Scene Editor - Background/Foreground Tab

You can add images, colors, or textures to the background or foreground of a rendered scene.

To edit the background and foreground properties:

1. Click Scene (PhotoWorks toolbar), click PhotoWorks, Scene, or right-click a scene in the Render Manager Tab and select Edit Scenery.

You can also select the Appearances/PhotoWorks tab to display scenes in the Task Pane.

2. On the Back/Foreground tab, set the following properties:

Background

The area that is not covered by the model or the scene is the background. Backgrounds include:

• None. Sets a black background.

• Plain. Sets a constant background color. To edit the background color, click the Color box and select from the Color palette.

• Gradient. Sets a graduated blend between two background colors appearing at the top and bottom of the image. To edit the background colors, click the Top Gradient Color and the Bottom Gradient Color boxes and select from the Color palette.

• Image. Displays a background image from a file. Click Browse, then select from the following:

 To display spherical images, from the Scene Editor, select the Room tab and clear Visible for all instances of Name.

You can also select Cubic Image, which creates reflections using the six projected faces.

• System Colors. Used with Plain and Gradient, sets colors based on the application's system colors.

• Fit background image to camera field of view. Used with scaled or tiled planar images only. Scales the background image to fit the field of view background. When cleared, fits the background image to the graphics area.

• Background Rotation. Sets a value for Background Rotation with Spherical Image or Cubic Image selected (see Environment Rotation).

• Background Image Brightness

• Image File Path. Click Browse to retrieve the background image. Images are typically located in:
  <install_dir>\data\images\textures\background\

Foreground

Foreground properties allow you to simulate a fog effect in any color. Foreground clips the model by adding a plane at a specified distance from the viewing position. The result, simulating an object enveloped by fog, is different from adding fog using spot lights.

• None. No fog effect.

• Depth cue. Activates the fog effect. You can modify the following properties:

• Sky color. Click the Sky color - the color of fog - and select from the Color palette. Fog transparency varies from 100% transparent at the Start Distance to 100% opaque at the Opaque Distance.

• Start Distance. Displays the distance from the viewer to the position where the Sky color depth effect begins and the 100% fog transparency ends.  

• Opaque Distance. Displays the distance from the viewer to the position where the Sky color is 100% opaque. After the Opaque Distance, the entire scene is covered by the Sky color.

Use the camera to control the view position relative to the model. When using a camera, the Start Distance and Opaque Distance are measured from the camera.

Between the Start Distance and the Opaque Distance, the resulting color is linearly interpolated between the color of the model and the Sky Color.

3. Click Apply to accept the changes, then click Close to close the dialog box.

   PhotoWorks applies the changes when you click Apply. You do not have to close the dialog box before you render.

Related Topics

Scene Editor - Manager Tab

Scene editor - Room Tab

Scene Editor - Environment Tab

Scene Editor - Lighting Tab