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Bonzai3d v2
6 Oct, 2010 By: Mark A. DonohoeUser Review: The 3D modeling tools you need are simple, powerful, and a snap to learn.
Editor's note: This article was originally published in the Summer 2010 edition of Cadalyst magazine.
When it comes to 3D solid modelers, Bonzai3d v2 from AutoDesSys may be one of the newest kids on the block, but don't let its age fool you. This little program's heart and pedigree descend directly from its older sibling, the powerful and capable Form.Z 3D modeling and rendering solution. Think of Bonzai3d as the best parts of Form.Z wrapped in a new way of thinking.
As a software architect, I'm not the typical user of 3D modeling software. In my work I design custom software, from retail titles to home automation systems to mobile-based games and puzzles for platforms such as iPhone and Android. I also like to model for pleasure — for example, small furniture pieces such as custom speaker stands for my home theater. So when I looked for a 3D modeler, I made a checklist of 10 must-have features, including the ability to quickly frame out beveled models, print directly from the working area, display advanced labeling for model documentation, and export in open-source formats. In addition, the software had to be as easy to use as a 2D program. Every affordable product I found offered only a few of these features, and most were simply too complex. But then I found Bonzai3d. It included 9 of my 10 must-haves right out of the box, plus some capabilities I hadn't considered.
Usually software this complex comes with a steep learning curve, but Bonzai3d, which is available in Windows and Mac versions, has one of the fastest learning curves of any modeler I've experienced on any platform. This ease of use is thanks in part to a large assortment of excellent, free online video tutorials that demonstrate various aspects of the program. These tutorials are so effective that I was able to create my first spec-ready model for those speaker stands within half an hour, all without cracking open the Help file once. When I did have questions about more advanced features, technical support was nothing short of top-notch.
Tools with a Twist
So how did Bonzai3d achieve its ease of use without sacrificing performance or capabilities? Its developers took a new look at the tools and functions commonly found in 3D programs and analyzed how users interact with them. For example, consider the task of inserting solid primitives in a scene. 
If you needed an extruded rectangle, in other products you would most likely start by inserting a simple cube primitive that would first appear in the center of your scene. Then you would have to manually resize it before positioning it in its final location.
Bonzai3d combines all those steps into one, allowing you to create, size, and place objects simultaneously. On the currently active plane, simply click a point to indicate one of the corners of the rectangle to be extruded, click another point to mark the opposing corner, and an onscreen vertical ruler automatically appears. Move the cursor to extrude the rectangle from 2D to 3D, click a third time when you have the proper thickness, and you're done! You just created a new shape that is properly sized and already in place within the scene. I can't tell you how much time this feature alone has saved me.
When you need to move or rotate an item within a scene, gone is the concept of the standard Translation tool with its arrows along the axes for moving and arcs for rotation. Instead, Bonzai3d has separate Move and Rotation tools that provide new power and capabilities.
Using the Move tool, start by selecting one or more target objects. Then, on the currently active plane, click an arbitrary start point. When you do this, Bonzai3d calculates the difference vector between that first point and the cursor's current location on the plane and applies that difference to the selected objects in real time, while showing ghosted images at their original location for reference. A second click locks the objects in their new positions.
Rotation with Fancy Footwork
Like the Move tool, the Rotation tool uses a nonstandard approach to perform its task — and it has a neat trick up its sleeve too. To perform a rotation, start by selecting the target objects. Then on the currently active plane, which acts as the plane of rotation, click to set the center of rotation. Here's where Bonzai3d really shines: As you move away from the center point, Bonzai3d projects a 360-degree protractor directly onto the surface of the plane. As you move toward or away from the center point, the protractor shrinks and grows in radius to match. A second click locks the size of the protractor as well as its orientation. Once the protractor is locked, as you move the cursor around the plane the selected objects rotate in real time around the center of rotation while a vector representing the precise angle of rotation is projected onto the protractor. If snapping is enabled, you also can constrain the rotation to specific angle increments. This function is simply beautiful, and so effortless to understand.
The Rotation tool in action.
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Comments
on: October 8, 2010 - 10:29pm