Getting started

The Body design tab:

In this tab, you can design all the body panels and interior of the vehicle. There is a body design panel with a toolbar on the left of it and an information panel on the right of it. The toolbar on the left is used to design the body using 'Body design elements'. Click here to learn more about body design elements. The information panel on the right shows the information about the selected body design item and also allows us to modify its properties.

Body design items can be selected by clicking them on the body design panel. It will appear red when selected and the information panel on the right will display its information. By holding the right 'Ctrl' key and clicking multiple items, you can select multiple items. All the selected items will appear orange and only the top selected will appear red. You can select through items by holding the right 'Shift' key while multi-selecting. This means that you can skip-out the current top selected item from selection by holding the right 'Shift' key and clicking the next item to be selected. Clicking a blank region on the panel will deselect all the selected items. Pressing 'A' on the keyboard will select all the items.

You can displace the view in the body design panel right-left or up-down by holding the right 'Ctrl' key and dragging the view with mouse click. You can zoom-in and zoom-out the view using mouse-wheel or using two-finger swipe on the touchpad. Alternatively, you can also zoom-in and zoom-out by holding the right 'Shift' key and dragging the view vertically.

On the top of the body design panel, there are buttons for five orthographic views and a 3D view. Using these, you can view the body design in 'Right view', 'Left view', 'Front view', 'Rear view', 'Top view' and '3D view'. You can also select the Paint color and Livery from the dropdown lists above the body design panels. You have to add paint colors and liveries for these lists in the 'Materials' tab.

When in the 3D view, you can rotate the view by dragging the view with mouse click. You can displace the view right-left or up-down by holding the right 'Ctrl' key and dragging the view with mouse click. You can zoom-in and zoom-out the view using mouse-wheel or using two-finger swipe on the touchpad. Alternatively, you can also zoom-in and zoom-out by holding the right 'Shift' key and dragging the view vertically. There are some special keys with some functionality while in 3D view. These keys and their functionalities are described below.

Buttons of the toolbar and their functionality is described below.

Clear all button : This button deletes all the body design items and gives the user clean working space.

Generate body button : This button generates a complete body with all the body panels and interior tailored to the vehicle layout parameters. User gust have to modify this body to his desired design.

Reset view button : This button centers the vehicle view in the body design panel and resets the zoom.

Add node button : This button adds a node to the body design panel. Click this button, then click anywhere on the body design panel.

Add arc button : This button adds an arc to the body design panel. Select any two nodes/sNodes with one as topselected, then click this button to add an arc.

Add surf button : This button adds a surf to the body design panel. Select two three or four arcs/sArcs/jArcs, then click this button to add a surf. selected arcs/sArcs/jArcs should make a closed loop.

Add sNode button : This button adds a sNode to a surf. Select a surf then click this button to add a sNode to it.

Add sArc button : This button adds a sArc to a surf. Select a surf, then select select two nodes/sNodes with one as topselected, then click this button to add sArc. Selected nodes/sNodes should lie on the same surf.

Add sSurf button : This button adds a sSurf to a surf. Select a surf, then select three or four arcs/sArcs/jArcs, then click this button to add a sSurf. Selected arcs/sArcs/jArcs should make a closed loop and should lie on the same surf.

Add jArc button : This button joins arcs/sArcs to make a jArc. Select some arcs/sArcs then click this button to add a jArc. The jArc can be made of only arcs or only sArcs and not both. All the selected arcs/sArcs sould be connected to one another like a chain.

Add sGroup button : This button adds a sGroup that contains surfs/sSurfs. Select some surfs/sSurfs then click this button to form a sGroup.

Include/exclude surface button : This button includes surfaces/subsurfaces in a sGroup or excludes surfaces/subsurfaces from a sGroup. Select all the surfaces/subsurfaces to Include/exclude and topselect the sGroup and press this button. If surfaces/subsurfaces are already in this sGroup, they will be excluded otherwise they will be included in the sGroup.

Allign button : This button will allign the top selected body design item with the other selected item.

Mirror button : This button mirrors the coordinates of the top selected item with the other selected item.

Straighten arc button : This button straightens the selectedarc/sArc/jArc.

Match tangent button : This button matches the tangent of the top selected arc with the other selected arc or surf.

Curvaturize jArc button : This button curvaturizes the selected jArc to the curvature governed by its control point.

Separate edge button : If an arc/sArc is shared by multiple surfaces/subsurfaces, then this button will create multiple arcs, one for each surface.

Split arc button : This button splits the selected arc/sArc into two arcs/sArcs. If this arc/sArc is being used in a surf/sSurf, then you will also get a jArc on splitting.

Dissolve node button : This button dissolve the selected node/sNode that is common between two arcs/sArcs to make a single arc/sArc. It is reverse of the process 'split arc'. This action can't be performed if the node/sNode is used in more than two arcs/sArcs.

Weave through button : This button deletes the selected arc and creare two arcs: one from the node#1 of the selected arc to the topselected node and other from the topselected node to the node#2 of the selected arc.

Invert surf button : This button inverts the direction the selected surf is facing by inverting the order of its bounding arcs.

Reorient surf button : This button reorients the selected surf by cycling the order of its bounding arcs. It is useful sometimes on surfs with three bounding arcs.

Increase/decrease surface edges button : This button increases or decreases the number of edges of a surface/subsurface. Select a surface/subsurface and topselect a node on its edge. If the node is between two edges, the edges will join together and become one edge. If the node is on one edge then the edge will split at the node and become two edges.

Split surf button : This button will split the selected surface at topselected arc. End points of the arc must lie on the edge of the surface. If arc is sArc on the surface, two subsurfaces will be created. If the surface is a subsurface, then two surfaces will be created.

Insert subsurfaces button : This button will create a web of five subsurfaces on a surface.

Extrude/intrude button : This button will extrude/intrude the topselected surface and create side surfaces for each of its edges. Drag the panel with mouse click to translate the surface to the desired location. Alternatively, you can put the transform values in the transform pane at the bottom right of the Body Design tab.

Roots select button : This button selects all the root items of the selected items. Roots items are items that are used to create other items like nodes are root to arcs, arcs are root to surfs, sNodes are root to surfs an so on.

Sweep surf button : This button sweeps an arc into a surface. Drag the panel with mouse click to translate the arc to the desired location. Alternatively, you can put the transform values in the transform pane at the bottom right of the Body Design tab.

Straighten edge surf button : If an arc is shared between two surfaces, this button adjusts the control point of the arc so that two surfaces look continuous at the joining edge.

Undo button : This button reverses any action you perform in the body design panel. Upto 10 actions can be undoed.

Redo button : This button redoes the undoed actions. If you perform any action after undo, you wouldn't be able to redo the undoed actions.

Delete button : This button deletes the selected item. Only one item at a time can be deleted. If the item is used by other item/items, then the item can't be deleted.

Move button : This button translates a group of selected items to a desired location. All the root items of the selected items should also be selected. To perform this action, select the desired items with their root items then press this button. Drag the panel with mouse click to translate the items to the desired location. Alternatively, you can put the transform values in the transform pane at the bottom right of the Body Design tab.

Rotate button : This button rotates a group of selected items around a center. If there is a topselected node/sNode, then it will be the center of rotation otherwise the geometric center of all the selected items will be the center of rotation. All the root items of the selected items should also be selected. To perform this action, select the desired items with their root items then press this button. Drag the panel with mouse click to rotate the items by a desired angle. Alternatively, you can put the transform values in the transform pane at the bottom right of the Body Design tab.

Scale button : This button scales a group of selected items around a center. If there is a topselected node/sNode, then it will be the center of scaling otherwise the geometric center of all the selected items will be the center of scaling. All the root items of the selected items should also be selected. To perform this action, select the desired items with their root items then press this button. Drag the panel with mouse click to scale the items by a desired factor. Alternatively, you can put the transform values in the transform pane at the bottom right of the Body Design tab.

Merge into button : This button merges the top selected item into other selected item. This is required when you have redundant items.

Duplicate button : This button duplicates a group of selected items. After duplication, 'Move' button will automatically be activated and you can move the duplicated items to a desired location or you can apply other transforms as well.

Mirror duplicate button : This button duplicates a group of selected items from left to right or from right to left in a mirrored way.

Hide selected button : This button hides all the selected items.

Hide unselected button : This button hides all the items that are not selected.

Unhide button : This button unhides all the hidden items.

Save sGroup button : This button saves an sGroup as a .sgp file.

Load sGroup button : This button loads a .sgp file containing a sGroup.

Load mesh button : This button loads a .msh file containing a mesh.

Export UVs button : This button exports UV map of a surf, sSurf, sGroup or a mesh as a PNG image file. This is useful in creating materials with texture mapping for these items.

Export body UVs button : This button exports UV map all the body panels as a PNG image file. This is useful in creating a livery for the car.

Snapshot button : This button takes a snapshot of the vehicle for display in the Conclude tab and as the display image of vehicle. Press F2 key to adjust camera position in the 3D view mode to take the snapshot.