3ds Max 2012 Bible - Kelly L. Murdock [182]
FIGURE 14.4
The Topology pop-up panel lets you choose a pattern to apply to the object.
The Size, Iterations, and Smooth values let you configure the selected pattern. The ScrapVerts button removes any vertices with two edges going to it. The Plane button creates a simple plane object where the S value sets the resolution. Figure 14.5 shows four planes with different topologies applied.
FIGURE 14.5
Changing a plane's topology gives a unique set of faces to work with.
Using the Symmetry tools
The Polygon Modeling panel also holds a link for accessing the Symmetry tools. This command opens the Symmetry Tools dialog box, shown in Figure 14.6. Using this dialog box, you can select an object with the top button and automatically copy the changes on either side of any axis to the opposite side with the + to − and − to + buttons. You also can use the Flip Symmetry button to switch the moved subobjects to the opposite side of the model.
The Copy Selected button lets you copy the position of an entire object or of just the selected vertices and paste them onto another object with the same number of vertices.
FIGURE 14.6
The Symmetry Tools dialog box lets you mirror subobject movements across an axis.
Tutorial: Building a Skateboard wheel
Starting with a simple sphere, you can quickly create a symmetrical skateboard wheel using the Symmetry tools.
To create a skateboard wheel, follow these steps:
1. Use the Create⇒Standard Primitives⇒Sphere menu and drag in the Front viewport to create a sphere object.
2. Open the Graphite Modeling Tools by clicking its button in the main toolbar. Then select the Convert to Poly option from the Polygon Modeling panel in the Ribbon.
3. Select the Symmetry Tools option in the Polygon Modeling panel, click the top button in the Symmetry Tools dialog box, and pick the sphere object.
4. Select the Vertex subobject mode in the Polygon Modeling panel and drag over the top four rows of vertices in the Top viewport. Then drag with the Move tool downward in the Top viewport.
5. Back in the Symmetry Tools dialog box, enable the Z Axis and click the − to + button to symmetrically copy the moved vertices, as shown in Figure 14.7.
FIGURE 14.7
The skateboard wheel is symmetrical and ready to roll.
Using the Modify Selection panel
The Ribbon also holds tools for making Loop and Ring selections. These tools are found in the Modify Selection panel, shown in Figure 14.8. When a loop or ring is selected, there are also buttons for growing and shrinking the adjacent rows or columns. There are also tools called Loop Mode and Ring Mode that cause the entire edge loop or edge ring to be automatically selected when a single edge is picked when enabled. A text label appears in the viewport when LoopMode is enabled. Tools called Dot Loop and Dot Ring let an edge loop and edge ring with gaps be selected. The Ribbon's Loop and Ring tools also allow you to select rows and columns of vertices and faces.
Note
The Modify Selection panel is only visible when a subobject mode is enabled. •
FIGURE 14.8
The Ribbon's Modify Selection panel includes tools for working with loops and rings.
The Modify Selection panel also includes these tools: Outline, which selects all subobjects surrounding the current selection; Similar, which selects all subobjects that are similar to the current selection, including Edge Count, Edge Length, Face Count, Face Areas, and Normal Direction; and Fill, which selects all subobjects that are within the selected subobjects or within the current outlined selection. The Fill option lets you pick two vertices that are diagonally across from each other, and then all interior vertices between the two vertices are selected to make a square area.
The StepLoop option lets you select two subobjects within the same loop, and then all subobjects between the two are selected. When Step