8

Editable Patch (Edge) 967
changes to the one shown below. Click a handle
end to paste the information from the buffer to the
handle. You can continue clicking other handle
ends to paste the information repeatedly. To exit
Paste mode, right-click in the viewport or click the
Paste button.
Pas te Length When on, and you use the Paste
function, the length of the originally copied handle
is pasted as well as its orientat ion. When off, only
the orientation is pasted.
Sur face group
View StepsControls the grid resolution of the
patch model surface as depicted in the viewports.
Render Steps—Controls the gr id resolution of the
patch model surface when rendered.
Show Interior Edges—Enables the display of the
patch object’s interior edges in wireframe views.
When off, only the object’s outline is visible. Turn
on to simplify the display for faster feedback.
Use True Patch Normals—De termines how the
software smoothes the edges between patches.
Default=off.
When the check box is off, the software computes
the surface normals from the smoothing groups
of the mesh object to w hich the patch object is
converted before rendering. These normals are not
accurate, especially with a low View/Render Steps
setting. When the check box is on, the software
computes true patch normals directly from the
patch surfaces, which can generate more accurate
shading.
In the illustration below, a sphere was converted
to Editable Patch format, and then a vertex was
moved toward the center and rotated. The sphere
onthelefthasUseTruePatchNormalsturnedoff,
and the one on the right has it turn ed on. In both
cases, View Steps was set to 8.
A p atch sphere with Use True Patch Normals off (left) and
on (right).
Miscellaneous group
Patch S mooth—Adjusts the tangent handles of
vertices belonging to selected handles to smooth
the surface of the patch object.
PatchSmoothsetsthehandlestoabsolute
positions based on the patch object geometry;
repeated applications have no effect.
Editable Patch (Edge)
Selec t an ed itable patch > Mo dify panel > Expand the
editable patch in the stack display > Edge sub-object level
Selec t an editable patch > Mo dify panel > Sele ction
rollout > Edge button
Selec t an editable patch > Right-c lic k the patch > Tools 1
(upper-left) quadrant of the quad menu > Sub-objects >
Edge
An edge is the portion of a patch object between
two adjacent vertices. When at the Editable Patch
(Edge) level, you can select single and multiple
segments and move, rotate, and scale them using
standard methods. You can also hold dow n the
SHIFTkeyanddraganedgetocreateanew
patch. Holding down the SHIFT key during edge
extrusion creates a new element.