User Guide Ulead Systems, Inc. April 2003 First English edition for Ulead COOL 3D Production Studio, April 2003. © 2003 Ulead Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or storing in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form without the express written permission of Ulead Systems, Inc. Software License The software described in this document is furnished under a License Agreement which is included with the product. This Agreement specifies the permitted and prohibited uses of the product. Licenses and Trademarks Ulead, Ulead Systems logo, EasyPalette and Ulead COOL 3D Production Studio are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of Ulead Systems, Inc. Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of Intel Corporation. Microsoft, Windows, DirectX, DirectX Media, and/or other Microsoft products referenced herein are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. QuickTime and the QuickTime logo are trademarks used under license. QuickTime is registered in the U.S. and other countries. Adobe, the Adobe logo, Illustrator, and Acrobat are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. 3D Production Studio is a registered trademark of Autodesk, Inc. RealText and RealPlayer are either registered trademarks or trademarks of RealNetworks, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. The RealPlayer is included under license from RealNetworks, Inc. ©1999-2001. RealNetworks, Inc. All rights reserved. Macromedia, Flash and Macromedia Flash are trademarks or registered trademarks of Macromedia, Inc. in the United States and internationally. All other product names and any registered and unregistered trademarks mentioned are used for identification purposes only and remain the exclusive property of their respective owners. 3D Studio File Toolkit © Copyright 1997 by Autodesk, Inc. Free Form Deformation Patent License: The copy of COOL 3D Production Studio provided with this documentation is licensed to practice the Free Form Deformation method under United States Patent No. 4,821,214 owned by Viewpoint Corporation. The licensed user of that copy may use the copy to practice the patented Free Form Deformation method in accordance with a license granted by Viewpoint Corporation. For information on additional patent licenses contact: Viewpoint Corporation. 498 7th Avenue, Suite 1810, New York, NY 10018 Sample Files Files provided as samples on the program CD-ROM can be used for personal demonstrations, productions, and presentations. No rights are granted for commercial reproduction or redistribution of any sample files. North & South America Ulead Systems, Inc. http://www.ulead.com Support: http://www.ulead.com/tech Japan Ulead Systems, Inc. http://www.ulead.co.jp Support: http://www.ulead.co.jp/tech Germany Ulead Systems GmbH http://www.ulead.de Support: http://www.ulead.de/tech International Ulead Systems, Inc. http://www.ulead.com http://www.asiapac.ulead.com http://www.ulead.com.tw Support: http://www.ulead.com/tech http://www.asiapac.ulead.com/tech http://www.ulead.com.tw/tech China Ulead Systems, Inc. http://www.ulead.com.cn Support: http://www.ulead.com.cn/tech Contents Welcome to Ulead COOL 3D Production Studio ................................................ 6 Getting help ............................................................................................................................................... 7 Installation ................................................................................................................................................. 7 Running Ulead COOL 3D Production Studio ............................................................................................ 8 Getting updates ......................................................................................................................................... 8 Workspace ........................................................................................... 9 Getting started ..................................................................................... 12 Using the EasyPalette ............................................................................................................................ 12 Using Composition presets ........................................................................................................................... 1 2 Using Objects presets .................................................................................................................................... 1 3 Dimensions ...................................................................................................................................................... 1 4 Creating and editing objects .................................................................... 15 Adding and editing text ............................................................................................................................ 15 Adding and editing 3D graphics and shapes .......................................................................................... 16 Using the Path Editor ..................................................................................................................................... 1 6 Creating basic 3D objects ............................................................................................................................. 1 9 Creating lathe objects .................................................................................................................................... 2 0 Importing 3D models .............................................................................................................................. 21 Selecting and grouping objects ............................................................................................................... 22 Using the Object Manager ............................................................................................................................ 2 2 Editing object style .................................................................................................................................. 24 Color ................................................................................................................................................................. 2 4 Texture ............................................................................................................................................................. 2 5 Transparency .................................................................................................................................................. 2 8 Bevel ................................................................................................................................................................. 2 8 Modifying individual faces of an object ........................................................................................................ 3 0 Object precision and quality .......................................................................................................................... 3 0 Wireframe display ........................................................................................................................................... 3 1 FreeForm ............................................................................................................................................... 31 3D scene basics ................................................................................... 33 Camera .................................................................................................................................................. 33 Lens type and distance .................................................................................................................................. 3 4 Background ............................................................................................................................................ 35 Color Background ........................................................................................................................................... 3 5 Image Background ......................................................................................................................................... 3 6 Video Background .......................................................................................................................................... 3 7 Background Audio .................................................................................................................................. 38 Understanding the 3D coordinate system ............................................................................................... 39 Light ........................................................................................................................................................ 40 3 Ulead COOL 3D Production Studio Animation basics .................................................................................. 42 Working with key frames and timelines .................................................................................................. 43 Advanced timeline mode ........................................................................................................................ 45 Creating a simple animation ................................................................................................................... 47 Animating color ....................................................................................................................................... 49 Animating background ............................................................................................................................ 49 Showing and hiding objects .................................................................................................................... 50 Animating position .......................................................................................................................................... 5 2 Animating with multiple attributes ................................................................................................................. 5 4 Plug-in effects ..................................................................................... 55 Key frames and plug-ins ........................................................................................................................ 55 Understanding global and key attributes ................................................................................................. 56 Background effects ................................................................................................................................. 56 Gradient Background ..................................................................................................................................... 5 7 Magic Texture Background ........................................................................................................................... 5 8 Object Effects .......................................................................................................................................... 59 Bend ................................................................................................................................................................. 6 0 Cartoon Shader .............................................................................................................................................. 6 1 FreeForm ........................................................................................................................................................ 6 1 Object Explosion ............................................................................................................................................. 6 2 Stylized Outline ............................................................................................................................................... 6 3 Twist .................................................................................................................................................................. 6 4 Text Effects ............................................................................................................................................. 65 Blast .................................................................................................................................................................. 6 5 Bump ................................................................................................................................................................ 6 6 Dance ............................................................................................................................................................... 6 7 Distort ............................................................................................................................................................... 6 8 Explosion .......................................................................................................................................................... 6 9 Jump ................................................................................................................................................................. 7 0 Path Animation ................................................................................................................................................ 7 1 Surface Animation ........................................................................................................................................... 7 2 Text Wave ........................................................................................................................................................ 7 3 Token Skew (G) .............................................................................................................................................. 7 4 Token Size (G) ................................................................................................................................................ 7 5 Token Move (G) .............................................................................................................................................. 7 6 Token Rotate (G) ............................................................................................................................................ 7 7 Particle Effects ........................................................................................................................................ 78 Smoke .............................................................................................................................................................. 7 8 Fire ................................................................................................................................................................... 7 9 Snow ................................................................................................................................................................. 8 1 Bubble .............................................................................................................................................................. 8 2 User Guide Global Effects .......................................................................................................................................... 83 Fire ................................................................................................................................................................... 8 3 Glow .................................................................................................................................................................. 8 4 Lightning .......................................................................................................................................................... 8 5 Motion Blur ...................................................................................................................................................... 8 6 Shadow ............................................................................................................................................................ 8 7 Natural Paint ................................................................................................................................................... 8 8 Project output ...................................................................................... 89 Saving your project ................................................................................................................................ 89 Export Video Overlay ............................................................................................................................. 89 Export 3D Models .................................................................................................................................. 89 Creating video files .................................................................................................................................. 90 Creating image files ................................................................................................................................ 90 Creating animation for the Web ............................................................................................................... 91 GIF animation .................................................................................................................................................. 9 1 Flash animation .............................................................................................................................................. 9 3 RealText 3D ..................................................................................................................................................... 9 3 Main Program ........................................................................................................................................ 94 Shortcut Keys ...................................................................................... 94 Path Editor .............................................................................................................................................. 95 Index ................................................................................................ 96 Welcome to Ulead COOL 3D Production Studio Welcome to Ulead® COOL 3DTM Production Studio, a professional 3D text and graphics software for use with video and multimedia. COOL 3D Production Studio is a radical change from earlier COOL 3D versions because it offers a host of new tools and control-set additions specifically designed for video production, yet retains innovative pre-set options for quick 3D project generation. The result is a new breed of professional 3D animation software that is specifically suited to the video production and multimedia creation. Cutting edge 3D art With COOL 3D, you can conveniently convert text and shapes into dazzling 3D figures as well as import/export *.X and *.3DS files, work with lathe objects, do freeform deformation, and achieve any 3D titling goal in minutes. Create and edit your work like a pro without the hassle. All you have to do is click away. Video support like nothing else You don't have to edit your video clips outside COOL 3D. User-friendly and powerful, COOL 3D allows you to use video files as scene background or object texture and edit the clips right there. It's video support like you've never seen before. COOL 3D gives you the power of many programs, saving you both time and money. Increased usability Edit your work per key frame and have better timeline control with COOL 3D's Timeline Window. You will also find it easy to work around the interface by using the attribute panel, selection indicator, light guide, axis indicator, visual open and many other usability enhancing features. These make creating and editing your projects easier and much more enjoyable. 6 User Guide Getting help The best way to familiarize yourself with COOL 3D is to experiment with all of the options provided. To help you get started, this manual offers basic tutorials as well as a glimpse into advanced techniques. If you should get stuck at any time, you can use one of the following methods for more assistance: · · · Click Help, then move the cursor to the object in question, and click again to find out more on that feature. Go to the Help: Help Topics menu command to get more detailed information on specific subjects. If you are a registered user, you are entitled to Ulead technical support. This can be accessed through Help: Ulead on the Web - Technical Support, or go to our Web site by clicking Ulead Homepage on the Standard Toolbar. Installation It's easy to install Ulead COOL 3D Production Studio. The Installation Wizard will guide you through the process. To install Ulead COOL 3D Production Studio: 1 Place the COOL 3D CD into the CD-ROM drive. 2 When the Setup screen appears, follow the instructions to install Ulead COOL 3D onto your computer. 3 If the Setup screen doesn't appear after loading the CD, by double-click the My Computer icon on your desktop. 4 Double-click the CD-ROM drive icon. When the CD-ROM window opens, doubleclick the Setup icon. 7 Ulead COOL 3D Production Studio Running Ulead COOL 3D Production Studio There are two ways to run the program: · Double-click the Ulead COOL 3D Production Studio icon on your Windows desktop, or click the icon on the Quick Launch Toolbar. · Select the COOL 3D icon from the program group on the Windows Start menu. Getting updates Keep apace with the latest in COOL 3D news and updates - the program automatically detects and notifies you of any new events in the COOL 3D homepage. You can also click Ulead Homepage to read about other Ulead news and products. 8 Workspace COOL 3D intuitive design makes it easy for you to find and use the tools that you need. Toolbars, graphic editing tools, and Attribute Panel have been placed in a manner for you to really take advantage of all the program's features and plug-ins. The following section should help you become familiar with the different areas of the COOL 3D environment. Location Toolbar Object Toolbar Navigation Toolbar Menu Bar Text Toolbar Standard Toolbar Object Manager EasyPalette file directory Timeline Window Edit Window Attribute Panel EasyPalette Camera Status Bar View Panel Toggle between the Animation Toolbar and the Timeline Window 9 Ulead COOL 3D Production Studio · Standard Toolbar Contains all of the most commonly used functions and commands. In addition to the typical file commands, it also has the Object List, as well as Wireframe Rendering, Show/ Hide objects, and ambience control buttons. · Animation Toolbar Displays all the controls you need to manipulate an animated project, including extensive key frame and timeline controls, animation looping modes, frame numbers, and frame rate. See page 43. · Location Toolbar Shows the position, size, rotation, light, and texture coordinates of the selected 3D object. Allows you to enter values yourself, or displays the changing values of the object as you drag it in the Edit Window. · Object Toolbar Allows you to place and edit text, graphics, lathe objects, basic 3D geometric shapes, and particle effects objects in your project. This is where you really begin your project. · Face Property Toolbar Allows you to choose which side of the object to edit. A handy tool to have around for accurate modeling of intricate shapes. · Navigation Toolbar Allows user to view and manipulate the object's animation through Play, Rewind, Previous, Next, Last, Loop Mode and Ping Mode. · Text Toolbar Allows you to adjust the alignment of the text within a text object, as well as the spacing between lines and characters. 10 User Guide · Edit Window Lets you preview the 3D project as you work. You can also drag objects directly within the window to customize basic aspects, such as position, rotation, and size, among others. · EasyPalette Contains a file directory of all the aspects that you can apply to your 3D object, including plug-in effects. Click on any item within each category to access dozens of preset effects in the thumbnail pane. These can be quickly and easily applied to your project. See page 12. · Timeline Window Enables you to specify key frames and have full control over the timing of multiple object attributes. A superb tool in choreographing your entire project! · Attribute Panel Lets you customize many aspects of your projects, including plug-in effects. Once you understand the available options, you have the potential to create projects like a pro! · Object Manager A floating panel that lets you group two or more objects in a subgroup, allowing you to position or edit them as a single object. The Object Manager contains features such as Group/Ungroup, Lock/Unlock, Enable/ Disable, Rename, and Delete. See page 22. 11 Getting started Starting a project in COOL 3D is simple. The following section takes you through the steps of beginning a first project. Using the EasyPalette The EasyPalette provides you with the fastest way to create astounding titles and graphics. With its vast number of presets, this is where you can add color and life to your project with just a few clicks. EasyPalette file directory EasyPalette thumbnail pane The EasyPalette file directory lists all of the objects and effects that you can apply to your project. When you click on a category or a specific plug-in name, the thumbnail presets for that particular item appear in the thumbnail pane. To apply a preset, use one of these methods: · · · Drag and drop the preset into the Edit Window. Double-click the preset. Click Apply on the EasyPalette Toolbar. Using Composition presets Composition is the first category of presets in the EasyPalette file directory. It offers a collection of ready-to-use Movies, 3D Models, and Video Frames that you can custom edit to fit your project. To create animation using Composition presets: 1 Select Movie under Composition in the EasyPalette file directory, then drag a thumbnail containing a text object to your current Edit Window (or double-click it to open in a new Edit Window.) 12 User Guide 2 Click the text object or select it on the Object List on the Standard Toolbar; you can also use the Object Manager. (See Using the Object Manager on page 22.) 3 Then click Edit Object on the Object Toolbar. The Insert Text dialog box appears, displaying the text object that you selected. 4 Change the text as desired, then click OK. The new text appears in the project, replacing the original text. 5 You can also select other objects in the document and modify their attributes and behavior. 6 Click Play on the Navigation Toolbar to preview the animated project. Using Objects presets The Objects category in the EasyPalette file directory provides still and animated objects that you can arrange and modify on the Edit Window to fit your needs in creating your original 3D compositions. You can work with a single object to create a simple animated clip, or use multiple animated objects which you can easily choreograph to create a more complex composition. To create animation using Objects and Object Effects presets: 1 Open a new document and select Grouped Objects under Objects in the EasyPalette file directory. 2 Drag a preset object to the Edit Window. 3 Select Object Motion under the Object Effects in the EasyPalette file directory. 4 Drag a preset motion to the Edit Window to apply it to your object. 5 Click Play on the Navigation Toolbar, to preview the animated project. Try placing other objects on the Edit Window and animate them in the same way using the above steps. 13 Ulead COOL 3D Production Studio Dimensions When you set up a 3D project, the dimension settings of the project will differ depending on how you plan to use the end product. You might want to use it as part of a video, include it as a GIF animation on a Web site, or save it as a still 3D image. Regardless of your plans, when you are experimenting with different effects and settings, try using smaller dimensions to allow your computer to render the project at a faster rate. When you have exactly what you want, increase the dimensions of the project. Click Project: Dimensions to open the Dimensions dialog box. The User-defined option lets you customize the dimensions. If you have inserted your own image or video as the background, click Use Background Image Size to have the dimensions of the project match the background. See Image Background and Video Background on pages 36 and 37. If you plan to output your project for the video or the Web, the Standard list has a range of commonly used dimensions. 14 Creating and editing objects If you can imagine it, you can create it in Ulead COOL 3D. Generate and modify text and graphic objects with ease using high-precision modeling and image editing tools at your fingertips. Adding and editing text Choose from a wide range of preset Text Objects under Objects in the EasyPalette file directory. You can also use text objects found in Composition presets and modify them as individual text objects as discussed in the previous chapter. It's a breeze to create and edit original text objects using the Insert Text tool. You can set font face, script for character sets, style, and size as easily as you would in a word processor. For information on adding and editing graphic objects, see page 16. To insert a text object: 1 Click Insert Text on the Object Toolbar. The Insert Text dialog box appears. 2 Select a font from the list. When searching for a font, a ToolTip appears to give you a preview of the font currently highlighted. After selecting your font, set the script, size, and style of your text, and then enter the actual text in the text box. 3 Click OK. The text appears in the Edit Window. 4 If you want to insert another text object, click Insert Text again. To edit the existing text, see the following tutorial. Note: Create a text string of multiple lines by creating a line break in a string of text. In the Insert Text dialog box, simply press [Enter] where you want a line break to occur. 15 Ulead COOL 3D Production Studio To edit a text object: 1 Click Edit Object on the Object Toolbar. The Insert Text dialog box appears with the selected text object. 2 Edit the text in the text box, then click OK once you've made your changes. The edited text appears in the Edit Window. You can also adjust the character spacing as well as the line spacing and alignment with functions on the Text Toolbar. Note: If you have added more than one text object, be sure to first select the one you want to edit from the Object List on the Standard Toolbar, or select it from the Object Manager. See page 22. Adding and editing 3D graphics and shapes Create outstanding 3D logos and images by customizing graphic objects. In COOL 3D, importing, creating, and modifying highly complex models are tasks that are rendered elementary because of its powerful set of modeling tools. Using the Path Editor A vector graphic is different from the bitmap graphics that are most widely known (for example, those in BMP, JPEG, and GIF formats). Vector graphics are composed of paths and often stored in Adobe Illustrator (*.AI), Window Metafiles (*.WMF) or Enhanced Metafiles (*.EMF) formats. The easiest way to create these graphics is to use Path Editor, accessed by clicking the Insert Graphics on the Object Toolbar. Bitmap of a logo (top), and the same logo converted to 3D with Path Editor (bottom). 16 User Guide The simplest way to add a vector graphic object is to draw the paths yourself using the Path Editor tools. COOL 3D, however offers other options to work on vector graphics to your project by importing vector graphic files. To import a vector graphic object: 1 Click Import Graphics in the Path Editor dialog box. In the Open dialog box select your file in Adobe Illustrator (*.AI), Window Metafiles (*.WMF) or Enhanced Metafiles (*.EMF) formats that you would want to work on. 2 Click Open and the object is placed in the Path Editor dialog box. You can also acquire paths from your JPEG or BMP image files and convert them to vector. To convert a bitmap graphic object to vector: 1 Click Insert Graphics to open the Path Editor dialog box. 2 Click Convert to Vector and the Open dialog box will come into view. Select the image file you want to convert and click Open. 3 The Convert to Vector dialog box is displayed. Modify the Tolerance; Jump point and Threshold values of the paths to your preference and click OK. 17 Ulead COOL 3D Production Studio Whether you have selected pre-existent vector graphics, rendered paths on bitmap images or utilized the freehand tool, you can modify your paths just as easily. To edit a graphic object: 1 Now, you can select or deselect multiple nodes at one time. To do this, let us make an example using the Freehand Tool. Select this tool and render a shape on the workspace of the Path Editor. 2 Close the path by clicking Close Path. Notice the path has closed smoothly by default. 3 Click Adjust and the nodes will appear. Left click while simultaneously pressing [Ctrl]. 4 Click on the nodes you want to select or deselect. While holding down [Ctrl], drag the entire group of nodes the same time. 5 When using the mouse, drag the pointer and draw a selection box across the nodes. Release the button and the nodes will be selected or deselected. Dragging multiple nodes will also apply. 6 When removing or adding nodes, click Add Node or Remove Node. Apply the selection process above to automatically delete the multiple nodes or quickly press [Del]. 18 User Guide Creating basic 3D objects COOL 3D lets you insert basic 3D geometric objects into your project with just a click of the mouse. Use them with text and graphics to create unique 3D animations and stills. You can use several 3D shapes together to create an eccentric object, or just a few as props for an animated title. In this tutorial, learn how to edit a cylinder. To insert and edit a geometric shape: 1 Click the Insert Geometric Object dropdown arrow on the Object Toolbar and select a 3D shape. The object appears in the Edit Window. 2 In the Attribute Panel, select 3D Shape in Property List and enter values to adjust the attributes of the object. 3 Then select presets under Object Styles, Object Effects, Text Effects, Global Effects, and other plug-ins in the EasyPalette file directory and apply them to your geometric shape. 4 You can also use the basic animation buttons on the Animation Toolbar to create an animated sequence. Note: Bevel attributes and plug-ins cannot be applied to geometric shapes. Other things you can do with geometric objects 19 Ulead COOL 3D Production Studio Creating lathe objects Lathe objects are easier to generate or render with COOL 3D. Simple and irregular shapes or paths can be instantly transformed into amazing symmetrical objects using the Lathe Object Editor and Object Preview Panel for real-time editing. To create a Lathe object: 1 Click Insert Lathe Object on the Object Toolbar and the Lathe Object Editor dialog box is displayed. Note: To recall the dialog box, double-click the object you created or select Edit Object on the Object Toolbar. 2 Click on the Shape Tool, Path Tool and Freehand Tool and render a variety of paths and shapes. 3 To start modifying your paths, click the Object Tool and Adjust Tool. You have the option of rendering your paths or shapes across or beside the Lathe axis, according to your desired output of the object. Click on X-axis or Y-axis to change the orientation of the default axis. 4 Increase the modification of your paths by choosing from the Open Path or Close Path. 5 Click Launch object preview panel in the Lathe Object Editor to preview your objects. You can rotate your object by selecting Auto rotate object. 6 Experiment further using the Attribute Panel. Manipulate Angle and Sides spin slider controls to produce the desired degree of angle or number of sides for your object. It is possible to render 2 sides by selecting Two-sides rendering. 20