Page 763 - Kitab3DsMax

Chapter 27: Working with Compound Objects
Using the Get Shape and Get Path buttons
After you click the Loft button, the Creation Method rollout displays the Get Path and Get Shape buttons,
which you use to specify which spline is the path and which spline is the cross section. Select a spline, and
then click either the Get Path button or the Get Shape button. If you click the Get Shape button, the
selected spline is the path, and the next spline shape you select is the cross section. If you click the Get Path
button, the selected spline is the shape, and the next spline shape you select is the path.
Note
After you click the Get Path or Get Shape button, although the cursor changes when you’re over a valid spline,
not all spline shapes can be used to create Loft objects. For example, you cannot use a spline created with the
Donut button as a path. n
When creating a Loft object with the Get Shape and Get Path buttons, you can specify either to Move the
spline shape or to create a Copy or an Instance of it. The Move option replaces both splines with a Loft
object. The Copy option leaves both splines in the viewport and creates a new Loft object. The Instance
option maintains a link between the spline and the Loft object. This link enables you to modify the original
spline. The Loft object is updated automatically.
The vertex order of the path spline is important. The Loft object is created starting at the vertex numbered 1.
Note
You can tell which vertex is the first by enabling Vertex Numbering in the Selection rollout of an editable spline.
The first vertex is also identified with a yellow box. n

Controlling surface parameters
All Loft objects include the Surface Parameters rollout. Using this rollout, you can set the smoothing of the
Loft object with two different options: Smooth Length and Smooth Width. You can use the Mapping
options to control the mapping of textures by setting values for the number of times the map repeats over
the Length or Width of the Loft. The Normalize option applies the map to the surface evenly or proportion-
ately according to the shape’s vertex spacing. You can set the Loft object to automatically generate Material
and Shape IDs, and you can specify the output of the Loft to be either a Patch or Mesh.
Changing path parameters
The Path Parameters rollout, shown in Figure 27.16, lets you position several different cross-sectional
shapes at different positions along the Loft path. The Path value indicates either the Distance or Percentage
along the path where this new shape should be located. The Snap option, if turned on, enables you to snap
to consistent distances along the path. The Path Steps option enables you to place new shapes at steps along
the path where the vertices are located. Each path will have a different number of steps, depending on its
complexity.
The viewport displays a small yellow X at the location where the new cross-sectional shape will be inserted.
At the bottom of the rollout are three buttons, which are illustrated and described in Table 27.1.

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