Autodesk LIGHTSCAPE, Manual

Page: 68 / 362

Importing Geometry 5
60
Lightscape
As Is
Select this option to create no additional blocks.
As One Block
Select this option to group all top-level entities in a
single block. When you select this option, a Name
box appears where you enter the block name.
By Color Index
Select this option to group top-level entities
according to their DXF color index. The block name
is COLOR
ddd , where ddd is the color index.
By Layer
Select this option to group top-level entities
according to their DXF layer. The block name is the
name of the DXF layer.
By Entity
Select this option to create a block for each DXF
entity. (Once it is imported into Lightscape, each
entity may contain one or more polygons.)
The block name is PREFIXdd , where PREFIX is the
name of the entity in uppercase letters—for
example, CIRCLE—and
dd is a unique number
assigned to each entity.
Converting XYZ Coordinates
Although Lightscape uses the same coordinate
system as standard AutoCAD DXF, you may need to
transform the coordinates when importing data
from other modelers’ versions of the DXF file
format. For more information, see “Converting
Coordinate Systems” on page 54.
Mapping Materials
Use material maps to associate a color number in the
DXF file to a material definition in Lightscape.
By default, when you import a DXF file, Lightscape
assigns materials to surfaces based on the color
numbers in the DXF file. If an item does not have a
color number, Lightscape uses the color assigned to
the layer containing the item.
To automatically replace these simple color materials
with more robust materials, create a material map
and then use it when importing the DXF file. For
example, you can map a material called “oak” onto
every surface that is drawn with color 1.
By using the material map technique, you can avoid
redefining all the materials each time you reload a
DXF file. The actual colors you use when building
the model in your CAD application are not impor-
tant. What is important is to remember that each
color number you use represents a specific material
in Lightscape. All objects that are the same material
should be constructed using the same color number.
Creating Material Maps
The first time you work on a model, you should
define all the materials you initially want to use and
then create the material map. Any subsequent DXF
files you load for the same model, or other models,
can use the material map to automatically assign the
materials defined in the earlier model.
To create a material map:
1. Create or load the Lightscape materials you want
to use in your model.
2.
Choose Tools | Material Map.
The Material Map dialog appears.
3. On the left side of the Material Map dialog, select
a material name.