4 Diagrams

I. Highlights from Assignment 1

Student Sites

II. Assignment 2

III. Criteria for Diagrams

Relevance

Clarity:

• meaning comes through organized use of components (semantics through syntax)
• meaning through legible context (view, presentation format)
• i.e. letters: Hrant Papazian's MasLucida

Consistency within a set of diagrams (Uddin's analytical diagrams)

Brevity: economy of means allows re-interpretation (i.e. "tree")

IV. Language of diagrams

2D shape (linear, curved, blocky, etc.)	3D form (geometric, organic, cloud)
Lineweight	Dimension (thickness, height, depth)
Color (hue, saturation, value)	Color
Pattern	Texture
Transparency, Overlap	Material properties (i.e. shininess, texture, transparency)
Layout Frame	View type (ortho, axon, perspective)
Grid	Datum (i.e. ground plane)

V. Examples of diagrams (by purpose)

VI. FormZ Interface for beginners 

What parts of the FormZ interface are similar to other programs such as Netscape & Photoshop? 

• Icon toolbar
• Pull-down menus ( File, Edit, Windows, View, Help)
• Palettes (optional windows)
• Interface changes according to choices 

What parts of FormZ's interface are different from other programs? 

• 2-modes:  2D Drafting  & 3D Modeling (including Rendering)
• Prompts window tells you what's going on
• Graphic Window with window-specific tools
• Can have many graphic windows to look at a drawing or model in different ways

Special quirks: 

• Icons:  Aqua modifiers vs. Black & white commands
• Heights menu modifies 3D objects

Overview:  Common Operations 

• File management (File menu)
• Viewing / Navigation (Window Tools for Zoom & Pan, View menu, Display menu)
• Creating (Drawing Tools)
• Selecting/Editing (topological levels, Transformations
• Organizing structures 
  • Grouping systems:  Layers, Symbols, Objects & Groups
  • Control structures:  Snaps, grids, coordinate systems
  • Topologcal Levels
• On-line help

Online FormZ Tutorials 

FOR THURSDAY: Vote for favorite site, e-mail class with best external diagrams link.