Drawing objects

In WYSIWYG, the Draw menu lists the objects that you can draw. Keep the following tips and aids in mind when you are drawing the various objects.

Drawing tips

Command Line: At any time, instead of clicking points with the mouse, you can type in the desired coordinates. When you start typing, the Command Line automatically appears in the lower left-hand corner of the window.
Shortcuts: Create shortcuts for library objects.
Missing Coordinate: Use the missing coordinate.
Multi-segmented lines: When you draw multi-segmented lines, surfaces, or when drawing a room using the Room Builder, the next point of the line or surface you wish to add snaps automatically to the previously drawn line/surface's endpoint, midpoint or intersection when the Endpoint Snap, Midpoint Snap and/or Intersection Snap are enabled.
Insertion Points: Before you place a 2D/3D primitive object, screen, or LED wall, you can right-click on the object and select its Insertion Point from the menu that appears. See Insertion points for details.

Drawing aids

Several commands and icons are available to help you when drawing in CAD mode. For a complete list of these aids, refer to Keyboard shortcuts and hotkeys.

Drawing a custom room

The Room Builder tool allows you to build a custom room of any shape in Wireframe view.

To draw a custom room

From the Draw menu, choose Room Builder.

Result: A cross-hair appears on your cursor in the drawing wireframe.

Click to place a corner of the wall at the location of the cursor. Each subsequent click will connect the current corner to the previous corner.
To finish the room drawing, connected the first and last created corner.

Notes:

Alternately, the room can be closed, connected the first and last created corner automatically, by right-clicking and selecting Close Room Outline.
To finish a room without closing it, right-click and select Finish Room Outline.

Result: The Room Builder window appears.

In the Room Builder window, enter in the missing characteristics of the room walls.
Select the Place Wall objects on the opposite side of the Room Outline checkbox if you want to place object on the opposite side of the Room Outline.
Select the Group Walls after creation checkbox if you want all created walls to be in the same group.
Select the Close Room outline checkbox if you want to add floors or ceilings to the room.

Note: This option is only available if the room is closed. When a room is closed, WYSIWYG automatically makes the Walls transparent from outside of the room looking inwards, and makes the ceiling and floor single sided, so when the camera is outside of the room the user can see inside. These properties can be changed if the user wishes, by going to the objects' properties

Select the Add Floor checkbox to add a floor to the room
Select the Add Ceiling checkbox to add a ceiling to the room.
Click Ok.

Result: The custom room is created in Wireframe view.

Drawing a venue

To begin your drawing, insert a venue.

To insert a venue

From the Draw menu, choose Venue.

Result: A sub-menu appears prompting you to choose the type of venue to be inserted.

Select Black Box, Arena, Proscenium Arch, Frame Tent, or Circus Tent.

Result: A dialog box appears in which you can modify the properties of the room. The Proscenium Arch dialog box is shown below.

Accept the defaults, or choose custom properties.
Click OK.

Result: The selected venue is inserted into the drawing.

The venue types are defined as follows:

Proscenium Arch

A Proscenium Arch venue is a basic theatrical space with a stage, proscenium arch, and an auditorium. The origin is set at the intersection of the center line and the proscenium line on the stage floor.

The following entries describe the parts of the proscenium arch.

A: The stage width; the dimension from the extremity of the SR wing to the extremity of the SL wing. In WYSIWYG, the default value is 90’0”.
B: The stage depth; the dimension from the proscenium line to the back of the stage space. In WYSIWYG, the default value is 50’0”.
C: The stage height; the dimension from the auditorium floor to the stage deck. In WYSIWYG, the default value is 4’0”.
D: The thrust depth; the dimension from the edge of the stage to the proscenium line. In WYSIWYG, the default value is 8’0”.
E: The thrust width; the dimension from the extremity of the SR edge of the thrust to the SL extremity of the thrust. This dimension cannot be greater than the Arch width (G). In WYSIWYG, the default value is 35’0”.
F: The Fly height; the dimension from the stage deck to the top of the fly house. In WYSIWYG, the default value is 60’0”.
G: The proscenium arch width. In WYSIWYG, the default value is 40’0”.
H: The depth of the proscenium arch wall. In WYSIWYG, the default value is 2’0”.
I: The height of the proscenium arch; the dimension of the opening of the proscenium arch. In WYSIWYG, the default value is 20’0”.
J: The back of house (BOH) width; the dimension of the auditorium from the extremity of house right to the extremity of house left at the back of the house. In WYSIWYG, the default value is 100’0”.
K: The auditorium depth; the dimension from the proscenium line to the back of the house. In WYSIWYG, the default value is 100’0”.
L: The auditorium height; the dimension from the ceiling of the auditorium to the floor of the auditorium at the edge of the stage. In WYSIWYG, the default value is 45’0”.
M: The front of house (FOH) width; the dimension of the auditorium from the extremity of house right to the extremity of house left at the front of the house. In WYSIWYG, the default value is 68’0”.
N: The auditorium slope height. In WYSIWYG, the default value is 12’0”.

Black Box

A Black Box venue is an empty rectangular room. The origin is set at the center of the room on the floor.

The following entries describe the parts of the black box:

A: The width of the room. In WYSIWYG, the default value is 60’0”.
B: The depth of the room. In WYSIWYG, the default value is 40’0”.
C: The height of the room. In WYSIWYG, the default value is 30’0”.

Arena

An Arena venue is a basic stadium space. The following entries describe the parts of the arena. The origin is set at the center of the venue on the floor or ice rink.

A: The width of the arena. In WYSIWYG, the default value is 170’0”.
B: The depth of the arena. In WYSIWYG, the default value is 250’0”.
C: The total height of the arena. In WYSIWYG, the default value is 60’0”.
D: The width of the floor or ice rink. In WYSIWYG, the default value is 60’0”.
E: The depth of the floor or ice rink. In WYSIWYG, the default value is 130’0”.
F: The height of the stands or seating; the portion of the total height that is occupied by seating or stands. In WYSIWYG, the default value is 40’0”.

Tent

There are two types of tents that you can create in WYSIWYG: Frame Tents and Circus Tents.

Frame Tents: These tents are square or rectangular in shape and usually have two center poles. Each wall is made of a single piece of fabric supported by as many poles as you specify.
Circus Tents: These tents are styled after the classical “Big Top” of the circus. They are more rounded in shape than the frame tent, the walls comprising multiple sections, each supported by as many poles as you specify. The roof is held up by one center pole.

When drawing either type of tent, you can specify many different properties, including the number of poles, length, height, or perimeter of the walls, and the color of different parts of the tent.

You can also choose from different materials and you can choose whether you want to apply either a custom color or texture to different parts of the tent. When assigning a texture, you can choose your own texture, such as a company logo or symbol, or you can choose a texture from the WYSIWYG library.

The origin for both types of tents is at the center of the tent on the floor.

Frame Tent

The following entries describe the parts of the frame tent:

	Description	New Venue - Tent Field	WYSIWYG Default Value
A	The height of the tent walls.	Wall height	20’0”
B	The length of the tent walls.	Width	80’0”
C	The width the tent walls.	Depth	70’0”
D	The height that the center pole extends above the height of the walls.	Height above walls	10’0”
E	The distance between the center poles.	Separation	20’0”

Circus Tent

The following entries describe the parts of the circus tent:

	Description	New Venue - Tent Field	WYSIWYG Default Value
A	The number of individual segments in the tent.	Segments	6
B	The height of the tent walls.	Wall height	20’0”
C	The height that the center pole extends above the height of the walls.	Height above walls	10’0”
D	The diameter of the tent, measured from pole to opposite pole.	Diameter	70’0”

Drawing lines

Lines are 2D objects. Lines are drawn continuously, allowing you to create shapes made up of multiple vertices.

Line Patterns

Lines come in four pattern styles.

Solid
Center
Dashed
Dot

Line patterns determine how line objects appear on your plot and can be modified at any time. The image below shows how line patterns appear in WYSIWYG.

Line patterns are available to a Rectangle, Circle, Ellipse, Arc or Elliptical Arc, and a Closed Line Polygon.

Spline

You can make a multi-vertex line appear as a spline or french curve by selecting the option in the properties box. You can then drag the markers around to adjust the curves. Alternatively, you can choose to draw a spline directly. Splines have the same line style options as regular lines.

Multi-segmented lines

When you draw multi-segmented lines, or add a line to a surface, the next point of the line you wish to add snaps automatically to the previously drawn line/surface’s endpoint, midpoint or intersection when the Endpoint Snap, Midpoint Snap or Intersection Snap are enabled.

Lines can be extruded into surfaces. For information on extruding lines, see Extrude.

To draw a line freehand

From the Draw menu, choose Line.
From the sub-menu, select Solid, Dot, Center, Dashed, or Spline.

Tip: You can also use the appropriate line tool on the Draw toolbar. The available line tools are as follows:

Solid
Centered
Dashed
Dotted
Spline

Click in the wireframe at the starting point of the line.
Drag the next vertex to its end point and click.
Continue to place vertices of the line as needed.
To end the line at its last end point, right-click and choose Finish Line. To abort the line entirely, choose Abort Line. This erases the whole line from the drawing.

To draw a line by specifying coordinates

You can also draw lines using coordinates by specifying absolute or relative values.

From the Draw menu, choose Line and select Solid, Dot, Center or Hidden.
In the Command Line, type the absolute X, Y and Z coordinates (separated by commas) where you want the line to start (i.e. 0,0,0).
Press ENTER to establish the first point of the line.
In the Command Line, type the absolute X, Y and Z coordinates (separated by commas) where you want the next point of the line.

Using the relative values, in the Command Line, type @, followed by the length towards the next point of the line (positive or negative direction), (i.e. @2’,0,3’).

Press ENTER to draw the new line segment.
Continue to type absolute or relative values and press ENTER to draw the next line segments.
When you are finished drawing the lines, right-click and click Finish Line.

To draw a line by specifying its length and angle

From the Draw menu, choose Line and select Solid, Dot, Center or Hidden.
In the Command Line, type the X, Y and Z coordinates (separated by commas) where you want the line to start.
Press ENTER to establish the first point of the line.
Type the length towards the next point of the line, followed by the < sign, and the angle (direction), (i.e.3’6”<180).
Press ENTER to draw the new line segment.
Continue to type the length and angle in the Command Line.
When you are finished drawing the lines, right-click and click Finish Line.

Tip: You can also determine the direction of the line from the cursor’s current position relative to the start point set in step 2.

Drawing points

Points are identifiers of a specific coordinate in 3D space. Points are inserted as references or as scenic elements.

To draw a point

From the Draw menu, choose Point.

Tip: You can also use the Point tool on the Draw toolbar.

The Point button.

Click on the drawing to place the point.

Note: Points can be drawn as a dot, a cross, a square, or a circle.

To set the point type default

From the Options menu, choose Document Options.
Click the Object Settings tab.
Select the desired point type.
Click OK.

Drawing circles

There are two ways in which you can draw circles:

Non-interactive mode in which you type the exact horizontal and vertical radius of the circle.
Interactive mode in which you click and drag to set the radius.

To draw a circle in non-interactive mode

From the Draw menu, choose Circle.

Tip: You can also use the Circle tool on the Draw toolbar.

The Circle button.

Result: The New Circle dialog box appears.

In the Horizontal Radius box, type the horizontal radius for the circle. The default value is 4’0”.
In the Vertical Radius box, type the vertical radius for the circle. The default value is 4’0”.

Notes:

To ensure that the circle remains proportionately the same when resized, leave the Lock Ratio checkbox checked. If you clear this checkbox, then you can manually resize the circle in any direction, regardless of its original measurements.
To convert the circle into a surface, select the Convert to Surface checkbox.

Click OK.
Click on the drawing to place the circle.
Click elsewhere in the drawing to finish placing the new circle.

To draw a circle in interactive mode

Note: To turn interactive mode on, click the Interactive Mode button on the toolbar.

The Interactive Mode button.

From the Draw menu, choose Circle.

Tip: You can also use the Circle tool on the Draw toolbar.

The Circle button.

Click to place the center of the circle.
Click to set the radius for the circle.

Drawing arcs

There are two ways in which you can draw arcs:

Non-interactive mode in which you type the exact radius, start, and end angles of the arc.
Interactive mode in which you click and drag to set the arc.

To draw an arc in non-interactive mode

From the Draw menu, choose Arc.

Tip: You can also use the Arc tool on the Draw toolbar.

The Arc button.

Result: The New Circular Arc window appears.

In the Radius box, type a radius for the arc. The default value is 4’0”.
In the Start Angle box, type the start angle. The default value is 0.00.
In the End Angle box, type the end angle for the arc. The default value is 180.00.
Click OK.
Click on the drawing to place the arc.

To draw an arc in interactive mode

Note: To turn interactive mode on, click the Interactive Mode button on the toolbar.

The Interactive Mode button.

From the Draw menu, choose Arc.

Tip: You can also use the Arc tool on the Draw toolbar.

The Arc button.

Click to place the start point of the arc.
Click to place the end point of the arc.
Click to place the middle point of the arc.
Click elsewhere in the drawing to finish placing the arc.

Drawing elliptical arcs

There are two ways to draw an arc:

Non-interactive mode in which you specify the elliptical arc radius, start and end angles and place the arc in the drawing.
Interactive mode in which you draw the elliptical arc.

To draw an elliptical arc in non-interactive mode

From the Draw menu, choose Elliptical Arc.

Tip: You can also use the Elliptical Arc tool on the Draw toolbar.

The Elliptical Arc button.

Result: The New Elliptical Arc window appears.

In the Radius box, enter a radius for the elliptical arc. The default value is 4’0”.
In the Start Angle box, enter the start elliptical angle. The default value is 0.00.
In the End Angle box, enter the end angle for the elliptical arc. The default value is 180.00.
Click OK.
Click and drag the mid point of the arc to create the desired elliptical.

To draw an arc in interactive mode

Note: To turn interactive mode on, click the Interactive Mode button on the toolbar.

The Interactive Mode button.

From the Draw menu, choose Elliptical Arc.

Tip: You can also use the Arc Elliptical tool on the Draw toolbar.

The Elliptical Arc button.

Click to place the start point of the elliptical arc.
Click to set the horizontal and vertical radii of the elliptical arc.
Click to set the start point of the ellipse.
Click to set the end point of the ellipse.

Drawing rectangles

There are two ways to draw rectangles:

Non-interactive mode in which you enter the exact length and width of the rectangle.
Interactive mode in which you draw the size of the rectangle.

To draw a rectangle in non-interactive mode

From the Draw menu, choose Rectangle.

Tip: You can also use the Rectangle tool on the Draw toolbar.

The Rectangle button.

Result: The New Rectangle window appears.

In the Length box, type the length for the rectangle. The default value is 4’0”.
In the Width box, type the width for the rectangle. The default value is 8’0”.

Tips:

To ensure that the rectangle remains proportionately the same when resized, select the Lock Ratio checkbox. Otherwise you can manually resize the rectangle in any direction, regardless of its original measurements.
To convert the rectangle into a surface, select the Convert to Surface checkbox.
To add hatching to the rectangle, select the Show Hatch Lines checkbox.

Click OK.
Click in the drawing to place the rectangle.

To draw a rectangle in interactive mode

Note: To turn interactive mode on, click the Interactive Mode button on the toolbar.

The Interactive Mode button.

From the Draw menu, choose Rectangle.

Tip: You can also use the Rectangle tool on the Draw toolbar.

The Rectangle button.

Click to place one corner of the rectangle.
Click to place the opposite corner for the rectangle.

Drawing polygons

Polygons are regular shaped objects comprising multiple vertices. You can draw polygons as 2D objects or specify a height value to draw 3D objects. You can use polygons to create either wireframe or solid objects.

Unlike the Surface tool, with the Polygon tool you can quickly and easily create symmetrical shapes like squares, pentagons, hexagons, hectagons, and so on. The maximum number of edges that a polygon can have is 40.

Notes:

Unlike most other tools, the polygon tool does not have an interactive mode.
The size of the polygon can be defined either by specifying the edge length or radius.

To draw a polygon

From the Draw menu, choose Polygon.

Tip: You can also click the Polygon tool on the Draw toolbar.

The Polygon button.

In the Number of Edges field, type the number of edges or sides of the polygon.
Click Edge Length if you want to define the size of the polygon by the length of its edges, and then type the value in the box provided.
Click Radius if you want to define the size of the polygon by the distance between the center and the vertices or the edges' midpoints, and then type the distance in the box provided.

Click Circumscribed if you want to define the size of the polygon by the distance between the center and the vertices. This is equal to the radius of the circumscribed circle.
Click Inscribed if you want to define the size of the polygon by the distance between the center and the edge midpoints. This is equal to the radius of the inscribed circle.

Click Surface if you want to create the polygon as a surface (i.e., a filled in object to which you can apply a texture, etc.).
Click Closed Line if you want to create the polygon as a closed line (i.e., a polygon comprised of an outline that is open in the middle).
Click Height if you want to extrude the polygon into a 3D object, and then type the height value in the box provided.
Select the Show Hatch Lines checkbox to add hatching lines to the polygon.
Click OK to place the polygon in your drawing.

Drawing text labels

Before you draw your text labels in CAD mode, you can select the font that will be used in all labels. You can choose from any font installed on your computer.

To change the text label font globally

You can specify the font that you would like to appear globally in all text labels, both new and existing.

In any drawing mode, click Options > Document Options.
Click the Fonts tab.
Under CAD Text Labels, select the font that you want to appear in all new text labels from the Font drop-down list.
Choose whether you want the letters to appear bold, underlined, or in italics.
Click OK.

To draw a text label

From the Draw menu, choose Text Label.

Tip: You can also use the Text Label tool on the Draw toolbar.

The Text Label button.

Result: The New Text Label window appears.

In the Text box of the New Text Label window, type the desired text.

Notes:

Use SHIFT+ENTER to add new text lines.
You may include text labels containing information listed in the Production Team Information table. Use smart variables “%Variable Name%” in the Text Label box and this information will automatically be displayed if it is stored in the Production Team Information table. For example, type “%Director%” and the name of the Director stored in the table will appear in the Text Label.

Click Insert Smart Variable to open the Smart Variables window where you can select the smart variable names and values that are listed in the Production Team Info tab in Document Options.

Result: The Smart Variables window appears.

From the table in the Smart Variables window, click on the name or value that you wish to insert in the text box.

Tip: Select which information to display in the table from the Filter drop-down list. For information on Smart Variables, see Smart cells.

Select the Include Name and Value checkbox to display both texts under the Name and Value columns, or clear the checkbox to display only the texts under the value column.
Click Insert.

Result: The smart variable text appears in the Text box of the New Text Label window.

Click Insert Item Data to open the Item Data window, where you can select retrieved catalog name and other information of fixtures and trusses, to insert in your drawing.

The retrieved information are displayed in the Item Data window only after Retrieve Item Data is initiated from the Library > Retrieve Item Data menu in CAD, and then clicking the Fixture or Truss item. See To retrieve data from a fixture or truss object.

Result: The Item Data window appears.

From the table in the Item Data window, click on the row that contains the name and value text that you wish to add into the text box.
In the Item Data window, you can select the fixture or truss item from the Recent Items drop-down list. The Recent Items drop-down list displays a maximum of five items recently selected.
Click Insert.

Result: Information from the selected fixture or truss appears in the Text box of the New Text Label window.

Using the radio buttons, choose how you want to specify the Height of the Text Label, and enter the value in the corresponding field.

Individual Line of Text: Each line of text will be the chosen height. The text label will change size to accommodate the height.
Total Text Label: The total text box will be the chosen height. Text will change size to accommodate the height.

To add space between the text and the border of the text label, select the checkbox next to Text Label Padding, and enter the value of the padding in the field.

Note: The Total Text Label Height field will tell you the exact height of the text label based on your choices.

To add a callout to the text label, select the Show Callout checkbox.
From the Position drop-down list, select where the callout will be located on the text label.
To have an arrow at the end of the callout, select the Show Arrow checkbox.
To add a border to the text label, select the Show Border checkbox.
To fill the text label with color, select the Fill checkbox.

Click the Color Selector button to choose the color that will fill the text label.

To align the text label to the current view, select the Align to View checkbox.
To insert the text label, click OK.

Result: The New Text Label window closes and you will be in the Wireframe view.

Note: If the Callout checkbox was selected in the New Text Label window, the first click in Wireframe view will be the arrow's position, and the second position will place the text label.

Click on the drawing to place the text label.

Result: The text label will be placed.

Notes:

To change the font of existing text labels in CAD mode, see To change the font of text labels below.
The insertion point for the text label is at the intersection of the crosshairs.

To change the font of text labels

To change the font and appearance (bold, italic, or underline) of existing labels, you can use the label’s Properties window or the CAD Text toolbar. The following procedure outlines how to use the Properties window.

Select the text label whose font you want to change.
Right-click, and then choose Properties.
Click the Text Label tab.
Under Font, clear the check mark beside Use Document Defaults.
From the Font drop-down list, select the new font.
Choose whether you want the letters to appear bold, underlined, or in italics.
Click OK.

To set alignment for a text label

You can use the alignment buttons on the CAD Text toolbar to align text labels.

Select the text label that you want to align.
On the CAD Text toolbar, click the appropriate button to align the text label in the desired position (left, center, right, top, middle, or bottom).

Result: The text label is relocated around the insertion point, based on the options selected.

To retrieve data from a fixture or truss object

From the Library menu, choose Retrieve Item Data.
Point the cursor to the fixture or truss you want to select, which highlights the item in orange.
Click on the fixture or truss item.

Result: The New Text Label window appears.

In the New Text Label window, you can click Insert Item Data to display in your drawing, the information that you retrieved from the selected fixture or truss.

Drawing dimension objects

Dimension lines are 2D objects. They have a start and end point, and measure and display the distance covered based on the measurement mode selected. The measurement modes available are: X, Y, XY, XZ, YZ, and XYZ. The dimension will only be visible in one view type. The view type is set when the dimension is drawn and is dependent on the plot type and workplane in which the dimension is drawn.

There are several types of dimensions available:

Linear Dimension: These dimensions measure and display the distance covered between two points in your plot, based on the measurement mode selected.
Continue Dimension: These dimensions display sequential chains of linear measurements that are aligned to the start (base) measurement of the Continue Dimension, always using the last point of the previous measurement as the initial point of the next measurement.
Baseline Dimension: These dimensions display linear measurements stacked above or below the Base Dimension while maintaining uniform spacing between, always using the first click as the initial coordinate for all subsequent measurements.
Arc Length Dimension: These dimensions are used to measure the length of arcs drawn in CAD mode.
Radial Dimension: These dimensions are used to measure the radius of any circle or arc drawn in CAD mode.
Angle Dimension: These dimensions measure and display an angle, either between two intersecting lines and objects, or as drawn in Freehand mode.

Note: The properties of dimension objects, such as the arrow type, can be changed in the Dimensions tab under Options > Document Options.

To draw a linear dimension

From the Draw menu, choose Dimensions > Linear Dimension.

Tip: You can also click the Linear Dimension tool on the Draw toolbar.

The Linear Dimension button.

Result: The Select Layer for Dimension dialog box appears.

In the Select Layer for Dimension dialog box, choose the layer for the linear dimension and select the options for the selected layer.
Click OK to apply and close the dialog box.
Click on the drawing to set the dimension start point.
Right-click to set the measurement mode.

Tip: In measurement mode, you can choose Multiple, which enables you to draw multiple Linear Dimensions, using the last point of the previous measurements as the initial point for the next measurement.

Click on the drawing to set the dimension end point.
Click and drag the grab point in the center of the dimension text to drag the text to the correct side of the object, if required.
Click to set the dimension line.

Notes:

Use snaps to connect dimensions directly to other objects.
You can set the rotation angle of the Linear Dimension to rotate the extension lines around the dimension end points. The rotated Linear dimension will then display the distance between the two points at the angle specified. Right-click on the Linear Dimension and select Properties.
You can change the Fill color behind the dimension text of the Linear Dimension. Right-click the Linear Dimension and select Properties.
You can enable Display Dash in Document Options > Dimensions tab to display the linear dimensions with a dash between foot and inches in imperial measurements (e.g. 19’-3 11/16”).
To adjust the font used in all dimensions, from the Options menu, choose Document Options > Font. In the CAD Dimensions area, select the font options to be used in all dimensions.

To draw a continue dimension

From the Draw menu, choose Dimensions > Continue Dimension.

Tips:

You can also click the Continue Dimension tool on the Draw toolbar.

The Continue Dimension button.

You can also start the Continue Dimension on an existing Linear Dimension.

Result: The Select Layer for Dimension dialog box appears.

In the Select Layer for Dimension dialog box, choose the layer for the continue dimension and select the options for the selected layer.
Click OK.

Result: The Dimension Draw Options dialog box appears.

In the Dimension Draw Options dialog box, select the Use Document Defaults checkbox to use the default setting for extension height or clear the Use Document Defaults checkbox and type the custom Extension height for the Continue Dimension.
Click OK to apply and close the dialog box.
Click on the drawing to set the dimension start point.
Click on the drawing to set the next point and direction of the subsequent measurements in the Continue Dimension.
Repeat setting the next point and direction to continue on the subsequent dimensions.
Right-click on the drawing to set the dimension end point.

Note: After completing a Continue Dimension, the measurements created are individual Linear Dimensions.

To draw a baseline dimension

From the Draw menu, choose Dimensions > Baseline Dimension.

Tips:

You can also click the Baseline Dimension tool on the Draw toolbar.

The Baseline Dimension button.

You can also start the Baseline Dimension on an existing Linear Dimension.

Result: The Select Layer for Dimension dialog box appears.

In the Select Layer for Dimension dialog box, choose the layer for baseline dimension and select the options for the selected layer.
Click OK.

Result: The Dimension Draw Options dialog box appears.

In the Dimension Draw Options dialog box, select the Use Document Defaults checkbox to use the default settings for extension height and spacing size for the baseline dimension. Or you may clear the Use Document Defaults checkbox and type custom values for the Extension height and Spacing Size for the Baseline Dimension.
Click OK to apply and close the dialog box.
Click on the drawing to set the dimension start point.
Click on the drawing to set the end point of the first Baseline Dimension.
Click on the drawing to set the position (above or below) for the next/subsequent Baseline Dimension.
Click on the next point to complete the next Baseline Dimension measurement, and set the direction of the subsequent measurement.
Repeat setting the next point to create the subsequent Baseline Dimensions.
Right-click on the drawing to set the dimension end point.

Note: After completing a Baseline Dimension, the measurements created are individual Linear Dimensions.

Arc length dimensions

The arc length can be displayed for any arc drawn in CAD mode. Once enabled, the arc length dimension is attached to the arc and automatically updates itself whenever the arc is changed. The dimension is only visible in the view type in which it was drawn.

Although the arc length dimension is attached to the arc, it is a separate entity. Each arc length is individually selectable and has its own properties. Arc length dimensions can be separated onto their own layers, and given their own colors and line weights.

To draw an arc length dimension

In a CAD wireframe, select the arc for which you want to display an arc length dimension.
From the Draw menu, choose Dimensions > Arc Length Dimension.

The Arc Length Dimension button.

Tip: To adjust the font used in all dimensions and with the Angle Dimension tool, click Options > Document Options > Font. In the CAD Dimensions area, select the font options to be used in all dimensions and with the Angle Dimension tool.

Radial dimensions

The radius of a circle/arc is defined as the distance from the center of a circle/arc to its perimeter. The radius can be displayed for any circle or arc drawn in CAD mode. Once enabled, the radial dimension attaches to the circle/arc and automatically updates itself whenever the circle/arc is changed. Note that the dimension is only visible in the view type in which it was drawn.

Although the radial dimension is attached to the arc, it is a separate entity with its own properties and can be individually selected. Radial dimensions can be separated onto their own layers, and given their own colors and line weights.

To draw a radial dimension

In a CAD wireframe, select the circle/arc for which you want to display a radial dimension.
From the Draw menu, choose Dimensions > Radial Dimension.

The Radial Dimension button.

Tip: To adjust the font used in all dimensions and with the Angle Dimension tool, from the Options menu, choose Document Options > Fonts. In the CAD Dimensions area, select the font options to be used in all dimensions and with the Angle Dimension tool.

Angle dimension

The Angle Dimension object measures and displays an angle, either in Line Select, between two intersecting lines and objects, or as drawn in Freehand mode.

To draw an angle dimension in line select

From the Draw menu, choose Dimensions > Angle Dimension.

The Angle Dimension button.

Choose Line Select from the Dimension Draw Options dialog box.
Click on the first line segment in the drawing.
Click on the second line segment in the drawing.

Result: The angle between the two selected lines is displayed.

To draw an angle dimension in freehand

From the Draw menu, Dimensions sub-menu, select Angle Dimension.
Choose Freehand in the Dimension Draw Options dialog box.

Click on the drawing to define the first end point (point number 1 in the diagram above) of the Angle Dimension.
Click a second time to define the vertex of the angle (this is the point at which the two lines of your angle meet, shown as point number 2 in the diagram above).
Click a third time to define the second end point (point number 3 in the diagram above).

Result: The new object displays the interior (or exterior) angle defined by the arc between the end points of the Angle Dimension.

Tips:

You can change the angle option of measuring the exterior or interior angle by toggling the Flip Angle checkbox in the Angle Dimension Properties page. Simply right-click the Angle Dimension, and choose Properties > Angle Dimension tab.
To adjust the font used in all dimensions and with the Angle Dimension tool, click Options > Document Options > Fonts. In the CAD Dimensions area, select the font options to be used in all dimensions and with the Angle Dimension tool.

Linear scales

A Linear Scale is a visible line divided into equal proportions used to compare distances in WYSIWYG wireframe to actual distances.

To draw a linear scale

From the Draw menu, choose Dimensions > Linear Scale.

The Arc Length Dimension button.

Result: The New Linear Scale window appears.

In the Length field, enter in the desired length of the linear scale.
Select either Horizontal or Vertical to determine how the line scale is positioned.
From the Text Alignment drop-down list, choose how the linear scale text will be presented.
From the Layer drop-down list, choose in which layer the linear scale will be visible.
Selecting the checkbox next to Show non-editable layers (indicated by *) will show non editable layers in the Layer drop-down list.

To change the default document settings of the linear scale, clear the checkbox next to Use Document Defaults.
Click OK.

Result: The linear scale is attached to the cursor.

Click to place the linear scale in the drawing.

Auto truss dimension

When Auto Truss Dimension is applied, truss objects that are selected in the drawing will be displayed with linear dimensions automatically, and with the option of showing values that were set in Truss Manager or the default values from the Library. See Truss Manager.

To apply auto truss dimension

In Wireframe, select the truss object(s).
From the Draw menu, choose Dimensions > Auto Truss Dimension.

Result: The Select Layer for Dimension dialog box appears.

Select the layer and the options in the Select Layer for Dimension dialog box.
Click OK.

Result: The Auto Truss Dimension window appears.

Select the Use Truss Manager Values checkbox to apply the values that were set in Truss Manager or select Use Measured Truss Values to apply manually applied linear dimensions.
Select the checkboxes for Dimension X, Dimension Y, and/or Dimension Z to specify which dimensions of a truss to add into your drawing.
Click Open Truss Manager to launch Truss Manager.
Click OK.

Result: The truss object(s) that were selected in your drawing are displayed with the linear dimensions showing the values set in Truss Manager if Use Truss Manager Values was selected. The manually applied linear dimension values will be displayed if Use Measured Truss Values was selected.

Drawing surfaces

Surfaces are 2D objects. Surfaces are drawn continuously, stretching out behind the cursor and can be used to create backdrops or other flat objects. Surfaces can be extruded to create odd shaped risers, or other custom shaped 3D objects. For more information on extruding, see Extrude.

When you draw multi-segmented lines or surfaces, the new line or surface snaps automatically to the previously drawn line or surface's endpoint, midpoint or intersection when the Endpoint Snap, Midpoint Snap or Intersection Snap are enabled.

Note: The beam will pass through a surface with the Transparency value set to 80% or greater. The beam will not pass through the surface when the value is lower than 80%. Transparency value is set in the Material Properties section in the Appearance tab of the Properties window. Refer to Appearance tab.

To draw a surface

To ensure that textures, if any, are applied properly, the surface must be drawn in a counter-clockwise direction.

From the Draw menu, choose Surface.

Tip: You can also click the Surface tool on the Draw toolbar.

The Surface button.

Click on the drawing at the starting point of the surface.
Moving in a counter-clockwise direction, drag to the next point of the surface and click.
Continue to place points for the surface as needed, always moving counter-clockwise. In the following graphic, the starting point is labelled A:

To finish and close the surface, right-click and choose Finish Surface from the sub-menu. To abort the surface entirely, choose Abort Surface. This erases the whole surface from the drawing.

Surfaces as curtains

Vertical surfaces can have their appearance changed to mimic the look of curtains in 2D Plan View. The curtain will appear as a wave or semicircles pattern, instead of the usual straight line of a surface. The depth, width and number of segments in the curtain pattern can be customized.

A Plan View of an example surface with a semicircle curtain enabled in red, and a surface with a wave curtain enabled in blue.

Note: Curtains are limited to being visible only in 2D Plan View, with a surface that is vertical and rectangular in shape, with no surface area visible in Plan View.

To display a surface as a curtain.

Right-click an eligible surface and select Properties.
In the Properties window, click the Surface tab.

To enable the curtain feature for the surface, select the checkbox labeled Enable.

Note: If the surface is ineligible to be a curtain, this option will be greyed out.

From the Style drop-down list, select which pattern of curtain should be displayed.
Enter the desired depth of the curtain pattern in the Depth field.
Enter the desired width of the curtain pattern in the Width field.
Enter the desired number of segments in the curtain pattern in the Number of Segments field.
Click Apply.

Drawing rectangular surfaces

Rectangular surfaces are 2D surface objects that always retain their rectangular shape when their dimensions change. You can draw a rectangular surface by drawing a surface with four (4) 90° right angle corners or you can use the New Rectangle tool and select the Convert to Surface option.

There are three ways to draw a rectangular surface:

Surface tool from the Draw menu/toolbar and draw the rectangular surface freehand.
Non-interactive mode in the New Rectangle window where you specify the width, height, convert to surface option, and place the rectangular surface in the drawing.
Interactive mode in the New Rectangle window where you select the convert to surface option and draw the rectangular surface freehand.

To draw a rectangular surface freehand

From the Draw menu, choose Surface.

Tip: Enable Grid Snap or Mid-Grid Snap and/or enable Ortho to make it easier to create the required 90° corners.

Click on the drawing at the starting point of the surface.
Moving in a counter-clockwise direction, drag to the next point of the surface while maintaining a 90° angle corner and click or type coordinates and press ENTER.
Continue to place points to complete the rectangular surface shape while maintaining 90° angle on all the corners.

To finish and close the surface, right-click and choose Finish Surface from the sub-menu. Choose Abort Surface to abort and erase the whole surface from the drawing.

Note: To draw a rectangular surface from the New Rectangle tool in interactive and non-interactive mode, see the previous section (above) Drawing_rectangles.

Tip: You can change the Length and Width of the rectangular surface by clicking and dragging the grips that appear while it is selected, or via the Surface tab of its Properties window.

Drawing walls

Walls are 2D objects that describe flat rectangular planes representing walls in your drawing. Walls can have different hatching styles for easy identification in the plot.

There are two ways to draw a wall:

Non-interactive mode in which you specify the width and height and place the wall in the drawing.
Interactive mode where you draw the wall freehand.

To draw a wall in non-interactive mode

From the Draw menu, choose Wall.

Tip: You can also click the Wall tool on the Draw toolbar.

The Wall button.

Result: The New Wall window appears.

In the Width box, enter the width for the wall. The default value is 12’0”.
In the Height box, enter the height of the wall. The default value is 8’0”.
In the Thickness box, enter the thickness of the wall. The default value is 0'6"
To enable hatching for the object, select the Show Hatch Lines checkbox.
Select the desired hatching style for the object from the Hatch Style drop-down list.
Click OK.

Result: The wall attaches to the cursor.

Move the cursor to the desired position for the wall, and then click to place it in the drawing.

To draw a wall in interactive mode

Note: To turn interactive mode on, click the Interactive Mode button on the toolbar.

The Interactive Mode button.

From the Draw menu, choose Wall.
Click to place the start point of the wall.
Click to place the end point of the wall.
In the dialog box that opens, enter the missing dimension of the wall.
Click OK.

To define the transparency of a wall

Right-click a wall, and select Object Properties.

Result: The Properties window appears.

In the Properties window, click the Wall tab.

Note: 0% = Opaque, 100% = Transparent.

To change how the back of the wall will look, set the Back Transparency field to the desired transparency percentage.
To change how the front of the wall will look, set the Front Transparency field to the desired transparency percentage.
Click Apply to enable the new wall transparency settings.
Click OK.

Drawing risers

Risers are solid 3D rectangular objects. You can use risers for creating platforms, square columns, or any other box-shaped objects.

There are two ways in which you can draw risers:

Non-interactive mode in which you type the exact width, depth, and height of the riser.
Interactive mode in which you click and drag to set the dimensions of the riser.

To draw a riser in non-interactive mode

From the Draw menu, choose Riser.

Tip: You can also click the Riser tool on the Draw toolbar.

The Riser button.

Note: To ensure that the riser remains proportionately the same when resized, leave the Lock Ratio checkbox checked. If you clear this checkbox, then you can manually resize the riser in any direction, regardless of its original measurements.

In the Width box, type the width for the riser. The default value is 8’0”
In the Depth box, type the depth for the riser. The default value is 4’0”.
In the Height box, type the height for the riser. The default value is 2’0”.
To enable hatching for the object, select the Show Hatch Lines checkbox.
Select the desired hatching style for the object from the Hatch Style drop-down list.
Click OK.

Result: The riser is attached to the cursor.

Drag the new riser to its position, and then click to place it in the drawing.

To draw a riser in interactive mode

Note: To turn interactive mode on, click the Interactive Mode button on the toolbar.

The Interactive Mode button.

From the Draw menu, choose Riser.
Click the starting point of the riser on the drawing. The insertion point is the lower left corner of the riser.
Drag in any direction to stretch out the riser’s shape. Click to place the upper right corner of the riser.
In the dialog box that opens, type the missing dimension of the riser.
Click OK.

Note: You can snap to all eight points on a riser: top corners and bottom corners.

Drawing cylinders

Cylinders are solid 3D objects. Cylinders can be used for creating platforms, columns, or any other cylinder-shaped objects.

There are two ways in which you can draw cylinders:

Non-interactive mode in which you type the exact height and radius of the cylinder.
Interactive mode in which you click and drag to set the dimensions of the cylinder.

To draw a cylinder

From the Draw menu, choose Cylinder.

Tip: You can also click the Cylinder tool on the Draw toolbar.

The Cylinder button.

Result: The New Cylinder window appears.

In the Height box, type the height for the cylinder. The default value is 8’0”.
In the Horizontal Radius box, type the horizontal radius for the cylinder. The default value is 4’0”.
In the Vertical Radius box, type the vertical radius for the cylinder. The default value is 4’0”.
To ensure that the cylinder remains proportionately the same when resized, leave the Lock Ratio checkbox checked. If you clear this checkbox, then you can manually resize the cylinder in any direction, regardless of its original measurements.
To have the cylinder appear smooth in the Shaded view, leave the Smooth Shading option enabled; to see a faceted cylinder in the Shaded view, disable this option. The default for this option is ON.
To change the default number of cylinder segments, clear the checkbox beside Use Defaults and type the new number of segments. Note that the higher the number of segments, the better the cylinder will appear in Shaded view, but the more performance will degrade.
To enable hatching for the object, select the Show Hatch Lines checkbox.
Select the desired hatching style for the object from the Hatch Style drop-down list.
Click OK.

Result: The cylinder is attached to the cursor.

Drag the new cylinder to its position, and then click to place the object in the drawing.

To draw a cylinder in interactive mode

Note: To turn interactive mode on, click the Interactive Mode button on the toolbar.

The Interactive Mode button.

From the Draw menu, choose Cylinder.
Click to place the center of the bottom surface of the cylinder.
Click to set the radius for the cylinder.
In the dialog box that opens, type the desired height, horizontal radius and vertical radius for the cylinder.
To ensure that the cylinder remains proportionately the same when resized, leave the Lock Ratio checkbox checked. If you clear this checkbox, then you can manually resize the cylinder in any direction, regardless of its original measurements.
To have the cylinder appear smooth in the Shaded view, leave the Smooth Shading option enabled; to see a faceted cylinder in the Shaded view, disable this option. The default for this option is ON.
To change the default number of cylinder segments, clear the Use Defaults checkbox and type the new number of segments. Note that the higher the number of segments, the better the cylinder will appear in Shaded view, but the more performance will degrade.
Click OK.

Drawing spheres

Spheres are solid 3D circular or oval objects.

There are two ways in which you can draw spheres:

Non-interactive mode in which you type the exact horizontal radius, depth radius and vertical radius of the sphere.
Interactive mode in which you click and drag to set the dimensions of the sphere.

To draw a sphere in non-interactive mode

From the Draw menu, choose Sphere.

Tip: You can also click the Sphere tool on the Draw toolbar.

The Sphere button.

Result: The New Sphere window appears.

In the Horizontal Radius box, type the horizontal radius for the middle of the sphere.
In the Depth Radius box, type the depth radius for the middle of the sphere.
In the Vertical Radius box, type the vertical radius for height of the middle of the sphere.
To ensure that the sphere remains proportionately the same when resized, leave the Lock Ratio checkbox checked. If you clear this checkbox, then you can manually resize the sphere in any direction, regardless of its original measurements.
To change the default number of sphere segments and stacks, clear the Use Defaults checkbox and type the new values for Number of Segments and Number of Stacks. Note that the higher the number of segments or stacks, the better the sphere will appear in Shaded view, but the more performance will degrade.
To have the sphere appear smooth in the Shaded view, leave the Smooth Shading option enabled; to see a faceted sphere in the Shaded view, disable this option. The default for this option is ON.
Click OK.

Result: The sphere is attached to the cursor.

Click to place the sphere in the drawing.

To draw a sphere in interactive mode

From the Draw menu, choose Sphere.

Tip: You can also click the Sphere tool on the Draw toolbar.

The Sphere button.

In the New Sphere window, click Interactive.
Click and drag out the shape of the sphere in your drawing. When you have the desired size, click again.

Result: The New Sphere window appears again.

In the New Sphere dialog box, you can change the default Horizontal Radius, Depth Radius, and Vertical Radius of the new sphere.
To ensure that the sphere remains proportionately the same when resized, leave the Lock Ratio checkbox checked. If you clear this checkbox, then you can manually resize the sphere in any direction, regardless of its original measurements.
To change the default number of sphere segments and stacks, clear the Use Defaults checkbox and type the new values for Number of Segments and Number of Stacks. Note that the higher the number of segments or stacks, the better the sphere will appear in Shaded view, but the more performance will degrade.
To have the sphere appear smooth in the Shaded view, leave the Smooth Shading option enabled; to see a faceted sphere in the Shaded view, disable this option. The default for this option is ON.
Click OK.

Drawing cones

Cones are solid 3D objects.

There are two ways in which you can draw cones:

Non-interactive mode in which you type the exact horizontal and vertical radius of the cone.
Interactive mode in which you click and drag to set the dimensions of the cone.

To draw a cone in non-interactive mode

From the Draw menu, choose Cone.

Tip: You can also click the Cone tool on the Draw toolbar.

The Cone button.

Result: The New Cone window appears.

In the Height box, type the height of the cone.
In the Horizontal Radius box, type the horizontal radius for the cone.
In the Vertical Radius box, type the vertical radius for the cone.
To ensure that the cone remains proportionately the same when resized, leave the Lock Ratio checkbox checked. If you clear this checkbox, then you can manually resize the cone in any direction, regardless of its original measurements.
To change the default number of cone segments and stacks, clear the Use Defaults checkbox and type the new values for Number of Segments and Number of Stacks. Note that the higher the number of segments or stacks, the better the cone will appear in Shaded view, but the more performance will degrade.
To have the cone appear smooth in the Shaded view, leave the Smooth Shading option enabled; to see a faceted cone in the Shaded view, disable this option. The default for this option is ON.
To enable hatching for the object, select the Show Hatch Lines checkbox.
Select the desired hatching style for the object from the Hatch Style drop-down list.
Click OK.

Result: The cone is attached to the cursor.

Click to place the cone in the drawing.

To draw a cone in interactive mode

From the Draw menu, choose Cone.

Tip: You can also click the Cone tool on the Draw toolbar.

The Cone button.

In the New Cone window, click Interactive.
Accept the default values, and then click and drag out the shape of the cone in your drawing. When you have the desired size, click again.

Result: The New Cone window appears again.

In the dialog box that opens, type the height and the horizontal and vertical radius of the new cone.
To ensure that the cone remains proportionately the same when resized, leave the Lock Ratio checkbox checked. If you clear this checkbox, then you can manually resize the cone in any direction, regardless of its original measurements.
To change the default number of cone segments and stacks, clear the Use Defaults checkbox and type the new values for Number of Segments and Number of Stacks. Note that the higher the number of segments or stacks, the better the sphere will appear in Shaded view, but the more performance will degrade.
To have the cone appear smooth in the Shaded view, leave the Smooth Shading option enabled; to see a faceted cone in the Shaded view, disable this option. The default for this option is ON.
To enable hatching for the object, select the Show Hatch Lines checkbox.
Select the desired hatching style for the object from the Hatch Style drop-down list.
Click OK.
Click in the drawing to finish placing the new cone.

Drawing pipes

For information on drawing pipes and curved pipes, see Drawing pipes in the “Hang Structures” section.

Drawing rigging points

For information on drawing rigging points, see Drawing rigging points in the “Hang Structures” section.

Drawing focus objects

For details on drawing focus objects, such as focus positions, focus lines and focus arcs, see Focus objects in the “Hanging and focusing fixtures” section.

Drawing screens

You can draw a screen and then attach an image or video source or subsource to it.

Tip: To achieve the best visualization of screen projections in Shaded view, enable Global Illumination and select Approximation Method 2 on the Visual Effects tab of the View Options window in Shaded view.

To draw a screen

From the Draw menu, choose Screen.

The Screen button.

Result: The New Screen window appears.

In the appropriate fields, enter the width and height of the screen.
To configure the image that will appear on the screen, click the appropriate option button:

To leave the screen blank, click the Blank Screen option button.
To show a static image on the screen, follow the procedures in the Image Manager section. For details, see Image Manager.
To attach a video source to the screen, click the Video Source option button, and from the drop-down list, choose the video source or video subsource, or an I-Mag screen from a WYSIWYG Camera, (or click Create New to configure a new video source with the Video Manager). For details on creating a new video source, see To configure a new video source for streaming video. For details on splitting video into subsources, see To create a single video subsource. For details on creating an I-Mag Camera source, see To create an I-Mag camera in the Video Manager.

Click OK.

Result: The screen is placed into the drawing.

Creating video walls with screens

After a screen has been created, the Grid Array tool can be applied to build a video wall. Applying Grid Array opens the Quick Image/Video Tool where you can set the video/image sources to the screen panels that were created.

To create video walls with screens

In Front or Back view in Wireframe, select the screen.
From the Tools menu, choose Array > Array Grid.

Result: The Grid Array window appears.

In the Grid Array window, modify the settings as desired. Refer to Array for information on Grid Array settings.
Click OK.

Result: The Quick Image/Video Tool appears.

In the Quick Image/Video Tool window, specify the video or image sources and subsources for the video wall that was created.
Click OK.

Result: The video wall is created with the video or image applied to the individual screens.

Notes:

The Quick Image/Video Tool can be applied to previously drawn screen files, if re-arranged into rows and columns that WYSIWYG can recognize and automatically apply subsources to the individual screens.
The Quick Image/Video Tool can be applied to missing panels in the video wall if WYSIWYG can recognize the arrangement of rows and columns.
The functionality of the Quick Image/Video Tool remains available if no screens are selected.

Screen properties

After a screen has been created, the properties of a screen can be altered from the properties menu. The following properties of the screen can be changed:

Dimensions and Options

The size of the screen can be changed from its original dimensions and the option to display the source on the front side.

Screen Width: The width of the screen.
Screen Height: The height of the screen.
Only Display Image/Video on Front Face: Select this checkbox to set the color, Image Source, or Video Source to appear only on the front side of the screen.

Note: The front side of a Screen is the one which does not display the “V” symbol when the Screen appears in Wireframe set to Plan view.

Tip: The Only Display Image/Video on Front Face option will help when using the Global Illumination with Approximation Method 2 Visual Effect; when this Visual Effect is enabled, the illumination it produces will only appear on the front side of the Screen.

Display Source

Options for controlling what will be visible on the screen.

Display Source: Drop-down list for selecting what will be visible on the screen.
Image Source: Available images that can be displayed on the screen.
Video Source: Available videos that can be displayed on the screen.
Keep Aspect Ratio: Toggle whether to have images/videos displayed on the screen maintain their aspect ratio or stretch/constrict when the size of the screen changes.
Reassign Video/Image Subsource(s): This checkbox is available when the screen is set with Multi-split subsources. Select this checkbox to open the Reassign Video/Image Subsource dialog box and reassign the video and image source types and options for the screen.

Glow Settings

Setting for controlling the glow of the selected screen, independent of the global settings.

Note: The glow effect will appear only on the screen’s front face if Only Display Image/Video on Front Face is selected.

Hide: Toggle to enable/disable the screen glow feature.
Glow Intensity Multiplier: When enabled can enhance the glow of the screen on a scale of 0 to 10.

Drawing cameras

You can add cameras to the drawing to provide additional view points in Shaded views and renderings. Place cameras at specific locations, for example, at the Front of House, at extreme Audience Left/Right (to check sightlines), at IMAG camera locations, or camera placement to shoot the show in real-time.

For tips on moving your cameras, see Camera control in shaded view.

To insert a camera

The following procedure outlines how to insert a camera in a Wireframe view. For information on creating a camera directly from the Shaded view, see To create a camera from shaded view.

From the Draw menu, choose Camera > Camera.

Result: The New Camera properties dialog box appears.

Type a name for the camera and a value in degrees for the field angle. The default value for the field angle is 53.13.
From the Layer drop-down list, select the layer of your file on which you want to draw the camera. By default, the Camera object is inserted on the Camera layer.

Note: If you do not see all layers in the Layer drop-down list, click Show non-editable layers.

(Optional) Select the Aspect Ratio checkbox to set a fixed Aspect Ratio for the new camera. From the Aspect Ratio drop-down list, select the fixed Aspect Ratio for the new camera.

Result: The Shaded view will be defined by the set Aspect Ratio of the selected Camera, with pillar or letter bars displayed to indicate the viewing definition boundaries.

(Optional) Select the Lock checkbox to lock this new camera in its position and view angle in Shaded view.
Click OK to apply the settings or Cancel to discard.
Click on the drawing to place the camera.
Drag the cursor to aim the camera, and then click to place the target.

Result: The camera is inserted into your drawing and available in the camera selection list for Shaded views and renderings.

Tip: Use the missing coordinate tool while placing the camera and target.

Note: The target of your camera is easily identifiable in Wireframe views as defined by the marker points of the camera drawing. Camera drawings are invisible in Shaded views because you are looking through the camera. For this reason, in this view you can choose to display the target. For more information on displaying the target, see Modifying shaded views or Using the camera toolbar.

To view or edit camera properties

In CAD, DESIGN, or LIVE mode, click the Quad or Shaded tab.
Right-click on the toolbar area and select Camera.

Result: The Camera toolbar appears.

From the Current Camera drop-down list, select the camera whose Properties you want to view.
On the Camera toolbar, click the Camera Properties button.
In the window that appears, you can change any of the following properties:

Name: You can edit the name that appears on the Camera toolbar for the selected Camera.
Field Angle: You can change the field angle of the currently selected Camera, measured in degrees.
Assigned Hotkey: Click to assign a new numbered hotkey for this Camera. This is the number that you can press from your Number pad to instantly switch from one Camera to the next.
Aspect Ratio: Select this checkbox and choose a fixed Aspect Ratio for the selected Camera.
Lock camera in Shaded View: Select this checkbox to lock the selected camera in its current position in all Shaded views. To unlock it, simply select the camera from the Camera toolbar, and then press the Camera Lock button.

DMX Patch

In this section, you can assign a DMX value to the camera when the Assigned Hotkey is set to None. Select a value from the Assigned DMX Value drop-down list.

Note: When a hotkey of 1-9 is assigned, the DMX value matching the hotkey number is automatically assigned.

DMX Patch enables the DMX control of the switching between Cameras in LIVE mode, instead of using the drop-down list on the Camera toolbar or the numpad hotkeys.
Assigned DMX Value drop-down list goes from #10-255 (#1-9 are reserved for hot key assignments).
When the camera has an assigned hotkey, the Assigned DMX Value drop-down list will display the hotkey value as read-only.
Enable DMX Control of Cameras/Camera Paths must be enabled in the Camera Manager window to enable DMX control of the cameras. Refer to Camera Manager.

Drawing camera paths

Camera Paths allow you to define a path along which the camera will travel during playback in the Shaded view, either in DESIGN or LIVE Modes. You draw Camera Paths in CAD Mode just as you would draw a spline. Each vertex point or marker along the path is called a “Node”.

Note: You can keep the Camera Path, nodes, and targets visible during file editing, and once you’re done, go into the Properties of these objects and toggle their visibility off in Shaded view.

To draw a camera path

In Wireframe view, from the Draw menu, choose Camera > Camera Path.
Click in your plot where you want to start drawing the Camera Path.
Continue clicking in your drawing to create your path. When you are finished, right-click and select one of the options on the pop-up menu:

Finish Camera Path: This option finishes the path at the last point, and places it in your plot.
Close Camera Path: This option closes the path from one end to the next, and places the path in your plot.
Abort Camera Path: This option cancels the drawing of the Camera Path altogether.
Remove Last Step: This option removes the last point of the path.

Note: Camera Paths are controlled from DESIGN and/or LIVE modes, using the Camera Path Editor and the Timeline tool. For details, see Using the Camera Path Editor.

Camera path properties

Camera Paths have unique properties, as shown below:

Name: Camera Paths can have unique names

Shaded View Options

Show Camera Path in Shaded Views: This option shows or hides the Camera Path in Shaded views while playing the path.
Use Layer Rendering Color: This option controls the color of the Camera Path and its Layer behavior.
Show Nodes: This option shows or hides the Nodes along the Camera Path.
Show Node Numbers: This option shows or hides the Node numbers along the Camera Path.

CAD Options

Closed: If checked, this option enables the Camera Path to play as a continuous loop with no gaps.
Tension: A value between 0 and 1, where 0 is no tension and 1 is maximum tension; this option enables the Camera Path to allow curving between nodes along the path. If the Tension is set to 0, the nodes will be connected with straight lines.
Camera Path Arrow - Size: This option allows you to control the size of the direction arrows on the Camera Path.

Patch

None: Select this option if the Camera Path is not patched.
DMX Patch: Select this option if the Camera Path is patched, and then enter the patch properties.
Aspect Ratio: This option allows you to select a fixed Aspect Ratio for this Camera Path.

Drawing camera targets

After you draw a Camera Path, you can also insert a “Camera target” at points of interest where you would like the camera to focus while traveling along a path.

Note: You can keep the Camera Path, nodes and targets visible during file editing, and once you’re done, go into the Properties of these objects and toggle their visibility off in Shaded view.

To draw a camera target

In Wireframe view, from the Draw menu, choose Camera > Camera Target.
Type a descriptive name for the camera target.
Click OK and then click to place the target along the Camera Path.

Camera target properties

Camera targets also have unique properties, as seen below:

Label: Camera targets can have unique labels.
Height: This controls the height of the text associated with the Camera Target.
Align to View: This option aligns the target to the specific view that it is in (i.e., Side, Front, Back, Iso)
Show Label: This option shows or hides the Camera Target label text.

Shaded View Options

Show in Shaded Views: This option shows or hides the Camera Target in Shaded views while playing the path.
Use Layer Rendering Color: This controls the color of the Camera target and its Layer behavior.

Text Justification

This section controls the Horizontal and Vertical alignment of the text associated with the Camera Target.

X, Y, and Z Coordinates: These options allow you to control the position in 3D space of the Camera Target.

Font

This section displays options that allow you control of the font face of the Camera Target. Settings in Document Defaults are used by default.

In the top image, an example of a path and camera target is drawn.

In the bottom image, the camera at each node of the path is now pointing to the camera target.

Drawing a compass

You can add a compass to a drawing to define the direction that is north. This definition is important to set the position of the sun and/or moon for renderings and Shaded views that use environmental options.

Note: There can be only one compass in a file.

To draw a compass

From the Tools menu, choose Define North.
Click to place the starting point of the compass.
Click to place the end point of the compass. The end point must be directly north of the start point.

Result: A compass is drawn, centered on the start point and pointing towards the end point.

Notes:

To remove the compass from the drawing, choose Clear Direction from the Tools menu.
To redefine north, repeat steps 1-3. You do not need to remove the compass from the drawing when redefining north as there can be only one compass in a file.