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ShapeMerge Compound Object 331
ShapeMerge Compound Object
Select an object. > Create panel > Geometry > Compound
Objects > Object Type rollout > ShapeMerge
Select an object. > Create menu > Compound >
ShapeMerge
ShapeMerge combines the lettering, a text shape, with the
mesh that models the cake.
ShapeMerge creates a compound object consisting
of a mesh object and one or more shapes. The
shapes are either embedded in the mesh, altering
theedgeandfacepatterns,orsubtractedfromthe
mesh.
Procedure
To crea t e a Sha p eM er ge obj ect :
1.
Create a mesh object and one or more shapes
2. Align t he shapes in the viewport so they can be
pro jected toward the surface of the mesh object.
3. Select the mesh object, and click the
ShapeMerge button.
4. Click Pick Shape, and then select the shape.
The geometry of the sur face of t he mesh object is
altered to embed a pattern matching that of the
selected shape.
Interf ace
Pick Operan d rollout
Pick Shape—C l ick this button, and then click the
shape you want to embe d in the mesh object. The
shape is projected onto the mesh object in the
direction of the shape’s local negative Z axis. For
example, if you c reate a box, and then create a
shape in the Top viewp ort, the shape is projected
onto the top of the box. You can repeat this process
toaddshapes,andtheshapescanbeprojectedin
different directions. Simply click Pick Shape again,
and then pick another shape.
Ref erence/Copy/Move/Ins tance—Lets you specify
how the shape is transferred to the compound
object. It can be transferred either as a
reference
(page 3–1096)
,acopy,an instance (page 3–1051) ,
or moved, in which case the original shape is not
left behind.