Exploring the Features of the Mass Edit Tool
One of the most overlooked features of the RPC Plug-in is the Mass Edit Tool. This easy to use tool allows you to quickly change the parameters of a multitude of RPCs in seconds. If you have not discovered the Mass Edit Tool, you are missing out on a world of possibilities. You can toggle the shadow option for all of the RPCs in your scene, or switch all of a selected content into another in just a few clicks. In this discussion, we will be analyzing the possibilities of using the Mass Edit Tool with RPC Smart Content.
Meet the Next Generation of RPC Content
Smart content offers users many options that can be toggled on or off in the parameters dialog, aside from the basic RPC options. These parameters can be configured even faster for many RPCs using the Mass Edit Tool. New libraries, such as the RPC Office Clutter Vol.1 and Vol.2, have many features that you may not have been aware of. Did you know that the DVD Player RPC could open up revealing a sliding DVD tray?
Smart content offers users RPCs that can do more. Take for example the Picture Frame RPC. You can change the orientation of the picture frame (portrait or stand), change the height of the picture frame, the appearance of the picture frame and even load your own picture into the frame.
When you purchase the Office Clutter libraries, you will be able to modify parameters of the RPCs giving the illusion that you are using many different RPCs, when in reality you are simply changing the parameters for one RPC. Have you seen how many plants you can create using the RPC Planter? The Planter RPC can hold 7 different plants, and on top of that you can rotate the RPC to a different view and even change the height to further diversify the objects in your scene.
Doing More with Greater Efficiency
Now that you have seen some of the cool new features of Smart Content, we will show you how to use the features of the Mass Edit Tool to get even more out of your Smart Content. The secret to realism is randomness. For example, every person in an office may have the same pen holder, but it is highly improbable that each person’s pen holder will look exactly the same. Realistically, each user would have a different pen configuration for their pen holder.
Using the Mass Edit Tool it is possible to select the Pen Holder RPC and then click on the randomize button to completely change the arrangement of pens in the holder. To randomize a parameter click on the randomize icon (dice) next to it. In the example shown below, the color of the pen holder, the color of the pens, and the quantity in each row of pens has been randomized.
Switching Content Using the Mass Edit Tool
The Mass Edit Tool also provides users with the ability to switch one RPC object for another. You can even opt to change all of one type of object to another. In 5 clicks we can change all of the Pen Holders from our previous example into Palm Pilots.
All that you need to do to switch selected RPCs of one type into another is:
- 1) Select the RPCs to switch (You can use CTRL to add single RPCs, or SHIFT to add a sequence of RPCs).
- 2) Click on Switch.
- 3) Choose the item to switch to.
- 4) Select Apply Selection.
- 5) Click OK to exit the Mass Edit Dialog.
Voila! Instant transformation.
Editing All RPCs Selected
It is also possible to use the Mass Edit tool to edit all of the selected RPCs at once. Suppose you wanted to change all of the Palms screens to include your company’s logo.
This could be done following these five easy steps:
- 1) Select the RPCs to edit. (You can use CTRL to add single RPCs, or SHIFT to add a sequence of RPCs)
- 2) Click on Edit Controls.
- 3) Toggle Custom Screen on.
- 4) Browse for the image you would like to use.
- 5) Click OK to exit the Mass Edit Dialog.
ThePalm Pilots will all have the new image applied.
Now that you have seen the potential of RPC Office Clutter when used with the Mass Edit Tool, purchase Office Clutter Volume 1 and 2 and put them to work in your office today.
Need help? Please e-mail support@archvision.com.
