Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
To add a profile to your tube, simply click on one of the thumbnails. The profile is based on the polygons
between tube placement nodes (by default) or along the entire curve of the tube (by deselecting the Repeat
option). Both the direction of the profile along the tube and direction of the inset can be changed by select-
ing the corresponding option boxes.
Because profiles are based on an abstract curve, not every one will work in every situation, but they are
very worthwhile if you see one that is close to your intended form. This option is “sticky” and will remain
on with subsequent iterations of the tool, but you can quickly remove it by clicking the left-facing arrow
above the profiles themselves.
Figure 2-12
shows an example of two simple tubes with and without profiles
attached.
Along with the Tube tool is the
Solid Sketch tool
. The basic idea here is much like the Tube tool but with
the option to create multipronged forms. This could be anything from a simple stick figure to a fairly com-
plex tree. The options are simple. One setting enables you to move, edit, or rotate points, and the other de-
letes nodes that you have already created. Each node can have its own size and orientation that can be edited
when the node is created or by going back and selecting a previous one. Auto Align and Auto Merge options
adjust the orientation of each node and merge closely placed nodes in order to maintain smooth transitions,
respectively. Finally, the Negative option creates a node that pushes against the previous node. This can be
used to create indents in the model. It should be noted that this last option should mostly be used at the end
of a chain, because adding new nodes after a negative node will cause holes in the mesh.
Figure 2-12:
The Profile option adds additional detail to an otherwise smooth surface.
The Pen Tool
