Slide 1 - Working With Paths

This exercise teaches you how to implement resource palettes.

Preparation Work

This instruction set contains preparation instruction.

  1. Open an Explorer window and navigate to \EXERCISES.
  2. Create a new folder named PALETTES.
  3. Leave the Explorer window open.

Create A New File

This instruction set teaches you to create and save a file. There is a specific lesson in learning why it is important to save a file before working with relative paths.

  1. Start Scenome.
  2. The software creates a new file.
  3. Select File » Import Geotiff for Elevation from the main menu.
  4. The software presents an error message: This is the Save File warning.
    This file is unsaved; it exists only in Scenome's memory space. Therefore it is not possible for Scenome to resolve any paths because the file has no location on the hard disk to serve as a point of reference.
  5. Select File » Save from the main menu.
  6. Save the file as \SCENOMICS\EXERCISES\PALETTES\LIGHTS.BOX

Create A Few Lights

This instruction set teaches you to create a light palette.

  1. Examine the hierarchy: This is a picture of the hierarchy.
  2. Right click over the group node named Scene and select Create » Light from the listed options.
  3. The hierarchy looks like this: This is a picture of the hierarchy.
  4. Right click over the light node named NewLightNode and select Set Light Infinite from the listed options.
  5. The hierarchy looks like this: This is a picture of the hierarchy.

Determine Database Address For Any Node

This instruction set teaches you how to determine the database address of any node in the scene graph. This method is not strictly necessary because Scenome has additional features for copying links between files but the concept of the database address is important.

  1. The light named InfiniteLight: -1,-1,-1 is selected.
  2. Select Hierarchy » Display Node Path From Root.
  3. This displays the node path in the output editor. This is a picture of the output editor.
    This is the path from the root of the hierarchy to the selected node. Link nodes need to use this information to reference a specific node in a file. This "path" is called the database address for the node named InfiniteLight: -1,-1,-1. The link node will use this address to resolve the link. Without a node-specific address the link assumes you want to point at the root of the database - which includes the entire file.
  4. Select File » Save from the main menu.

Creating Materials

This instruction set teaches you how to create a material palette and reference the materials therein.

  1. Select File » Save from the main menu.
  2. Select File » Save As from the main menu.
  3. Save the file as \SCENOMICS\EXERCISES\PALETTES\MATERIAL_PALETTE.BOX
  4. Examine the hierarchy and delete both the lights.
  5. Right click over the group node named Scene and select Create » Material from the listed options.
  6. Set the name of the material node to GreenGrass.
  7. Again right click over the group node named Scene and select Create » Material from the listed options.
  8. Set the name of the material node to BlueWater.
  9. Save the file.