9

290 Chapter 5: Creating Geometry
• In a viewport, righ t-click the object and choose
Convert To: > Convert to Editable Spline from
the Transform (lower-right) quadrant of the
quad menu.
• Create a shape with two or more splines by first
turning off Start New Shape (on the Create
panel). Any shape made up of two or more
splinesisautomaticallyaneditablespline.
•ApplyanEditSplinemodifiertoashape,and
then collapse the stack. If you use the Collapse
utility (page 1–966) to collapse the stack, be sure
to choose Output Type > Modifier Stack Result.
•Importa.shp file.
To select shape sub-objects:
1.
Expandtheobject’shierarchyinthestack
display and choose a sub-object level, or click
one of the sub-object buttons at the top of the
Selection rollout.
You can also right-click the object in the
v iewports and choose a sub-object level from
the quad menu: Tools 1 (upper-left) quadrant
>Sub-objects>Choosethesub-objectlevel.
2. Click a selection or transform tool, and then
select sub-objects using standard click or
region-selection techniques.
Because sub-object select ions c an be complex,
you might consider using one of the following
techniques to prevent clearing the sub-object
selection by accident:
•UseLock Selection (page 3–707).
• Name the sub-object selec tion (see Named
Selection Sets List (page 1–67)).
To clone sub-obj ect selections :
•HolddowntheShift key while transforming
the sub-objects.
You can clone segment and spline sub-objec ts,
but not vertices.
To draw a s pline cage:
1.
Select a segment sub-object on a spline.
2. On the Geometry rollout in the Connect Copy
group, turn on Connect.
3. Hold down the Shift key and transform the
selected segment. You can move, rotate or
scale u sing the transform gizmo to control the
direction.
Notice that with Connect Copy on, new splines
are drawn between the locations of the segment
and its clone.
Tip: Use Area Selection or Fuse before selecting
and moving these vertices. They will not move
together as they do w ith the Cross-Section
modifier. Or use Fuse to keep the vertices
together.
Interfa ce
The following controls are available at the object
(top) level and at all sub-ob ject levels.