Editing 3D Models

You can edit the properties for a Universal 3D file inserted into a content file (e.g., topic, snippet).

How to Edit 3D Model Properties

  1. Open the content file.
  2. In the XML Editor, right-click the square or rectangle representing the area where the 3D model will appear.
  3. From the context menu, select Edit Multimedia. The Edit Multimedia dialog opens.

  4. Change the options on the tabs in the dialog as necessary.

    General Tab

    1. You can select a different 3D model file. You can do this in various ways.

      1. To select a U3D file already in the project, select Multimedia in project.

      2. Find and choose the file in the Select File area. Use the buttons in the local toolbar to view all files in a list, view files in their folder structure, etc.

        Option

        Description

        Shows all of the files in the project in a list below. Click the button again to switch to a folder tree view. You can click the File, Type, or Path column headers to sort the list alphabetically by that column data.

        Click to show or hide folders where files are kept.

        Shows or hides the folders that the files are stored in.

        Click to show or hide files within a folder.

        Shows or hides the files. If you click this button when the Show Folders button Click to show or hide folders where files are kept. is selected, the area splits into two. The folder is shown on the left side, and the files and subfolders within it are shown on the right.

        Click to move up one folder level.

        If the Show Files button Click to show or hide files within a folder. is the only one selected, you can click this button to move up one folder level.

        Lets you filter the kinds of files shown below. Depending on the task you are performing, this field may already be populated with the most appropriate file type(s).

      3. (Optional) To select a U3D file outside of the project, click The browse ellipsis button opens to more options.. If you want to select a U3D file that you recently inserted somewhere in your project, click the down arrow in the field next to The browse ellipsis button opens to more options. and select the file from the list.

      Note If you select a U3D file outside the project, that file is then copied and placed inside the project. The U3D file is stored in the Resources\Multimedia folder of the Content Explorer.

      Note You cannot add U3D files from the web.

    2. (Optional) If you want to apply a specific style class to the 3D model, you can select it from the Style Class field. For more information see Styles and Stylesheets.

      Example You have created in your stylesheet a class of the MadCap|model3D style called "border" (i.e., MadCap|model3D.border) and you have set the border for all sides of that class to 10 pixels. Rather than using the default parent MadCap|model3D style when you insert the 3D model, you select MadCap|model3D.border from the Style Class drop-down. As a result, 10 pixels are added around the 3D model in the output.

    Advanced Tab

    Change activation and rendering options for the 3D model.

    To Set Activation Options

    • State Select the initial display setting for the 3D model when you open the topic.

      • (Default) Displays a gray box where the 3D model is located. If you have selected a background color or image, it will display instead of a gray box. The 3D model activates when you click the box.
      • Active on document open The 3D model activates when you open the output.
      • Active on page view The 3D model activates when you view the page where it is located. Until you view the page where it is located, the output displays a gray box or the 3D model's assigned background color or image.
      • Active on click Displays a gray box where the 3D model is located. If you have selected a background color or image, it will display. The 3D model activates when you click the box.

      Note Loading many 3D images at once decreases page and document load speeds. If your content uses many 3D models, you may want to make your 3D models Active on Click to improve performance.

    • Display 3D Toolbar on Activation When the 3D model activates, the toolbar displays. The toolbar allows you easily to change the model's properties, such as lighting or rendering, when viewing the model in the output.

      Note For more information about changing rendering modes using the 3D model toolbar, please refer to the Adobe Acrobat Help.

    To Set Rendering Options

    • Mode Changes the 3D model's surface.

      Default

      Wireframe

      Solid

      Shaded Wireframe

      Solid Wireframe

      Hidden Wireframe

      Transparent

      Vertices

      Transparent Wireframe

      Shaded Vertices

      Bounding Box

      Illustration

      Transparent Bounding Box

      Solid Outline

      Transparent Bounding Box Outline

      Shaded Illustration

      Note: The U3D content above is displayed as image files to ensure compatibility across all devices.

    • Lighting Change the type of lighting you want to hit the 3D model.

      Default

      Primary Color Lights

      No Lights

      Blue Lights

      White Lights

      Red Lights

      Day Lights

      Cube Lights

      Night Lights

      CAD Optimized Lights

      Bright Lights

      Headlamp

      Note: The U3D content above is displayed as image files to ensure compatibility across all devices.
    • Background Color Changes the image's background color.

    Size Tab

    Complete the options as necessary to resize the container area where the 3D model will be displayed. As an alternative, you can click and drag the icon in the lower-right corner of the container.

    To Set a Precise Width and/or Height

    In the Width and/or Height field of the Size section, provide the settings. First you need to select Length in the top drop-down list. You can then enter a value in the lower-left area and choose from several different units of measurement (points, pixels, centimeters, etc.) in the lower-right area. See Units of Measurement.

    To Set the Minimum Width and/or Height

    If the original object is smaller than the minimum width or height that is set, it will be enlarged so that it reaches the minimum value. If the original object is larger than the minimum width or height, it will not be resized.

    In the Width and/or Height field of the Minimum Size section, provide the settings. First you need to select Length in the top drop-down list. You can then enter a value in the lower-left area and choose from several different units of measurement (points, pixels, centimeters, etc.) in the lower-right area.

    To Set the Maximum Width and/or Height

    If the original object is larger than the maximum width or height that is set, it will be reduced in size so that it is no greater than the maximum value. If the original object is smaller than the maximum width or height, it will not be resized.

    In the Width and/or Height field of the Maximum Size section, provide the settings. First you need to select Length in the top drop-down list. You can then enter a value in the lower-left area and choose from several different units of measurement (points, pixels, centimeters, etc.) in the lower-right area.

    Note When resizing objects, you can ensure the aspect ratio is maintained. For example, if you want certain objects to be resized so that each is exactly 3 inches high, you can make sure the width of each object is adjusted accordingly to stay in proportion. To do this, first set the height at 3 inches. You would not set the width property at all. In the same way, if you were to specify an exact width, you could maintain the aspect ratio by not setting the height.

    Position Tab

    Complete the options as necessary to determine how the 3D model is positioned in the topic. You can select a Float and a Clear setting. You can also set the Vertical Alignment of the object.

    Float

    Use this field to specify where to place the element on the page.

    • None Does not place the element in a specific location.
    • Left Positions the element on the left side of the page frame, allowing you to type text to the right of the element.
    • Right Positions the element on the right side of the page frame, allowing you to type text to the left of the element.
    • Center of Column Positions the element in the center of the column on the page.
    • Outside Left Margin Positions the element beyond the left margin of the topic text.
    • Outside Right Margin Positions the element beyond the right margin of the topic text.
    • Outside Frame Positions the element outside of the page frame.
    • Outside Frame, Top Align Positions the element outside of the page frame, as well as aligning it with the top of the frame.
    • Left of Frame Positions the element to the left of the page frame.
    • Right of Frame Positions the element to the right of the page frame.
    • Center of Frame Positions the element both vertically and horizontally in the middle of the page frame.

    Clear

    Use this field to position an element so that it is "clear" of an adjacent element. For example, let's say you have already inserted an element and applied the float left property to it. If you then insert another element immediately after the first element, you want to make sure that the second element doesn't rest next to the first one. Instead, you want the second element to be placed completely below the first one. Therefore, you can apply a clear property to the second element.

    • None Does not apply the clear property to the element.
    • Left Side The element will be placed below the bottom outer edge of a previous element that is floating left.
    • Right Side The element will be placed below the bottom outer edge of a previous element that is floating right.
    • Both Sides The element will be placed below the previous one, whether floating left or right.

    Vertical Alignment

    Use this field to adjust where the item is positioned vertically.

    • Baseline The baseline of the box will be aligned with the baseline of the parent box.
    • Text Top The top of the box will be aligned with the top of the parent element's font.
    • Text Bottom The bottom of the box will be aligned with the bottom of the line box.
    • Top The top of the box will be aligned with the top of the line box.
    • Middle The vertical midpoint of the box will be aligned with the baseline of the parent box, plus half the x-height of the parent.
    • Bottom The bottom of the box will be aligned with the bottom of the line box.

    Borders and Margins Tab

    Specify margins, padding, or borders around the 3D model.

    Margin

    Click in any of the individual fields (Left, Right, Top, Bottom) to specify the settings for the margins around the object. If you click the down arrow to the right of all the fields, the settings will be applied to all of the margin fields.

    Padding

    Click in any of the individual fields (Left, Right, Top, Bottom) to specify the settings for the padding. In the left side of the field, enter a number for the amount of padding. In the right side of the field, select a unit of measurement (e.g., point, pixel, centimeter) for the number you entered. See Units of Measurement. If you click the down arrow to the right of all the fields, the settings will be applied to all of the padding fields. When you click that down arrow, a small popup displays.

    Border Radius

    1. Click in any of the individual fields (Top-Left, Top-Right, Bottom-Right, Bottom-Left) to specify the settings for a particular corner of the table. If you click the down arrow to the right of all the fields, the settings will be applied to all of the fields.
    2. When you click that down arrow or in one of the individual fields, a small popup displays. This popup has two halves. You can complete only the left side of the popup if you like. This will create a curve that is equal horizontally and vertically. If you want a border to have more of a curve either horizontally or vertically, you can complete the fields in the right half of the popup as well, so that you have two values (e.g., 10px 15px) instead of one. For more information on using two sets of border radius properties, see css3.info/preview/rounded-border/. 
    3. Use the lower-left area of the popup to enter a number for the amount of curve. The greater the number, the more curve that is applied. 
    4. Use the area to the right of the number field to select a unit of measurement (e.g., point, pixel, centimeter). 
    5. If you want to provide a second value for the rounded border, complete the same fields on the right half of the popup.
    6. When you are finished, click OK in the small popup.

    Borders

    1. Click in any of the individual fields (Left, Right, Top, Bottom) to specify the settings for the border. If you click the down arrow to the right of all the fields, the settings will be applied to all of the border fields.

      When you click that down arrow or in one of the individual fields, a small popup displays.

    2. Use the lower-left area of the popup to enter a number for the border thickness.
    3. Use the lower-middle area to select a unit of measurement (e.g., point, pixel, centimeter) for the number you entered. See Units of Measurement.
    4. Use the upper-right area to select a color for the border.
    5. Use the lower-right area to select a line type (e.g., solid, double, dashed) for the border.
    6. Click OK.

    Background Tab

    Add background settings to the 3D model interface. This includes the ability to specify a color, an image, or a repeating pattern for the background image. You will see this image or color when the page loads instead of the gray box that appears by default.

    To Set a Color for the BAckground

    In the Color field, click the down arrow and select a color from the popup. For advanced color options, select More Colors and use the fields in the Color Picker dialog.

    To Add an Image to the BAckground

    add an image to the background

    1. Next to the Image field, click the Browse button. The Insert Image dialog opens.
    2. Select an image file to insert and click OK.
    3. If you want the background image to repeat, select one of the options from the Repeat field. You can also set the image position horizontally and vertically by using the X and Y fields.

    Note You may want to use an image of your 3D model as the background image. By doing this, you will see picture of the model instead of the gray box that appears by default.

    These two images show the same 3D model side-by-side. The one on the left is set to Activate on Click, so it shows a default gray box when the page opens. The one on the right is also set to Activate on Click, but a background image has been set to shows how the model will look it is activated, so you do not see the default gray box.

    Note This is different from adding a color to the background, which adds a color behind the model after the 3D model is activated.

  5. Click OK.
  6. Click Save the active file. to save your work.

Note Some browsers do not support U3D files. This is because certain browsers do not support the plug-ins required to play this file type.