3ds Max 2012 Bible - Kelly L. Murdock [322]
The Teeter Deformation window includes two lines: one red and one green. The red line displays the X-axis rotation, and the green line displays the Y-axis rotation. By default, both lines are positioned equally at the 0-degree value. Positive values result in counterclockwise rotations, and negative values have the opposite effect.
Bevel Deformation
Bevel Deformation bevels the cross-section shapes. To bevel an edge is to round the edge so it is smooth by adding more parallel edges. The Bevel Deformation window includes only one red line representing the amount of bevel applied. By default, this line is set to a 0 value. Positive values increase the bevel amount, which equals a reduction in the shape area, and negative values have the opposite effect.
You can also use the Bevel Deformation window to select three different types of beveling: Normal, Adaptive Linear, and Adaptive Cubic. Table 27.3 shows and describes the buttons for these three beveling types. You can select them from a flyout at the right end of the window.
Fit Deformation
The Fit Deformation window, shown in Figure 27.21, lets you specify a profile for the outer edges of the cross-section shapes to follow. This window includes two lines: one red and one green. The red line displays the X-axis scale, and the green line displays the Y-axis scale. By default, both lines are positioned equally at the 100 percent value. Specifying a value that is greater than 100 percent increases the scale, and specifying a value less than 100 percent has the opposite effect.
Note
When using the Fit deformation, you cannot make the surface go backward on the path. •
FIGURE 27.21
A Loft object with Fit Deformation applied
The Fit Deformation window includes ten buttons unique to it that are used to control the profile curves. These buttons are illustrated and described in Table 27.4.
Modifying Loft subobjects
When you select a Loft object, you can work with its subobjects in the Modify panel. The subobjects for a Loft include Path and Shape. The Path subobject opens the Path Commands rollout. This rollout has only a single button—Put—for creating a copy of the Loft path. If you click this button, the Put To Scene dialog box appears, enabling you to give the path a name and select to create it as a Copy or an Instance.
If your path is created as an Instance, you can edit it to control the Loft path.
Tip
Scaling or transforming a cross section has no effect on the Loft because there isn't any way to access the shape transform. If you add an XForm modifier on the cross section, then you can control its transform after it is lofted. •
The Shape subobject opens the Shape Commands rollout. This rollout also includes a Put button along with some additional controls. The Path Level value adjusts the shape's position on the path. The Compare button opens the Compare dialog box, which is discussed in the following section. The Reset button returns the shape to its former state before any rotation or scaling has taken place, and the Delete button deletes the shape entirely.
Note
You cannot delete a shape if it is the only shape in the Loft object. •
The Shape Commands rollout also includes six Align buttons for aligning the shape to the Center, Default, Left, Right, Top, and Bottom. For the Loft object local coordinates, Left and Right move the shape along the X-axis, and Top and Bottom move it along the Y-axis.
Comparing shapes
The Compare dialog box superimposes selected cross-sectional shapes included in a Loft object on top of one another to check their center alignment. The button in the upper-left corner is the Pick Shape button. This button lets you select which shapes to display in the dialog box. The button to its right is the Reset button, for removing a shape from the dialog box. Figure 27.22 shows the Compare dialog box with the two shapes from the pillar example selected. Notice that the first vertices on these two shapes are in different locations. This causes the strange twisting at both the top and bottom of the pillar.
FIGURE