Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
extrusion twice. You should end up with something like Figure 3.8d. This is
how a box modeler might start a torso, the body of a car, or any number of
other objects.
T w eak
After extruding out all kinds of polygons, it is the box modeler's job to mold
them into something. The manipulators discussed in Chapter 1 are certainly
capable of the task, but Silo also includes a great, free-form tool,
Tweak
, to
make the process as fast and organic as possible. Tweak was introduced to
allow a succession of quick edits without having to select, deselect, and use
the manipulator every time. Its function is tied to the current manipulator,
and it is most often used with the move manipulator. Since it is shorthand for
working with the manipulators, it cannot be listed as a separate menu item;
the default way to use Tweak is by holding down the
Control
key.
Tweak
has two main uses:
●
Free-form molding without the manipulator
. If nothing is selected,
Tweak will select the component or object temporarily, perform the
manipulator action while dragging, and then deselect when you release
the mouse button. Thus, you can, for instance, move many vertices one at
a time without having to painstakingly select and deselect each. Simply
hold down the
Control
key, and click and drag on each vertex.
●
Automatically grab the active manipulator
. If you have something
selected and the manipulator is visible, clicking and dragging with Tweak
will perform the function of the current manipulator in the plane of the
screen without having to click on the manipulator itself. This can be
helpful when working with intricate meshes or in situations where the
manipulator is inside the model or otherwise dii cult to access.
Tweak; Control
Mouse
Let's try
Tweak
by going back to the rectangular shape created using the
Extrude
tool and fashion it into a more organic structure, something that
might be the building block for the torso of a barrel-chested character.
Figure 3.9 shows a sample of how this might turn out. Study the i gure and
when you're ready, try the following:
●
Make sure to enable vertex selection and the move manipulator.
●
Using
Tweak
, expand out some of the center polygons, and then shrink
those around the top and base.
●
Add volume and rounding by pulling out the center vertices.
●
Continue to shift your view of the model, tweaking points one at a time to
get a rounded look.
Feel free to experiment with this tool. Often, using Tweak can add dramatically
to the ei ciency and the fun when creating a model.
