is how Tutorials first. Then do the Advanced Tutorials.
to give the logo a 3D look while still preserving the look of the
logo. Sounds like a paradox, but it’s not too hard to overcome.
Let’s start with creating the logo as a 3D model and we’ll discuss
the design challenges as we go.

TROUBLESHOOTING TIP !
You must have installed the program properly for the
factory presets to be present. Be sure to read and follow
the Installation Instructions at the beginning of this User
Guide.

How To Create A 3D Logo

Start off with the program closed. If it is already running, Quit or
Exit the program.

1- Double click on the application icon to launch the program.

2- When you see the window with four large buttons click the
“Open Illustrator File” button.

Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials 17

 3- Go to the Tutorials folder and find the “Kings Crest Logo.ai”
file. Do NOT double-click on the file or click the Select button.

4- Before you open the Illustrator file put checkmarks in front of

the following options:

Turn ON:
- Open By Layers
- Use Illustrator Colors
- Move Objects to Center
Do not turn ON:
-Dismantle Incoming Groups
-As Layer Cycling Object

5- Now click the Select button.

This will open the main Set-Up window and create 3D models out
of the paths in the Illustrator file.

6- Turn off the Floor Grid, then select the Dolly tool and drag your
mouse up to move closer to the models.

What happened? The 3D logo looks terrible! This is because

there are many overlapping pieces in this logo. When the logo
was in its 2D form, the “stacking order” of the pieces kept it all
readable. (Look at the picture to see what the logo looks like in
The 2D logo. First look at the 3D version.
its 2D form.)

18 Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials

When you are in a 3D program there is no such thing as stacking
order. The only thing that matters is whether an object is closer
to the camera than some other object. Since an Illustrator file
doesn’t have any Z information, all of the models start off with the
same Z position, so all the overlapping parts are equally close to
the camera.

This confuses the camera so it shows part of one object and part
of another creating a visual mess. What’s worse is that as the
viewpoint of the camera changes different parts of the models
will flash into view because the camera can’t figure out which of
these overlapping objects to show. To get rid of the mess all we
need to do is to move the objects so some parts will be closer to
the camera than others.
Object Mode Button Object List

How To Make Objects Invisible

(continuing from the last tutorial)

Let’s turn off the visibility of the text objects so we can concen-
trate on the center part of the logo.

1- Click on the Object Mode button to reveal the small tabbed

area below the tool bar.

2- Click on the Object List and choose the Deselect All item. You
will see all the green and red selection boxes disappear.

Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials 19

 TROUBLESHOOTING TIP!
Click on the Object List again and look at it. If it contains
names such as Shield, King Text, Face, Eyes, etc. then you
can proceed with the rest of the tutorial. If it says things
like Object 1, Object 2, Object 3, Group 1, Group 2, etc.
then you did not properly do Step 4 of the previous tutorial
on “How To Create A 3D Logo”. Quit the program and start
the Advanced Tutorial again.

3- In the Object List choose the “King Text” item.

You will see a red wire bounding box appear around the word
“King” indicating that it is selected.

4- Hold down the Shift key on your keyboard, and from the
Object List choose the “Entertainment Text” item.

You will see a green bounding box appear around the word
When items in the Object List are selected,
their names will be written in bold. “Entertainment”. Click down on the Object List and look at the
menu items for the two objects you have just selected. Notice
that they are written in BOLD. This is to let you know that these
two items are selected.

Click off the Object List making sure that you don’t accidentally
deselect the objects, by clicking on a menu item.

5- Make the objects invisible by turning on the “Make Invisible”

Turn ON “Make Invisible” to make all selected objects invisible. checkbox. Find this checkbox just below the Object List.

20 Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials

Moving 3D Objects - Part 1
(continuing from the last tutorial)

So far you have only moved the camera. You can move individual
objects by using the manipulation tools while in Object Mode.
You should still have the Object Mode button selected from Step 1
of the last tutorial, and you should still have the Dolly tool
selected. (If these two buttons are not blue, select them now.)

1- Click once on the Shield to select it.

A single click with any manipulator tool will select objects

as long as you don’t drag, just click. This keeps you from
having to use the Selection Tool each time you want to
make a selection.

2- Click down in the 3D window and drag up until the blue of the
Shield is no longer visible on the front of the yellow Face object.
What you are doing is moving the Shield backwards.

TROUBLESHOOTING TIP!
If you have the ProAnimator you will see a message saying
that you are about to Tweak something. Read the section
called “What Is A Tweak” in the Animation section for
Drag up to push the Shield away and
important information about tweaking objects. For the move it behind the other objects.
purpose of this tutorial however, just click the OK button
and repeat Step 2 again.

Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials 21

 3- Click once on the Face object to select it, then click down in
the 3D window and drag down to pull the Face forward. Stop
when you can see the face clearly.

4- Click on the Crown to select it, then drag down to pull it

forward until it is in front of the Face object.

Drag down to pull the Face forward. Next we need to select the Eyes, but this object is partially
hidden by other objects. The best way to select the Eyes is to do
it from the Object List.

5- In the Object List select the Eyes object, then drag in the 3D
window to pull the eyes forward until they are in front of the
Face.

At this point the logo is looking fairly good. However there is one
big problem which the next step will show to you.
Drag down to pull the Crown and Eyes forward.
6- Switch to Camera mode by clicking on the Camera button,
then choose the Front View from the Views... menu.

What happened? All the objects have been shifted sideways!

When you were dragging the objects forward and backward you
were pulling them straight toward the camera, and since the
camera was looking at the objects from an angle the objects were
being pulled out of alignment.

22 Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials

How To Reset The 3D Objects
(continuing from the last tutorial)
We need to reset the objects back to their starting positions so
you can learn a different way to move them. But first let’s return
the camera to the previous view.

1- From the camera Views... menu choose the High Right view.
Double click the Selection Tool as a
2- Switch back to Object Mode. shortcut for the Select All command.

3- Double click on the Selection Tool. This is a shortcut for the

Select All command which selects all visible objects.

4- Click the Reset button, located below the Object List.

What happened? The objects jumped to the top corner of your

screen! The reason why is that the Reset button moves the
objects back to their original positions where they were created
Click the Reset button to return objects
in the Adobe Illustrator program. When you first opened the file to their original positions.
you had the “Move To Center” option turned on. Move To Center
repositions all of the objects to the center of the world so they
are easier to work with. When you clicked Reset it removed the
dragging you did in the last tutorial but also removed the center-
ing process. However, to get the objects back to center is easy.

5- Click the Move To Center button, located next to the Reset

button. Now the objects will be back where you expect them to Use Move To Center to bring all selected
be. objects to the center of the world.

Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials 23

 Moving 3D Objects - Part 2
(continuing from the last tutorial)
Now let’s learn how to move objects forward and back without
pulling them off to the side. Pay attention because this technique
will be very useful in your future projects.

1- Click on the background to deselect all objects, then click once

on the Shield to select it. You should see only one bounding box
and it should be around the Shield.

2- Select the Dolly tool, then click and drag down in the 3D
window. As you drag you will see that the Shield is being pulled
Click on the shield to select it.
straight toward you. You are looking “through” the camera’s lens
so the Shield is being pulled straight toward the camera. This is
why the parts were pulled out of alignment.

What we need is a way to move objects forward or back, but

without pulling them off to the side.

3- Release the mouse button and use the Undo command from
the Edit menu. This will return the Shield to its previous position.
If it only gets part way there you may have let go of your mouse
before the dragging was completed so just select Undo again, and
again until the Shield is back to where it started.

If you Undo too many times you can the use the Redo
command to step forward again.
Dragging down pulls the shield directly toward the camera.

24 Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials

4- Turn on the “Drag Using Object’s Axes” checkbox, located
directly above the Object List. Remember where this checkbox
is. It is the key to keeping your objects in alignment.

The Shield should still be selected.

5- Click and drag down in the 3D window.

Notice that the Shield is now moving toward the left side of the
screen instead of coming straight at you. What’s happening is
that the Shield is moving forward and back along its own axis
instead of the camera’s axis. This means that it will stay aligned
with all the other pieces. With the “Drag Using Object’s Axes”
checkbox turned on you are able to move objects forward and
back directly along their Z axis. If you drag up you will see the
object go behind the other objects and off into the distance.

6- Drag the Shield until it is just behind the other pieces.

7- Select the Face and drag down to pull it forward just a bit.

8- Select the Crown and drag down until it is just in front of the
Face.

Dragging up and down will now make the shield

move back and forth along its own Z axis.

Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials 25

 9- In the Object List select the Eyes, then drag in the 3D window
to pull the eyes forward until they are even with the front of the
Face.

Getting objects to align can sometimes be hard to do. There is a

technique for doing this that can be helpful. As you drag, look for
Pull the eyes forward until you see the red wire box, ... the red wire box surrounding the eyes. Pull the eyes forward
until you can easily see the red wires, then push the eyes back
until the lowest of the red wires just disappears behind the yellow
of the Face.

10- Select the “Crown Insignia” from the Object List and pull it
forward until you can see it in front of the Crown.

...then slowly push them back until the red wires just disappear. Now let’s check how the logo looks from the front.

11- Switch to Camera mode, and pick the Front view from the
Views... menu.

As you can see the logo pieces are still aligned and readable. In
the next sections we will fine tune the look and turn the logo into
a finished piece.

26 Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials

Camera Shortcuts
(continuing from the last tutorial)

As you are working on a logo you will find that it is useful to be

able to move the camera to look at the objects from different
angles. Up to this point we have been moving the camera by The shortcut for Camera Tumble.
switching to camera mode, selecting a manipulation tool, and
then dragging in the 3D window. That’s three steps. However the
camera has shortcut keys that will let you move it around in one
step. Here’s how....

1- Hold down the Spacebar and the Command key on your

keyboard, (Alt key on Windows). Then drag left/right in the 3D
window.

This is the shortcut for Camera Tumble. It’s easy to remember

because it is the spacebar and the key right next to the spacebar.
You can drag left/right/up and down with this tool to look at every
side of the object. You will find that this one shortcut is used all
the time so take a second and memorize it. The shortcut for Camera Dolly.

2- Select the Front view from the Views... menu.

3- Hold down the Spacebar and the Control key on your key-
board, (same keys for Mac and Windows). Then drag up/down in
the 3D window.

Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials 27

 This is the shortcut for Camera Dolly. It’s easy to remember
because it is the spacebar and the key furthest away from the
spacebar. Drag up while holding these keys down to dolly up
closer to the object, and drag down to pull back away from the
object. You are moving the camera remember, so up pushes the
camera closer to the object and down pulls the camera away
from the objects. You will find that this is the second most-used
shortcut and it is worth memorizing too.
The shortcut for Camera Track.
4- Select the Front view from the Views... menu.

5- Hold down the Spacebar all by itself. Then drag left/right in the
3D window.

This is the shortcut for Camera Tracking. It’s the most easy to
remember because it works just like the spacebar in Photoshop.
Holding down the spacebar and dragging is like moving the view
of your Photoshop canvas.

Notice that all of the Camera shortcuts use the spacebar.

For the rest of the tutorials instead of telling you to switch modes
and select this or that tool, we’ll just say “Tumble the camera to
look at the sides of your objects,” or “Dolly-in to get a closer look
at how the two parts interact.”

Let’s take a second and do an exercise to get you more familiar

Tracking the Camera acts like the grabber hand in Photoshop. with these shortcut keys.

28 Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials

Camera Shortcut Exercise
(continuing from the last tutorial)

1- Select the Front view from the Views... menu.

2- Using only the shortcut keys, Dolly-in close on the Eyes.

3- Track so the K is centered.

1&7 2
4- Tumble so you are looking at the objects from the left.

5- Dolly out until you can see all objects.

6- Tumble so you are looking from the front.

7- Track so the objects are centered and you are back where you
started.
3 4
Got it? Great. Then let’s move on.

5 6

Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials 29

 Adjusting the Thickness of Objects
(continuing from the last tutorial)

When objects are first created each object is made the same
thickness. The next step toward completing our logo is to make
each object the proper thickness.

1- Tumble the Camera so you are looking at the objects from the
Look at the logo from the right...
right.

You can see from this view how far apart the objects are spaced.
You can also see that parts of objects are too thick and stick out
where they shouldn’t. Usually the thicker an object is the more
solid it appears. The thinner it is the more delicate it feels. The
thickness of an object is controlled by the Depth slider. Find the
Depth slider at the bottom right corner of the Object Tab.

2- Select the Shield. Drag the Depth slider to 0. Release your

A Depth of 0 creates a plane.
mouse button.

As soon as you release the mouse the Shield gets completely thin.
A Depth of 0 creates a plane. However, notice that the Shield
didn’t change shape until you released the mouse button. If you
hold down on your keyboard’s Shift key while you are dragging
the slider, you will see the object change depth as you drag.

3- Hold down the Shift key and drag the Depth slider to 30.

30 Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials

While you are dragging notice that the front face of the Shield is
staying in the same place. As the Depth gets larger the object
grows toward the back. It does not get bigger around its center.
That’s because Depth doesn’t scale the object, it rebuilds the
object with new dimensions. If you use the Scale tool the object
will expand or contract about its center.

4- Tumble the Camera to a 3/4 view. (Use the Shortcut keys!)

5- Select the Face object, and set its Depth to 12. Use the Select Invisible command to select the invisible objects.

6- Select the Eyes object, and set its Depth to 2.

7- Switch to Object Mode and use the Object List to select the
Crown Insignia object. Then set its Depth to 4.

8- Pick the Select Invisible command from the Object List. This
will select the invisible text objects. Next uncheck the “Make
Invisible” checkbox. This will make the text objects reappear.

9- Give the King Text object a Depth of 12, and the Entertainment
Text object a Depth of 4.

We’ll leave the Crown the same Depth that it already is. That
leaves us with the White Holes object. If you Tumble the camera
to the side you will see that this object sticks out behind the Face
object. All it is supposed to be is a background color to prevent
The White Holes object is sticking out behind the Face.

Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials 31

 you from seeing through the mouth and eye sockets of the Face.
The White Holes object is needed or else you’d see the blue of the
shield and that would spoil the look of the logo.

In order to put the White Holes object in the correct place we will
need to use all of the techniques that we’ve learned so far.

1- Select the White Holes object, then set its Depth to 2.

2- Pick the Dolly tool and turn on “Drag Using Object’s Axes”
mode.
Watch the red lines. As you drag
they will move through the Face.
3- Drag up and down and watch the object pass through the other
objects. Watch the lower corner of the red bounding box and
position the object so that it is near the back of the Face object
but not behind it.

4- Tumble and Track the Camera to look at the logo from the
front.

Pretty good! We’re almost done.

32 Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials

How To Apply An Edge Profile
(continuing from the last tutorial)

Edge Profiles are the bevels used to dress up the object. There
are over 100 profiles built into the program and you can make
your own too. Think of an Edge Profile as fancy molding that
goes around the perimeter of your objects.

1- Select the Shield object.

2- Click on the Material Set-Up button, located above the 3D

window.

The 3D window will be replaced by a window showing you the

Edge Profile being used by the Shield. Imagine that you are
above the Shield, looking down at it, and you take a slice through
its center. You would have the front of the Shield at the bottom of
the slice, and the back of the Shield would be at the top of the
slice. Look at the Material Set-Up window and see that this is
what it is showing. We’ve labeled the Front and Back in the The Material Set-Up window shows you a cross-section type of
window so you can remember what you are looking at. view so you can see which Edge Profile is applied to the object.

This cross-section view also shows you the Edge Profile applied
to the outside edges of the Shield on the left, and on the right
would be the Edge Profile applied to the holes in the Shield, if it
had any.

Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials 33

 The Edge Profile being used by the Shield is called the Medium
Bevel. If you look at the top right corner of the Object Tab you
will see the name “Bevel, Medium” in the first menu. This menu
is where you select the profiles. Let’s change the Edge Profile to
something that you might see on a wooden plaque.

3- Click on the Edge Profile menu, find the Stacks submenu and
then find the “Tiers, Rounded” item. Select it.

The Material Set-Up window now shows a three-level bevel.

4- Click on the Scene Preview button, located above the 3D

window, to go back to the 3D image of the logo.

The Shield now has a triple-level bevel on it.

Next, let’s apply the Edge Profile called Power Groove Bevels, to
the “King Text” object.
The Rounded Tiers Edge Profile as it appears
in the Material Set-Up window. 1- Select the King Text object.

2- Display the Material Set-Up window.

3- Click on the Edge Profile menu, find the Inset Face submenu
and then find the “Bevel, Power Grooves” item. Select it.

34 Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials

You can see that this Edge Profile has lots of angles on it. These
angles catch highlights very nicely.

4- Switch back to the 3D Scene Preview window.

Unfortunately the King Text object doesn’t look much different

than it did before because it’s colored black. When you open up
Illustrator files with the “Use Illustrator Colors” option turned
ON, any objects that are colored black in Illustrator will end up
black in the Invigorator. Black looks fine on the printed page but
3D models that are painted black don’t look very good at all. The Power Grooves Edge Profile as it appears
in the Material Set-Up window.

To help out the logo we need to choose a few new colors that will
enhance the look.

Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials 35

 How To Apply A Single Material To An Object
(continuing from the last tutorial)

Using the drag and drop method to Apply a material to an object,

let’s make the King Text object gold.

1- Click on the Materials Tab, located at the top right of the Set-
Up window.

Here you will see a bin full of pre-created materials. Each of the
colored balls is called a Material Swatch. We call it a Material
Material Swatch instead of a color swatch because there is more to a
Bin
material than just a color. For instance when making realistic-
looking gold, the reflectivity of the gold is just as important as the
base color.

Below the bin is the editing area where you can change the colors
and other details about a material. Look over this area and read
the names of the different attributes that are used to create a
material.
Material
Editor 2- In the second row of the bin, find the gold material swatches.
There are two of them. Double click on the one on the left.

When you double click on a material it is loaded into the material

editor located below the bin. You will now see the gold swatch in
Double click on a material in the bin (TOP)
to load it into the editor (BOTTOM).
the single docking station in the editing area. Look for its name.

36 Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials

You should see the words “Punchy Gold” in the field at the top of
the editing area.

You will also see a thick red line surrounding the swatch in both
the editor and the bin. This red line indicates that these are both
the same material and if you make changes to the swatch at the
bottom you will see the changes affect the swatch at the top.

3- Double click on the other gold material in the second row of Busier reflections are good Smoother reflections are
the bin. This one is called Polished Gold. for flat surfaces. good for curved surfaces.

These gold materials are very similar, however one is “busier”

than the other meaning there are more lights and darks in the
reflections. The busier one, Punchy Gold, works very well on flat
surfaces. The other one, Polished Gold, works well on curved
surfaces.

4- Apply the Punchy Gold material by dragging it from the bin and
dropping it onto the King Text object.

Be sure that the point of your cursor is over the King Text object
otherwise the material may be dropped onto something else. If
you make a mistake you can always Undo it.

5- Turn on the display mode that shows reflections by clicking

once on the 3D Display Style button.

Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials 37

 6- Use the shortcut keys to Tumble the Camera. Now you can
see the reflections in the gold dance across the surface of the
King Text object.

Even though the King Text object is now gold, it lost a little of its
punch. The best thing would be for the face of the object to be
gold while the edges were black. This would put a black edge
around the gold and the contrast will really make the logo pop.

How To Add A Second Material To An Object

(continuing from the last tutorial)

The King Text object should still be selected.

Material 1- Click on the Material Set-Up button.

Set-Up
In the top window is the Power Grooves bevel that you applied to
the model a few steps ago. Notice that there are little green chips
with the number 1 on them. One is next to the Front, the Back,
and the Outside part of the cross section.

Now look at the area below this window where you will see six
Material square docking areas the same size as a Material Swatch. This
Palette area is called the Material Palette. It shows the materials that are
being used on the selected object.

38 Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials

The first dock in the Palette has the Punchy Gold material in it
and the green chip next to it has the number 1 on it. When you
look at the Palette and the Material Set-Up window together,
these green number chips show that the material in the first dock
is being applied to the Front, Back and Sides of the selected
object. What we’re going to do next is to apply a black material
to the sides of the object. Here’s how...

2- In the top row of the Material Bin find the black material
swatch. Drag it from the bin and drop it into dock number 2.

Once the black material has been loaded into the Material Palette
you can then apply it to the object.

3- Drag the black material from the Palette and drop it onto the
green chip sitting next to the Outside Edge Profile.

As you drag you will see that when the mouse cursor moves into
the Material Set-Up window a little green chip with the number 2
appears at the point. Drag until this chip is over the existing chip
that you want to replace. When the two chips get close to each
other they will snap together and the side of the model will
highlight in red. If you release the mouse button before you see
the red highlight then nothing will happen.

When you have successfully done the drop the green chip will
have the number 2 on it. This indicates that the material in dock Drag from the Palette into the Set-Up window. Snap the green
2 is now applied to the sides. chips together before you release the mouse.

Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials 39

 4- Click the Scene Preview button to switch back to the 3D view.

This looks better but if you Tumble the Camera around the object
you’ll see that the sides are still a bit blocky because they are
completely black. The ideal scene would be for part of the edge
to be black and part to be gold. Fortunately we have a way to do
that.

How To Split A Profile To Fine Tune

Material Placement
(continuing from the last tutorial)
The King Text object should still be selected.

The Split Tool is selected when it is blue. 1- Switch back to the Material Set-Up window.

We need to split the edge into two parts, then we can apply black
to one part and gold to the other.

2- Find the Split tool and select it. Click once on the edge, near
green chip #2. (Don’t double click, just click once.)

This will create a red arrow on the line, and you will now see two
#2 chips.

TIP!
To delete a split arrow drag it off the line and release the
Click once on the line to split the edge into two parts. mouse when the arrow turns light pink.

40 Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials

3- Drag the gold Material Swatch from the Palette and drop it
onto the top #2 chip. This will be the chip closest to the back of
the object.

Notice that when the chips snap together only half of the edge
highlights in red. This shows you that only part of the edge will
receive the new material. When complete this chip will have a #1
on it.

Switch to Scene Preview and tumble the Camera around the

objects. This is looking better but there is still too much black. Drag the gold material in the palette and
drop it onto the top chip.
Let’s make the black area smaller.

Switch back to the Material Set-Up window.

Split arrows are not locked in position. They can be dragged

along the line.
Drag the arrow to reposition the split point.
4- Click on the red Split arrow and drag it down to the lower left
corner. When it gets close, the arrow will snap onto the corner
and turn white in the center. When the arrow looks like this it is
to let you know that it has snapped onto a corner point.

Switch back to the Scene Preview window, and Tumble the

Camera to look at the logo from the front. Perfect! Now you
have an edge of black surrounding the gold face and there is more
gold on the sides to add extra sparkle.

Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials 41

 How To Create An Object Style
(continuing from the last tutorial)
Once the colors, materials, depth and Edge Profile used on an
object are done you can save this batch of settings as an Object
Go to the Object Styles tab. Style. You used Object Styles in the Beginning Tutorials to set up
your models with a single drag/drop. Here is how to create your
own.

1- The King Text object should still be selected. If it isn’t selected,

do it now.

2- Click on the Object Styles tab and find the Swatch/Library...

menu.
Saving the Object Style.
3- From the Swatch/Library menu choose the “Save Object Style”
command.

A window will appear asking you to name the Object Style. By

default it will say King Text-style.

4- Click the Save button. The Object Style is saved to the bin.

5- Scroll down to the bottom of the Object Style bin. You will see
a number 2 that has been built with the same settings and materi-
als as the King Text object.

This Object Style can now be used like any other Object Style. By
dropping it onto other objects those objects will receive the same
settings and materials as the original King Text object.
42 Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials
Coloring the Other Objects
(continuing from the last tutorial)

Most of the colors on the other objects are fine so let’s quickly
apply colors to the two that still need changing.

1- Switch back to the Materials Tab, and deselect all objects.

Tumble the Camera and Dolly-in so you can see the front and side
of the Crown.

The crown already has two materials applied to it, yellow on the
face and black on the sides. The crown in the original Illustrator
file had two colors applied to it too, a fill color and a stoke color.
Move the Camera so you can see the front and side of the
When you open an Illustrator file with the “Use Illustrator Colors” Crown at the same time.
option turned ON, the fill color is applied to the face of the object
and the stroke color is applied to the sides of the object.

HOT TIP!
Once an object has been split into two parts you can drop
materials onto the individual parts in the Scene Preview.
This keeps you from having to go to the Material Set-Up
window every time you want to change the material.

2- Drag the Punchy Gold material from the bin and drop it onto
the front face of the Crown in the 3D window.

Drag and drop Punchy Gold onto the front of the Crown.

Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials 43

 3- Drag the Red material from the bin and drop it onto the side of
the Crown. Make sure that the point of the arrow cursor is over
the black side of the Crown object before you release the mouse
button. If you accidentally drop the red on the Crown’s front or
onto the Shield, just Undo the mistake and try again.

Now let’s give the K on the Crown a white front and a black side.
Drag and drop the red material onto the side of the Crown.
4- Select the K Insignia object. Switch to the Material Set-Up
window.

Here you can see that a black material is applied to the Front,
Back and Sides of the object. The black is already being used on
the sides so we can leave it as it is. All we need to do is put a
white material onto the Front face.
For the K, load the white material into dock #2, then the drag
the swatch onto the Front green chip. 5- Drag the White Material swatch from the bin and drop it into
dock #2 of the Palette.

6- Drag the White Swatch from the palette and drop it onto the
green chip next to the word Front.

7- Switch back to the Scene Preview and choose the “Front” view
from the Camera Views... menu. Dolly in a bit and take a look at
your work.

44 Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials

How To Make Lights Cast Shadows Light Manipulator Lights List
(continuing from the last tutorial)

The last step in this project is to set the lights for a more dramatic
effect.

1- Click on the Light Mode button.

When you click on the Light Mode button the area below the
Scene Preview window changes to show the Light Manipulator
ball. The area where the Materials Tab used to be, changes to
show the Lighting Tabs.

The Light Tab is divided into a top half and a bottom half just like
the Materials Tab. The top half holds Light Swatches. The bottom
half is the editing area where you change specifics about the Light
selected light. Bin

The Light Editor works a little differently than the Materials

Editor. You don’t “load” a light into the editing area. When a light
gets selected the editor automatically updates to show you the
settings the selected light is using.

Light
Editor

Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials 45

 2- In the editing area, turn on the Shadow Casting checkbox.

This will enable shadows for the selected light. In a 3D program

you have to tell the program which lights will cast shadows
because rendering the shadows takes extra time and you don’t
always need them.

When you turn the Cast Shadows option on you won’t see a
change in the Scene Preview window. This is because shadows
aren’t rendered in the preview. In order to see shadows you need
to do a final rendering.

3- Click the Render Frame button, (or the Render button in the
ProModeler.)

When the rendering finishes it will be displayed on screen in its

own window. Notice that the shadows are too dark and they fall
in the wrong direction. They are a little distracting. So let’s make
them not so dark and change their position.

4- Set the Shadow Darkness slider to 40. Render the frame and
see that the shadows are now present but they don’t overpower
the image.

46 Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials

How To Move Lights
(continuing from the last tutorial)

Find the Light Manipulator ball. You will see the top arrow has a
red wire box around it, meaning it is selected. The name of this
light, “Light 1”, is shown on the Lights List to the right of the ball.

Look at the position of the selected arrow. The arrow represents

the direction that Light 1 is pointing. To move the light drag the
arrow to a new position.

1- Click down on the center of the Light Manipulator ball and drag The Light Manipulator ball.
left, right, up and down.

As you drag right the arrow will be pulled to the side of the ball.
If you continue dragging right the arrow will go around to the
back of ball. If you drag up the arrow will stop at the top of the
ball. If you drag down the arrow will stop at the bottom of the
ball.

2- Undo the changes so the arrow is back to where it started.

Since shadows are cast from a light, you need to change the If you drag too far the light
direction the light is pointing in to change where the shadows will may go behind the ball.
fall. If we want the shadows to fall to the left of the face we will
need to move the light to the right side of the ball.

Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials 47

 3- Click in the center of the ball and drag slowly to the right. Don’t
drag up or down, try to keep the arrow at the same level. Stop
dragging when the arrow is on the right side of the ball, but not
too much on the right.

4- Render the frame.

Drag the arrow to this position. You will now see the shadows falling to the left side of the Face
object. If the arrow is too far around the side, the shadows will
be very long. If the arrow is to much in front the shadows will be
very short. Try moving the arrow and rendering a frame a few
times until you start to see how the direction of the light is
affecting the shadow.

5- When the final image is rendered make sure it is the foremost

window by clicking on it, then use the Save Picture... command
to save the image to disk.

If you forget to save the image it will be deleted from memory

when you quit the program.

The final logo.

48 Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials

How To Save A Project
(continuing from the last tutorial)

When your work is done you will need to save the project file.

1- From the File menu pick File> Save Scene As...

This will open a window where you can name the file and choose
where to save it.

Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials 49

 Additional Tips When Working With Illustrator Files

Here is some addition information that will help with your logo
creation.

When you draw shapes in a bezier-based vector drawing program

such as Illustrator, FreeHand or Corel Draw, the files need to be
saved in Illustrator format. Any version between 88 and 10 will
work. You can also use vector clip art such as the Art Explosion
series as long as the clip art is saved in Illustrator format.
Use Vector Raster images
Outlines. won’t work. The vector shapes must be outlines. Pixel images or scans (also
called Raster images) won’t work unless you turn them into
vector outlines by tracing them. (See the section called Using
Scanned Artwork To Create Models in the Special Topics sec-
tion.)

Don’t over-build the vector shapes. Keep the line art simple.
Most of the pizzazz comes from the Edge Profiles, materials and
the shading applied to the models when the image is rendered.
Filled paths become solid objects.

When the vector paths are given a Fill color in their drawing
program they create solid 3D objects when brought into the
Invigorator. Paths that have no Fill color but are given a Stroke
color create hollow 3D objects in the Invigorator. The width of
the Stroke is ignored.
Stroked paths become hollow objects.

50 Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials

When an Illustrator file is opened, and the “Use Illustrator Colors”
option is turned ON, the Fill color of the path is applied to the
front and back faces of the 3D model, and the Stroke color of the
path is applied to the bevels and sides of the 3D model.

When creating text in the Illustrator file be sure to convert it to

Outlines before saving the file.

(There is another section in this guide called Prepping Your

A Text Object Vector Outlines
Illustrator files which goes into more detail and should also be
read.) Convert Text to Outlines before saving.

Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator - ProModeler - Tutorials 51