The Edit Geometry rollout provides global controls for changing the geometry of the poly object, at either the top (object) level or the subobject levels. The controls are the same at all levels, except as noted in the descriptions below.
The Edit Geometry options are available to all of the subobjects, and can change slightly depending on the subobject.
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Tip: To select multiple subobject pieces, hold down the Control button on your keyboard and then LMB click the desired element on your object. For example, to select more than one polygon, switch to the Polygon subobject mode, LMB click one polygon, hold down Control on your keyboard, and then LMB click another polygon to select more than one. To deselect the element, hold down the Alt key and LMB click or drag the subobject selection to deselect it.
Repeat Last—Repeats the most recently used command.
Constraints—Lets you use existing geometry to constrain subobject transformation.
Choose the constraint type:
None—No constraints. This is the default option.
Edge—Constrains subobject transformations to edge boundaries.
Face—Constrains subobject transformations to individual face surfaces.
Normal—Constrains each subobject’s transformations to its normal, or the average of its normals. In most cases, this causes subobjects to move perpendicular to the surface.
Create—Lets you create new geometry. How this button behaves depends on which level is active:
Object, Polygon, and Element—Lets you add polygons in the active viewport. After you turn on Create, click three or more times in succession anywhere, including on existing vertices, to define the shape of the new polygon. To finish, RMB click. While creating a polygon at the Polygon or Element level, you can delete the most recently added vertex by pressing Backspace. You can do this repeatedly to remove added vertices in reverse order of placement. You can start creating polygons in any viewport, but all subsequent clicks must take place in the same viewport.
Vertex—Lets you add vertices to a single selected poly object. After selecting the object and LMB clicking Create, LMB click anywhere in space to add free-floating (isolated) vertices to the object. The new vertices are placed on the active construction plane.
Edge and Border—Lets you create an edge between a pair of nonadjacent vertices on the same polygon. LMB click Create, LMB click a vertex, and then move the mouse. A rubber-band line extends from the vertex to the mouse cursor. LMB click a second, nonadjacent vertex on the same polygon to connect them with an edge. Repeat, or, to exit, RMB click anywhere in the viewport or LMB click Create again.
Lesson 05 | Editable Polygon Objects 107 Collapse— (Vertex, Edge, Border, and Polygon levels only) Collapses groups of contiguous selected subobjects by welding their vertices to a vertex at the selection center.
Selecting two vertices for collapsing. Two vertices collapsed down to one.
Attach—Lets you attach other objects in the scene to the selected poly object. After activating Attach, LMB click on another object to attach it to the selected object. The Attach operation remains active, so you can continue clicking on other objects to attach them as well. To exit, RMB click anywhere in the active viewport or click the Attach button again. Attaching a non-mesh object automatically converts it to the editable-poly format.
Detach— (subobject levels only) Detaches the selected subobjects and the polygons attached to them as a separate object or element(s). With an editable poly object, when you LMB click Detach, 3ds Max prompts for those options in the Detach Dialog.
Slice Plane— (subobject levels only) Creates a gizmo for a slice plane that you can position and rotate to specify where to slice. Also enables the Slice and Reset Plane buttons.
LMB click Slice to create new edges where the plane intersects the geometry. To perform the slice, LMB click the Slice button.
Using the SlicePlane while in Edge mode.
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Slice—(subobject levels only) Performs the slice operation at the location of the slice plane.
Reset Plane—(subobject levels only) Returns the slice plane to its default position and orientation.
Available only when Slice Plane is on.
Performing a QuickSlice in Object mode.
QuickSlice—Lets you quickly slice the object without having to manipulate a gizmo.
Make a selection, LMB click QuickSlice, and then LMB click once at the slice start point and again at its endpoint. You can continue slicing the selection while the command is active. To stop slicing, RMB click anywhere in the viewport, or click QuickSlice again to turn it off.
Cut—Lets you create edges from one polygon to another or within polygons. LMB click at the start point, move the mouse and LMB click again, and continue moving and clicking to create new connected edges. RMB click once to exit the current cut, whereupon you can start a new one, or RMB click again to exit Cut mode. While cutting, the mouse cursor icon changes to show the type of subobject it is over, to which the cut will be made when you click.
X/Y/Z—Makes all selected subobjects planar and aligns the plane with the corresponding plane in the object’s local coordinate system.
The plane used is the one to which the button axis is perpendicular; so, for example, clicking the X button aligns the object with the local YZ axis. At the Object level, makes all vertices
in the object planar. Aligning an edge of a cylinder using the Z align function.
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