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VS3D Guided Tour.
Part 1 - Start.
Start VS3D (instructions on installing and starting VS3D can be found in the Installation Guide). Note the location of the "File" and "Edit" menus in the upper left corner of the application window. Also note the buttons along the top for "Hammer", "Region", "Warp", "Display" and "Machine" modes.
The main VS3D window will display a "VS3D" splash screen on start-up. Move the cursor over the sculpture view window (the splash screen will go away). Note the dynamic readout of the cursor position in Grid Units, Data Units, and the Data Z (height) value.
The default grid dimensions range from 0 to 500 in X and Y (a 501 by 501 grid). This corresponds to the default XY data range of 0.0 to 10.0 (inches or millimeters). The XY grid size and data coordinate scales can be changed via the Edit menu. Note that all the Z height values are initially zero - the surface is flat !
Part 2 - Setting Up A Sculpture Grid.
VS3D is a virtual relief-sculpting and machining tool. Surfaces in VS3D are represented as a very tight grid of XY points, with a Z height at each grid point. The act of sculpting basically involves pushing and pulling these Z heights up and down (and sideways). The dimensions for a grid should be chosen carefully. The larger the grid size, the higher the resolution, and the higher the amount of memory and computer time needed to process it. For example, if you are planning to sculpt and machine a surface that measures 2" by 2", and your highest possible machining accuracy is 0.002", then the upper limit of the needed grid dimensions would be 2.0/0.002 (a 1000 by 1000 grid).
The minimum allowed grid dimension is 161. Great care should be taken when selecting a grid size. A large grid may cause the application to bog down if insufficient memory is available. If the specified grid size (in grid points) is larger than the size of the screen (in pixels), then a warning message will be displayed.
Select the "Edit / Resize Grid..." menu. A dialog for entering the grid dimensions will appear. Enter 600 for X and Y.
Click on "Ok". A resize confirmation dialog will appear - Click on "Ok" again.
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