8

Bend Modifier 541
as many different parameters f rom d ifferent
levels in an object’s mo difier stack, or even
from different objects, as you like.
Youmightnoticethatyoucan’tsetthetaperto
curve inward. You can resolve this by reopening
Parameter Editor, clicking Edit/Delete, and
then modifying the Taper Curve attribute to
allow negat ive values. The change t akes effect
immediately , with no rewiring required.
Bend Modifier
Modify panel > Make a selection. > Modifier List >
Object-Space M odifiers > Bend
Make a selection. > Modifiers menu > Parametric
Deformers > Bend
The Bend modifier lets you bend the current
selectionupto360degreesaboutasingleaxis,
producing a uniform bend in an object’s geometr y.
You can control the angle and direction of the
bend on any of three axes. You can also limit the
bend to a section of the geometry.
Bend applied to a streetlight model
Pr ocedur es
To bend an object:
1.
Select an object and apply the B end modifier.
2. On the Parameters rollout, set the axis of the
bend to X, Y, or Z. This is the axis of the Bend
gizmo, not the axis of the selected object.
You can switch between axes at any time, but
themodifiercarriesonlyoneaxissetting.
3. S e t the angle of the bend along the chosen axis.
The object bends to this ang le.
4. Set the direc tion of the bend.
Theobjectswivelsaroundtheaxis.
You can reverse angle and d irection by changing a
positive value to a negative value.
To limit the bend:
1.
TurnonLimitEffectintheLimitsgroup.
2. Set values for the upper and lower limits. These
are distances in current units above and below
the modifier’s center, which is at zero on the
gizmo’s Z axis by default. You can make the
upper limit zero or positive, and the lower limit
zero or negative. If the limits are equal, the
resultisthesameasturningoffLimitEffect.
The bend is applied b etween these limits. The
surrounding geometry, while unaffected by the
bend itself, rotates to keep the object intact.
This is analogous to bending a pipe, where the
unbent sections rotate but remain s traight.
3. At the sub-object level, you can select and move
the modifier’s center.
The L imit settings remain on either side of the
center as you move it. This lets you relocate the
bend area to another par t of the object.
Interf ace
Modifier Stack