We continue to disassemble the mesh editor " Edit Poly» . Consider the tab " Edit Vertices"During the mode" Vertex"("Top"), 3d Max vertex - polygon vertices. All parameters of the Edit Poly editor in this tab are valid only for this mode, when switching to another, they will be unavailable.

3d max vertex.

Let's consider only the most necessary commands for editing the model mesh using the Vertex vertices. I remind you that the selected vertices can be moved " Move» , rotate « Rotate» , scale « Scale» , when selecting one vertex - only move.

1. Scroll Edit Vertices.

To enable 3d Max vertices click on the button or hotkey "1". Next, we look at the expanded scroll " Edit Vertices";

2.Remove.

Command " Remove"- removes the vertex and the edges belonging to it. If you simply delete it with the Del button, then all polygons relating to this vertex will disappear;

3. Break.

The command " Break"- disconnects all the vertices of the polygons at a given point. For clarity, I moved all the vertices to the sides;

4.Extrude.

The Extrude command of the Edit Poly editor extrudes a pyramid at a given point, the number of faces of which depends on the number of edges that intersect at a given vertex;

5.Weld.

The "Weld" command is one of the key operations during the vertex editing mode of 3d Max.

Using the command "Weld" You can combine a large number of vertices in groups. If, for example, you modeled a complex object in two parts separately and it's time to sew them into one model, then the Weld command will make this task much easier for you.

The vertices are merged based on the parameter value you specify. If the distance between vertices is below this value, the vertices will be merged. So it is necessary to place in advance those vertices that are combined with each other, closer to each other relative to all other selected vertices;

6. Chamfer.

Command " Chamfer" - makes a bevel on the selected vertex;

7. Target Weld.

The “Target Weld" command - merges vertices in the same way as the Weld command, although you can only merge 2 vertices at a time. It is convenient to use in cases where there are few vertices and the distance between them is greater in relation to other vertices in the grid.

8.Connect.

Team " Connect"- connects 2 vertices with an edge.

So let's sum it up. In this article, we learned:

What is 3d max vertex (3d max vertex);

We analyzed the basic operations with vertices and where they can be applied;

The main command was singled out: "Weld".

The method of polygonal modeling is based on manipulations with faces, vertices and edges of objects. It is with the help of editable poly in 3d max that most of the models that we use in interiors and are created and edited. In today's tutorial, we will look at the basic polygonal modeling tools.

So, every three-dimensional object consists of planes: polygons. And they, in turn, are divided into triangles: Faces, however, the latter are hidden for our convenience and are not displayed in the viewport by default. Yes, and today we will not talk about them. But in order to better understand what polygons are, let's create a box, break it into any number of segments and translate it into Editable Poly. Right click on it/Convert to/Convert to Editable Poly. This is where the work with polygons always begins.

Also, you can simply apply the Edit Poly modifier to the object from the drop-down list of modifiers. With this method, you can always return to the original form. However, this slightly loads the computer, so it is better to use the first method.

Note that the name appeared in the window on the right. If you press the plus sign, then we will see its sub-objects that can be edited.

Among them:

• vertices ( vertex) or points;
• ribs ( edges);
• borders ( border);
• polygons ( polygons);
• element (element).

We will not see the Border in this screenshot, since this is the edge, the border of the object. I have edited the box to show what is meant by "border".

Subobjects are duplicated at the bottom of the Selection rollout, like icons. It is also convenient that 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are assigned to them - according to their order in the list.

Scroll Selection

Under the icons, in the Selection rollout, you can also find selection methods for each of the sub-objects:

• By Vertex(by vertex) - edges or polygons are selected (does not work with vertices) that include the selected point;

• Ignore backfacing(ignore background) - when selected, vertex (edges, polygons) that are not visible at this angle will be ignored;
• By Angle(by corner) - works only in the Polygons mode and selects all polygons within the specified corner;

Now for the buttons:

• Grow- selects all polygons surrounding the selected one;
• Shrink- acts in the opposite way;

• ring- works with edge. Selects a chain of edges;

• loop- also highlights the chain, but on a different principle.

All these elements (vertex, polygons, edges, etc.) can be edited, moved, enlarged, cut, and many other operations can be performed. In order to do this, there are buttons for each subobject. They are in the scroll below. Let's take a look at them briefly.

Vertex. Edit Vertices

Switch to Vertex mode or press 1 on the keyboard.

• Remove– using the button you can delete a vertex.

To delete a point, you can use the backspace key on your keyboard. But delete will delete not only the vertex, but also the surfaces adjacent to it.

• Break- the command disconnects the vertices at a given point;

• extrude- squeezes out a point, thus it turns out a tooth, a pyramid;

• Weld- one of the most useful buttons. Allows you to connect (glue) vertices located at a given distance;

• Chamfer- forms a cut at the top;

• Connect- with this button you can add an edge between two selected vertices.

Edges. Edit Edges

Go to Edges mode or press 2 on the keyboard.

• Remove- removes the age;
• Split- makes an incision along the line of the rib;
• extrude- extrudes or presses the age, similar to the tool in Vertex;
• Weld- helps to unite, "solder" the edges at a given distance;
• Chamfer- cuts or (with high segmentation) smooths the edges of the shape;

• Bridge– allows you to connect edges by polygons;

• Connect- a very important and necessary button. If you select two opposite edges on the same polygon and click on it, an additional edge is created clearly in the middle. Thus, the plane can be divided into equal parts horizontally or vertically. You can change the number and distance between new edges by clicking on the square next to the button (by default, 1 edge is created).

border. Edit Borders

Go to Edges mode or press 3 on the keyboard.

• extrude- extrudes a face;
• Chamfer– similar to the tool of the same name in Edges;
• Cap- creates a "lid";

• Bridge– forms a connection between the edges;
• Connect– similar to the tool in Edges.

Polygon. Edit Polygons.

Switch to Polygons mode or press 4 on the keyboard.

• extrude– allows you to extrude or indent a polygon by a specified amount;
• outline– expands/narrows the polygon;

• bevel- similar to Extrude, but allows you to set the bevel area in addition to the extrusion / indentation height;

• Inset– creates a smaller polygon on the surface;

• Bridge– creates a bridge between polygons;
• Flip- allows you to turn the polygons inside out.

That's all the main buttons that help you create and edit polygonal objects. By the way, you should always remember that adding polygons in large numbers inevitably leads to overloading the scene and slowing it down. Therefore, it is better to delete everything superfluous,. You can view the number of polygons in the scene by pressing the 7 key on the keyboard. The counter also shows the number of points - Verts. Its display is disabled by the same button.

Edit Geometry Scroll

This rollout is available in edit mode for any subobject, as it relates to editing general geometry. It also has a few other interesting buttons:

• Attach/Detach– attaches or detaches one model to another. Elements of such a "prefabricated" model can then be selected in the Element mode.
• Slice plane- Displays the plane that can cut the surface.
• Cut– using the tool, you can cut a polygon in a given direction by manipulating the mouse;
• X, Y, Z– buttons help to align the vertex (edges, polygons) in one position on the axis.

Objective: Introduction to the principles of polygonal modeling in 3D Studio Max.

General information

Polygonal modeling (mesh editing or wireframe editing) is a low-level modeling and is based on manipulating the vertices, edges and faces of objects (Fig. 1).
Figure 1. Components of any polygon feature.

Polygonal modeling is one of the main modeling methods. In polygonal modeling, the shape of an object is changed by directly affecting its components. To provide this type of modeling in 3D Studio Max, the following are used:

• type objects Editable mesh. mesh can be translated as a loop, mesh (grid), so the object itself can be translated as "Editable Mesh" or "Editable Frame". An object Editable mesh can be obtained by converting, as well as stack folding.


• modifier Edit mesh(Edit Mesh (Edit Wireframe)).

Selecting subobjects

The face is a triangle, usually two triangular faces lie in the same plane and are merged into a rectangular face. To go to the sub-object editing level, do the following:
Step 1. Click the button Sub-Object(Subobject).

Step 2 Select a level from the object's pop-up menu.

Step 3 Use the buttons in the scroll Selection(Choice):

– level of peaks;

- the level of the ribs;

– level of triangular faces;

– level of rectangular faces;

The purpose of the tools for editing the mesh (editing the wireframe) shown in Figure 2 is described in Table 1.
Figure 2. Tools for working with an editable mesh (editable wireframe).

Table 1: Purpose of mesh editing tools (wireframe editing):

	Name	Level: V - vertex, Edg - edge, F - triangular face, Poly - face.	Button assignment
			Adding elements.
			Removing elements.
			Attaching other (independent) (Attach List) scene objects. Objects of another type are automatically converted to objects of the Mesh type.
			Separation of sub-objects with the creation of an independent object on their basis. A dialog box appears where you need to enter a name, the Detach as Clone checkbox allows you to separate not the subobject itself, but its copy.
	Divide, Break		The Divide operation divides a subobject into two parts. The Break operation splits the selected vertices so that none of them belong to than one edge.
			Rotate the selected face by 90° with the formation of two triangular faces on its base, where this face is common.
			Extrusion of subobjects. The amount of extrusion is entered in the adjacent field.
	Chamfer, Bevel (F, Poly, Edg)		The Chamfer button allows you to create a chamfer based on the selected subobjects. Bevel lets you pull off or expand the selected population.
	SlicePlane		Setting the auxiliary plane for the Slice operation.
			New elements are created at the intersection of the plane and the object.
			The tool allows you to manually create new edges and cut a face by adding an edge. When the Split flag is set, two vertices are created at the ends of the cut points of the edges. Checking the Refine Ends checkbox leads to splitting adjacent faces, to prevent unnecessary holes.
	Selected		The tool allows you to remove vertices by approximating them into one averaged total (merging); the boundary (the minimum distance between vertices at which the merge begins to act) is set nearby. The operation is applied to the selected set of vertices.
			The action of the button is similar to Selected, but the user chooses the average point himself (the value in the next located field sets the maximum distance between the mouse pointer and the target at which the merge occurs).

This 3ds Max polygon modeling tutorial covers the most commonly used 3d operations when using the Edit Poly modifier (or Editable Poly). This method is great for creating almost any object in 3ds Max.

First, let's create a simple Box primitive with the proportions of a real TV.

fig.1. Created initial 3d primitive - Box

Let's apply a modifier to our box EditPoly

fig.2. Modifier applied EditPoly

By pressing a key F4 on the keyboard in 3ds Max we turn on the display of the edges of our polygonal model.

In the modifier stack, go to the polygon level to start modeling. And select the front polygon where we will start creating the screen.

fig.3. Moved to the polygon level and selected the front one in the perspective window

Apply the operation to the selected polygon Inset to create a face as shown in the figure. It will serve as the basis for creating the screen.

fig.4. Applying the operation to the polygon Inset

Press the resulting polygon inward with the command extrude.

fig.5. Pressed the landfill operation extrude

Subdivide the double-embedded polygon with the operation Tesselate(Subdivision), thereby increasing the detail of the front face for the possibility of its further deformation. In general, it is not recommended to abuse this operation in your models.

fig.6. Increase the detail of the face with the operation Tesselate

Go to the vertex level and select the central vertex of the screen.

fig.7. Selected the central vertex

Activate soft selection mode Soft Selection(Thanks to him we will be able to deform the object more smoothly). Notice the Falloff and Bubble options. fall off is responsible for the width of the capture zone of neighboring vertices. Bubble- for the form of distribution of weights. Color shading clearly shows the degree of capture.

Now let's move the central vertex forward a bit to make the screen rounder. Be sure to exit the soft selection mode when you're done.

fig.8. Move the center vertex forward a little with soft selection mode

The screen is ready, now we need to prepare the back wall. Go back to the polygon level and select the back face.

fig.9. Selected the back of the TV

Apply the operation to the selected polygon bevel(Bevel extrusion).
Height- amount of extrusion
outline- degree of contraction

fig.10. Selected the back of the TV

Extrude the back face again with the operation extrude.
Height- amount of extrusion

3D Studio MAX supports many different options for creating models (i.e. simulations). Among them is mesh modeling, which is modeling at the level of subobjects: vertices, edges, faces and polygons. Sub-objects can be extruded, scaled, rotated, deformed, deleted, merged, added; you can apply many other operations to them, thus changing the original object beyond recognition. The result of such manipulations can be completely different three-dimensional bodies - from abstract objects to completely real models. This modeling technique can be applied to different 3D Studio MAX objects, but so far we are only familiar with primitives, so we will master the mesh modeling techniques on them. We note right away that the possibilities of grid modeling are much wider than we can consider in this lesson. We will return to this topic several times in the future, but at a higher level.

Theoretical aspects

Any parametric 3D object created from a primitive can be converted to an object of type Editable mesh(Editable grid) or Editable Poly(Editable mesh). Such an object ceases to be parametric and will be further modified as a mesh, that is, at the level of vertices, edges, faces, and polygons.

To objects of type Editable mesh include geometric models of three-dimensional bodies represented by shells in the form of grids with triangular cells. Objects of type Editable Poly differ from editable meshes in that their shells do not consist of triangular faces, but of polygons. Polygons are polygons that have at least four vertices and replace the collection of two or more adjacent triangular faces that lie in the same plane. Therefore, a mesh composed of polygons, in contrast to a mesh composed of triangular faces, is called a polygonal mesh, or a mesh.

Many editing options for objects Editable Poly and Editable mesh similar, but there are differences. Editing Type Objects Editable mesh possible at the level of vertices, edges, faces, polygons and elements, and the type Editable Poly allows you to work with vertices, edges, polygons, elements and boundaries. Many operations at first glance are completely similar for both types of objects, for example, operations extrude and bevel, but require different settings and often lead to different results. In addition, polygon meshes, in comparison with conventional meshes Editable mesh, have a number of additional properties, in particular, they allow smoothing without the use of such special modifiers as MeshSmooth(Smooth mesh). Recall that modifiers are intended for modifying objects and become available after the panel is activated. Modify(Change).

Types of subobjects and the principle of their editing

As already mentioned, a significant part of 3D Studio MAX objects can be represented as grids consisting of elements of the same type or sub-objects, which include vertices, edges, faces and polygons (Fig. 1). The tools designed to work with them are grouped by levels: Vertex, Edge, Face, Polygon, Element and Border(Fig. 2 and 3).

Rice. 2. Editable Mesh Levels

Vertices are points where any number of edges converge and connect to each other. The level is designed to work with vertices. Vertex(Vertex).

Edges are the boundary lines of a face. Edges can be visible if adjacent faces do not lie in the same plane (then they are displayed as solid lines), or invisible; at the request of the user, invisible edges can be displayed as a dotted line. The level is responsible for controlling the visibility and position of the edges. edge(Edge).

Facets are triangular-shaped sections of the plane, which are elementary cells of the grid. In the same plane of the object, there can be many faces that are outwardly completely indistinguishable. A level is designed to work with edges. face(Fringe).

Adjacent faces lying in the same plane can be combined into polygons. In the case of converting an object to a type Editable Poly the process of forming polygons from faces is carried out automatically. In a regular mesh, a polygon is just a sub-object that allows you to select all adjacent faces that lie in the same plane at once. A polygon mesh has no such sub-objects as faces, and it consists entirely of polygons, and some polygons can be triangular. The level is responsible for working with polygons. Polygon(Polygon).

In addition, mesh objects can be edited at the level element(Element), which is used to work with face groups combined into a wireframe element, and objects of type Editable Poly- and at the level Border(Border), which is useful, for example, when indenting borders.

Mesh objects can be edited both at the level of the object as a whole and at the level of subobjects: faces, edges or vertices. In order for an object to become editable at the subobject level and turn into an editable mesh, select it and select the command from the context menu Convert to=>Convert to Editable Mesh(Convert=>Convert to mesh edit mode); You can also apply the Edit Mesh modifier to an object. To convert an object to a type Editable Poly command is selected from the context menu Convert to=>Convert to Editable Poly(Convert=>Convert to mesh edit mode). In both cases, this will cause the panel to show Modify a whole series of scrolls:

• Selection(Selection) - is responsible for enabling the required sub-object level and managing sub-object selection modes;
• Soft Selection(Soft selection) - designed to expand the possibilities of selecting sub-objects and determines the law of propagation of transformations over the volume of the edited frame;
• Edit Geometry(Edit geometry) - contains the main tools for changing the geometry of subobjects. Some tools are the same for all levels and for both types of grids, while others are specific to each level (and/or grid). The list of common tools includes, in particular, the following:

  - Attach(Append) - allows you to add new wireframe objects to the model being edited, while all faces of the attached object are combined into a new element,

  - Detach(Detach) - is responsible for separating the selected sub-object into a separate element or a new object,

  - Remove Isolated Vertices(Delete isolated vertices) - allows you to delete separately located object vertices,

  - View Align and Grid Align(Orient to Current View/Orient to Grid) - performs a corresponding change in the orientation of the selected subobjects,

  - Make Planar(Reduce to Plane) - sets the planar orientation for the selected sub-objects,

  - collapse(Minimize to a point) – performs a collapse (compression) and merges all vertices of the selected subobjects into one, placing it in the geometric center of the selected area;

• Surface Properties(Surface properties) - combines such tools for setting surface properties that are intended for each level.

The choice of the required level of subobjects is carried out either by highlighting the level in the lists of subobjects Editable mesh or Editable Poly, or by clicking on the corresponding button in the rollout Selection panels Modify. To select the subobjects themselves, the usual selection tools are used: select object(Select object), Select and Move(select and move) Select and Scale(Highlight and scale), Select and Rotate(Select and Rotate) and Selection Region(Selection area shape). To sequentially select several objects, hold down the key while selecting ctrl.

In order to return from editing an object at the level of subobjects to normal editing, you need to highlight the level in the list of subobjects Editable mesh or Editable Poly.

Modeling with Vertices

Vertices are the main element of mesh editing - a few manipulations with vertices are enough to turn a standard primitive into a completely different object.

For example, create a primitive box(Box) by setting its length ( Length) and width ( Width) equal to 30, and the height ( Height) equal to 40 (Fig. 4), and save the object in a file. Without removing the selection, set the mode in which editing of the vertex is possible by selecting the command from the context menu Convert to=>Convert to Editable Mesh(Convert=>Convert to Mesh Edit Mode). To enable vertex manipulation, click in the rollout Selection on the button Vertex(Fig. 5).

Activate the tool Select and Move(Select and Move) and sequentially drag the vertices of its base so that the box turns into a truncated pyramid. Note that it's best to start moving the vertices in the Perspective viewport, because in all other views the bottom base vertices of the box are hidden under the top vertices. And then go to the Top viewport, which will provide a more accurate position of the vertices (Fig. 6). Do not forget that for more accurate movement of vertices, as well as objects, you can directly specify the coordinates of their new position in the lower part of the program window. If desired, you can move several vertices at once at once - in this case, after selecting the vertices, they are often blocked by clicking on the button Selection Lock Toggle(Highlight Lock Switch), which will immediately turn yellow. Locking saves the selected area during any manipulations in the program, and unlocking occurs as a result of clicking the same button again.

Vertices can not only be moved, but also rotated by the tool Select and Rotate(Fig. 7) or scale with a tool Select and Uniform Scale(Fig. 8). And you can reduce the selected vertices to one point by clicking on the button collapse(Minimize) on the panel Modify in a scroll Edit Geometry(Fig. 9).

Edge Modeling

To experiment, use the previously created and saved box and set its edge editing mode to − edge by clicking on the appropriate button in the Selection rollout. Like vertices, edges can be moved, rotated, and scaled in much the same way, although there are some differences.

You can use the tool to rotate the edges Select and Rotate(Select and rotate), or you can activate the features of the scroll Edit Geometry(Edit Geometry) panels Modify, where the button is intended for rotation turn(Expand). Activate this button and click on any edge of the box - this will rotate the corresponding edge, as shown in Fig. 10 and 11.

Modeling with polygons

Polygon(polygon) in scroll Selection. Polygons can be moved, rotated and scaled in the usual way if desired. In addition, there are many other interesting transformations available from the rollout. Edit Geometry panels Modify.

Consider the operation extrude(Extrusion), with which you can create convex elements of the object. Click on the Extrude button, then click on any polygon of the edited object (this will highlight the polygon and appearance mouse pointer will change) and move it — depending on the direction of movement of the selected faces, a convex (Fig. 12) or concave fragment of the object will be created on their basis.

You can add a straight chamfer to the selected faces, which is done by inserting planes instead of the common edges of the selected faces and is absolutely necessary when smoothing the shape of the model. To add a chamfer, click the button bevel(Chamfer), select the polygon and move the mouse to select the appropriate chamfer option (Fig. 13).

These operations can also be used on more complex primitives, for example, on a geosphere previously converted into an object of type Editable Poly(Fig. 14) using the command Convert to=>Convert to Editable Poly(Convert=>Convert to Mesh Editing Mode) and set to Polygon Editing Mode. The result of overlaying on one selected polygon of the geosphere of the operation extrude with parameter value Extrusion High(Extrusion height) equal to 50 is shown in fig. 15. Various transformations, in particular Extrude, can be applied both to one polygon and to a group of polygons by selecting them while holding down the key ctrl(Fig. 16), or immediately to all polygons simultaneously (Fig. 17 and 18).

Particularly worth mentioning is the smoothing of sub-objects. As already noted, objects represented as polygonal meshes can be smoothed without applying the modifier MeshSmooth(Mesh smoothing) - quite often it can be successfully replaced by the operation MSmooth(Smoothing) from a scroll Edit Geometry(Edit geometry). Try to apply it, for example, to the previously modified geosphere by setting the smoothing factor to 10 (Fig. 19).

Mesh modeling on specific examples

ball egg

Create an arbitrary ball (Fig. 20). Convert object to type Editable mesh by selecting the command from the context menu Convert to=>Convert to Editable mesh(Convert=>Convert to Mesh Edit Mode), and switch to Vertex Edit Mode by clicking on the button Vertex. To ensure smoother deformation of the ball, turn on the mode Soft Selection(Soft selection) with approximately the same parameters as in Fig. 21, and select with the tool select object all vertices located in the central part and in the upper third of the ball. It is more convenient to select vertices not one at a time with the key pressed ctrl, and enclose all selected vertices in a rectangular container. Move the selected vertices slightly up with the tool Select and Move(Select and Move) and then slightly narrow the selection with the tool Select and Squash(Select and compress). Reselect the top vertices of the ball, but reduce the number of sections by one from the bottom, and then perform the same operations on them. Perform exactly the same operations successively several more times, each time reducing the size of the selected area by one section and trying to give the object the shape of an egg (Fig. 22). To smooth the model, apply a modifier to the object MeshSmooth(Smooth mesh) by selecting it from the list Modifier List(Fig. 23) and setting its parameters approximately as in fig. 24, and as a result you will get an egg (Fig. 25).

Cylinder dumbbell

Create an arbitrary cylinder with 24 sides and 9 height segments (Figure 26). Convert object to type Editable mesh and switch to vertex editing mode by clicking on the button Vertex. With a tool Lasso Selection Region(Lasso selection) you need to select the vertices of the four middle cross sections of the cylinder (Fig. 27) and scale them with the tool Select and Uniform Scale(Select and scale evenly) down so as to form the narrowest area of ​​the dumbbell (Fig. 28). Since the vertices are too close for the selection to be successful, you should zoom in and switch to single window mode by clicking on the button Min/Max Togge(Switch min/max). In addition, at a certain position of the object, you will not be able to select every section perfectly (some of the vertices on the back side of the object may not be selected), so it is possible that the object will have to be repeatedly rotated and switched from projection to projection.

Simultaneously select two extreme sections of the cylinder (don't forget to hold down the ctrl) and scale the vertices so that the distances between the sections increase (Fig. 29). Select the second section from the left edge and scale it so that the distance between this section and the section to the left of it becomes approximately equal to the distance between the given section and the section to the right of it. Perform a similar operation for the second from the right edge of the section.

Switch to polygon editing mode by clicking on the button Polygon, and create chamfers for the end sections. To do this, select the tool select object the leftmost polygon, click the button bevel and define the chamfer parameters with the mouse or enter the desired values ​​manually (Fig. 30). The second option is much more reliable, especially considering that you will have to create exactly the same chamfer on the right side. Create a similar chamfer on the right side. The resulting dumbbell is shown in Fig. 31.

Sea urchin from geosphere

Create a Primitive GeoSphere with the parameters shown in fig. 32 and convert the object to type Editable Poly. Switch to polygon editing mode, select all polygons of the geosphere and apply the operation to them bevel by setting the bevel height ( Height) equal to 0 and a stroke ( Outline Amount) equal to –1 (Fig. 33). Without removing the selection, repeat this transformation three more times, each time changing the parameters in accordance with Fig. 34, 35 and 36 - the result is shown in fig. 37. To smooth an object, apply a modifier to it MeshSmooth(Smooth Mesh) by selecting it from the Modifier List. Set the modifier parameters: in the section Subdivision Method choose an option NURMS, and in the section Subdivision Amount set value Iterations(Iterations) to 0, and smoothness(Smoothness of alignment) - equal to 1. The resulting model resembles sea ​​urchin(Fig. 38).

Rubik's cube from a cube

Let's try to create a Rubik's cube not from a set of individual cubes, but based on one cube. Create a Primitive box(Box) with parameters as in fig. 39. Pay attention to the number of segments in depth, height and width, which exactly corresponds to the planned number of cubes on each side: three segments are selected, which means there will be three cubes. Convert object to type Editable Poly and set polygon editing mode. Select all polygons and apply the operation to them bevel(Chamfer) with parameters: Bevel Type - By Poligon, Height- 5, Outline Amount- 0. And then repeat this operation for polygons, but with the parameters Height- 0 and Outline Amount- 2. As a result, the cube will be broken into separate cubic fragments and will be very similar to a real Rubik's cube (Fig. 40).

If desired, the cube can be made multi-colored, but for this it will have to be first broken into separate elements. Select the polygons located on one side of the cube (Fig. 41) and click in the rollout Edit Geometry on the button Detach(Disconnect, Fig. 42) - subobjects will be separated. To select a separated object, click on the button Select By Name (Select by name) and select the name of the object (Fig. 43), and then repaint it in a different color in the usual way (Fig. 44). Go back to the cube, activate polygon editing mode and similarly select the polygons on the other side of the cube, turn them into a separate object with the command Detach(Detach), select the created object by name and recolor it too. And so it is for all other parties. To smooth the entire model, select all the objects included in it by clicking on the button Select By Name(Select by name) and specifying an option All(All), and apply a modifier to them MeshSmooth(Smooth mesh) with parameters as in fig. 45. The resulting multi-colored Rubik's cube is shown in fig. 46.

Faceted crystals from the geosphere

Create a Primitive GeoSphere(Fig. 47), convert it to type Editable mesh and switch to vertex editing mode. Select all the vertices above the central section (Fig. 48) and flatten them into one plane by clicking in the scroll Edit Geometry on the button Make Planar(Bring to a plane, Fig. 49). Select all the vertices that lie below the central section (Fig. 50) and reduce them to one point by clicking on the button collapse(To reduce to a point, Fig. 51). When finished, get rid of sharp corners - to do this, switch to edge editing mode edge, select all edges and apply the operation Chamfer(Straight chamfer) by setting the bevel amount to 0.5 units. As a result, the crystal shown in Fig. 52 (of course, to make the created object really look like a crystal, some serious texture tweaking is required, but that's another topic).

If desired, the shape of the created crystal can be changed by scaling and moving individual vertices. However, it is first necessary to combine the vertices brought together into one point. The fact is that when reducing the vertices to a plane or to a point, they are saved separately, so then when modeling at the vertex level, problems will arise. For example, if some of the vertices lying at one point are selected, and the other is not, then, accordingly, when moving, some will remain in place, while others will move with all the ensuing consequences. To merge the selected vertices into one, a scroll is intended Weld(Combine, Fig. 53). When the button is activated Selected(Selected) operation is performed on all selected vertices that fall into Weld Threshold(Union Threshold). Button target(Target) allows you to merge vertices by moving the selected vertex to the desired one.

For example, let's change the shape of the crystal to make it flatter and wider. Tool Lasso Selection Region(Lasso selection) first select all the vertices of the plane (the crystal must first be rotated so that only the necessary vertices can be selected, Fig. 54). Set threshold value Weld Threshold(Merge Threshold) to 1 and click the Selected(Selected) - Plane vertices will be merged. In a similar way, select and merge the base vertices that have been flattened into one point. Then sequentially scale and move the desired vertices (Fig. 55).

Geosphere soccer ball

Create a geosphere with the parameters shown in fig. 56. Pay special attention to the parameters, since it is quite difficult to find such options when the polygons can be accurately combined into hexagons, which are elements of the ball. Convert object to type Editable Poly and switch to polygon editing mode. Start sequentially selecting geosphere polygons while pressing the key ctrl, forming hexagons from them. Ultimately, all polygons must be processed, but adjacent hexagons cannot be selected simultaneously, since the operations applied to them then must be applied separately to each group of hexagons. However, to speed up the process, it is possible to select several hexagons that do not border each other in one go - for example, as shown in Fig. 57. After finishing selecting a batch of hexagons, apply the operation to them extrude by setting in the field Extrusion Type option group and assigning the parameter Extrusion High value 0.2. Then do this for the next batch of hexagons, and so on. The final result is shown in Fig. 58.

After that, for each hexagon, apply the operation bevel with parameters such as in Fig. 59, which will lead to another change in the geosphere (Fig. 60). Apply a modifier to an object to smooth it. MeshSmooth(Smooth mesh) by setting its parameters in accordance with Fig. 61. The resulting soccer ball is shown in fig. 62.

Chess pawn from a cylinder

Create a cylinder with the parameters shown in fig. 63. Since there are quite a lot of sections in the object, for convenience, depending on the situation, we will number them in the direction from bottom to top or in the opposite direction. Convert object to type Editable mesh and switch to vertex editing mode. By setting the selection option for rectangular areas ( Restangular Selection Region), select the vertices of the lowest section and drag them down a little along the Y axis (Fig. 64). Select all the vertices of the four bottom sections at the same time and move them down the same distance. Then select the vertices of the 2nd and 3rd sections from the bottom and scale them as shown in fig. 65.

Switch to polygon editing mode by clicking on the Polygon button. Select the polygon uniting the 2nd and 3rd sections from below, and apply the operation to it extrude by setting the mode for it local normal and manually entering a stamp value of -5. Then select the 2nd section from the bottom and scale the polygon so that the diameters of the 1st and 2nd sections are the same. Perform a similar operation for the 3rd section (Fig. 66).

Switch to edge editing mode by clicking on the button edge, select the 5th, 6th and 7th edges from the bottom and scale them approximately as shown in fig. 67. Switch to the vertex editing mode, select all the vertices located above and move them up so that the distance between the 7th and 8th sections increases significantly (Fig. 68).

Return to the polygon editing mode again, select the polygon between the 6th and 7th sections and apply the operation to it extrude(Extrusion) by setting its mode local normal and manually entering the stamp value equal to -3.5 (Fig. 69). Switch to vertex editing mode, select the vertices of the 8th section and use the Select and Squash(Select and shrink) reduce the diameter of this section approximately as shown in fig. 70. Select the vertices of the 9th and all above sections and scale them proportionally with the tool Select and Uniform Scale(Select and scale uniformly, Figure 71).

Switch to edge editing mode, select the 6th and 7th edges from the top and reduce their sizes proportionally (Fig. 72). Select the topmost edge and reduce it by creating a chamfer (Fig. 73). Select the 3rd and 4th edges from the top and enlarge them approximately as shown in fig. 74. Select the 10th edge from the top and move it up (Fig. 75). Adjust the distances between the 1st and 2nd and between the 3rd and 4th sections. Will eventually receive chess piece shown in fig. 76.