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Software user manual

Phantom ArchitectureA R C H V I Z W O R K F L O W E N H A N C E M E N T T O O L S

Author / ownerCompanySoftware versionPublication dateCopyright

Guus ThissenPhantom Technology1.2.019-02-2016©2016

Table of contents

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01

02

03

IntroductionAn introduction to Phantom Architecture.

Page 6

SupportInformation about system requirements, OBJ model support andtroubleshooting.

Page 7

LicensingInformation about obtaining a license, the End-User License Agreement(EULA) and activating the Phantom Architecture software.

Page 8-10

SetupShort setup information.

Page 11

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04Graphical user interface (GUI)Information about the panels in the GUI and the individual functions.

Page 11-12

05

06

07Displacement fixerTutorial on the displacement fixer.

Page 19-23

ModesOverview of the available automation modes.

Page 13-14

Functions & controlsA list of all the available functions. Every function gets a brief explanation.

Also contains a list of the key bindings used in Phantom Architecture.

Page 15-18

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UV-scale correct toolTutorial on the UV-scale correct tool.

Page 2408

Retrieve sun vector from HDRITutorial on the sun vector tool.

Page 25

09

Automatic window framesThis feature is in development!

Page 25

10

11 Automatic window blindsThis feature is in development!

Page 26

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12

13

14

Automatic roof guttersThis feature is in development!

Page 27

Automatic drainage pipesThis feature is in development!

Page 28

Software changelogA list that contains the changes to the software, seperated per major update.

Page 29-30

Final wordA word about the software in general and the development team.

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IntroductionPhantom Architecture is specifically designed toenhance the workflow of doing architecturalvisualization with Octane Render. Duringproduction various repetitive tasks can beautomated, allowing you to save time and focuswhere it matters .

Guus ThissenPhantom Architecture lead developer & owner

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01 | SupportSystem requirements

Phantom Architecture has the following systemrequirements:

• The software is designed for the MicrosoftWindows platform. I t's tested and workingon Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10. I t willprobably also run on Windows XP shouldyou want to.

• An active internet connection is requiredso the software can validate yourregistration. This only happens when theprogram is launched.

• The software is designed to cooperatewith Octane Render (standalone). Thissoftware is required to make usage ofPhantom Architecture.

OBJ model support

* .OBJ models should work flawlessly as long asthe faces that make up the model are triangles (3vertices/face) and/or quads (4 vertices/face).Faces with 5 vertices or more are not supported.If your OBJ models have 5 vertices or more, trytriangulating them.

I am trying to deliver broad *.OBJ support. If yourmodeling package creates *.OBJs that are notcompatible, please contact me. Users havetested and tried with the following modelingpackages:

ArchiCAD, Blender, SketchUp, Rhino, Maya,Lightwave, DAZ, Artlantis, 3DS Max, Revit,Softimage and ZBrush.

Troubleshooting

Should you run into any problems, pleasecontact [email protected].

• A problem in the ArchiCAD OBJ exportercan cause it to export incorrect normals inthe *.OBJ. When this happens, tryexporting your model into GoogleSketchUp first. Then export it as *.OBJusing TIG’s plugin.

• In case of a DirectX compile error, you areprobably missing the DirectX9.0c runtime.This will install alongside any existingversions of DirectX you might havealready:

link:https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=8109

• In case you get an error about missingMSVCP120.dll, that is because you need anewer visual C++ runtime. Select theoption vcredist_x86.exe, regardless if yourmachine is 32-bit or 64-bit.

link:http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=40784

• I 've received a report where the softwaredid not get data loading/writingpermissions from Windows. I suspectMicrosoft UAC (User Account Control) wasblocking it. I recommend to run thesoftware as administrator when thishappens, that should solve it.

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02 | LicensingObtaining a license

A license is valid for a single PC. Once you'veactivated the software, the software will belocked to that PC. As long as you have a validlicense, you will always get the latest version ofthe software.

To request a license, please contact me at thefollowing e-mail address:

[email protected]

You will be given a link to PayPal, where you canmake the transaction. As soon as I see thetransaction has been completed, I will send youa reply to your e-mail with your personalusername, registration key and download link tothe software.

By downloading and/or using the software, youagree to the End-User License Agreement(EULA). The EULA can be read on the next twopages of this manual.

Should you upgrade your PC, then you cancontact me for a new license key. Your old keywill be deactivated.

Please check the system requirements beforebuying.

Activating the PhantomArchitecture software

When first running the Phantom Scattersoftware, you will be asked to enter yourusername. This will be the e-mail address yourequested the license with, unless I specificallygive you another username (this can berequested).

Enter your username and press OK.

A new window pops up, requesting yourregistration key.

Enter your registration key (I recommend copy-pasting it) and press OK.

The software should now be registered andready for use!

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End-User License Agreement (EULA)

Please read the following terms and conditions carefully before using this SOFTWARE PRODUCT.Your use, distribution or installation of this copy of "PHANTOM ARCHITECTURE" indicates youracceptance of this License.

SOFTWARE PRODUCT here means Software, image files, all accompanying files, data and materialsreceived with your order of "PHANTOM ARCHITECTURE".

If you do not agree to any of the terms of this License, then do not install or use the SOFTWAREPRODUCT. If you have purchased a singlecopy from GUUS THISSEN, you may return it within thirty (30) days after purchase, for a refund of yourpayment less any incidental charges.The 30-day warrantee is applicable only to products bought within YOUR COUNTRY. Productsdownloaded to or shipped out of YOUR COUNTRY arestrictly non-refundable.

Warrantee covers defects in the software, which prevents successfully installing the software in thebuyer's PC. Warrantee does not cover fitness of purpose, not meeting of expectations or needs in themind of the buyer.

This SOFTWARE PRODUCT is for personal use only and may be installed and used by on only onecomputer. I ts component parts may not be separated for use on more than one computer. Allcomponents accompanying the software are copyrighted by GUUS THISSEN and may not be takenapart, modified, used or published with other software or means except with the SOFTWAREPRODUCT software and may not be distributed or copied in any manner.

This SOFTWARE PRODUCT, all accompanying files, data and materials, are distributed "AS IS" and withno warranties of any kind, whether express or implied. The user must assume all risk of using theprogram. This disclaimer of warranty constitutes an essential part of the agreement.

Any liability of GUUS THISSEN will be limited exclusively to refund of purchase price. In addition, in noevent shall GUUS THISSEN, or his principals, shareholders, officers, employees, affiliates, contractors,subsidiaries, or parent organizations, be liable for any incidental, consequential, punitiveor any other damages whatsoever relating to the use of SOFTWARE PRODUCT.

In addition, in no event does GUUS THISSEN authorize you to use this SOFTWARE PRODUCT inapplications or systems where SOFTWARE PRODUCT's failure to perform can reasonably be expectedto result in a physical injury, or in loss of life. Any such use by you is entirely at your own risk, and youagree to hold GUUS THISSEN harmless from any claims or losses relating to such unauthorized use.

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This Agreement constitutes the entire statement of the Agreement between the parties on the subjectmatter, and merges and supersedes all other or prior understandings, purchase orders, agreementsand arrangements. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of THE NETHERLANDS.

GUUS THISSEN, the owner of the copyright of this SOFTWARE PRODUCT, all of its derivatives, title andaccompanying materials are the exclusive property of GUUS THISSEN. All rights of any kind, which arenot expressly granted in this License, are entirely and exclusively reserved to and by GUUS THISSEN.You may not rent, lease, transfer, modify, translate, reverse engineer, de-compile, disassemble orcreate derivative works based on this SOFTWARE PRODUCT. You may not make access to SOFTWAREPRODUCT available to others in connection with a service bureau, application service provider, orsimilar business. There are no third party beneficiaries of any promises, obligations or representationsmade by GUUS THISSEN herein.

You may not disclose to other persons the data or techniques relating to this SOFTWARE PRODUCTthat you know or should know that it is a trade secret of GUUS THISSEN in any manner that will causedamage to GUUS THISSEN.

This SOFTWARE PRODUCT and all services provided may be used for lawful purposes only.Transmission, storage, or presentation of any information, data or material in violation of any YOURCOUNTRY, State or City law is strictly prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to: copyrightedmaterial, material we judge to be threatening or obscene, or material protected by trade secret andother statute. You agree to indemnify and hold GUUS THISSEN harmless from any claims resultingfrom the use of this SOFTWARE PRODUCT, which may damage any other party.

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03 | Setup 04 | Graphical userinterface (GUI)Installing the software

Before you can use the program, you will need tounZIP the 'Phantom Architecture.zip' to a locationon your computer. Do not run PhantomArchitecture from inside the ZIP, this will createproblems.

You are advised to create a folder 'C:/PhantomArchitecture' and put the files there.

This folder will be auto-created anyway because'pa.settings', the file where Phantom Architecturewill save important settings, will be stored in thatlocation.

figure 03.1

Please see figure 04.1 on the next page.

(1) Preview size

This setting influences the scale of the 3D map.

(2) Performance information

Shows the current performance of the program.If performance drops below 30 fps, considerdisabling ANTI ALIASING and/or VERTICALSYNC.

The smaller your scene, the faster the programcan work. So if you export a seperate *.OBJ forPhantom Architecture with just the geometry youwant to process, you can dramatically increaseperformance.

(3) Camera position

The camera position is shown in meters. Theindicators show the relative position on themodel. The reset button brings the camera backto the origin (0, 0, 0).

(4) Displacement fix list(displacement fix)

This list contains the materials that will beprocessed with the displacement fix uponexport. When an *.OBJ is imported, you can addor remove materials from the displacement fixlist using SURFACES › ADD / REMOVESURFACES.

(5) 3D Map

The 3D map displays the *.OBJ you are currentlyviewing from above. You can use it to movearound the scene with more oversight. The scaleof the map is determined by the preview sizesetting, see (1) Preview size.

(6) Compass

The compass allows you to navigate to the originof the scene (0,0,0).

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figure 04.1 (taken from Phantom Architecture developer beta)

1 32

4 5

7

(1) Preview size, (2) Performance information, (3) Camera position, (4) Displacement fix list,(5) 3D map, (6) Compass, (7) Toolset.

(7) Toolset

This is where you operate the functions. PhantomScatter works with scatter modes. Every scattertype gets its own mode. When selecting a mode(the MODE setting in the module MAIN) thetoolset will change to that scatter type. An AREA-scatter will have different settings compared to aRAY scatter.

6

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05 | ModesDISPLACEMENT FIX

(Using the algorithms featured in PhantomArchitecture you can have the displacement onyour models fixed automatically. That means youwill no longer have gaps on corners where youwould be doing a displacement such as stone orbrick.

UV-SCALE CORRECT

The UV scale correct tool helps you to get yourtexture to a more accurate scale, adding to therealism of your scene.

SUN VECTOR

In Octane Render standalone, finding out the sunvector to make your Daylight Environment matchthe HDRI background can be a bother. Using aspecialized tool in Phantom Architecture you canimport the HDRI and then simply pinpoint on theimage where you want the sun to be. The vector(for use in the Daylight Environment) will becalculated for you automatically. Time saver!

Automatic window frames,window blinds, roof gutters,drainage pipes, fences , w

The automatic modeling tools can generate OBJ-geometry based on individual indicator-trianglesplaced in your model (which have their ownspecial material). This allows the automaticcreation of window frames, window blinds, roofgutters, drainage pipes and fences. (More will beadded in the future).

T

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MAIN

MODEDetermines the mode that Phantom Architectureis in. The different modes allow access to thedifferent features. Every distinct feature has it'sown mode.

ANTI ALIASINGDetermines the use of anti-aliasing in the 3Dview. Makes 3D geometry very smooth to look at.Performance will take a hit.

VERTICAL SYNCDetermines the use of vertical synchronisation.GPUs do not run at the same speed as monitors.Enabling this makes the GPU wait for the nextmonitor update. Prevents screen tearing.Performance will take a hit.

WIREFRAMEDisplays the wireframe of the imported *.OBJ,which helps to identify the *.OBJ structure.Especially useful when dealing with BRUSH-scatter. I highly recommend putting ANTIALIASING on 4X when this feature is set to ON.

TRANSPARENCYDetermines whether the imported *.OBJgeometry should be drawn transparent oropaque.

UI BACKGROUNDThis function allows you to choose from 3background UI options that affect the graphics ofthe modules. The options none, partly and solid.

FUNCTION COLORThis makes the function info text display in whiteinstead of the default (purple). This makes iteasier to read on lower-spec displays.

MODULE HEIGHTThis function allows you to make the height ofthe modules on the bottom of the interface taller,so more functions fit on them in-view.

FLIP UP/DOWNFlips the usage of the Q/E keys, used to movethe camera up or down. (Or A/E keys if the optionMOVEMENT LAYOUT has been set to 'ZSQD+AE'.

KEYBOARD LAYOUTAffects the keys used in the program. You canchoose to use QWERTY or AZERTY.

EXPORT DONE SOUNDSets whether to use play a sound when export iscomplete. Useful when you are working inanother program while it's busy exporting.

INTERPOLATE IMAGETurns on or off interpolation on for importedimages.

IMPORT / EXPORT

IMPORT SCALE (DISPLACEMENT FIX)Determines the factor that scales an *.OBJ whenit is imported in Phantom Architecture. Being afactor, it means a value of 1 means the *.OBJwould be imported at 100 % of its size. A factor of0.001 means the OBJ is imported at 0.1 % of itssize.

Important: Phantom Architecture is designedto work with meters. That means 1unit equals 1 meter.

IMPORT OBJ (DISPLACEMENT FIX)This allows you to browse to your *.OBJ file ofchoice and import it. Please note that an *.OBJ'scontent is analaysed on import so it might take awhile, depending on the size of the *.OBJ.

DIRECTORY (DISPLACEMENT FIX)Determines where files exported from PhantomArchitecture will be placed. If this is set to OBJ,files will be exported in the same folder as youimported your *.OBJ from. If this is set toCUSTOM, you will be able to browse to a customfolder.

Note: due to WinAPI being the worst, I can't makeit snap to the current export directory for yourconvenience.

EXPORT SCALE (DISPLACEMENT FIX)Determines the scale of the *.OBJ data that isexported from Phantom Architecture. Ideally youshould let this sit on 1 and set the import scale inOctane Render to meters.

06 | Functions & controls

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COPY TO CLIPBOARD (DISPLACEMENT FIX)When this is set to ON, when you export datafrom Phantom Architecture, the appropriatenodes (depending on the MODE) will be set asXML data on your clipboard, which allow you topress CTRL+V in Octane Render standalone toimmediately get your data in Octane!

EXPORT OBJ (DISPLACEMENT FIX)Exports the *.OBJ with the displacement fixapplied. I t will be applied only of the trianglesthat belong to the materials that are added to thedisplacement fix list (use function SURFACES ›ADD / REMOVE SURFACES). Computation timemight take a while and depends on modelcomplexity. Try to not get too much unnecessarygeometry into Phantom Architecture.

IMPORT IMAGE (UV-SCALE CORRECT)Imports an image for use inside the program.

EXPORT OCT SCALE NODE (UV-SCALECORRECT)This allows you to export the result of the UV-SCALE CORRECT mode. I t creates a scale nodeon the clipboard with the scale factor you need.Simply press CTRL+V in Octane Renderstandalone after export.

EXPORT OCT FLOAT (SUN VECTOR)This export will put XML node data onto yourclipboard for usage in Octane Render standalone.I t will contain a float value node that plugs intothe sun direction of your daylight environment.Simply press CTRL+V in Octane Renderstandalone after export.

SKY ARRAY ITERATIONS (SUN VECTOR)Defines the amount of sky array output nodes forfunction EXPORT OCT SKY ARRAY.

EXPORT OCT SKY ARRAY (SUN VECTOR)This export will put XML node data onto yourclipboard for usage in Octane Render standalone.I t will contain a setup with an array of sun anglesand the sky texture rotated along accordingly.The function will you to browse to the HDR skyresource you wish to use as the sky texture so itcan be embedded in the export. Simply pressCTRL+V in Octane Render standalone afterexport.

SETUP

LOAD SETUP (DISPLACEMENT FIX)Phantom Architecture does not saveautomatically. Use this feature to load apreviously saved setup. These setup files aredifferent for each MODE in Phantom Architecture.

SAVE SETUP (DISPLACEMENT FIX)Phantom Architecture does not saveautomatically. Use this feature to save the currentsetup. In case of the displacement fix mode itstores the path to the imported OBJ and thedisplacement fix list.

PERCENTAGE (DISPLACEMENT FIX)Only tweak this when you want to influence theinset of the displacement along edges. I t isunlikely that you need to change this. The %determines the inset of tessellation edgesaround triangles. You should never put this equalor above 50%.

MAX (DISPLACEMENT FIX)Only tweak this when you want to influence theinset of the displacement along edges. I t isunlikely that you need to change this. The maxdetermines the absolute max inset of tessellationedges around triangles.

QUADRANT SIZE (DISPLACEMENT FIX)To make the export process more efficient,vertices are put into quadrants. However, this cancost large amounts of memory depending on themodel dimensions. The default should besuitable for a standard house. For big projects,increase this value. Check the 'troubleshooting 4'section in the chapter about the displacementfixer to learn more.

SOURCE WIDTH (UV-SCALE CORRECT)This defines the width of the indicator textureused for the texture mapping (from SketchUp).

SOURCE HEIGHT (UV-SCALE CORRECT)This defines the height of the indicator textureused for the texture mapping (from SketchUp).

TARGET LENGTH (UV-SCALE CORRECT)Here you enter what the real lifescale of the length indicated using the target linewould be.

RESET SOURCE (UV-SCALE CORRECT)Set the source width and height back to 1 m.

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RESET TARGET LINE (UV-SCALE CORRECT)Reset the target line to it's default position.

SKY TEXTURE T.X (SUN VECTOR)This allows you to enter the sky T.X transformyou are using in Octane.

SKY TEXTURE T.Y (SUN VECTOR)This allows you to enter the sky T.Y transformyou are using in Octane.

RESET T.X AND T.Y (SUN VECTOR)Reset T.X and T.Y to 0.

RESET SUN POSITION (SUN VECTOR)Reset the sun node position.

RESET IMAGE GAMMA (SUN VECTOR)Reset the image gamma (this is a visual effect inthe UI only and does not have any influence onthe export)

INTERFACE

RESET VIEWResets the view.

CONTROLS

ACCESSING FUNCTIONSButtons in the interface are always pressed withthe left mouse button. Press the ESC button toclose a menu. While using a tool, press the ESCbutton to close the tool.

CAMERA (DISPLACEMENT FIX)Use WASD to move around on the XY-plane. UseQE to make the camera go up or down. HoldSHIFT to speed up movement. Hold CTRL to slowdown.

Hold the right mouse button to look around.

Control options can be found under MAIN › FLIPUP/DOWN and MAIN › KEYBOARD LAYOUT.

FULLSCREEN MODEPress F11 key to toggle fullscreen on/off.

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07 | Displacement fixerIntroduction

Displacement in Octane Render is a powerfulway to improve your visual quality. Unfortunatelythe way displacement works is counter-productive with the way you would make anarchitectural model. I t requires a special type ofdealing with geometry and vertex normals, whichis a very time consuming and frustrating process.The geometry will become so complicated thatediting in a later process is even more timeconsuming and frustrating. But what if you had atool to do this automatically? That is exactly whatthis function can do for you.

The problem

Easy-to-work-with models do not comply withdisplacement geometry requirements. See figure07.1.

The solution

Let Phantom Architecture’s algorithm auto-rework the geometry for you. See figure 07.2.

figure 07.1

figure 07.2

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Tutorial: how to use

Step 1: fire it upLaunch up Phantom Architecture.

Step 2: import modelFirst we're going to import a model. For the sakeof this tutorial let's use tutorial_disp_fix.obj . InsidePhantom Architecture, go to IMPORT / EXPORT ›IMPORT OBJ and browse to the file. The modelcan be seen in figure 07.3. The model imported inPhantom Architecture looks like in figure 07.4.

Step 3: learn to control the cameraThe camera controls like a first person game.

Use WASD to move around on the XY-plane. UseQE to make the camera go up or down. HoldSHIFT to speed up movement. Hold CTRL to slowdown.

Hold the right mouse button to look around.

Control options can be found under MAIN › FLIPUP/DOWN and MAIN › KEYBOARD LAYOUT.

Step 4: adding surface to displacement fix listOn export, when the algorithm reworksgeometry, the mesh is tessellated so a lot ofadditional triangles are added to it. Doing this forthe entire mesh on really big models is going toimpact performance and filesize severely. That'swhy the displacement fixer works on a per-material basis. Basically you can pinpointmaterials that you need fixed, then thesematerials get added to the displacement fix list.

Go to SURFACES › ADD / REMOVE SURFACES.This is a tool that allows you to pinpoint surfaces.

Pinpoint and left-click a surface to add it to thelist. The list is displayed on the bottom left cornerof the 3D view. The surface will also changecolor.

Pinpoint and left-click a surface again to removeit from the list. I t will change back to its defaultcolor.

Play around a bit. When done, make sure at least1 surface is selected:

To make export more convenient, PhantomArchitecture can put XML data on your clipboard,allowing you to simply press CTRL+C in OctaneRender standalone to create a Mesh node withthe newly exported *.OBJ file. Note when usingthis feature: texture resources will not bereferenced, it does keep the material names butassigns a random color to the diffuse of eachmaterial.

Go to IMPORT / EXPORT › EXPORT OBJ, confirmthe export and wait till it is done. When it's doneit will display a little message in the GUI .

Now to over to Octane Render and press CTRL+V.

figure 07.3

figure 07.4

figure 07.5

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Octane Render you will now get a node:

Create a Diffuse material, hook it up to thesurfaces that you had selected to be fixed. Thencreate a Displacement node and hook it up to thediffuse material. In the tutorial files you will finddisplacement_tutorial_testimage.png, import it asa greyscale image and use it for thedisplacement node. Also put the Environment toDaylight to see the result more clearly:

Configuring the displacementnode in Octane Render

To get the best result, you will need to manuallytweak the height/offset (when using OctaneRender 2) and the mid level/height (when usingOctane Render 3). These settings will depend onyour desired result, the proximity your geometryis packed together and the angles you need tocross. This might not work out in every case!

figure 07.6

figure 07.7

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Troubleshooting 1: make sureyour geometry is correct

The algorithm in Phantom Architecture is basedon working with vertices that are used in multiplefaces. That way it can track which edges oftriangles are meeting and do its magic.

All you need to know is that face edges need tomeet, so no loose vertices should be made!

Geometry (picture from Blender):

Result in Octane Render:

figure 07.8

This is not correct!Edges of trianglesmust be fully meetingwith other edges

Because edges didnot meet properly,Phantom Architecturewas not able to reworkthe geometry in such away that thedisplacement worksalong the edge here

Edge done propely

figure 07.10

figure 07.9

Geometry fixed,edges are nowmeeting. All good!

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Troubleshooting 2: normalize yourdisplacement map

The displacement map image you load intoOctane Render should to be normalized. OctaneRender 3 does this automatically so no need todo anything there, but Octane Render 2 doesn'tdo this. I t might hurt your results if you don'tperform this step for Octane Render 2. I t makesthe displacement a lot easier to control.

So what is a normalized displacement map? It'sthe displacement map modified where the rangeof heights ranges from 0% (full black) to 100% (fullwhite). That makes it easier to handle in OctaneRender's displacement note.

Non-normalized displacement map:

Normalized displacement map:

You can do this using various image editing tools.For my editing I use GIMP (it's free! ). Simply rightclick, go to Color, then Auto, then Normalize.

Troubleshooting 3: getting thescale right

Phantom Architecture works in meters, becauseOctane Render works in meters by default. Thatmeans 1 model unit equals 1 meter. For thatreason it's very important that you use theIMPORT SCALE function to get the scale right. Ifyou are working with a model that is not properlyscaled, the displacement fixer algorithm cannotdo its job.

Example: what if you exported your model incentimeters? (100 centimeters = 1 meter)Then the IMPORT SCALE should be set to:1/100 = 0.01

Example: what if you exported your model inmilimeters? (1000 milimeters = 1 meter)Then the IMPORT SCALE should be set to:1/1000 = 0.001

Troubleshooting 4: adjusting thequadrant size

On export, Phantom Architecture needs to figureout which vertices (3 for every single triangle)share the same position with other vertices. Thenthe average normal of the vertices can becalculated and used in the result of thedisplacement. The bigger your model, the largeryour QUADRANT SIZE setting needs to be!Export will take forever if you don't tune this. I tbasically creates a 3D grid and puts the verticesin one of the grid pieces.

figure 07.11

figure 07.12

!

figure 07.13

figure 07.14

QUADRANT SIZE

QUADRANT SIZE

QUADRANT SIZE

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08 | UV-scale correct toolWarning: this feature is meant for SketchUp®users!

Introduction

In architectural visualization the scale of materialsis an important way to communicate themeasurements of a design to a client. That's whyit has to be as accurate as possible. But dealingwith the scale in your model is not an optimalpractice for workflow. Ideally you would workwith indicator materials of a fixed size in your(SketchUp®) model, and then build a materiallibrary in Octane Render to hook up to theseindicators. The UV-scale correct tool assists ingetting the scale of the materials right.

Working with indicators

Ideally you would work with indicator materials inSketchup®. The benefit is that you can work onall of your projects using the same materials andthen in Octane Render standalone, link themthem up to whatever material you want. Thatkeeps the Sketchup® model clean. For examplein figure 08.1 there is a plane that is 5x5 m in size.The indicator material used is 1x1 m in size.



Step 2: change modeGo to MAIN › MODE and select UV-SCALECORRECT.

Step 3: import imageGo to IMPORT IMAGE and browse to an imagefile. Note that the image importer might crash ifyou saved the *.JPG, *.JPEG or *.PNG in a way thatis not accepted by the importer. When thathappens, open up GIMP or Photoshop and save itagain but in the export settings, find the option'progressive' and disable it.

I t should now look like figure 08.2.

Use the mousewheel to zoom in and out of theimage. Hold the right mouse button and drag themouse to pan the view.

Step 4: setting the sourceFirst go to SETUP › SOURCE WITH and SETUP ›SOURCE HEIGHT to set the size of the indicatormaterials you are using in Sketchup®.Recommended is to use indicator materials inSketchup® that are 1x1 m in size.

Step 5: setup the target lineThe target line is meant to go over a length onthe texture where you know the real life size.Click and hold the white nodes with the leftmouse button and drag the mouse to move themaround.

Step 6: set the target lengthEnter the real life size of the indicated target line.

Step 7: exportGo to IMPORT / EXPORT › EXPORT OCT SCALENODE. Now go to Octane Render standalone andpress CTRL+V. You can now plug this scale nodeinto your texture.

figure 08.1

figure 08.2

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09 | Retrieve sun vector from HDRI

Introduction

In architectural visualization you will have avariety of views but will want a slightly differentsun angle for every shot. The first hassle isgetting the sun vector aligned with the HDR sky.Then for every view, you will have to match theHDR sky with your customized north offset (toget your shot's ideal lighting). This is a timeconsuming task and is automated fully by theSUN VECTOR mode in Phantom Architecture.



Step 2: change modeGo to MAIN › MODE and select SUN VECTOR.

Step 3: import imageGo to IMPORT IMAGE and browse to thereference image for your sky. I t cannot import a*.HDR image so a reference image will have todo. Note that the image importer might crash ifyou saved the *.JPG, *.JPEG or *.PNG in a way thatis not accepted by the importer. When thathappens, open up GIMP or Photoshop and save itagain but in the export settings, find the option'progressive' and disable it.

Use the mousewheel to zoom in and out of theimage. Hold the right mouse button and drag themouse to pan the view.

Step 4: setting the sun positionYou will see the 'sun position' node onscreen.This is a node that you use to tell PhantomArchitecture where the sun is.

Hover on the node with the mouse, then clickand hold the left mouse button to drag it around.The ideais that you drag it onto the sun on yoursky.

If it is hard to tell where the sun is on your sky,you can change the IMAGA GAMMA in thebottom-right corner of the interface tomanipulate the display of your sky referenceimage. This is just for interface purposes,changing around the IMAGE GAMMA will notinfluence the export in any way.

Step 5: choose your export methodThe SUN VECTOR mode has 2 export options:EXPORT OCT FLOAT and EXPORT OCT SKYARRAY.

If you just want a float value node (that containsthe calculated sun vector), choose EXPORT OCTFLOAT.

If you want an entire array of environment nodes,where each environment has the sun angleincremented and the sky image rotated alongaccordingly, choose EXPORT OCT SKY ARRAY.

The target line is meant to go over a length onthe texture where you know the real life size.Click and hold the white nodes with the leftmouse button and drag the mouse to move themaround.

Step 6a: EXPORT OCT FLOATUse the function EXPORT OCT FLOAT. Afterexport, go to Octane Render standalone andpress CTRL+V. Link this node up to the 'sundirection' property of a Daylight Environmentnode.

Step 6b: EXPORT OCT SKY ARRAYUse the function EXPORT OCT SKY ARRAY. Afterexport, go to Octane Render standalone andpress CTRL+V. You can see the global propertieslinked to the group, manipulate these to affect allof the Daylight Environment nodes inside. Nowsimply connect your Render Target node with theDaylight Environment output that you like. Becareful when opening up the main group, itcontains a huge number of nodes and nodeconnects so it might freeze up Octane Render.Save your project before opening up the group!You can open the group to study it's structure butthere is no need to change anything

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10 | Automatic window frames

11 | Automatic window blindsThis feature is in development!

This feature is in development!

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12 | Automatic roof guttersThis feature is in development!

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13 | Automatic drainage pipesThis feature is in development!

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Phantom Architecture 1.0.0

• First release


• DISPLACEMENT FIX: created additionalsections about troubleshooting in themanual.

• DISPLACEMENT FIX: the default MAX(found under SETUP › MAX) has now beenset to 0.0125 m.

• DISPLACEMENT FIX: the defaultQUADRANT SIZE (found under SETUP ›QUADRANT SIZE) has now been set to 5m.

• Fixed problem regarding shaders in thegraphics framework behind the GUI .Imported models now no longer showunlit faces but all come out correctly.

• DISPLACEMENT FIX: created the newcategory called DEBUG. This section willhost debug tools to assist trackingproblems during workflow.

• DISPLACEMENT FIX: added functionSHOW NORMALS under DEBUG. Thisdebug feature will calculate the averagenormals and show them in the 3D view.

• DISPLACEMENT FIX: improved internalalgorithm that determines the averagenormals on vertices around sharp(architectural) corners. This shouldgreatly improve the final result of thedisplacement.

• DISPLACEMENT FIX: fixed scenario whereduring export, Phantom Architecturewould throw arccos(x) errors.


• Fixed problem that made the programcrash when pressing the 'Cancel' buttonwhen browsing to a *.OBJ or image file.

• Added new MODE: UV-SCALE CORRECT.

• UV-SCALE CORRECT: added functionIMPORT IMAGE (under IMPORT /EXPORT). This allows you to import theimage used for referencing.

• UV-SCALE CORRECT: added functionINTERPOLATION (under MAIN). When thisis enable, imported images are renderedusing interpolation.

• UV-SCALE CORRECT: added functionSOURCE WIDTH. This defines the width ofthe indicator texture used for the texturemapping (from SketchUp).

• UV-SCALE CORRECT: added functionSOURCE HEIGHT. This defines the heightof the indicator texture used for thetexture mapping (from SketchUp).

• UV-SCALE CORRECT: added functionEXPORT OCT SCALE NODE. This allowsyou to export the result of the UV-SCALECORRECT mode. I t creates a scale nodeon the clipboard with the scale factor youneed. Simply press CTRL+V in OctaneRender standalone after export.

• UV-SCALE CORRECT: added functionTARGET LENGTH. Here you enter whatthe real life scale of the length indicatedusing the target line would be.

• UV-SCALE CORRECT: added functionsRESET SOURCE and RESET TARGET LINE.

• UV-SCALE CORRECT: added functionRESET VIEW.

14 | Software changelog

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Phantom Architecture 1.2.0(most recent)

• Added new MODE: SUN VECTOR.

• SUN VECTOR: added function SKYTEXTURE T.X. This allows you to enter thesky T.X transform you are using in Octane.

• SUN VECTOR: added function SKYTEXTURE T.Y. This allows you to enter thesky T.Y transform you are using in Octane.

• SUN VECTOR: added function RESET T.Xand T.Y.

• SUN VECTOR: added function RESET SUNPOSITION.

• SUN VECTOR: added function RESETIMAGE GAMMA.

• SUN VECTOR: added function RESETVIEW.

• SUN VECTOR: added function EXPORTOCT FLOAT. This export will put XML nodedata onto your clipboard for usage inOctane Render standalone. I t will containa float value node that plugs into the sundirection of your daylight environment.Simply press CTRL+V in Octane Renderstandalone after export.

• SUN VECTOR: added function SKY ARRAYITERATIONS. Defines the amount of skyarray output nodes for function EXPORTOCT SKY ARRAY.

• SUN VECTOR: added function EXPORTOCT SKY ARRAY. This export will put XMLnode data onto your clipboard for usagein Octane Render standalone. I t willcontain a setup with an array of sunangles and the sky texture rotated alongaccordingly. The function will you tobrowse to the HDR sky resource you wishto use as the sky texture so it can beembedded in the export. Simply pressCTRL+V in Octane Render standaloneafter export.

• UV-SCALE CORRECT: Fixed graphicalissue when using function RESETSOURCE.

• In UV-SCALE CORRECT and SUN VECTORmodes, the software will display a warningin the modules bar about imageimporting; Tip: if image import fails, useGIMP to save the image with 'progressive'disabled.

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I hope that Phantom Architecture technologyprovides a good toolset to enhance the speedand quality of your architectural visualizationwork.

The development team consists of three people:Guus Thissen (lead developer), Jack McCallum(DLL support) and Zachary Reedy (DRM support).

I f you have any suggestions or feature requests,please contact me at [email protected].

Guus ThissenPhantom Architecture lead developer & owner

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