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Re: Curved window
You can create glass from walls. Since you can create curved walls you can also create curved glass. Draw the curved wall with the correct length and thickness and then export the wall as 'curvedglass.obj'. You can now edit the resulting obj and mtl files with any text editor.
Edit the curvedglass.mtl file by replacing everything with this single block (you can leave the # comment lines at the top if you want):
newmtl Glass illum 1 Ka 1.0 1.0 1.0 Kd 1.0 1.0 1.0 Ks 0.0 0.0 0.0 Ns 1.0 Ni 1.45 d 0.4
Edit the curvedglass.obj file by replacing every line starting with usemtl with the line usemtl Glass
Import the obj file and you have your self-created glass. Of course you can use a different name instead of 'curvedglass'.
You can create glass this way with any object you have exported like a floor or a box. Just point the usemtl lines to the 'newmtl Glass' block that you add/replace in the mtl file.
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Re: Curved window
@Keet - what an elegant solution :-)
I use this method for every type of glass I need, usually with a flat box I pre-created as glass and just resize it to what I need. It's also an easy way to increase the transparency if you create double or triple pane windows. You do this by setting a lower d value in the mtl file. For multi-pane windows you need a higher transparency because you "see" through multiple glass sheets.
Useful tip for someone who wants to have a hole in the glass for a window-fan or vent: By using a wall you can create glass with a hole in it. You do this by inserting a round window in the wall and exporting only the the wall. The hole created by the window is retained in the export. Edit the export files to change into glass and voila, glass with a hole in it (Desperately waiting for the fix to create a round hole in a curved wall...)
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Re: Curved window
@captaincook I understand very few French words but from the picture I can determine what you proposed as an alternative. True, that works too but...
It's very difficult to make it 'real' glass. You can make the wall white (including the top) and use the 3D View transparency but you can't set the refraction factor Ni. The color property name remains "wall_1_1" and if you set the wall sides as shiny instead of matt you get and additional property name "wall_1_5" for the top.
When you start creating your own furniture you can't get around manually editing the obj and mtl files unless you create in Blender or something similar. For a newby starting with glass is a simple introduction to setting transparency and how to set a meaningfull property name for color/texture. (hopefully both are added to a future modify furniture dialog.) When you create glass you are most likely creating a window. If you want the window to open and close you still have to edit the obj file to add the deformation strings to the appropriate group names. If you are already a little familiar with editing obj and mtl files that is a lot easier.
Descriptions of the process as I gave it are meant to teach new users how to get the most out of Sweethome3D without having to learn complex programs like Blender. (Although I have to use Blender for some actions that simply can't be done in Sweethome3D.)
It's good that you reminded us that using the 3D view for transparency is also an option. I think it's mostly used for creating transparent water but looking beyond the obvious is always good!
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