You are here: Tutorials > Written Tutorials > 3D Integration > Working with Geometry

Working with Geometry

In the previous example, you worked with the card object. Nuke also includes primitive geometry, which can be used as set-extension geometry or placeholders for other elements you plan to add to scene.

To Add Primitive Objects to the Scene

1.   In the “3Dinteg_tutor.nk” project file, locate the node tree labeled “Working with Geometry.”

We’ve already supplied the 3D node tree with a camera for you, so you need to add the geometry objects, and also create a “scene” where they can co-exist.

2.   Right-click over the Node Graph and choose 3D > Scene. Connect Scene2 to ScanlineRenderG.
3.   Connect a Viewer to the ScanlineRenderG node and switch to the 3D perspective view.
4.   Right-click and choose 3D > Geometry > Cube.

The default cube primitive appears at the center of the 3D workspace. Let’s reduce the number of subdivisions on the cube.

5.   In the Cube1 control panel, change the rows parameter to 4. Change the columns parameter to 4, also.

6.   Connect the Cube1 node to the Scene2 node. Now let’s adjust the shape of the cube.

7.   Reduce the height of the cube by dragging the top-center point down.

8.   From the view dropdown menu, choose the front view to see a non-perspective view of the cube. These non-perspective views can help you size and position objects with more accuracy than you might get in a perspective view.

Mm... the cube is actually below the x-axis. Let’s move it up, but check the values in the Cube1 control panel.

9.   Drag the top of the cube until the t (top) value in the Cube1 control panel is about 0.3. Drag the bottom of the cube to align it with the x-axis.

10.   It looks like you don’t need 4 divisions on the sides of the cube, so change the number of rows to 2 in the Cube1 control panel.

Now let’s add a few more primitives - a cylinder and a sphere.

11.   Right-click on the Node Graph and choose 3D > Geometry > Cylinder. Connect the Cylinder1 node to the Scene2 node.

12.   Change the view to 3D (V) and zoom out a little to see the whole cylinder.

13.   In the Cylinder1 control panel, set the rows to 1, the columns to 20.

14.   Set the radius to 0.35 and the height to 1.5. Also check the box for close top.

So now you have a cylinder in the scene.

15.   Choose front from the view dropdown menu and move the cylinder up to rest on top of the cube.

16.   Now add a sphere. Choose 3D > Geometry > Sphere. In the Sphere1 control panel, set both the rows and columns to 15, and change the radius to 0.35.

17.   Make sure the Sphere control panel is open and move the sphere object to cap the top of the cylinder.

18.   Select the 3D from the view dropdown menu and rotate the view around the objects in your scene.

At this point, they have no surface properties, so you’ll need to connect a 2D image from the Node Graph to each object.

19.   In the Node Graph, connect the concrete.jpg to each of the objects.