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Yer typical new user with a question

just john
2004-09-20
2013-06-05
  • just john

    just john - 2004-09-20

    I've been a Bryce addict for a couple years, and even had Mac3d in the distant past.  So, when my PowerBook went into the shop, I looked around for something to cook with that might be useable on the Wintel machine my job supplies.

    Naturally, I found Art of Illusion, and fired it up last night.  This is really neat!  I worried when the first .aoi file took 15 minutes to render its only frame, but that was the rocket-blast one, and other renders are far quicker.

    And I love the textures editing interface!  (Tho one particularly 2d one seemed to have problems.)

    So kudos!  I look forward to learning how to program my own plug-ins.

    So here's the question:  How do I de-select all icons?  I mean, I click on the camera one to make one camera, and an hour later I'm doing something else entirely and accidentally create another camera.  How does one turn this off, without turning another icon on?

     
    • Julian MacDonald

      Er, you can't...but do you *really* need to ?  Just undo what you did (or delete the new camera or whatever :))

      Julian

       
    • just john

      just john - 2004-09-20

      It's one of those things that just doesn't feel right.  If I remember correctly, the interface doesn't start with an icon selected, and it's annoying to not be able to get back to a state the program's been in.

      If nothing else, perhaps a "null" icon could be added?  (From all my PhotoShopping, I keep thinking of them as "tools," but that word's already taken.)

       
      • Marc

        Marc - 2004-09-20

        Speaking of Photoshop, it behaves the same way as AoI in this regard. If you leave your brush tool selected, expect to make brush marks when you click on the canvas :)

        I have to say, I've never had a problem with this. I always switch back to the object move tool after I create objects, especially cameras and lights.

        Would hotkeys help the situation?

        Welcome to the community! By the way, our motto here is "Avatars be damned, welcome to the SourceForge forums!" (just kidding) :)

        -Marc

         
    • Peter Eastman

      Peter Eastman - 2004-09-21

      > If I remember correctly, the interface doesn't start with an icon selected

      Sorry, but you remember incorrectly!  Take a look, and you'll see that the Move Object tool is selected when the window opens.  There is always an icon selected.  That specifies what editing mode you're in - basically, what happens when you click in the viewport.  If there were no tool selected, I suppose that would mean that mouse clicks would just be ignored.  And I don't see why that's a useful thing?

      Peter

       
    • just john

      just john - 2004-09-21

      Okay, okay, I give.

      Interesting application ...  Using a skeleton, I've already turned a mesh into an animated floppy something-or-other.

      Perhaps this'll help me learn kinemetrics within Poser, which I'd previously been nervous about.

      Interesting attitude AoI's design reaveals, when there's no automatic "down" button as Bryce has, but making things explode is part of the default bag of tricks!  I think I like it, tho I worry about floating off into space.

       

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