9.5.2

784 • CHAPTER 17
OBJECT MANAGER • 785
Object Activation
Generators and deformers are two of the most important object types in CINEMA 4D. Generators use
other objects or data to create new surfaces. Generators include most NURBS types. Deformers modify
an existing object. Deformers include not only those listed in the Objects > Deformation menu, but
also HyperNURBS, metaballs and the Symmetry object.
If you have an object in the scene that uses deformers, you can increase the
redraw rate by switching off deformation via the enable switch.
All generators and deformers have the two standard visibility dots (see Object Display above) in the
Object manager. In addition, they have a third switch for Object Activation.
This switch has two states: enabled and disabled. The enabled state switches on the generator (i.e.
surfaces are generated) and is represented as a green check mark. The disabled state is indicated as
a red cross and tells you that the generator is switched off (i.e. not generating surfaces). To toggle
between the enabled and disabled state, click the enable switch.
Example
 You have placed several splines into a Loft NURBS.
 If you want to edit the splines extensively, you can see them more clearly if
you turn off the skin of the Loft NURBS (click the enable switch for the Loft
NURBS to change its icon from a check mark to a cross). Note that this doesn’t
hide the Loft NURBS — rather, it switches off its effect.
A further example
 Create a cube and make it a child of a HyperNURBS object. The cube will
be deformed into a sphere. If you click the enable switch, only the cube (the
original object) will be shown.
Search
The Search tool gives you a powerful way to search for objects and tags in the Object manager. When
you select the command, the following dialog will appear: