3ds Max 2012 Bible - Kelly L. Murdock [190]
Figure 14.18 shows the resulting handle on the mug. You can add a NURMS command to smooth the mug handle.
Mirroring elements
Within the Elements panel are commands for mirroring the current selection about the X, Y, or Z axes. These commands move the element to the opposite side, but clicking the Clone button creates a clone of the selected element.
FIGURE 14.18
The handle for this mug was created with the Hinge feature.
Surface properties
In the Properties panel are several settings for additional properties such as vertex colors, material IDs, and Smoothing Groups.
Vertex Surface properties
The Vertex Properties panel in Vertex subobject mode lets you define the Color, Illumination, and Alpha value of object vertices. The color swatches enable you to select Color and Illumination colors for the selected vertices. The Alpha value sets the amount of transparency for the vertices. After you assign colors, you can then recall vertices with the same color by selecting a color (or illumination color) in the Select Vertices By section and clicking the Select button. The RGB (red, green, and blue) values match all colors within the Range defined by these values.
Cross-Reference
You can find more information on vertex colors in Chapter 32, “Painting in the Viewport Canvas and Rendering Surface Maps.” •
Polygon and Element Surface properties
For Polygon and Element subobjects, the Properties panel, shown in Figure 14.19, includes Material IDs and Smoothing Groups options. The Material IDs option settings are used by the Multi/Sub-Object material type to apply different materials to faces or polygons within an object. By selecting a polygon subobject, you can use these option settings to apply a unique material to the selected polygon. The Select ID button selects all subobjects that have the designated Material ID, or you can select subobjects using a material name in the drop-down list under the Select ID button.
Cross-Reference
You can find more information on the Multi/Sub-Object material type in Chapter 16, “Creating and Applying Standard Materials.” •
FIGURE 14.19
The Properties panel includes settings for Material IDs, Smoothing Groups, and Vertex Colors.
You use the Smoothing Groups option to assign a subobject to a unique smoothing group. To do this, select a subobject and click a Smoothing Groups number. The Select By SG button, like the Select By ID button, opens a dialog box where you can enter a Smoothing Groups number, and all subobjects with that number are selected. The Clear All button clears all Smoothing Groups number assignments, and the Auto Smooth button automatically assigns Smoothing Groups numbers based on the angle between faces as set by the value to the right of the Auto Smooth button.
The Properties panel also includes options for setting vertex Color, Illumination, and Alpha values.
Using the Freeform Tools
The middle tab in the Graphite Modeling tools includes an assortment of Freeform tools for sculpting and modeling surfaces as if working with clay. These tools are divided into three panels—PolyDraw, Paint Deform, and Defaults. The PolyDraw panel is shown in Figure 14.20.
FIGURE 14.20
The Freeform tools let you model by sculpting.
Using the PolyDraw tools
The various PolyDraw tools let you create and extend the surface subobjects using tools that work like a common drawing program.
Drag
The Drag tool lets you move selected subobjects around by simply dragging them with the mouse. Clicking a subobject automatically selects it and lets you drag it to a new position. Holding down the Shift key or the Ctrl key lets you drag edges or polygons regardless of the subobject mode that is selected. Pressing Shift+Ctrl keys together lets you drag entire edge loops, and the Alt key lets you move the subobject in a direction that is perpendicular to the view axis, which is great for dragging subobjects off to the side of an object.
Conform
The Conform brushes let you push all the vertices of the selected object toward a selected underlying