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336 Chapter 5: Creating Geometry
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 mode ls 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 te a S h a peM e r ge object:
1.
Create a mesh object and one or more shapes
2. Align the shapes in the viewport so they c an 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 surface of the mesh object is
altered to embed a pattern matching that of the
selected shape.
Interfa ce
Pick Operand rollout
Pick Shape—Click this button, and t hen click the
shape you want to embed i n t he 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 create a box, and then create a
shape in the Top viewport, the shape is projected
onto the top of the bo x. You can repeat this process
toaddshapes,andtheshapescanbeprojectedin
different directions. Simply click Pick Shape again,
and then pick another shape.
Ref erence/Copy/Move/Ins tan ce—Lets you specify
how the shape is transferred to the compound
object. It can be transferred either as a reference
(page 3–1002),acopy,aninstance (page 3–957),
or moved, in which case the original shape is not
left behind.