Ulead COOL 3D 3.5 User manual

1
What’s New
Ulead COOL 3D 3.5 presents a radical development with its powerful new complemen-
tary component, the EnVector Module. EnVector provides the ability to export anima-
tions as Flash files that have the ability to be edited as pure vector objects, and also
animated within Flash.
The main module continues to move from strength to strength with its expanded range
of geometric objects and plug-ins, enhanced texture options and greater diversity of
export formats.
Ulead COOL 3D 3.5
Contents
What’s New ......................................................................................................................... 1
EnVector Module ................................................................................................................ 2
New Features ...................................................................................................................... 3
Wireframe Display .................................................................................................................. 3
Adobe Illustrator file import ................................................................................................... 3
Grouped Objects .................................................................................................................... 3
New Objects ........................................................................................................................ 4
Single Cone ............................................................................................................................. 4
Frustum.................................................................................................................................... 4
Torus......................................................................................................................................... 4
Metaball.................................................................................................................................... 5
New Plug-ins....................................................................................................................... 6
Lightning Effect ....................................................................................................................... 6
Text Wave ................................................................................................................................7
Feature Enhancements ....................................................................................................... 8
Emboss .................................................................................................................................... 8
Export formats ........................................................................................................................ 8

2
Ulead COOL 3D 3.5
EnVector Module
New EnVector Module enables you to create objects that can be exported as vector-
based objects, in Macromedia Flash (*.SWF) files. These export files can be edited as
vector-based objects, and animated within Flash. This compatibility combines the
potential and capabilities of object creation through Ulead COOL 3D’s superior drawing
tools, with the progressiveness of universally accepted Flash animations.
Note: Objects in the EnVector Module are pure vector objects, and cannot support textures or
backgrounds other than single colors. Any such properties will be lost when opening your objects in
EnVector.
EnVector has been designed with an almost identical interface to the main module for
consistency and ease of learning.
Note: There can be only one object in each EnVector project, therefore features in the main module
that pertain to multiple objects, such as the Object Manager, EasyPalette’s Bevel function, and the
Grouped Object and Composition folders, are not available. Functions that insert objects are
disabled when there is already an object in the project.
EnVector can be run simultaneously with the main module of Ulead COOL 3D.
The file extension of working files saved in the main module is .C3D, while the file
extension of files saved in EnVector is .C3V. Both file types can be opened in either
module.
To export a Flash file:
1 SelectFile:ExportToMacromediaFlash
(.SWF).
2 Input a name for the export file, then
select either:
• Play only Exports a Flash file that cannot
be edited in Flash, but can be linked to a
Web page; or
• EditExports a Flash file that can be edited
and animated in Flash.
3 Select whether the entire animation, a
single frame, or a range of frames is to be
exported in Duration.
4 After selecting whether to preview the
animation after saving, click Save.

3
UserGuide
New Features
Wireframe Display
In both modules of Ulead COOL 3D 3.5, objects can now be displayed as wireframes.
Wireframe mode renders your objects as geometric models, displaying them as struc-
tures made up of straight and curved lines, and giving them an architectural quality.
Objects can also be exported in all the available formats as wireframes.
The display mode can be toggled from the Standard Toolbar.
Adobe Illustrator file import
With ever-increasing versatility, COOL 3D now supports the import of Adobe Illustrator
(*.AI) files directly into the workspace.
To import Illustrator files, select File: Import Graphics (or press F5).
Note: Ulead COOL 3D does not currently support Illustrator files versions 9 and above.
Grouped Objects
Ulead COOL 3D 3.5 packages an assortment
of ready-made objects constructed using
Ulead COOL 3D objects. Not only can you
use these directly in your animations, but
these objects showcase the potential to build
complex and sophisticated objects from basic
objects.
To use these objects, select Studio in the
EasyPalette, then select Grouped Objects.

4
Ulead COOL 3D 3.5
Torus
A Torus in its most elementary form is a doughnut-shaped object. COOL 3D provides
versatile options for tweaking it to become an object most unlike an ordinary doughnut.
In addition to being a circular or curved object, a torus can be a regularly shaped
polygon, and its side curvature can be faceted to create polygonal shapes through its
cross-section.
To create and tweak a torus:
1 Select Torusfrom the Object Menu.
2 Adjust the following settings in the
GeometricToolbar:
• RadiusDetermines the size of the
opening in the center of the torus.
• Thickness The radius of the torus
through its cross-section.
• Sides The number of sides of the torus
as a polygon. It can have from three
(triangular torus) up to 30 sides (virtual
circle). The greater the number of sides,
the rounder the torus becomes.
New Objects
Single Cone
The Single Cone is a basic cone with a flat,
circular base. Textures, colors and lighting
effects can be applied separately to the base
and to the curved surface.
Frustum
The Frustum is a truncated square-based
pyramid. Tweaking its dimensions can result
in an object that closely approximates a
pyramid, a cube, or a rectangular prism of
virtually any proportions. Each face of the
frustum can be individually selected to apply
color, lighting and texture effects.

5
UserGuide
To create and tweak a metaball:
1 Select Metaball from the Object Menu.
By default, a metaball is created at the
axial center of the workspace (0,0,0) with
a radius of 20 pixels.
2 Adjust the following settings in the
GeometricToolbar:
• Element Indicates the sphere that is
currently being adjusted. The number
displayed represents the creation order.
• Add sphere A new sphere in a metaball
will always be added at the same size and
center as the current position of the
sphere indicated in Element.
• Remove sphere Removes the sphere
currently displayed in Element.
•X, Y & Z Offset Displays the position of
the selected sphere in each axis. These
coordinates are relative to the center of
the original metaball; not the absolute
position of the workspace.
• Level Determines the amount which
spheres will fuse with each other. The
greater the level, the thicker the bond.
Metaball
A Metaball initially appears as a single sphere. The number of sphere units within the
metaball can be increased by clicking Add on the Geometric Toolbar. Each one can be
individually resized, and moved by adjusting the settings on the Geometric Toolbar,
resulting in an intricately rendered arrangement of fused spheres.
The spheres of a metaball can be moved apart till they appear to be entirely separated,
but changes of color, texture, rotation, position and size rendered to the metaball will
affect all of its spheres.
• Curvature The number of sides of the
torus through its cross-section. The
torus can have from three sides (triangu-
lar cross-section) up to 30 sides (circular
cross-section).

6
Ulead COOL 3D 3.5
New Plug-ins
Lightning Effect
The Lightning plug-in is a Global Effect that throws bolts of lightning over your
objects. Either use presets included with the plug-in, or create your own effects with
precise control using the Attribute Toolbar.
To use the Lightning effect:
1 Ensure there is at least one object in the
project.
2 Select Global Effects,then select
Lightningin the EasyPalette.
3 ClickF/Xon theAttributeToolbar.
Double-click, or drag and drop a
lightning preset to the project.
4 Adjust the following settings, which
apply to the entire lightning bolt, in the
AttributeToolbar:
• Opacity The extent to which the back-
ground can be seen through the light-
ning bolt.
• Length The percentage of the length of
the lightning bolt to be shown.
• Width The overall width of the lightning
bolt.
5 Click Edit Pathto tweak the outline of the
lightning bolt.
Increase the number of segments for
greater variance, then move the green
nodes around to adjust the overall shape.
Use the blue handles to change the
curvature of each segment. Click OK.
Note: There cannot be more segments than forks.
6 Specify the color of the glow effect
around the spine.
7 Adjust fork color, quantity, width and
sub-fork quantity settings as required in
the Attribute Toolbar.

7
UserGuide
Text Wave
The Text Wave plug-in provides templates to create complex wave animations with text
objects. Animate them through three-dimensional planes, character by character: with
variable acceleration, scale, loop frequency and more. This plug-in is available in both
modules.
To create a text wave animation:
1 Select a text object, select ObjectEffects,
then select TextWave in the EasyPalette.
2 ClickF/Xon theAttributeToolbar.
Double-click or drag and drop a Text
Wave preset to the project.
3 Adjust the following settings in the
AttributeToolbar:
• ActionSequenceThe initial direction of
the animation.
• Acceleration The way characters speed
up and slow down while starting and
completing a wave.
• Length A higher setting creates a more
expansive wave where characters move
more closely in tandem together. A
lower setting creates a more compact
wave where characters move more
disjointedly in relation to each other.
• Scaling The focal point from which
characters are expanded and compacted.
• X, Y & Z Scale The dimensions of the
characters in each axis. These settings
are percentages of the text object’s
native dimensions.
• X, Y &Z Loops The number of loops
completed between keyframes.
• X,Y& ZAmpThe amplitude, or extent,
of the waves in each axis. A negative
amplitude will cause the wave to move in
the opposite direction.
Note: Settings applied to a keyframe will take
effect until the following keyframe.

8
Ulead COOL 3D 3.5
Feature Enhancements
Emboss
Textures in Object Style now feature the Emboss function which gives you greater
scope for tweaking textures. This feature is only available in the main module. Textures
can now appear more tactile and raised, providing a greatly increased range of effects.
To use the Emboss feature:
1 SelectObjectStyle in the EasyPalette,
then click Texture.
2 Apply a texture preset from the right
pane of the EasyPalette.
3 Select a Wrap Modeon the Attribute
Toolbar, and adjust the mapping by
dragging the mouse across the project.
Select the Filter option to create a softer,
more blurred effect.
4 SelectEmbossthen adjust the following
settings:
• Width The horizontal offset of the
texture. The greater the value, the more
stretched out it will appear.
• Depth The appearance of the thickness of
the texture. A higher value will result in
the texture having a greater raised
appearance.
Emboss switched on
Export formats
Ulead COOL 3D’s main module has expanded its range of export formats to include:
Raster-based Macromedia Flash files Animations can be exported in this popular
Web animation format, but because these are raster-based they cannot be edited as
vector objects in Flash. Switch to EnVector to export vector-based objects for editing
and animating in Flash.
Real Networks RealVideo RM files Streaming video files on Web pages allow videos
to be played while information is being transferred. This format can help address
copyright issues, since content is not cached and the video cannot be downloaded.
Emboss switched off