Chapter 9: Materials, Visualization and Rendering
9.1 MATERIALS
Create a Material
Until this chapter materials were created while an element was modified. A material can be created without having the make or attach it to an element. When a material is created through this process it is available in all material windows for quick access.
- Click on the Manage tab
- Click the Material icon
- In the Search bar type Oak
- Select the Oak Flooring
- At the bottom of the window click the Creates Material icon and select the Duplicate option
- Select the duplicated material and rename the material New Oak Flooring and click the Graphics tab on the right
Graphics tab
- The Surface Pattern is shown in plan and 3D views to depict how the floor planks are laid, click the box next to pattern and change it to the Wood Board Wide
- The Cut Pattern is shown in section, click the box next to Foreground Pattern and change it to Diagonal Up
- Click the Appearance tab
Figure 9.1 Graphics tab options
Appearance tab
- Select the box next to Image. This window is used to change the Image, Brightness, Position, Rotation, Scale and how the image repeats once applied to an element
- Change the image to Wild_Cherry_natural1 and the Scale to 10’ x 10’
- Click Done
TIP
Other images can be added to the library by following this address path C:/Program Files (x86)/Common Files/Autodesk Shared/Materials/Textures/1/Mats - The Relief Pattern is used to show if a pattern is rough or smooth. Toggle the amount or use the text bar to adjust the relief pattern to 1.25
- Once done click Apply then OK. This material will be available throughout the project
Figure 9.2 Appearance tab options
Asset Library
- Click on the Manage tab
- Click the Material icon
- At the bottom click the Creates Material icon and select the Create New Material option
- Name it Metal Panel
- Click the Asset Library icon
- In the Search bar type Metal Panels – Blue and press the Enter key
- Select the Replace Asset on the right side of the options bar
- Click the X to close the Asset Library
- Under Appearance click the Relief Pattern Image Box
- Click the source and change it to TileRectBump and click OK
- Click Apply and OK
Figure 9.3 Asset Library window
Assign a Material by Element
- Open the 3D view, select the wall on the first floor that separates the foyer from the offices as shown in Figure 9.4
- In the Properties Palette, click the Edit Type button
- Click the Duplicate button and name the wall Metal Panel
- Next to Structure click the Edit button
- Change both Finish 2 [5] to the Metal Panel material by clicking the 3 dots button
- Click OK to close the windows
- To view the result, make sure the Visual Style is set to Realistic
Figure 9.4 Metal Panel material applied to an existing wall
Assign a material using the Paint tool
- In the 3D view, adjust the view to see the mezzanines as shown in Figure 9.5
- Click the Modify tab
- Click the Paint tool
- Select the New Oak Flooring
- Hover over the Level 2