Q: Can anyone tell me if there is a HIDE function in 3ds like there is in Autocad. I want to create a wireframe rendering without seeing the backfaces. Whenever I render with wireframe ON the output allways seems to be a See-trough image. I don't want to go throug all the trouble of, creating a DXF and export it to ACAD, just so I can do a HIDE command in ACAD. There must be an easier way of getting the same effect in 3ds.


A: I am afraid that this is impossible. If you don't use double-sided materials you will not see the inner part of the object, but it will NOT hide other object's geometry. For very small scenes (like a couple of primitives) you can create a copy of each object that is slightly scalled down relative to the local axis and has flat absolute black material assigned. The wireframe can be used with 100% self-illumination and it might look somehow like AutoCAD, but it remains rendering... I think this is a poor solution. I would save my time and export a DXF for loading into AutoCAD...
The wireframe rendering is used to create "wire-like" geometry, not to simulate AutoCAD drawing. Please visit my site and click on the Under Construction picture. The wireframe mode saved me much time - I had only to loft the text...