8

PatchDeform Modifier 747
the object by manipulating the patch object or
adjusting the various controls in the Patch Deform
panel.
Not all objects can be used with PatchDeform.
Objects that are valid PatchDeform targets i nclude:
Plane, Cylinder, Cone and Torus.
This modifier is also similar to the
SurfDeform
modifier (page 1–838)
,exceptthatitusesapatch
surface instead of a NURBS Point or CV surface.
There’s also a world-space version of the
PatchDeform modifier. See
PatchDeform (WSM)
(page 1–533)
. Generally, the PatchDeform
object-space modifier leaves the object in place
while moving the patch to the object, while the
PatchDeform world-space modifier leaves the
patch in place while moving the object to the
patch. Also, the WSM version has a Move to Patch
button, while the object-sp ace version does not.
Procedure
To use the PatchDeform modif ier :
1.
Select an object.
2. Apply PatchDeform.
3. On the Parameters rollout, click Pick Patch.
4. Select a patch object.
Deform the object by adjusting the cont rols in
the Patch Deform panel and by manipulating
the patch object.
Inter face
Modifier Stack
Gizmo—At this sub-object level, you can
transform and animate the gizmo like any other
object, altering the effect of th e modif ier. The
PatchDeform gizmo is a representation of the
deforming p atch object, so transforming it
determines which part of the patch affects the
modified object.
Parameters rollout
Patch Deform group
Provides controls that let you pick the patch and
adjust the object’s position and deformation along
thegizmocopyofthepatch.
Pat ch—Displays the name of the selected patch
object.
Pick Patch—Click th is button, and then select the
patch object you want to use for the deformation.
Agizmoiscreatedfortheobjectthatmatches
the patch. Once you assign the p atch gizmo, you
canadjustthedeformationusingtheremaining
controls in this rollout.
Note: Patch Deform can be used only with a
rectangular quad patch form. The software makes
no dist inc tion between quad-style patches and
certain primitive meshes. Examples of suitable
patches are the primitive
quad pat ch object (page
1–981)
,theprimitive cylinder (page 1–172) ,and
the primitive
torus (page 1–175) .(Thecylinder
actually has t ri-patches at each end, but since they
are at the end of the list of patches, PatchDeform
just ig nores these extra faces.)