Strata3d

I have hit a creative slump recently, and decided to try some new software. I opened strata, and it seems to have a lot more features. My problem is that I cannot find out how to do transformations other than translate, scale, and rotate. What if I want to twist, or taper, or something like that? I have looked around the program, and I can't find such things.

Also, how might I go about creating a new texture in Strata3d 3.0.2?

Are there any EV-specific guides for strata3d?
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--ares
(url="http://"http://www.saberstudios.f2s.com/")Saber Studios(/url) -- (url="http://"http://home.cfl.rr.com/aresev/")The Legion(/url)

Remember that you are a unique individual - just like everybody else.

(This message has been edited by ares1 (edited 11-25-2001).)

Sorry, but as far as I know you can't do any transformations like that.
(url="http://"http://works.3d.com/onlinemanuals/index.html")Here(/url) is a handly little online manual to teach you about all the features of Strata.

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(url="http://"http://members.home.net/e-gamerguy1/ev/bfs3/")BFSIII Homepage(/url)
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"Death. Destruction. Famine. Pestilence. Disease. These are all brought upon us by evil. Evil is that which oppresses. Our cause is thus a holy one. We shall triumph over evil!" Chieftain spl_cadet, rallying the troops before the first engagement of the Second War of Liberation.

How can you make anything with being able to transform objects? How would I make a triangular wing?

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--ares
(url="http://"http://www.saberstudios.f2s.com/")Saber Studios(/url) -- (url="http://"http://home.cfl.rr.com/aresev/")The Legion(/url)

Remember that you are a unique individual - just like everybody else.

Find the bezier line tool. It should be just underneath the primitives. Then, click and hold. You'll see a little menu emerge. Select the one with a shaded area beneath the lines. That's the bezier region tool. To make a triangle I go through a short process.
1. For ease of use, I usually switch to top view.
2. Then I hit caps lock. This will make your cursor turn into a target.
3. I line up at my first point and click.
4. Holding down shift to make a straight line (it makes it go in intervals of either 15 or 45 degrees, can't remember) I move the cursor down and click on my next point.
5. Finally, I go to my last point. If you want to make a triangle that has one side rounded/distorted, instead of just clicking, hold for the last point and turn the mouse around till you have it like you want.
7. Now, move up to the extrude tool. It's the 3rd or 4th on the right. Using the extrude tool, pull up on the drawing, till you have it at the desired height. This is best accomplished in isometric view.
8. I'm not sure if this feature is in 3.0.2, but go to the box with all the stats on the currently selected object. Click on the first tab on the left. If this feature is in 3.0.2, you will see a box in there with a straight line and two arrows. Click on one of the arrows until you have the desired curving. This can be done manually as well, but that is only in expert mode and I think you need the full version to do that.
9. Click on the second tab and adjust the dimensions.
If you want to see an example of what can be done in Strata, I have a small example (url="http://"http://www.geocities.com/spl_cadet/deborah.jpg")here(/url) that shows a small ship that had part of its wings made using the above technique. The image is fuzzy because I added noise in Photoshop since this was posted for a webstory.
(edit) That picture is really fuzzy. I'll upload a clear one soon. Anyway, if you have trouble seeing it, just hit return in the location field. That should get you to it.
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(url="http://"http://members.home.net/e-gamerguy1/ev/bfs3/")BFSIII Homepage(/url)
(url="http://"http://www.seacadets.org")U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps(/url) (url="http://"http://www.geocities.com/valley_forge_squadron")HOORAH!(/url)
"Death. Destruction. Famine. Pestilence. Disease. These are all brought upon us by evil. Evil is that which oppresses. Our cause is thus a holy one. We shall triumph over evil!" Chieftain spl_cadet, rallying the troops before the first engagement of the Second War of Liberation.

(This message has been edited by spl_cadet (edited 11-25-2001).)

That's a bit excessive for a triangle... In mechanisto all you do is taper it. Maybe I will stick with mechanisto...

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--ares
(url="http://"http://www.saberstudios.f2s.com/")Saber Studios(/url) -- (url="http://"http://home.cfl.rr.com/aresev/")The Legion(/url)

Remember that you are a unique individual - just like everybody else.

Quote

Originally posted by ares1:
**That's a bit excessive for a triangle... In mechanisto all you do is taper it. Maybe I will stick with mechanisto...
**

It only looks complicated. It takes about a minute to make triangle. I'll sometimes take about 2-3 minutes just because I'm a perfectionist, but a simple triangle is very easy to make. And correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there a 2d triangle object button?

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(url="http://"http://members.home.net/e-gamerguy1/ev/bfs3/")BFSIII Homepage(/url)
(url="http://"http://www.seacadets.org")U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps(/url) (url="http://"http://www.geocities.com/valley_forge_squadron")HOORAH!(/url)
"Death. Destruction. Famine. Pestilence. Disease. These are all brought upon us by evil. Evil is that which oppresses. Our cause is thus a holy one. We shall triumph over evil!" Chieftain spl_cadet, rallying the troops before the first engagement of the Second War of Liberation.

It's so simple. Really. You will find ways around Strata's shortcomings too.

For some examples of Strata work go here: (url="http://"http://www.adventuredog.f2s.com/shipyard.html")My Shipyard(/url) (yeah, shameless advertising, I know. 😉 )

Textures are also easy, make em in PS, and then create "new surface texture" and you can add bump, diffusion, spec, the works.

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"There is enough life on earth to fill fifty planets. Be prepared for anything."
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