User Guide
for Windows and Macintosh

Trademarks

Credits
MetaCreations and the MetaCreations logo are registered trademarks of MetaCreations Corporation. Canoma is a trademark of MetaCreations Corporation. Macintosh is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Incorporated. Windows is a registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Pentium is a registered trademark and i486 is a trademark of Intel Corporation. All other product names mentioned in the manual and other documentation are used for identication purposes only and may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Registered and unregistered trademarks used herein are the exclusive property of their respective owners. MetaCreations Corp. makes no claim to any such marks, nor willingly or knowingly misused or misapplied such marks.

Copyright

Canoma was Engineered by Tilman Reinhardt, Robert Seidl, Luc Heinrich, and Gerald Guyomard, with support from Arnoud Berry, Brian Wagner, Seath Ahrens, and Alexei Lebedev. Installer by Carin Lew. User Interface Design by Robert Bailey. Product Management by Robert Seidl. Quality Assurance Testing management by Michael Cinque. Quality Assurance Testing by Brian Romero, Joe Grover, Steve Rathmann, John Taylor, Eric Gruye, and Dan Huver. The Canoma User Guide was written by Linda Stevens, assisted by Robert Seidl and Tilman Reinhardt; project managment by Linda Stevens and Erick Vera; layout design by Tish Loosley Art Directed by Brian Moose; manual illustration by Aaron Begley, Quick Reference Card design and layout by Jeffry Schwartley; Box Design by Nathan Harris. Thanks to John Leddy and Pierre Berkaloff for their support. Some images provided by Photodisc.
This manual, as well as the software described in it is furnished under license and may only be used or copied in accordance with the terms of such license. Program 1999 MetaCreations Corporation, including the look and feel of the product. MetaCreations Canoma User Guide 1999 MetaCreations Corporation. No part of this guide may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of MetaCreations Corporation.

Notice

Before using this software or reading this user guide, make sure you have read, understood and agreed to the license contained in the back of the Canoma User Guide.

Contents

Welcome to Canoma
What is Canoma?.14 When You Have Questions.18 Technical Support.19 Installing Canoma.20

Application Overview

The Canoma Workspace.24 Status Tips.28 About Canoma.28 Accessing the MetaCreations Web Site.28

Tutorial

Welcome.30 Creating a 3D Model.30
Lesson1: Pinning Corners. 30 Lesson 2: Viewing Progress. 33 Lesson 3: Adding Textures and a Ground Plane. 34
Filling in the Details.35
Lesson 1: Adding a Second Image. 35 Lesson 2: Modeling Nearby Objects. 38 Lesson 3: Adding a Close-up Image. 40
Lesson 4: Editing Textures. 41
Creating a Building Model.42

Lesson 1: Starting with One Object. 42 Lesson 2: Completing the Job. 44 Reducing Confusion. 45 Lesson 3: Navigating Through a Model. 45
Aligning Objects Precisely.46

Lesson 1: Using Glue. 46

Picking Up Speed.50
Lesson 1: Duplicating Similar Elements. 50 Lesson 2: Adding Detail. 52 Lesson 3: Adding a Ground Plane. 53

Canoma Basics

Introduction.56 Customizing Canoma.56
Setting Canoma Preferences. 56 Saving Workspace Customizations. 56 Using the Active Guide. 57 Choosing a 2D Image Editing Application and Image Format. 57
Setting Up Your Workspace.57
Working in the Project Window. 57 Using the Camera Controls. 58 Understanding the Toolbar. 58

Table of Contents

Changing Canoma Colors. 58
Creating a Canoma Project.60
Organizing the Project Folder. 60
Using 2D Images.60 Creating 3D Models.60 Adding Texture.61 Creating Animations.61 Undoing Operations.61 Saving and Closing.62
Saving the Project. 62 Closing Canoma. 62
Importing, Exporting, and Rendering.62
Importing. 62 Exporting. 63 Rendering 2D Images. 64 Rendering Animations. 65

Preparing Projects

Taking Photographs.68
What Works Best. 68 Using Several Photographs. 68 Working from Overviews to Detailed Photos. 69 Dont Move Things. 69 One Photo, One Image File. 69 Modifying Photos. 69

Canoma

Controlling Exposure and Lighting. 70 Handling Camera Location. 70

Building Projects

How Canoma Works.74
Modeling 3D Objects. 74 Using 2D Source Images. 74 Modeling from the Ground Up. 74 Always Calculating. 74
Before You Start.75 Using the Canoma Workspace.75
The Project Window. 75 Camera Controls. 76 2D Image Palette. 76 Selecting Colors. 76
Working with Canoma Projects.76 Working with Objects.77
Matching Objects to Photo Elements. 77 Selecting the Correct Object. 77 Objects with Editable Polyline Contours. 85 Calibrating a Scene. 88

Adding an Object.88

Setting Selection Based Options. 88
Selecting an Object.89 Deleting an Object.89
Checking Object Information.89 Stacking Objects.90 Duplicating Objects.91 Pinning Objects.92 Viewing Projects in Progress.93 Using Beads.93

Defining Edges. 93

Using Glue.94
Gluing Objects Together. 94
Deleting All Constraints.94 Using Solo Mode.95 Using Shadows.95 Displaying the Background Image.96 Avoiding Model Stress.96 Working with Texture.97

Adding Textures. 97 Stealing Textures. 97

Adding More Detail.98

Using the 2D Image Palette. 99

Viewing Models

Positioning the View of Your Model.102 Using Canoma Camera Controls.102
Using the Trackball. 102 Using the Cross Controls. 103 Using the In-View Navigation Controls. 104 Banking Control. 104 Field of View. 105

Zooming and Panning.105

Zooming. 105 Panning. 106
Resetting the Viewpoint.106

Editing Textures

Retouching or Editing Textures in 2D.110
Editing for 2D Renders. 111
Using the Alpha Channel.112

Creating Animations

How Animation Works in Canoma.116 Creating an Animation.116
Using the Animation Controls. 116 Creating Keyframes. 116
Setting Animation Options. 117
Previewing an Animation.117 Rendering an Animation.118

Advanced Modeling

Modeling Objects.120
Adding Source Images. 120 Free vs. Constrained Parameters. 121 Misleading Canoma and Stressing a Model. 121 Listening to the Canoma Heartbeat. 122 Using Geometric Tricks. 122
Establishing Perspective.123
Starting Simple. 123 Modeling the First Image. 123 Using Temporary Helper Objects. 124
Creating the Same Orientation.124 Duplicating Objects.125 Freeing Necessary Parameters.126 Monitoring Stress in the Model.126 Using Glue to Align Objects.127
Using Point To Point Glue. 128 Dont "overglue". 128 Using Point to Edge Glue. 130 Creating a Balcony. 132

Whats in this Chapter:

What is Canoma?.14 What Can You Do with Canoma?.15 When You Have Questions.18 About your User Guide.18 Technical Support.19 Installing Canoma.20

What is Canoma?

Canoma lets you quickly create photorealistic 3D models from scanned or digital photographs, without extensive 3D modeling skills. No need for specialized equipment or calibrations. Canoma even works on historical photographs. Canoma models can be posted on Web sites or in electronic catalogs, or imported into traditional 3D modeling and animation software. Canoma is a perfect companion to other Web authoring tools. Easier to learn than traditional 3D programs (with all their modes, tools, and windows), Canoma lets 2D graphic illustrators and designers create and manipulate realistic 3D modelsapplying all their retouching and ltering skills to 3D objects.
Heres how Canoma works: Take one or more photos of what you want to model in 3D. More photos mean greater detail. Select 3D shapes (called objects or pimitives,) then pin them to the corners of objects in your photograph. (There are ways to also control edges and alignment.) Preview your 3D creationmove in for a close-up look or away, rotate around the model, or just walk through it! Canoma adds texture to your model right from your photographs. You can edit areas of texture, letting Canoma open your favorite 2D program, present you with a head on 2D view of the area to edit, then watch as Canoma reapplies the edited texture in proper perspective! Create animations or export your 3D model to other 3D programs or for use on the Web.

The Canoma workspace.

What Can You Do with Canoma?
With Canoma you can create very realistic three-dimensional (3D) computer models from one or more photographs, a process called image-assisted modeling. Canoma models have simple geometries and use photographs as texture source, allowing the pixels to do the work of making your models look good. Select the face of a Canoma model, bring up a 2D pixel editing tool, such as Painter or Photoshop, and retouch the surface texture, add text, or apply a 2D lter. Watch Canoma reapply the altered pixels, while retaining 3D perspective. 3D models can be rotated and viewed from different directions, allowing customers to thoroughly inspect product or merchandise models. Once 3D models are completed, you can create a simple animation or walk through, even publish those on the internet. Canoma lends itself well to regular, man-made objects. Amorphous or very complex shapes that may occur in nature such as trees, mountains, or curved objects can also be approximated, using simple stand-in geometry. Canoma also supports translation sweeps or extrusion, which allows a polyline contour to be swept along a straight axis.

On-line Catalogs

You can publish a Web catalog full of Canoma models. For example, you could use Canoma to create a catalog of hard goods, such as furniture or appliances, then output it in the Metastream format.
Examples of models created for catalogs.
The Metastream format is widely distributed by Microsoft and Intel and can be downloaded for free from www.metastream.com. Metastream uses small, compact les and outputs a single le that is easy to maintain and post. Streaming a 3D image allows customers to experience instant gratication, as they manipulate a 3D object. High quality, interactive vending, all from within a standard Web browser. Canoma creates quick, low-polygon count, photorealistic models. This can be a fast, costeffective way of disseminating information, without the security risk that distributing detailed blueprints from a CAD program could introduce.

Interior/Exterior Design and Remodeling
If the project is to remodel a kitchen, bathroom or the outside of a house, a photograph session and a quick modeling sessionwithout becoming a wizardcreates a model of how the project looks right now. Repeat site visits are replaced by a photorealistic 3D model, thats always available for a design meeting. Using the texture editing feature, you and your 2D pixel editing tool, such as Painter or Photoshop, can make changes to surfaces or simulate different lighting. With Canomas animation feature, you can walk perspective clients through the suggested changes.
Web Sites, Travel and Tourism, Commercial Real Estate
A 3D preview of property can be a strong sales incentive for online travel, real estate sales, or vacation rentals. Entertainment, restaurant, and hotel information sites all benet from the photorealistic 3D models.
A Canoma model created from a photo of San Francisco. The "For Rent" sign was added using a 2D pixel editing program.
Walking through a kitchen model.
With a 3D program you can go further, changing tiles, sliding in a new dishwasher, or actually trying out planned spotlights to illuminate that kitchen counter.
Its easy to add billboards, place advertising on buses, and change detailsall in photorealistic perspective, using only Canoma and your favorite 2D image editing program. You can output the results as 3D models, rendered 2D images, or even animations.

Before

Spotlights added to a Canoma model in a 3D program. You can edit Canoma models with an image-editor.
Graphic Design and Advertising
Industrial design and graphic artists can take existing products and packaging, extract the graphics, and edit the designs. They can create animations or place a package in a different environment.
Architecture, Urban Planning, Property Development
Architects can produce rough models of areas where new buildings are planned, then integrate the photorealistic model produced in Canoma with the detailed engineering model of
the planned building, giving everyone a good preview of how a building might t into the neighborhood.

When You Have Questions

You can nd answers to most of your questions in the following ways: Canoma User Guide - Providing all the information you need to get the most out of Canoma. The User Guide is also provided as a PDF le on the Canoma CD. Online Help - Providing direct access to specic chapters in the User Guide. Online Help contains the same information as the User Guide. Adobe Acrobat Reader software is required to read online Help or the PDF version of the User Guide. Adobe Acrobat Reader software is on the Canoma CD or downloadable for free from www.adobe.com. Status line tips - Check the bottom of your screen for UI related information. Active Guide - Text can pace you through the creation and application of your rst few primitives. The Active Guide goes away after youve gained some experience or you can turn it off in the program preferences.

A Canoma model generated from a photo of the New York skyline can let you see how a new building might look in the cityscape.
Computer Game Developers and 3D Artists
With Canoma, you can quickly model a house or ofce, change some textures, add in a few monsters, and really try out ideas. 3D artists can use Canoma to create quick photorealistic clip objects that can be used to enhance existing 3D models and animations. Canoma models of complete houses or interiors can serve as starting points for more detailed 3D modeling, since they provide scene measurements and object dimensions.

About your User Guide

The Canoma User Guide is for both Macintosh and Windows. By convention, Macintosh commands precede Windows commands in the text. For example, Command/Ctrl+I, is equivalent to the Macintosh Command-I and the Windows Ctrl+I. For simplicity, the term folder refers to directories as well as folders. The Canoma interface for Macintosh and Windows platforms is identical, unless otherwise specied.
When a modier key differs between the Macintosh and Windows platform, the Macintosh modier is listed rst followed by a slash and the Windows modier key. Option/ Alt means Macintosh users press the Option key and Windows users press Alt. There are several conventions used to identify paths to certain tools and controls. The convention to a menu follows the rule of the menu name > menu item. The convention to a palette follows the rule of the palette name: subpalette name. The convention to a palette menu follows the rule of palette name: palette menu> menu item.
support duration. The length of the complimentary support period depends on whether your MetaCreations product is a Level I (receive 90 days of complimentary support for a rst-time purchase, or 30 days for an upgrade) or Level II (receive complimentary support for one incident for a rst-time or upgrade purchase) product. The support period begins with your rst call into MetaCreations Technical Support, provided you have registered the product. Toll call: 831-430-4200 Premium Pay as You Go When your standard support period ends, you can now receive priority access personal service regarding installation, conguration and general usage questions from our qualied support specialists. You pay a at fee that covers all of the necessary support for the particular incident. Toll-free call: 888-456-6382 Premium Plus Annual Contract Annual support contracts are available to meet your ongoing support needs. Sign up for an annual support agreement to receive one year of toll-free priority access personto-person assistance. Get answers to installation, conguration and general usage questions. To order toll-free call: 800-846-0111 For support toll-free call: 800-683-5872

Technical Support

MetaSupport is a portfolio of free and feebased support options designed to provide quality support to you. The options are as follows:

FREE On-line Support

On-line support is available on our Web site at www.metacreations.com 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Access a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for each product and nd solutions immediately. If, after searching our on-line options, you still need assistance, you can contact MetaCreations Technical Support through one of the Telephone Support Services listed here.

Telephone Support

Standard Support Talk person to person with technical support representatives and get answers to installation, conguration and general usage questions. Each product has its own
For a list of currently supported Level I and Level II products and the Telephone Support options pricing, please visit our web-site at www.metacreations.com.
Technicians are available Monday through Friday, 6am to 5pm Pacic Time.
System Requirements (Windows)
Pentium processor Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 32 mb free RAM (48+ mb recommended) 50 mb of hard-disk space 16 bit color (24 bit recommended) CD Rom drive (for install)

How to Contact Us

Free On-line Support: www.metacreations.com Standard Support: Toll call 831-430-4200 Premium Pay As You Go: Toll-free call 888-456-6382 Premium Plus Annual Contract: To order toll-free call: 800-846-0111 For support toll-free call: 800-683-5872
System Requirements (Macintosh)
Power PC System 8.0 or higher 32 mb free RAM (48+ mb recommended) 50 mb hard-disk space 16 bit color (24 bit recommended) CD Rom drive (for install)

International Support

The telephone support services listed here are available only in the U.S. and Canada. However, if you live outside of the U.S. and Canada, you can still access our free on-line support, and you can contact a local MetaCreations distributor or other third party that may provide technical support in your area. Visit our World Wide Web site at www.metacreations.com for information about how to contact a MetaCreations distributor in your country.

Web Installation

To install Canoma from the Web:
Go to the MetaCreations Web site. Follow the instructions on the Web site to download the appropriate self-installing executable le (Windows or Macintosh). Double-click the le to run it. Follow the instructions provided by the installer. The installation dialog displays an important ReadMe. Click Yes/Accept after reading the complete ReadMe.

Installing Canoma

Installation instructions are provided for both Windows and Macintosh. Follow the instructions appropriate to your system.
Canoma is intended for local installation only. Do not attempt to install it onto a network server.

Windows CD Installation

To install Canoma from a CD:

Canoma Installation Tip

Macintosh tip: Increase available RAM available to Canoma by allocating unused RAM to Canoma. This can allow Canoma to run faster and handle larger les or larger renderings. Be sure to leave some RAM for the system software, though! System software needs to be able to dynamically allocate RAM to itself when required.
Launch Windows. Insert the Canoma CD-ROM into your computers CD-ROM drive. The Install Canoma dialog appears. Double-click the Canoma icon. Follow the instructions provided by the installer. The installation dialog displays an important ReadMe. Click Yes after reading the complete ReadMe.
Macintosh CD Installation
To install Canoma on a Macintosh:
Insert the Canoma CD-ROM into your computers CD-ROM drive. The Install Canoma dialog appears. Double-click the Canoma icon. Follow the instructions provided by the installer. The installation dialog displays an important ReadMe. Click Accept after reading the complete ReadMe.
Introduction.24 The Canoma Workspace.24 Status Tips.28 About Canoma.28 Accessing the MetaCreations Web Site.28

Introduction

Canoma lets you quickly create 3D models from scanned or digital photographs. Canoma models can then be posted on Web sites, used in electronic catalogs, imported into traditional 3D modeling and animation software, or rendered as 2D image les.
On Windows, Canoma always runs maximized. You cant reduce the window size, although you can minimize the Canoma window, using the minimize control or switch applications, using ALT-TAB or the application buttons in the Task Bar. On the Macintosh, you can switch applications by clicking inside the window for the other application or by using the Application List. The Canoma Workspace is very exible. Several controls oat over the Workspace and can be moved by dragging them to other locations on the application workspace.

The Canoma Workspace

This section leads you through the Canoma Workspace. The rst thing youll notice about Canoma is that it doesnt have traditional oating palettes and toolbars. All of Canomas features are integrated into the Workspace, which takes over your entire screen. This helps keep everything uncluttered and easy to locate.
The Canoma Project Window
The Canoma Project Window is a square shaped window inside the Canoma application window. Its where you construct and view a Canoma model. The Project Window is used when you edit your models, manipulating object wireframes in Edit mode. Its your work area where youll pin 3D objects to picture elements. The Project Window can be resized to suit your needs (grab

The Canoma Workspace takes over your screen and provides access to the Canoma controls.
Your operating systems standard menus and windows are still available from within Canoma. You can switch between Canoma and other applications, such as 2D paint programs, Web browsers, or 3D programs.
it by the lower left corner) and moved to another part of the Canoma workspace (by the title bar.)
The Canoma Project Window is where you view your 3D models. The Canoma Project Window is where you construct 3D model.
The Project Window is also where you view the 3D models you create. The view you see of your model in the Project Window is taken through a stationary camera. You can reposition the Canoma camera in order to view your model from different angles or distances. When you view a 3D model, youre in a three dimensional space. That means you can even view your model from below or above.
Just outside the Project Window are some information displays and buttons. Along the top of the window is the title of your project and its size. To the top right of the window are three buttons that toggle display options on and off. To the bottom right of the window are buttons that let you change the color for program elements such as the background, selected objects, unselected objects, objects in the stress display, shadows, and object constraints.

Camera Controls

Use the Camera Controls to change the position and function of the viewing camera.
If youre familiar with Bryce 3D or Poser by MetaCreations, the Camera Controls feel very familiar.
The Edit and View buttons switch between: Edit mode, where you can see the wireframe objects that make up your model and
View mode, where you can see the untextured or textured 3D model.
The Camera Crosses let you move the view of the camera specically along X, Y, and Z axis. The Camera Trackball lets you rotate the camera in any direction and around any axis. The Banking and Field of View control spheres tilt your Camera and act like a wide-angle lens control. Refer to Positioning the View of Your Model on page 102 for more about positioning the camera around your model.
uses that placement information to create a 3D model, which can then be covered with the pixels from your photographs.
Use the scrollbar on the Creation Tab to view all the objects you can choose.
Refer to Working with Objects on page 77 for more about the Creation Tab.

The Toolbar

The Canoma Toolbar holds the tools youll use to manipulate objects, view your work, and apply or edit textures. Click a button to activate that tool. The Toolbar contains (from left to right):
Use the Camera Controls to adjust the position of the 3D viewing camera.

Arrow (select, pin, or apply beads) Glue (glue objects together) Zoom and Pan (move into, away from, or around your scene) Point Pen (add/delete polyline contour points) Texture Brush (change textures at a pixel level) Quick and Quality Textures (apply photograph pixels as textures for your 3D scene)

The Creation Tab

The Creation Tab contains the 3D objects, like boxes, rectangles, and even editable polyline contours. Select one of these 3D objects, position it, then pin it to an element in your photograph. Once pinned into place, Canoma
When a tool is selected, it is highlighted in the Toolbar. At the top of the Toolbar is a title that identies which tool is active.
project. Refer to Using 2D Source Images on page 74 for more about using the 2D Image Views window.

The Canoma Toolbar.

Selecting Objects
You can use the Object List to easily select an object in your scene. The Information button brings up a dialog of object settings for the selected object. You can even switch into Solo Mode, where its easier to see just the object that youre working with.
The 2D Image palette. Click the Information button for object settings, then use Solo Mode to focus on one object at a time.

Texture Controls

The Texture Controls apply the pixels of your photograph to your 3D model. You can use Quick Texture (fast) or Quality Texture (slower, uses more memory, but looks better.) You can also use the Texture Resolution popup to choose a resolution setting for the textures you apply.

2D Image Palette

A thumbnail of your photograph is displayed on the 2D Image Palette. This is a thumbnail of the active image. The 2D Image Palette opens downward to reveal all the photographs in your
Choose Quick or Quality Texture, as well as a resolution setting.
Refer to Working with Texture on page 97 for more information about adding Texture.

The Animation Tab

The Animation Tab holds the controls you need to use in order to quickly dene key frames and set options to create an animation. Move the camera, take a snapshot, move the camera, take another snapshot, then Canoma completes the work by interpolating between the keyframes youve snapped or lling in the gaps.
each. Use Status Tips to browse around the work area and become familiar with Canoma tools, palettes, and dialogs.

Check here for Status Tips
Status Tips help you become familiar with Canoma tools, palettes, and dialogs.

About Canoma

The Animation Controls.
You can view information about which version of Canoma you are using.
The Animation Tab contains controls for adding and deleting keyframes, a looping option, a way to set the playback duration, and buttons for previewing your animation. Refer to Previewing an Animation on page 117 for more about the animation controls.
To see Canoma information:

Click the word Canoma.

The Menu Bar
The Canoma Menu Bar contains eight menus: the File menu, the Edit menu, the View menu, the Model menu, the Texture menu, the Animation menu, the Window menu, and the Help menu. These menus provide another method of access to the Canoma feature set.
Accessing the MetaCreations Web Site
You can access the MetaCreations Web Site directly from within the Canoma program.
To access the MetaCreations Web Site:

Status Tips

As you move the cursor over an element of the Canoma workspace, text in the lower right corner of the screen explains the purpose of
Click the word MetaCreations. This launches your browser and opens the MetaCreations Web Site.

Advanced Modeling

Whats in this Chapter:
Modeling Objects.120 Establishing Perspective.123 Creating the Same Orientation.124 Duplicating Objects.125 Freeing Necessary Parameters.126 Monitoring Stress in the Model.126 Using Glue to Align Objects.127

Canoma User Guide

Modeling Objects
Canoma is great for generating models of manmade objects, almost on any scalefrom objects on top of a tabletop, to furnished interiors and buildings, to entire cities. Canoma is not aimed at modeling highly irregular or complex objects, such as mountains, trees or human beings. MetaCreations has other great software for doing all of those, such as Bryce 3D for landscapes and Poser 3 for human models. Canoma works by combining well known techniques of perspective projection, rst discovered during the renaissance in Italy, with the latest in mathematical techniques and interactive user interface design. Requiring relatively little user input, Canoma tries to nd parameters such as: camera location focal length (zoom) object positions object orientations object dimensions.

Adding Source Images

For most projects many photographs are available. In general, that is preferable, because multiple images provide views from different angles, making determination of perspective and object dimensions more accurate. Sometimes, only one source image is available. For the single image case, it is often important to provide additional information to Canoma. For example, when you create an object, you have a choice of creating it on the ground plane or on top of another object. You can also tell Canoma that a new object has the same orientation as the currently selected one. By default, objects rotate independently. By telling Canoma that two objects have the same orientation, Canoma has to gure out one less parameter (rotation.) Perspective projection can be ambiguous. For example, does an object appear to be large because it is very close to the camera (but small in size) or does it appear to be small because it is far away from the camera (but huge in size.) Both might look the same on a photograph. Because of this, additional information must be provided in the form of on creation constraints or subsequent pin, bead or glue constraints. If you only have a single image project, the on creation constraints become essential, and it is advisable to learn and use them. If multiple images are available, these initial constraints become less critical, although they can still be very useful for improve model accuracy. While the mathematics of these constraints can be complicated, their appearance and meaning is easily understood. It is not necessary to have a deep understanding of the mathematics to effectively make models with Canoma.
Initially, most parameters are free to take on any value. The process of mapping 3D objects by adding pins, beads or glue constrains parameters into taking on correct values. As you begin modelingand while you have only very few pins or beads placed on the wireframe objectsthere may be a lot of parameter combinations that could satisfy your constraints. When that is the case, objects may seem to rotate freely or change depth arbitrarily. But, as you add more constraints, you will literally pin down the parameter needs for your model.
Free vs. Constrained Parameters
Usually scenes are modeled from the ground up. Working from a ground plane, you place objects on the ground, then place objects on top of those, and so on. By default, you cannot have an object just oating in space. These restrictions make modeling a lot easier. Each object in the Canoma world has a location in three-dimensional space (called the origin, with an x, y, and z coordinate). Each object has three rotation parameters to dene its orientation in space. Finally, each object has a number of additional parameters based on its type. For example, a box may have width (the X axis), height (the Y axis), and length (the Z axis), whereas a rectangle has only length and width. The task Canoma has is to gure out reasonable values for all these parameters. To reduce the workload, by default we reduce the number of parameters that have to be determined. So, objects are created on the ground plane (xing their origin Y-coordinate to 0) and can only rotate around a vertical axis, xing the other two rotation angles at 0. degrees. When you create an object on top of another object, again its origins Y (height) coordinate is not free, but bound to however high its base object is. If you create an object aligned with another one, instead of having to gure out 2 vertical axis independent rotations, Canoma only has to nd a single, common rotation angle. The more information you can provide about an object when it is created, the better. In general, the default constraints are useful, sometimes you may have to change them: for example if you know an object is not sitting on the ground plane or if it has an arbitrary orientation. In those cases you can unlock some or all of the xed parameters.

For example, to allow an object to oat up or down arbitrarily, unlock its origins Ycoordinate. To allow it any orientation in space, unlock all rotations. You should really only do this when you have multiple images of the object from different angles, since Canoma now needs more information, since it has more parameters to gure out. In general, the more (correct) information you provide to Canoma the better. Use the on creation constraints (on Floor/on Top, aligned, concentric etc.) whenever you can and only place pins or beads where you can actually see object corners or edges.
Misleading Canoma and Stressing a Model
It is also important not to mislead Canoma. For example, if you tell it a block has the same orientation as another one, but they really do not, then Canoma will yield inaccurate results and the model will feel stressed or unnatural. The same is true for pins or beads that you placeif you do not see a corner of an object, dont place a pin where you think it might be, since chances are you will not be putting it into the right place. Canoma does not know that youre estimating a corner and instead tries to accommodate your input as the truth. Misleading pins can cause inaccurate models and unexpected discrepancies between the displayed wireframe and the 3D preview. There is a Stress Display, in case you notice such discrepancies. This display helps pinpoint which pins or beads feel the most wrong to Canoma and might have been placed by accident or as the result of an incorrect guess. Refer to Avoiding Model Stress on page 96 for more information about using Canomas Stress Display. In these cases, you are better off deleting the offending pins or beads.

Canoma

In some cases, you can throw Canoma off spectacularly. For example if you glue the top of an object to the base of another one that is actually standing on the oor. The wireframe will move in big jumps in a proverbial boing like motion. If this happens, chances are high that youve provided some wrong input. Its best to Undo (always available) and try again perhaps you just accidentally glued a wireframe to the wrong corner or edge. In Canoma, you can Undo up to 10 times in a row. You can also redo what youve undone.
For example, if you want to make a number of objects line up, just create a Guide Line object and glue those objects to the Guide Line. If you only glue a corner of an object, that corner is on the Guide Line, but the orientation of the object is still arbitrary. If you create an object aligned to a Guide Line or glue two corners of an object to a Guide Line, youve xed the orientation of the object to be parallel with the Guide Line.
Listening to the Canoma Heartbeat
Canoma is almost always active. Unlike a draw or a paint program, which only reacts when you have the mouse button down, Canoma tries to calculate decent parameter values, even after you let go of a pin or bead. If your model is consistent and not under a lot of stress, this heartbeat is almost unnoticeable. Nothing much changes on the screen after you stop moving a constraint. On the other hand, if you provide inconsistent input, Canoma tries to nd reasonable parameter values regardless of the incorrect pins or beads. When this happens, it can take a few seconds. During those seconds, you might see wireframes changenot just the object you manipulated, but potentially all the objects in your scene. Canoma tries to minimize the stress (or errors) across all objects simultaneously. A heartbeat display shows Canomas level of activity.

You can also create a Guide Line or a Guide Line on top of another object and then glue one of its endpoints to a corner of another object that is oating in space. The other objects corner is then forced to lie at the same height as the Guide Line (which by default is horizontal by the way.) This can be handy to constrain contour points on a translation sweep for example. Refer to Objects with Editable Polyline Contours. on page 85 for more about translation sweeps. If you want to make a box with equal length and width, just create a Guide Line, glue it to the corners along one side, duplicate the Guide Line object and glue the copy along the other side of the box. Since the Guide Line objects have the same lengths, they force the box to have equal length and width. You can create temporary helper objects just for the purpose of attaching other objects and later on delete the helper objects. Be careful though. As you delete the helper object, all of its constraints (such as glue) are deleted and this can cause (depending on how you constructed them) other objects to move. Guide Line helper objects are particularly useful because they do not show up in the 3D Preview or 3D le format exports, so you so not need to delete them.

Using Geometric Tricks

If you are an architect or designer, you are probably familiar with geometry in your daily work. You can apply this knowledge to modeling in Canoma.
Another example of when a temporary object is useful is for establishing perspective. If you can see tiles on a oor, they might serve as a good starting point to establish perspective. Begin by modeling those. Later, after you add more objects, and maybe a ground plane or oor rectangle, you can delete the original helper tiles (since they are very close - coplanar - with the oor, leaving them in might cause rendering artifacts in the 3D preview or in exported le formats. If you are modeling a small object on a tabletop that does not really have very explicit shapes (lots of bevels for example), just place a cardboard box (like the one this software came in) alongside your difcult object. Model the cardboard box rst to establish perspective and then continue with your actual objects. Later, you can delete the box (or scaffold) object.

those objects. These have too many free parameters and do not help establish a good camera perspective.
Use simple objects to establish camera perspective.

Establishing Perspective

Starting Simple
Start modeling with simple objects rst, like boxes. These have few internal parameters and help establish a perspectivethe camera position, orientation, and focal lengthfor your scene. Starting with a box is always a good idea. Dont start with a translation sweep, a polygon, or a curtain. Refer to Objects with Editable Polyline Contours. on page 85 for more about

Modeling the First Image

Its tempting to load in all your images, do a box in one image, switch to another image, try to pin the box there, then go back to the rst image to create another object. This is not the best way to get good results. Choose a good rst picture, one that shows a lot of your scene. Model a few objects in that picture, maybe 3 to 10, before even thinking about loading additional images. Once youve done some modeling, then add another image. Using this method, it is easier for Canoma to
orient models correctly, because it is less likely to confuse rough alignment orientation, than when only one Box or Rectangle is present.
Just having the box there initially helps Canoma establish perspective. After a perspective is determined, adding more objects "solidies" it to such an extent that the temporary helper object can then be deleted.
Model several objects in the rst picture, before loading in additional photos.
Using Temporary Helper Objects
Use temporary objects to bootstrap perspective. For example, suppose there is a staircase or translation sweep that needs to be modeled as part of your scene. Try using a box for that element and pinning it into place, even though you know youll replace it later with the staircase or translation sweep.
Temporary objects help establish perspective.
Creating the Same Orientation
Sometimes several objects will share the same orientation. A good example of this is skyscrapers in a typical american grid-like city layout. When this is the case, let Canoma know. Select one object whose orientation is the same as the one you are about to create. When you create the new object, hold down the Shift key. The two objects will then always be at the same orientation. This improves the quality of your
3D model. It also improves the accuracy of Canoma, since there will be fewer independent parameters (rotations in this case) to calculate.

Duplicating Objects

When you duplicate objects that have the same dimensions, it results in a more precise model. This is especially useful if you have only one source image. In the following example, all the balconies are known to be of equal size. After the rst box was created and pinned, Edit menu > Duplicate was used for subsequent balconies.

Select an object whose orientation is the same as the object you are about to create, then use Shift-Create on top to lock in that orientation.
All the balconies are known to be of equal size.
With orientation locked to rst object.
In this case, since the balconies are not only the same size but even share the same orientation, Shift + Cmd/Ctrl + (D)uplicate can be used to create aligned clones. If you wanted to get extra fancy you could put spacer objects (like a Guide Line) between them, also duplicated, to ensure that equal spacing between the boxes is also maintained. That's not necessary in this case, but could be handy in other circumstances.
Freeing Necessary Parameters
Each object in your model has parameters, such as a location in three dimensions (X,Y,Z) and an orientation (3 angles). In addition, each object has type-specic parameters. For example, a box has length, width and height. Canoma tries to calculate out all these parameters. To make it easier, Canoma xes certain parameters to begin with. For example, all objects are by default created on the ground plane, i.e. their Y-location is initially xed at 0 (except for on-top objects, which start life at Y=height of their base object.) Similarly, objects are by default only able to rotate around their vertical axis (the X-axis). The other two orientation angles are held xed at 0 degrees. In many situations that works just ne, but sometimes youll need to free some of these parameters to avoid getting a wrong model. A typical "problem" case is a computer monitor. You might be tempted to model the computer screen in front of you. But if you look closely, the monitor is usually on a stand, so it does not rest on the table plane, but rather slightly above it. Second, a monitor is usually tilted slightly backwards.
Rotations button. This allows a selected object to freely rotate in space, like tilting the monitor backwards.
Unx all rotations in order to position the monitor.
Refer to Checking Object Information on page 89 for more about setting object parameters. Be careful. Freeing parameters comes at a cost. In order to gure out what the height or the other rotations should be, Canoma needs more information. This can come from additional source images or you may be able to use glue as described later in this chapter. To be safe, only unx parameters when you have multiple source images with which to work.
To selectively free up necessary parameters:
Select Model menu > Unx Y parameter. This allows an object to oat in height, just what is needed for the monitor to rise a little above the table. Select Model menu > Unx all rotations or bring up the Object Information dialog for that object and click the Unx all

Monitoring Stress in the Model
When you specify pins and beads in your source images, imagine that you are applying little springs between where you place them and the wireframe beneath. As long as the pins and beads are consistent with perspective projection, everything is ne. But in theory, you can pull a corner of a box to some wildly wrong
location. The wireframe follows (beads try to, but will eventually separate from their edge). When this happens, the underlying 3D model is no longer be what you expect. Normally, this does not happen, but it can in the following circumstances:
Canoma tries to minimize stress across all the pins and beads that you place. Sometimes a single wrong pin can introduce a lot of stress. It is best to either delete or correct that wayward pin.
You model a beveled or round object and cannot see corners, so you "guesstimate" where the pins should be. You could guess wrongly. You misinterpret the wireframe and put a pin in a spot where it really just should not be.
A good way to monitor model stress is to use the Stress Display frequently. Turn the Stress Display On to check for differences between the wireframes you placed and the 3D objects Canoma constructed according to your pin and bead instructions. Another way to detect stress is to watch when you delete a suspected pin or bead, if the wireframe jumps a lot before settling down again (the proverbial "boing" in our spring analogy), something is wrong. You can always undo the deletion to see if another pin on the object is the real culprit.
Sometimes a single wrong pin can introduce a lot of stress. Here, the lower left pin causes stress, because the building sits on a slope.
Using Glue to Align Objects
If you know that certain objects are connected, you can tell Canoma, just by using glue. This is useful when you have only a single source photograph in your project. When you have multiple photographs, Canoma can usually gure out on its own that objects are supposed to be connected. For increased model quality, it can still be a good idea to add this information via glue. The usefulness and techniques for creating glue will now be explained in more detail.
To create aligned objects, you can use the Align option when creating an object. Glue, however, is more exible and allows objects to actually be connected, not just aligned.
Using Point To Point Glue
Dont "overglue"
Glue point to point by Cmd/Ctrl + dragging one point over the other.
Typical situation. Several rectangles are joined using glue.

Done. The object moves to satisfy the glue and shows a circle as feedback that there is glue between points.
The rst rectangle is joined using 2 point to point glue operations. You can see the rings indicating glue.
To attach the second rectangle and force it to be the same height as the rst vertical one, glue their adjoining bottom corners together. There is no need to put glue at the top corners. The nal glue is applied at the far left corner.
Glue one corner of the roof. Attaching the second rectangle.

Then another.

A box with a roof created on top of it.

Using Point to Edge Glue

When the points of two objects do not coincide, but you know that the point of one object lies on the edge of the other object, you can use Point to edge glue.
And, nally a third. Three is enough, that determines the orientation and size of the roof's base.
Create point to edge glue by Cmd/Ctrl + dragging one point over the other objects edge.
The object moves to satisfy the glue and shows a circle to indicate that there is glue between the points. The glued object can still slide along the edge, but the corner point always stays on the edge.
Once the roof base is glued, you can pull up the roof to the desired height with a bead (or you could use pins at the corners).
Point to edge glue can also be applied when a glued object isnt actually touching the other object. Since the glued object is free to slide
along the edge, it can even slide "off" the edge. (In fact, mathematically it still slides along the extension of the edge.)
A glued object can slide along or even off an edge.
Here is an aligned box (created using Shift during creation). Its corners are glued to the indicated vertical edges of the other box.
In this case, the two object fronts are aligned.
Another way to do align two objects is to create a Guide Line object (which is only visible in wireframe mode, so you don't need to worry about it messing up your model), then glue both objects front corners to the Guide Line object.
The result after gluing. The bottom of the new box is still xed to the ground plane. But you can let if oat up by selecting Model menu > unx Y parameter, then use some beads to move the bottom of the box upwards.
Positioning an Object on the Side of Another.
And this is the result. The new box is attached very neatly to the big box and can slide up or down as required.
The result after 2 Edge-to-edge glue operations.

Creating a Balcony

This technique allows a new object to be attached entirely within the face, rather than to the edges of another object.
The small box's back is now forced to lie on the side face of the big box. It is still sitting on the ground plane. Once again, select Model menu > unx Y parameter and use beads to move the little box upwards.

Use an Edge-to-edge glue. Cmd/Ctrl + click the top back edge of the small box and glue it to each of the front vertical edges of the big box as indicated.
Voila1 A balcony, neatly glued to the side of a big box, but still free to slide up or down and to change width and height.
A real world example. The two balconies were modeled using this technique.
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