• Click on the white Color Swatch and select a color from the pop-up color palette.

• Select the Bezier Tool and in the front view window to draw the right contour of a pot.

• To draw with the Bezier Tool:
  • Click once to create a point, then move the mouse cursor to another part of the window and click and drag to create another point connected to the first.
  • Continue clicking and dragging until you have a line that looks somewhat like the one in Illustration 3.
  • You can edit this line by pressing S on the keyboard to get the vertex selection tool and then move the vertices and their control points.

NOTE: You can also undo anything a number of times with Command Z.

Illustration 3 - Lathe Step 1

When you are done, look at the Groups palette (see Illustration 4). You should see the word Spline 1.

NOTE: The Groups palette provides the following capabilities:

• You can click on this word and press the Delete key to get rid of the spline.
• At the top and far left of the Groups palette is an I column. This column has a red insertion pointer that can be moved. Whenever a new object is created, it is placed in the Groups palette at the spot where the insertion pointer is pointing to.
• The D column next to the I column has a black rectangle. You can click on this rectangle to make the object next to it invisible. Click again to make the object visible. Now, while pressing the Option key down, click on the black rectangle in the D column. It should turn gray and the spline should display as a fast box. When you are not working on certain objects you can use the D column to make them invisible or partly visible as fast boxes.

Illustration 4 - The Groups Palette

• The next step to Lathing is to click on the word Spline 1 in the Groups palette to select it and then click the Lathe Tool (Shift L).

• Press the Fit to Window button located at the bottom of each window. It is a square. The two buttons next to it are the enlarge (large mountains) and the reduce (small mountains) view buttons. You should now see the outline of the lathe.

• Click on the middle point of the lathe in the Front view window and drag the lathe axis to the far left point of the spline outline (Illustration 5).

Illustration 5 - Lathe Step 2

NOTE: The middle point of the lathe axis is used for moving it around. The top point is for angling the lathe.

Now, look at the top of your screen. It will show a narrow gray palette with different lathe options (Illustration 6).

• The first 3 options tell you the location of the lathe on the x, y and z axes.
• The next option says how many degrees the lathe can be turned. 360 degrees means all the way around. You can highlight the number and type your own number there.
• The next options is for Segments. You should always change this to 4. This is all that is needed and makes it easier to edit.
• Bank means the angle of the lathe. You can either type a number or move the top point of the lathe.
• When you are done setting the lathe parameters click the Lathe button at the top right of your screen.

Illustration 6 - The Lathe Info Palette

TIP: The object that you plan to lathe has to be selected before lathing can take place.

NOTE: Illustration 7 shows the result of clicking the Lathe button.

Illustration 7 - Lathe Step 3

• First, press the Fit to View button (square) at the bottom of the Angled window.

TIP: To view different sides of the object, press the Spacebar down and click and drag at the same time with the mouse.

• To move the object's view on the horizontal and vertical planes press the Spacebar down and while holding it down press the Option key and click and drag with the mouse.

• To rotate the view, hold the Spacebar down and then also hold the Control key down.

• To enlarge or make your view smaller in the Angled window:
  • Hold the Spacebar down first and then press the Command key to get the magnifying glass.
  • While holding the Spacebar and Command keys down, click and drag up with the mouse to enlarge the view.
  • To make the view smaller, drag down.

• To use the magnifying glass in the other windows:
  • Press the Spacebar first and then the Command key for the plus magnifying glass. Hold both keys down.
  • To get the minus magnifying glass, press the Spacebar first and then the Option key. Hold both keys down.

TIP: To see your 3D object(s) shaded, click the small button with the shaded sphere at the bottom of the Angled window. Try using the previously discussed keyboard commands to move the shaded object around in the Angled window. Notice that it could use better lighting in places. You can add and subtract lights by doing the following.

• Click the first small button on the bottom of the Angled window. This will show a small box on the bottom left of the Angled window with a globe and a white flat oval and a + sign on the right of the box.

• Click and drag the flat white oval in this small box until you get better lighting on your 3D shaded view of the object. As you drag the white oval it will become more rounded. This is your light.
  • To add another light, press the + sign on the top right.
  • Move the second light to the left until it appears to be in the back of the globe and the line extends from its middle. Now the second light is in the back of the shape.

TIP: Usually you would set 2 lights, one in the front and one in the back. This way you can rotate the 3D object in any direction and still see it clearly.