For the next few lessons, you should switch to the 3D modeling workspace. Look for the icon in the bottom right of the AutoCAD screen.
One
of the more interesting aspects of working in 3-D is
that you can visualize what your design will look like.
You have so far used the hide and shade commands to give
you some idea towards how the final piece will look.
The next step is to learn about the RENDER command.
This command is the most powerful one for viewing your
objects. Using render, you are able to add realistic
lighting and materials to get the most realistic view
of what you're designing.
You
can render objects that don't have materials applied
to them, but it won't look as realistic as if you have
material added.
The
first two blocks shown here are examples of the usual
wire-frame view before and after the HIDE command.
These
two blocks show how the render command can show the object
two ways. The block on the left was rendered without
a material applied, while the one on the right has a
white ash material applied.
Applying
the materials is a relatively easy process, getting them
to look exactly the way you want them to can be a skill
in itself. Once the materials are added, getting the
lights and shadows to look realistic is another task
that many people prefer to complete in a program other
than AutoCAD.
Follow
these steps to get an basic, accurate rendering:
Once
your objects are drawn, you have to decide which materials
you want to use. AutoCAD comes with a basic materials
library that you can use to apply to your objects.
Later lessons will teach you how to create new materials and map them to objects. This lesson is designed to allow you to quickly and easily apply materials to your objects.
Start by drawing a basic cube 20x20x20 - this will be your object for testing materials. Go to the Ribbon and find button for Render (shown below). This will give you a new set of tools to work with for visualization.
Now that you have your object (the cube) and a list of materials, you're ready to go.
Type in Materials and you'll see the materials palette appear. It's got a lot of controls in it, but look at the two that I have boxed in red. By changing these two, you can create a number of basic materials to apply to your objects. If you want to get adventurous, you can move the sliders around for Shininess and Opacity.
To add a material to the cube, click on the icon of the material (at the top) you want to use. Then press the Apply Material Button  . Move your cursor into the drawing area and your cursor should change to this one: 
Just move the new cursor over the cube until it is highlighted and click on it. Press <Enter> to end the command. It will look like absolutely nothing happened. You may have even done it a couple time to try and make it work. The only way to confirm that the material is attached to the cube is to 'render the scene'. This is easy - just type in Render and press enter. You'll see that a new window opened and rendered your cube.
Instead of rendering, you can have more 'real time' results by changing your settings in the Render Ribbon. You will see under the Visual Style Panel, you have an option for Realistic.
And then over to the right, you'll find the Materials Tool Panel - look for the Materials / Texture On setting.
Making these 2 settings will give you a fairly realistic look to your objects. It will still lack realistic lighting, shadows and detailed materials.
Use
these commands to apply materials to the lamp that you
drew in Lesson 7, and other solid objects you have drawn.
Materials cannot be applied to wireframe objects or those
drawn with line thickness.
Adding materials
is a very simple process. Getting them to look exactly
as you want or life-like can take some time to perfect.
It is a combination of material, mapping and lighting. This tutorial is just an introduction and later on you'll be making custom materials and getting even better rendering results.
For even more
realistic looking materials, you may have to map them
as shown in Lesson 3-13.
Extra Practice: Add materials to any of the objects you created in Lessons 3-6, 3-7, 3-7a.
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