Matrix 5 PRIMARY TUTORIALS
Working with Bitmaps: Page 1
Working with Bitmaps and leave more space in between each one for
Learn to place a background bitmap in the viewports and trace it more gradual curves.
with Curve tools, creating a closed curve. Use the Edit Points or
Control Points commands to fine-tune the shape once you are 6 Remember that you can edit an Interp Curve
done. Finally, use Extrude Planar Curves to make the shape
into a solid block. using Edit Points or Control Points. Edit
Points allows you to move each edit point
independently. You can highlight several points if
Primary-Level Skills
you wish to move them as a group. Control Points
allows you to control the steepness of the curve.
When you’re done adjusting your curve with these
Place Extrude Planar Curves commands, you have to tell Matrix to stop the
Background Bitmap command. This is done by hitting the Escape key
Edit Points twice.
Interp Curve
7 Try another one! Job Bag your letter “M” and
Control Points
click on Hide Background Bitmap to throw
out the bitmap currently showing in the viewports.
Find the same folder as above and click on the
1 It is very easy to bring a bitmap image into
Shoe Only bitmap file to place it in the Looking
Matrix. First, start with a fresh viewport by clicking
Down viewport. Again select the two points for
on File and New. Go to the View fly-out either corner of the bitmap to place it.
menu. Click on the Place Background Bitmap
icon.
2 The bitmap file is located in the C: DGMatrix53
> Demos > Curves folder. Select the file called
“The M” to open.
3 You will now be prompted to create a
8 Using the Interp Curve tool, begin tracing
rectangle in the Looking
each part of the shoe, using the Point o-snaps to
Down viewport that will tell Matrix where you want
connect the start and end points of the curves.
the Background Bitmap to be placed. The
Command line at the top of your screen should now Click on Hide Background Bitmap in the
say “First Corner”. In the Looking Down viewport, View fly-out menu to see your progress.
click your left mouse button wherever you’d like to
position the first corner of your bitmap.
4 Now it says “Second corner or length:” in the
Command Line. Pull the cursor in a diagonal
direction until you arrive at the desired size. Click
the mouse one more time to position your bitmap.
5 Now, using the Interp Curve command,
trace the “M”. It is a good idea to turn your
Grid Snaps off at this point so that
you can follow the curve of the “M” faithfully. Each If need be, use Show Background Bitmap
time you click, you create an edit point. Space again to adjust the curves.
these points closer together to create tight curves
Matrix 5 PRIMARY TUTORIALS
Working with Bitmaps: Page 2
9 Make sure all of the curves are closed!! Tips for using background bitmaps:
Then, select each curve one-by-one and click on
9 This is the process that you would use to bring
Extrude Planar Curves in the Solid fly-out
logos or family crest images into Matrix as well.
menu to create solid shapes.
9 Images can be acquired from the Internet, a
scanner, digital pictures or even an image that
was created in another program.
9 Some of the file formats that are compatible
with Matrix are bitmaps, targa, jpeg, tiff and
more.
9 Once an image has been saved to your hard
drive, simply go into Matrix and run the Place
Background Bitmap command to navigate to
the place where it was saved.
