9

354 Chapter 5: Creating Geometry
6.
Click a shape.
ThecursorchangestotheGetShapecursorasyou
move it over potential shapes. The selected shape
is placed at the first vertex of the path.
Tip: You can flip the shape along the path by
holding down
Ctrl when using G et Shape. For
example, if you select the lowercase letter "b" with
a
Ct rl +click, the loft will look like the letter "d".
Inter face
You use the following rollouts for setting loft object
parameters:
Creation Method Rollout (page 1–354)
Surface Parameters Rollout (page 1–354)
Path Parameters Rollout (page 1–356)
Skin Parameters Rollout (page 1–358)
Once you’ve created a loft object, you can also use
the Modify panel’s Deformations rollout to add
complexity. See D eformations (page 1–363) for
further information.
Creation Method Rollout
Select a path or shape. > Create panel > Geometr y
> Compound Objects > Object Type rollout > Loft >
Creation Method rollout
Select a path or shape. > Create menu > Compounds >
Loft > Creatio n Method rollou t
You can choose between a shape or a path for
creating the loft object using the Creation Method
rollout, as well as the type of action for the loft
object.
Inter face
On the Creation Method rollout, you determine
whether to use a shape or path for creating the loft
object,andthetypeofactionyouwantforthe
resulting loft object.
Get Path—Assigns a path to the selected shape or
changes the current assig ned path.
Get Shape—Assig ns a shape to the selected path or
changes the current assigned shape.
Tip: Hold down Ctrl whilegettingtheshapeto
flip the direction of the shape’s Z axis.
Move/Copy/Instance—Lets you sp e cify how the
path or shape is transferred to the loft object. It can
be moved, in which case no copy is left behind, or
transferred as a copy or an instance (page 3–957).
Tip: UsetheInstanceoptionifyouexpecttoeditor
modify the path after the loft is created.
Surface Parameters Rollout
Select a path or shape. > Create panel > Geometry >
Compound Objects > Object Type rollout > Loft > Surface
Parameters rollout
Select a path or shape. > Create menu > Compounds >
Loft > Surface Parameters rollout
On the Surface P arameters rollout, you control
smoothingofthesurfaceoftheloftaswellas
designateiftexturemappingisappliedalongthe
loft object.