Tips & Tricks
Helpful hints to make you a 3D Graphics wizard

If you have any other tips & tricks, please e-mail them to cgimktg@crystalgraphics.com.

1. How can I get 3D text to wrap around a sphere?
2. How can I make my metals look really shiny?

1. How can I get 3D text to wrap around a sphere?

Crystal TOPAS does not have a tool that automatically wraps text around a sphere. However, this can be accomplished manually by following the steps outlined below:

1. Create a sphere.
2. Type desired text.
3. Draw a circle with a slightly larger circumference than the sphere.
4. MATCH the circle to the sphere (Center to Center).
5. HIDE the sphere.
6. ROTATE the circle 90 degrees along the X-axis (the circle will look like a line).
7. UNGROUP the text.
8. MATCH the first letter to the front of the circle (Point to Point). Make sure to select the circle prior to selecting the letter.
9. GROUP the circle and the letter.
10. ROTATE the group clockwise (to the left) (The amount of rotation used is going to be dependent upon the size of the circle, the number of letters to be placed around it, and the size of the space between letters. Use your best judgment. Note the rotation value used, as you will need this information for each subsequent letter).
11. MATCH the second letter to the circle, once again selecting the circle prior to selecting the letter.
12. Add the second letter to the group.
13. ROTATE the group the same amount as you did in step 10.
14. Follow steps 8-10 until all letters have been placed around the circle.
15. UNGROUP the circle and the text.
16. DELETE the circle.
17. SHOW the sphere.
18. You are done!

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There are two keys to getting a really shiny metallic object:

1. The surface characteristic of the object (i.e. flat or rounded); and
2. The image used for a pseudo-environment (AKA reflection) map affect the shininess of a rendered metallic object. Interestingly, lighting has little to do with the shininess of the object.

Rounded surfaces, such as a sphere or round beveled text, work the best for a really shiny metallic look. Flat surfaces, such as a cube, tend to not look as shiny, and, in fact, can look flat. This can be somewhat compensated for by another key factor that affects shiny, metallic surfaces: the reflection map image selected. The type of image used for a reflection map will make a significant difference in the type of metallic effect achieved.

Choose black and white (or greyscale) images for your reflection map image; they work better than color images. However, you need to select the image carefully to achieve the shiny metallic effect that you want. An image with a lot of black areas will give a darker look to the metal. And, yet, an image with a lot of white areas will not necessarily make the metal look brighter. You may want to find an image that has a lot of smaller black white and grey areas. Also, stay away from gradient images as they will tend to make a metal look brushed as opposed to shiny. You may need to try out several different images before you find the one that gives the effect you are seeking.

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