8

Editable Spline (Spline) 305
Continue clicking shapes to add them to the cage.
This fu nctionality is simi lar to the Cross Sec tion
modifier, but here you can determine the order
of the c ross sect ions. Spline cage tangency can be
defined in the New Vertex Type group .
Tip: When you edit the spline cage, use Area
Selection before selecting your vertices. This will
keep their positions together as you transform
them.
Connect Copy group
Connect Copy—When on, shift-cloning a spline
creates a new spline sub-object with additional
splines that connect the new spline’s vertices to the
ver t ices of the original segment. It is analogous to
shift-cloning edges in Editable Mesh and Editable
Poly objects.
Note: For Connect Copy to work, you must turn it
on before you shift-clone.
Threshold—Determines the distance soft selection
will use when Connect Copy is turned on. A
higher threshold will result in m ore splines being
created, a lower threshold will result in fewer
splines.
End Point Auto-Welding group
Automatic Welding—When Automatic Welding is
turned on, an end point vertex that is placed or
moved within the threshold distance of another
endpointofthesamesplineisautomatically
welded. This feature is available at the object and
all sub-object levels.
Threshold—Aproximitysettingthatcontrolshow
close vertices can be to one another before they are
automatically welded. Default=6.0.
Insert—Inserts one or more vertices, creating
additional segments. Click anywhere in a segment
to insert a vertex and attach the mouse to the
spline. Then optionally move t he mouse and
click to place the new vertex. Continue moving
the mouse and clicking to add vertices. A single
click inserts a corner vertex, while a drag creates a
Bezier (smooth) vertex.
Right-click to complete the operation and release
the mouse. At this point, you’re still in Insert
mode, and can beg in inser ting vertices in a
different segment. Otherwise, right-click again or
click Insert to exit Insert mode.
Reverse—Reverses the direction of the selected
spline. If the spline is open, t he first vertex will
be switched to the opposite end of the spline.
Reversing the direction of a spline is usually done
in order to reverse the effect of using the Inser t
tool at vertex selection level.
Original and reversed splines
Outline—Makes a copy of the spline, offset on
allsidestothedistancespecifiedbytheOutline
Width spinner (to the right of t he Outline button).
Select one or more splines and then adjust the
outline position dynamica l ly with the spinner, or
click Outline and then drag a spline. If the spline is
open, the resulting spline and its outline will make
asingleclosedspline.