Showcase Walk Through

[devin]

Hello all. I'm very new to Showcase. I am just trying to create a walk through. I click on "EDIT" > "WALK ZONE" > "MAKE WALK ZONE". So after Showcase does this. How exactly do I view this walk through? I can't find any tutorials on this. Am I missing a step somewhere?

Thanks.

[cikho]

actually you quite misunderstood the function of the walk zone 🙂

let me try to explain:

the walkzone it's defined by a surface. in fact it limits the camera movement, confing it inot the boundaries of this surface. it also changes the way arrow up/down and left/right keys works..

in the standard setup up/down is the zoom while right/left is the camera turn around pivot.

when a walk zone is set, up/down simulates a walk ahead and back, while right and left.. well.. you got it i guess 🙂

this is supposed to let you move as a first person game..

tu turn the camera around you can use this function combined to the lookaround camera tool you find in the bar on the right (the icon looks like a double curved arrow).

the surface defines the boundaries inside which these controls can be used, and links the camera eight to a certain value in order to simulate the user's eight.. not sure where this can be set tho.

so, basically if you go ahead in a certain direction, as it would happen in a FPS game, once you reach the border of the walkzone surface the camera will stop moving.. like the user was bouncing into a virtual wall starting from the surface boundarie.

so, the walkzone does not automatically create a "walkthrough" animation, but let's you move around as you were actually "moving through" your environment.

if you need to create such an animation, you can create different animated shots (press T for the shots menu) and then put them togheter in a slide (press U for the slide menu).

using the slide timeline is quite easy, but if you need any help for this also, just ask 😄

[devin]

are there Tutorials somewhere where I can learn all this? I can't seem to find anything worth while. 

[cikho]

http://www.youtube.com/user/LandryMarion

everything you need is in marion's youtube channel! 🙂

she's an autodesk emplyee and browses the forums every day..

she posts tutorials on youtube regulary, so just browse her channel and i'm pretty sure you'll find everything you need

[devin]

So is there really a difference between the 3 options from Revit to Showcase? Does Showcase know you sent a Revit file to It using either Conceptual Model Interactive Walk Through or Realistic Presentation? I still can't seem to figure out how to actually create an Interactive Walk Through that I can send to my client. Where can I find a tutorial showing me this?

Thanks.

[MarionLandry]

HI,

I actually don't have any tips and tricks on walkzone. 

The concept behind walkzone if that you are delimiting an area to walk and preventing to walk through walls and such. 

You are NOT creating a walk through. It's up to your client to walk werever he wants to walk. If you want to create a Walkthrough yourself and send a video of that to your client, you need to create multiple animated shots. 

You can look at some of my tips and tricks on animated shots I am sure it will shed some lights. 

Marion

[devin]

Okay that makes sense. However I still can't find a way to "EXPORT" this Walk Zone so that I can send it to my client so they would be able to view it with the Showcase viewer. How do I do that? I can't find any info on this procedure. 

Thanks

[MarionLandry]

HI,

this is your reply: However I still can't find a way to "EXPORT" this Walk Zone so that I can send it to my client so they would be able to view it with the Showcase viewer. How do I do that?

You don't... 

You are not thinking about it the right way. 

What you do is you organize your scene into a Story board presentation while using: Shots, alternative, environment, behavior and cross section. You can also calculate a walk zone. Then you send the scene to your client (this is one way to do it) and they look at it using the SHowcase Viewer. They will walk through your scene themselves or use the storyboard slides to view it the way you want to show it. 

It's kind of hard to explain.. but you need to think about it in a different way.. have a look at this video: http://youtu.be/BAQo4-ULi1w

Marion

[devin]

You say send "IT" what am I sending? The actual Showcase file? I have viewed that video before. That's why I'm confused. I understand the Term Walkthrough isn't accurate. Not sure why Revit and Showcase use it. From what I'm seeing i'm creating an interactive "enviroment". Is that a more accurate way to say it? So at this point I need to know what "FILE" am I sending to my client. Is it the actual Showcase file I have been working in?

Thanks

[cikho]

yes ypu have to share either the showcase file and its folder or a zip package (save as, choose zip package from the dropdown menu)

OR, you can actually create a slide or a series of slides and then export a pre rendered movie..

basically showcase can be used both intercatively or "premade" it's up to you what you want to show to your client..

for example, if you wish to show a series of animations that you have in mind, in a certain order (kinda like a presentation), than maybe you can export a rendered version of your slides..

vice versa, if you want to give the client the ability to look around freely in the scene, then the interactiveness of showcase is what'you need, and you'll better use the zip package and a link to the showcase viewer

[devin]

What do you mean I "have to share either the showcase file and its folder" Why would I need to share a folder? And by share do you mean email it to them? I'm just trying to understand your termonology and making sure I understand.

Thanks  

[devin]

I created a Zip file and it is larger than the original Showcase file. Is that normal?

[cikho · Accepted solution]

the show case file only contains instructions in a text format so it's pretty small..

for example camera coordinates, material colors and other values..

urls to where a certain file is located..

you can test it by opening the .a3s file with a text editor like the notepad..

whatever is inside the scene, converted geometry, textures and other stuff, is actually placed into a specific folder that schowcase creates when you save your scene.

this is the flder i was talking about.. and the reason why the showcase zipped file is way larger than the showcase file itself, it's because the zipped package already contains this folder..

you could have opened it and discover this by yourself BTW 🙂

and yes, by "share" i mean whatever kind of sharing you want..

-e-mail

-we transfer

-dropbox

-bring a laptop with you and show the scene to your client

-screen sharing using skype

there are a lot of ways of sharing a content, showcase doesn't have any difference than any other content, simply your client needs to have the viewer.

i don't know what you need to do with your file man, is up to you