3D Modeling for Newbies Lesson 2 Creating Components and Fade & Tilt

Overview

This lesson demonstrates how to create and manipulate 3D components in Vectric Aspire. It covers component properties (merge/add), shape height and base height, building models from the bottom up, and using Fade and Tilt to modify component shapes.

Steps

1. Open Aspire and draw or import closed vectors (e.g., ovals, circles, rectangles, triangles).
2. Select vectors using a bounding box or Ctrl+A, then create a component using Create Shape (e.g., Dome).
3. Adjust Shape Height and Base Height to control component height and overall lift.
4. Experiment with component properties:
   • Select different vectors and create separate components.
   • Set each component property to Merge or Add.
   • Select all components and change their combined mode to see how overlapping shapes are affected.
5. For complex models:
   • Assign different groups of vectors to different components.
   • Set each to Merge and create them from bottom to top in Z order.
   • Use the component tree to reorder components if needed.
6. Use Fade:
   • Choose the Fade option, click an anchor point on the component, drag across it, and set fade intensity.
   • Drag only partway across to fade to that point, leaving the rest flat.
7. Use Tilt:
   • Choose Tilt, set an anchor point (fulcrum), and drag across the component.
   • Tilt raises one side and lowers the other relative to the modeling plane.
8. Apply Fade/Tilt to imported clip art:
   • Import a model, copy/paste it, and apply Tilt to one copy.
   • If part goes below the modeling plane, use Replace Below to remove it.
9. Reorder components in the component tree:
   • Move background texture (e.g., water) to the bottom, then place objects (e.g., fish) above it.
10. Create combined shapes like a sun/moon:
    • Build components with different shapes (triangles, crescent, circle) and set properties to Merge or Add.
    • Reorder the components in the tree if the result looks incorrect.

Key Points / Warnings

• Only closed vectors can be converted into 3D components.
• Component properties matter:
  • Merge blends overlapping components together.
  • Add sums the pixel heights at overlapping areas, giving a dramatically different result.
• Shape Height raises the top surface upward; Base Height raises the entire component.
• Rendering 3D components may take time depending on computer speed.
• Building a model from the bottom up means placing the lowest Z components first, then adding higher layers.
• Fade starts at the anchor point and fades to zero at the cursor end; if dragged partway, the remaining area flattens out.
• Tilt uses the anchor point as a fulcrum; it does not depend on drag length the same way Fade does.
• Tilted components can extend below the modeling plane; use Replace Below to prevent cutting into material that is too thin.
• Component tree order affects the final model: lower components in the tree are typically the base/background layers.