Tutorial – Lizard

Overview
The following tutorial demonstrates how to create a relief from vector
objects and apply a texture to it using the vector based relief creation
and relief editing tools available in ArtCAM Pro.

Lizard
The stages that you will cover during the course of this tutorial are:
• Preparing the model.
• Creating the main body.
• Creating the legs.
• Creating the feet.
• Adding texture to the lizard.
• Adding the eyes.
The tutorial will lead you through each of these stages, guiding you
through the complete process of creating three-dimensional shapes
using vector objects and combining these shapes to form a relief in the
shape of a lizard. Finally, you will apply a texture to the lizard relief to
add the effect of scales on the lizards’ skin:

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 Preparing the Model
First, we will open the ArtCAM model containing the artwork from
which we will create the lizard relief:

1. Click on the Open Existing Model icon in the

Assistant window to display the Open dialog box.
2. Click on the Look In list box and select ArtCAM Pro
5.5\Examples\Lizard.
3. Click on the .art file named Lizard to select it.
The file name appears in the File name box.
4. Click on the Open button.
The following artwork appears in the 2D View window:

The .art file that you have opened is a model previously

created in ArtCAM Pro. The model contains vector objects
that will be used to create the different parts of a lizard.

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 Some of the vector objects will be used as drive rails, others
as cross-sections, from which shapes will be two-rail swept.
Other vector objects will only have shape attributes applied
to them, from which a shape will then be calculated and
combined with the relief.
5. Click on the Reset Relief button in the Relief
Operations area of the Assistant’s Home page to delete
the relief that was saved as part of the Lizard.art model.

Creating the Main Body

First we will create the main body of the lizard using the three cross-
sections drawn in the top-left corner of the model and the pairs of
vector objects that represent each part of the lizard. As you will see,
almost the entire lizard is created using a process where a three-
dimensional shape is created by sweeping a cross-section between two
vectors, referred to as drive rails. This process is called a two-rail
sweep.

Creating the Tail

We will start with the lizards’ tail.
1. Click on the Two Rail Sweep button in the Vector
Based Relief Creation area to display the Two Rail
Sweep page.
In the Combine area, the Add radio button is selected.
2. Click on the vector object representing the left-edge of the
lizard’s tail to select it. A bounding box surrounds the
selected vector object.
3. Hold the Shift key on your keyboard then click on the
vector object representing the right-edge of the lizards’ tail,
followed by the cross-section vector nearest to it to select
them. The vector objects representing the tail are red and you
can see direction arrows along them. The cross-section
vector is blue.

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 In the Status area, the First Drive Rail, Second Drive
Rail and Cross Section 1 options are indicated as Valid.
4. Click on the Calculate button to accept the default settings
on the page and create the two-rail swept shape. ArtCAM
Pro adds the points in the two-rail swept shape to the current
relief.
5. Press the F3 key on your keyboard to display the relief in the
3D View window:

Creating the Tail-Base

Now we will combine the base of the tail with the part of the tail that
we have already added to the relief.
1. Press the F2 key on your keyboard to display the 2D View
window.
2. Click on the vector object representing the left-edge of the
lizard’s tail-base to select it. A bounding box surrounds the
selected vector object.

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 3. Hold the Shift key on your keyboard then click on the the
right-edge of the lizards’ tail-base, followed by the same
cross-section used for the end of the tail. The selected vector
objects representing the tail-base are red and you can see
direction arrows along them. The cross-section vector is
blue.

In the Status area, the First Drive Rail, Second Drive

Rail and Cross Section 1 options are indicated as Valid.
4. In the Combine area, click on the Highest radio button
to select it. This option instructs ArtCAM Pro to merge the
tail-base with the tail-end, so that only the highest points of
the two show in the new relief.
5. Click on the Calculate button to accept the other default
settings on the page and merge the two-rail swept shape with
the current relief.
6. Press the F3 key on your keyboard to display the relief in the
3D View window:

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 Creating the Head and Body
Next we will combine the lizards’ head and body with its tail.
1. Press the F2 key to display the 2D View window.
2. Repeat the steps used to create the lizards’ tail base, this time
selecting the vector objects representing the lizards’ body,
and using the same cross-section as before.
3. Repeat the steps used to create the lizards’ body, this time
selecting the vector objects representing the lizards’ head and
the cross-section above that which was previously used.
4. Press the F3 key to display the relief in the 3D View
window:

Creating the Legs

We are now ready to create the lizards’ legs in the same way as its
head and body.
1. Click on the vector object representing the lower part of the
lizards’ back legs to select it. A bounding box surrounds the
selected vector object.
2. Hold the Shift key on your keyboard then click on the upper
part of the lizards’ back legs, followed by the smallest of the
cross-section vectors. The vector objects representing the
lizards’ back legs are red and you can see direction arrows
along them. The cross-section vector is blue.

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 In the Status area, the First Drive Rail, Second Drive
Rail and Cross Section 1 options are indicated as Valid.
3. In the Combine area, make sure that the Highest option is
selected by clicking on its radio button .
4. Click on the Calculate button to accept the other default
settings on the page and merge the legs with the lizards’
body.
5. Click on the Close button to return to the Assistant’s
Home page.
6. Press the F3 key on your keyboard to see what the relief
now looks like.
7. Using the 2D View window, repeat the steps used to create
the lizards’ back legs, this time selecting the vector objects
representing the lizards’ front legs, and using the same cross-
section as before.
8. Press the F3 key on your keyboard to display the relief in the
3D View window:

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 Creating the Feet
The lizards’ feet can be created directly from the vector objects
representing their outline. Applying shape attributes to the vectors,
then combining these shapes with the current relief does this.
1. Press the F2 key on your keyboard to display the 2D View
window.
2. Hold the Shift key on your keyboard, and then click on each
of the four vector objects representing the lizards’ feet. The
vector objects are magenta and surrounded by a bounding
box.

3. Right-click on one of the lizards’ feet to display the Vector

Editing menu, then click on the Shape Editor option to
display the Shape Editor dialog box:

4. In the Shape Editor, set the options to create a rounded

shape with an angle of 60° and a start height of 1 mm

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 (0.04"), then click on the Apply button to apply these
settings to the selected vector objects.
5. Click on the Merge High button. This option instructs
ArtCAM Pro to merge the points in the shapes with the
current relief, so that only the highest points of the two show
in a new relief.
A progress bar appears beneath the 2D View window
indicating the progress ArtCAM Pro is making in calculating
the relief.
6. Click on the Close button, then press the F3 key on your
keyboard to display the relief in the 3D View window:

Adding Texture to the Lizard

To add the effect of scales on the lizards’ skin, we will apply small
spheres across the relief surface.
1. Press the F2 key on your keyboard to display the 2D View
window.
2. Click on the Grayscale From Relief button in the
Model area to create a greyscale image of the current relief.

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 3. Click on the blue colour next to the yellow colour in the
Colour Palette beneath the 2D View window to select it as
the Primary Colour.
4. Right-click on the yellow colour in the Colour Palette to
select it as the Secondary Colour.

5. Click on the Flood Fill Selective button in the

Bitmap Editing area. This allows you to flood-fill areas of
any colour with the current Primary Colour, until it meets
pixels of the current Secondary Colour.

6. Move the cursor over the grey area of the greyscale

image, and then click to flood-fill the lizard in blue.

7. Click on the Texture Relief button in the Relief

Editing area.

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 The blue colour in the Colour under which texture
which texture will be applied area is the same as that of
the lizard in the greyscale image.
8. Click on the Sphere radio button to select it as the
texture shape.
9. In the Sizing area, type 0.5 mm (0.02") in the Size box and
1 mm (0.04") in the Z Height box. This defines the
dimensions of each sphere.
10. In the Spacing area, type 50 in the O% box. This offsets
each row of spheres in the texture by 50% of their actual
size. We will use the default values in the X% and Y%
boxes.
11. Click on the Add button. This option instructs ArtCAM Pro
to add the points in the texture to the current relief.
A progress bar appears beneath the 2D View window
indicating the progress ArtCAM Pro is making in adding the
texture to the relief.
12. Click on the Close button, and then press the F3 key on
your keyboard to display the textured relief in the 3D View
window.

Adding the Eyes

Finally, we will add the lizards’ eyes to the relief using the same
process that was used to create its feet.
1. Press the F2 key on your keyboard to display the 2D View
window.

2. Click on the Select Vectors button in the Vector

Editing area.
3. Hold the Shift key on your keyboard, and then click on the
vector objects representing the lizards’ eyes. The vector
objects are magenta and surrounded by a bounding box.

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 4. Right-click on one of the lizards’ eyes to display the Vector
Editing menu, then click on the Shape Editor option to
display the Shape Editor dialog box.
5. In the Shape Editor, set the options to create a rounded
shape with an angle of 60° and a start height of 15 mm (0.6")
then click on the Apply button to apply these settings to the
selected vector objects.
6. Click on the Merge High button, followed by the Close
button.
A progress bar appears beneath the 2D View window
indicating the progress ArtCAM Pro is making in calculating
the relief.
7. Click on the Close button, then press the F3 key on your
keyboard to display the finished relief in the 3D View
window:

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