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Chapter 5: Creating and Editing Primitive Objects

Using different creation methods
You actually have a couple of ways to create primitive objects by dragging in a viewport. With the first
method, the first place you click sets the object’s initial position. You then need to drag the mouse to define
the object’s first dimension and then click again to set each additional dimension, if needed. Primitive
objects with a different number of dimensions require a different number of clicks and drags.
For example, a sphere is one of the simplest objects to create. To create a sphere, click in a viewport to set
the location of the sphere’s center, drag the mouse to the desired radius, and release the mouse button to
complete. A Box object, on the other hand, requires a click-and-drag move to define the base (width and
depth), and another drag-and-click move to set the height. If you ever get lost when defining these dimen-
sions, check the Prompt Line to see what dimension the interface expects next.
When you click a primitive object button, the Creation Method rollout appears and offers different methods
for creating the primitives. For example, click the Sphere button, and the Creation Method rollout displays
two options: Edge and Center. When you choose the Edge method, the first viewport click sets one edge of
the sphere, and dragging and clicking again sets the diameter of the sphere. The default Center creation
method defines the sphere’s center location; dragging sets the sphere’s radius. The creation method for each
primitive can be different. For example, the Box primitive object has a creation method for creating perfect
cubes, which require only a single click and drag. Table 5.1 shows the number of clicks required to create
an object and the creation methods for each primitive object.

Tip
If you’re dragging to create a primitive object and halfway through its creation you change your mind, you can
right-click to eliminate the creation of the object. n

TABLE 5.1
Primitive Object Creation Methods

Primitive Object Number of Viewport Default Creation Other Creation
Primitive Object Name Clicks to Create Method Method
Box 2 Box Cube

Cone 3 Center Edge

Sphere 1 Center Edge

GeoSphere 1 Center Diameter

Cylinder 2 Center Edge

Tube 3 Center Edge

Torus 2 Center Edge

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