bonzai3d 2.0
New features
3D Dimensions: 5 new dimension tools have been added including linear, angular, radial, leader lines and notes. Dimensions are associated with the objects that they reference and update dynamically as the model is changed.
NURBS modeling: Six new NURBS modeling tools for extending, merging and blending curves and surfaces enhance bonzai3d’s smooth modeling capabilities. The Blend tools feature an innovative interface that makes surface benlding easy and intuitive.
Walkthrough tool: This new tool enables real time point of view animation through a scene, including collision detection.
3D Clipping planes: This feature cuts models open to reveal interior spaces without destroying the model. The clipping planes are preserved in their own palette so that they can be recalled as needed. Clipping planes are an effective working and presentation tool.
Components: The bonzai3d 1.0 Content feature has been drastically improved and is now called components to match industry standards. Components are managed in the new Components palette. Component groups are now embedded in the project files making them portable and editable directly in the project. The Component tools have been reorganized and a specialized tool for repositioning windows and doors has been added. The hole created by window and door components is automatically healed when a door or window is moved, deleted or replaced.
Printing: It has been completely overhauled and adds the ability to print to a specific scale.
Preferences: The size of the tool icons can be changed through a new option in the Preferences dialog. Additional options control the display of the tool names in the icons.
Views menu: New items for Home, Previous, and Next views have been added.
Help: The Project Info dialog has a new tab for tracking linked files.
Parameter editing: Object parameters in the Parameters tab of the Tool Options palette can now be edited on multiple objects simultaneously.
Group editing: Groups can now be edited in the project. This eliminates the need to ungroup and re-group when wishing to make a change to an object in a group.
Object isolation: Objects can now be easily isolated when wanting to work on them and they are part of complex models.
Colors of edges: Control over the color of object edges has been added with the new Edge Color attribute
Transformations: Applying operations such as move, rotate, and scale on large models has
been optimized.
DFX/DWG extensions: Support for AutoCad 2010 has been added to the DXF/DWG translator.
Localizations: bonzai3d is now localized for Spanish and German. Additional localizations for Italian, Japanese, and Chinese are in progress and will be released shortly.
RenderZone plugin: Last but not least, a RenderZone plugin, which includes Sketch rendering, is now available and a trial version is included with bonzai3d v2.0..
bonzai3d 2.0 Notes for existing users
The following workflow improvements have been made to the drawing tools:
When canceling an interactive extrusion, the 2D base shape now remains. This keeps the base shape when unintentionally starting drawing with 3D and had intended to use a 2D.
When switching to a 2D shape while already in the extrusion stage of a 3D shape, you no longer need an extra click to complete the operation.
The Insert option is off by default. This makes it less likely to unintentionally modify an existing object when creating new shapes (at the beginning of a design).
The insert option can now be changed while drawing (or defining the height of a 3D form).
Numeric input into the X, Y and Z fields of the input palette no longer requires selection of the first text field with the mouse. Just start typing a number while drawing or initiating a transformation tool and the first field in the input palette is automatically activated.
The direct view navigation tools work together better. You no longer need to re-click to change actions using key shortcuts. This allows zooming and panning to occur without needing to click to change between them.
The rotate tool now shows automatic snap guide points for the object’s center of gravity (grey) and center of bounding box (blue). This makes it easy to rotate an object about its center: just click on the guide point when you set the center of the rotation. The scale and mirror tools have these guide points as well.
Snap guide points are also present for the Move tool when using Continuous Copy. Snapping to these guides makes it easy to create multiple copies of objects at the same interval.
Similarly, when drawing primitives (sphere, torus etc), snap guide points are displayed to facilitate the positioning of the next primitive relative to the previous one. The snap guide point appears right after you draw the second object and new snap points continue to appear after you draw each next object.
Recall that the Project Onto Reference Plane snap option is selected from the Object Snap Options palette, invoked from any of the snap tools. Depending on whether this option is off or on, when drawing in a projection view, the snap will either go to the point closest to the viewer or to the point’s projection onto the reference plane. This option now also affects snapping when drawing in an axonometric view.
Switching to a projection view (top, bottom etc.) now keeps the current reference plane active, instead of changing to the corresponding world XY, YZ or ZX plane. This makes it easier to define reference planes for different floor levels, for example, and not loose them when switching between top and 3d views. Note that if the current reference plane is completely perpendicular to the projection view, then the plane is changed to the
corresponding world plane.
Object edge colors are now controlled by the edge color object attribute. The edge color is the color used in wire frame and shaded displays when the Show Color option is enabled. In previous versions the edge color was the average color of the object’s material. This color is often not a good color for the edges especially for materials with textures. By default the edge color for all edges is now black. The edge color can be changed using the Attributes tab of the Tool Options palette when the Pick tool is active. The edge color for new objects is controlled by the Default Edge Color option in the Objects tab of the Project Settings dialog. An option to use the average color of the material remains an option, but is no longer the default.