Object Vertice Handling
This tutorial provides you tips for improving your effectiveness in designing 3D objects by showing you how to straighten and curve a spline, how to use guidelines, markers, and how to re-set the Origin Point.
Straightening and Curving a Spline
It is often difficult to find the direction point on a smooth spline because it is so close to its vertex. There are two buttons that you can use to straighten and curve a spline which will make it easier to find the two direction points and lines.
- Click once in a blank area to deselect all forms. Now, click directly on a spline of your 3D object so that the 3D form is in reshape mode.
- Click again on a spline so that the two end vertices of that spline are selected (filled).
- Click on the CHG button located at the top right of the screen next to the word Spline: The CHG button has a straight line next to it (Illustration 18).
Illustration 18 - Straighten/Curve spline buttons
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- Clicking this button will straighten your spline and make the direction points and lines disappear.
- Click the CHG button with the curved line next to it (Illustration 18). This will make the spline smooth again and make all the direction points and lines visible.
TIP: These two steps can be used to make hidden direction points and lines visible. They are also useful for restoring the natural curve of a spline when it is bent beyond its normal parameters and makes the model look like it has creases in it.
Setting the Origin Point
Setting the Origin point of your 3D space is useful for measuring objects and for the next 3D operation Sweeping.
- Make sure your rulers are visible by going to the Options menu and selecting Show Rulers.
- In your Front window, look at the top left part where you see the letter
The G marker pop-up
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- Click on the G and while holding the mouse button down, drag to the bottom of the pop-up button to the O. While continuing to hold the mouse button down, drag the O to the middle of the Front window.
Selecting the O Marker
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- This should give you vertical and horizontal lines. Notice that your rulers show a 0 at the 2 lines. Press Command D to refresh the screen if the 0 is not showing at the two origin lines.
Setting Guidelines
- Now click on the pop-up button that had the origin point and this time drag the G to the Front window.
NOTE: G stands for guidelines. You can drag as many as you want into your window. These are used to line up objects, vertices and direction points.
- Click on either the vertical or horizontal rulers and drag into the window. Notice that you now have more guidelines.
- Delete all the guidelines by going to the Options menu and select Clear All Guides.
Setting Markers
- This time, place your cursor somewhere in the Right window and press the Spacebar down once.
NOTE: The spacebar locks the axis for that view. It tells the program the location that you want in 3D space.
- The next step is to go to the Front window and click on the pop-up button that contains the origin and guidelines (O and G).
- Click on the M and drag it into the window. This is your marker. The depth of its location was set in the right window when you pressed the Spacebar.
Selecting the M Marker
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TIP: A marker can be used to set a location for a rotation point or just marking an area. You can drag as many as 9 markers into any of the windows. Each will have a number next to it.
NOTE: Markers and guidelines can be moved in any of the windows by clicking and dragging them.
- Delete all the markers by going to the Options menu and selecting Clear All Markers.