Toolbox: Shared Tools

To display the shared tools, from the Toolbox click the Modify tab, and then click the Tools button.

The shared tools are used to edit line objects or polygon meshes, and are divided into three groups: Edit, Solid, and Other Tools.

Edit Group

Degenerate to Point: Selected line objects and control points are converged to an averaged point.
Add Point: The Add Point tool allows you to add a control point by dragging across a line object in Modify Mode.
Delete: Deletes the selected object or control points.

Solid Group

Contains tools used to create solid objects. Use these in the Figure Window to make 3D objects out of 2D objects.

Extrude: Drag in the Figure Window to specify the direction and distance to extrude the selected objects. Extruded solids can only be created from line objects and disks.
Revolve: To create a revolved solid, drag an axis of rotation in the Figure Window. Revolved solids can only be created from line objects and disks.
Clear: Clear will undo an Extrude or Revolve operation and restore the original object.

Other Group

Boolean Operation: Boolean operations are used to create a composite object from two other objects. Unlike Boolean rendering, a Boolean operation modifies the actual geometry of the objects.
After you select the objects, specify the Boolean operation type in the Tool Parameters.

See also Boolean Operations
Align Vertices: The selected vertices, control points, and line handles are aligned at the position specified in Tool Parameters.
Magnet: This pulls smoothly an area based on the drag point of an object.
You can customize the Magnet Tool from the Magnet Tool Parameters.
Mirror: Performs a mirror copy of the selected face or object, centered on any axis.
You can select the axis type from the Mirror Tool Parameters.
Cage: Used to edit an object using a polygon mesh guide object. The Cage tool enables you to easily and intuitively transform the whole or part of a complicated object.
Target and Cage options can be set from the Cage Tool Parameters.

See also Cage
IK: Available in Shade3D Standard and Professional.
IK is only applicable to ball joints. IK is used to restrict movement between the starting joint (Root) and end joint (End).
When it is used to create IK rigging, you can set Root, End and Goal nodes within IK Tool Parameters.
To pose IK joints, use Joint Mode.
See also Inverse Kinematics
Motion Effects: Available in Shade3D Standard and Professional.
Motion Effects are only applicable to ball joints. It applies motion effects to the root of the ball joint. It can also be used to apply wind and gravity effects.
Settings can be applied in the Tool Parameters.
See also Motion Effects
Weight Paint: Interactively paint the weight values directly to the selected object in Figure Window.
Settings can be applied in the Tool Parameters.
See also Weight Paint
Wrapping Mesh: Generates a single manifold polygon mesh that wraps around all the selected objects.

See also Wrapping Mesh
Voxelized Mesh: Generates a single manifold polygon mesh voxelized from all the selected objects.

See also Voxelized Mesh

Plugins Group

Cut Curves

Available in Shade3D Standard and Professional.
Line objects are cut with their shapes retained.

See also Cut Curves / Connection

Connection

Available in Shade3D Standard and Professional.
Line objects are connected with their shapes retained.

See also Cut Curves / Connection

Auto Smooth

Available in Shade3D Professional.
To maintain the smooth status of the curved surfaces and line objects, line handle directions are automatically adjusted according to the movement of control points.

See also Auto Smooth

Lattice Deformer

Available in Shade3D Standard and Professional.
An object is indirectly deformed by editing a cubic lattice enclosing that object.

See also Lattice Deformer

Line Fit

A line object is moved and transformed so as to make it fit along the surface of any object.
Select a line object to be fit to the target object and then choose Line Fit. The Line Fit dialog will be displayed.

See also Line Fit Dialog

Convert to Meta Shape

A meta element or Metamesh is created from any polygon mesh or curved surface (Shade3D Professional only).
Select a target polygon mesh and then Convert to Meta Shape. The Convert to Meta Shape dialog will be displayed.
Select a target curved surface and then Convert to Meta Shape. The Convert to MetaBiCubicSurface dialog will be displayed.

See also Convert to MetaPolygon Dialog

Mirror Copy Surface

Available in Shade3D Standard and Professional.
Curved surfaces are copied in reverse and integrated.

See also Mirror Copy Surface

Transform: Preparation

Available in Shade3D Standard and Professional.
An object is indirectly transformed by editing a curved surface enclosing that object.

See also Curved Surface Transformation

Transform: Execution

Available in Shade3D Standard and Professional.
An object is indirectly transformed by editing a curved surface enclosing that object.

See also Curved Surface Transformation

Twist Deformer

Available in Shade3D Standard and Professional.
An object is indirectly twisted by manipulating a rotator joint used as the twisting axis.

See also Twist Deformer