Silo Modeling Tools - 3D Modeling in Silo - page 27

increased or decreased using the Scroll Wheel . The “fallof ” of the ef ect (how
sharply the ef ect will stop as it fades out) can be edited by holding Control
and using the Scroll Wheel .

To see the impact on a denser mesh, subdivide twice ( C ) and then select
Subdivision > Rei ne Control Mesh . Tweak a vertex and you'll now be able to easily
see how the impact is distributed (Figure 3.10c). Play with the dense mesh using
Soft Selection and adjust the fallof and radius to get a feel for how they work.

Smooth

A complement to all of the expansion and modii cation tools is the Smooth
command ( Modify > Smooth ). Smooth averages the positions of the
selected components' associated vertices, evening out irregularities and
extremes, and the ef ect is something magical. It basically i xes poorly spaced
and uneven geometry, and makes the job of tweaking a large mesh much
easier.

Smooth; Modify
Smooth;

To try Smooth :

● Create a 5 5 l at grid. Select Create > Grid > opt and set the width

and depth and sections to 5. You should end up with something like
Figure 3.11a .

● Now go to town messing with the grid using Tweak or the move

manipulator. Move vertices up and down, pull out edges, etc.
( Figure 3.11b ).

● Now, switch to Object Selection mode and select Modify > Smooth .

Instantly, you'll see much of the unevenness disappear as the grid
smoothes out (Figure 3.11c). Press Smooth again to further dramatize the
impact ( Figure 3.11d ).

One thing you'll notice with Smooth is that, by its nature, it tends to reduce
the size of the polygons being smoothed. This might work in your model's
favor, but might also be an undesirable side ef ect. If needed volume is lost,
you can add it back in using Tweak or Soft Selection .

FIG. 3.11 A messy grid can easily be i xed with the Smooth tool.