Flash 8 Cookbook

5.2. Creating 3D Objects

Problem

You want to create 3D objects for use in Flash.

Solution

Use Swift 3D’s multiple editors for accomplishing different modeling needs.

Discussion

Four of the five editors in Swift 3D are used for modeling of one kind or another. Each has its own specific strengths and weaknesses, and learning which editor is ideal for a specific task can greatly increase your productivity and level of success. Some planning and forethought regarding how an object is constructed will help you determine which editor is best for the job at hand. Often a combination of editors is required to achieve exactly what you want. To illustrate this point, the following example creates a chessboard and three sample pieces using the different modeling tools at your disposal in Swift 3D.

Setting up a new document

To begin, we need to first set up a new Swift 3D document. Create a new file and set the viewport dimensions, found under Layout in the properties panel, to 800 x 600. Select Environment in the properties panel and double click the Background Color preview to enter edit mode. Set the color to dark gray (R: 128, G: 128, U: 128), so that there will be contrast when working with the black and white elements of the chess game. Finally, assign the right viewport to the Top camera and set the secondary viewport to Front.

Building the chessboard

A chessboard is made up of 64 squares of alternating color; in this case, black and white. Though a relatively simple object, even this could be ...