[Figure 3-13] Hidden elements

Hiding and Locking Elements (Actors)
You can hide elements by disabling the Visible option in the Properties palette. This won’t delete the element, but only hide it from view. Figure 3-13 shows a figure with its chest element hidden. To make a hidden element visible again, you’ll need to select the element from the Actor list and enable the Visible option again.

The selected actor can also be locked to its parent to help maintain its current orientation. For example, if you lock the figure’s neck, then the head will maintain its orientation to the body when the rest of the body is moved. The lock command is available in the Object, Lock Actor menu. When locked, a checkmark appears to the left of the menu. Selecting the menu option again will unlock the selected actor.

[Figure 3-14] Different element styles

Setting Other Element Properties
The Visible in Ray Tracing option causes the element’s reflection to be cast to objects in the scene when raytracing is enabled during the rendering phase. Raytracing is covered in Chapter 16, “Rendering Scenes.”

The Bend option lets you specify whether the selected element bends to stay connected to its adjacent parts when moved. Disabling this option can cause gaps to appear in the figure. The Casts Shadows option causes the element to display a shadow in the Document Window when the Shadow toggle is enabled. The other properties are covered in subsequent chapters.

[Figure 3-15] Half a figure shaded using Cartoon style

Setting Element Styles
Just like setting a specific figure style is possible, you can also set the display style for a specific element using the Display, Element Style menu command. The default option is Use Figure Style or you can select one of the 12 display styles. Figure 3-14 shows a figure that uses several element display styles.

When using the Cartoon display style, detailed textured body parts like the eyes lose all their details, but using a different display style for the eyes will bring some details back. 

Select and Hide Elements

1.       Open Poser with the default Ryan figure visible.

2.       Click the Left Thigh element in the Document Window to select it.

The element is highlighted and its name appears in the Actor list at the top of the Document Window.

3.       Select Window, Parameter Dials to open the Parameters/Properties palette, if it isn’t already open, and click the Properties tab.

4.       Disable the Visible option.

5.       Repeat steps 2 and 4 for the Right Thigh, Left Shin, and Right Shin elements.

6.       Click the Head element in the Document Window to select it.

7.       Select Display, Element Style, Cartoon with Lines.

8.       Repeat steps 6 and 7 for the other visible body parts.

The visible elements are displayed using the Cartoon with Lines style to look like a Genie, as shown in Figure 3-15.

9.   Select File, Save As and save the file as Half a figure.pz3.