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PolyCAD

This section demonstrates how to import images into the graphics window. Callibrated images are displayed on X, Y or Z planes allowing a three dimensional model to be built up from several directions. For a hull surface, this allows the section, buttock and waterline views to displayed and traced with curve or surface geometry.

Note: The images are displayed using OpenGL and has limitations on the size of images that can be displayed. Image dimensions must be based on 2^n (2 to the power of n) and there is a maximum image size that is dependant on the graphicss hardware installed in the computer. If images do not follow these size rules they will be rescaled before they are displayed in the graphics window and this will take some processing time. This can be minismised by having image dimensions of 256, 512, 1024, 2048, 4196 etc.

1. From the create menu, choose Image Plane, (Create -> Image Plane).

2. Select the right viewing direction for the geometry plane the image represents.

3. Click and drag to create the image plane. Click to set the opposite point.

4. An Open dialog box wil appear allowing the file to be displayed to be selected.

6 The image will appear in the rectangle drawn previously.

7. It is often difficult to see curves when images have the same background colour. The image colour can be inverted by using the 'Negative Image Colors' button on the attribute panel.

The image colours will be reversed once the image is reprocessed.

Calibrating the Image Size >>>