Opening a DRF File in 3ds max

The Discreet Render Format (DRF) is the file format for VIZ Render, a rendering tool included with Autodesk Architectural Desktop 2004.

In 3ds max 6, you can open DRF files from the File menu > Open command. For the most part, 3ds max treats a DRF file just as a MAX file; however, you cannot save a scene as a DRF file, only as a MAX file. This means that once you have edited your DRF file, you must save it as a MAX file, and you can no longer open it in VIZ Render.

Note: For more information, see Working with DRF Files in 3ds max.

In this lesson, you will open a DRF file of a library.
Open the sample file:

Open the sample file:

1. Choose File menu > Open.

   The Open File dialog appears.

2. In the Open File dialog, set Files Of Type to VIZ Render (*.drf).

3. Navigate to \tutorials\DesignVIZ, choose library.drf, and click Open.

   The File Load: Units Mismatch dialog appears.

All DRF files use meters as their system unit. This dialog will appear every time you open a DRF file, unless you are using meters as your system unit. You can either adopt meters as your system unit, or you can rescale the geometry in the DRF file to match your current unit settings.

In this case, you will rescale the file.

1. In the File Load: Units Mismatch dialog, make sure Rescale The File Objects To The System Unit Scale is selected, then click OK.

   Often, when you rescale a file, the viewports do not scale properly. You can see that (with the exception of the camera viewport), the scene does not display at all in the viewports.

2. In the viewport controls, click Zoom Extents All.

   The viewports now display the scene's geometry.

1. Choose File menu > Save.

   As this is your first time saving the DRF to a MAX file, you must give it a name.

2. In the Save As dialog, name the file mylibrary.max and click Save

Other Tutorial 3 Ds max : Using Foliage

source : 3ds max tutorial in help

Filling paths with color for Adobe Photoshop

The Fill Path command lets you fill a path with pixels using a specified color, a state of the image, a pattern, or a fill layer.

Path selected (left), and filled (right)

Important: When you fill a path, the color values appear on the active layer. Make sure the layer you want is active before beginning. You cannot fill a path when a layer mask or text layer is active.

To fill a path using the current Fill Path settings:

1. Select the path in the Paths palette.
2. Click the Fill Path button at the bottom of the Paths palette.

To fill a path and specify options:

1. Select the path in the Paths palette.
2. Fill the path:
• Alt-click (Windows) or Option-click (Mac OS) the Fill Path button at the bottom of the Paths palette.
• Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac OS) the path to the Fill Path button.
• Choose Fill Path from the Paths palette menu. If the selected path is a path component, this command changes to Fill Subpath.
3. For Use, choose the contents for the fill.
   
4. Specify an opacity for the fill. To make the fill more transparent, use a low percentage. A setting of 100% makes the fill opaque.
5. Choose a blending mode for the fill.

The Mode list includes a Clear mode that lets you erase to transparency. You must be working in a layer other than the background to use this option.

6. Choose Preserve Transparency to limit the fill to layer areas that contain pixels.
   
7. Select a Rendering option:
• Feather Radius to define how far inside and outside the selection border the feather edge extends. Enter a value in pixels.
• Anti-aliased to create a finer transition between the pixels in the selection and the surrounding pixels by partially filling the edge pixels of the selection.
8. Click OK.