8

984 Chapter 9: Surface Modeling
Inter face
Name and Color rollout
The
Name and Color rollout (page 3–800) lets you
rename objects and change their wireframe color.
Keyboard Entry rollout
X/Y /Z—Sets the patch center.
Lengt h—Sets the patch length.
Width—Sets the patch width.
Cr e ate —Creates a patch based on the XYZ, Length,
and Width values.
Parameters rollout
Lengt h, W i dt h—Sets dimensions of grid in current
units.
Genera te M appi ng Coordina tes—Creates map
coordinates for apply ing mapped materials.
Default=off.
Meshes
Editable Mesh Sur face
Create or select an objec t. > Qu ad menu > Transform
quadrant > Convert To: submenu > Editable M esh
Create or select an object. > Mo dify panel > Right-click
the ba se object in the stack. > Convert to: Editable M esh
Create or select an object. > U t ilities panel > Collapse
button > Collapse Selected button
Editable Mesh (page 3–1026) , like the Edit Mesh
modifier, provides controls for manipulating a
meshobjectmadeupoftriangularfacesasan
object and at three sub-object levels: vertex, edge
and face. You can conver t most objects in 3ds Max
to editable meshes, but for open spline objects,
only vertices are available, because open splines
have no faces or edges when converted to meshes.
Tomakeasub-objectselectiononanon-editable
mesh object (for example, a primitive) for passing
up the stack to a modifier, use the
Mesh Select
modifier (page 1 –710)
.
OnceyoumakeaselectionwithEditableMesh,
you have these options:
• Use the options supplied on the Edit Geometry
rollout to modify the selection. Later topics
discuss these options for each of the mesh
components.
• Transform or SHIFT+clone the selection, as
w ith any object.
• Pass the selection to a later modifier in the
stack. You can apply one or more standard
modifiers to the selection.
• UsetheoptionsontheSurfaceProperties
rollout to alter the surface characteristics of
selected mesh components.
Note: Because Edit Mesh modifier functionality is
almost identical to that of editable mesh objects,