ArchiCAD + Normals

[ZuluQ]

If is useful for anybody, i notice that when im importing geometry from ArchiCAD all the normals come inverted, so, if u are getting weird things, specially with glass and you imported from ArchiCAD, u just have to reverse normal (cinema's function menu->reverse normals) and voila! :wink:

[hiro]

how do you export the ARchiCAD modell?
.3ds?

or do you use the exchabge plugin?

Greetings

[ZuluQ]

I use the exchange plugin, i thinks is easier, mostly for updates of the model in a desing process.

[adri]

I'm using the same plugin but I can't see any problems...yet.

how do you tell if normals have been reversed?

TIA

Adri

[ZuluQ]

I've notice that wierd things happening when i put a glass material in my windows, mostly strange refractions, and i didnt know what to do, so in the first place i replace the windows (imported from ArchiCAD) with c4d geometry. But it was so slow that way, then i read in some thread here about normals, and i tryed that, and it works. You can see the normals direction in cinema when you are in polygonal mode and also uncheck selected only in the following path: Edit (on the view menu)->configure (shift+V) or configure all (Alt + V, if you want to configure all the views at the same time)->Display tab, there you find it. Then you can see a little line that coming out of the center of the polygon, this indicate the direction of the normals, if you have a cube for example, and dont see the lines outwards, the normals are reversed, if u want to change the direction, selected the polygons you want to reverse, go to function->reverse normals, if u want to reverse all the polygons at the same time, select the entire object, not polygons, and go to function reverse normals.

I hope this information is useful.