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Usage
Click the solid button to select the solid editing mode.
The user interface will display the start, end and size wheels.
The functionality of these wheels depends on whether the active solid has been
connected using connect solid
or if the active solid is a spline-skin.
If the active solid has been connected using connect solid, the wheels can be used to change the connection
parameters.
If the active solid is a spline-skin, the start and end wheels can be used to change the start and end point of the skin along the spline.
The start, end and size parameters can be animated using fix in combination with the timeline.
Comments
Picking in a camera window in solid mode is a fast way to select a solid primitive. Also the coi of each camera can be moved around with the mouse. In solid mode, the points dialogue box will be empty.
See also
spline, skeleton, skin, get solid tag, points box
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Usage
Click the spline button to select the spline editing mode. All interface actions will affect the spline curve: it is now possible to pick and drag spline points. The user interface will display the spline twist, spline taper and spline tangent buttons. If these buttons are switched on, it becomes possible to pick and drag the twist, taper, and tangent handles as well.
Selected spline points and tangent points can be locked in spline mode. The twist and taper handles do not really affect the spline curve, but rather the way the skin is positioned and scaled around the spline.
Comments
In spline mode, the points dialogue box will show one column of icons that symbolizes the spline points of the selected spline. If more than one spline point has been selected, all mouse actions are applied to all selected spline points.
A menu is shown next to the icons in the points box to set the (global or local) coordinates of the selected spline point, the coordinates of the tangent vector, and the twist and taper values. If the dynamic button is on, a slider and a full springs button are shown as well. The dynamics are used only if the dynamics value for one or more spline points is larger than 0.0. In this case a label with dynamics on is displayed.
See also
solid, skeleton, skin, spline twist, spline taper, spline tangent, lock point, points box , pick area, pick area, tangent vector, twist, taper, dynamics
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Usage
Click the skeleton button to select the skeleton editing mode. All interface actions will now affect the spline skeleton. In skeleton mode the same spline points can be picked and dragged as in spline editing mode. However, in this mode the skeleton structure of the splines is displayed with straight line segments between the spline points, instead of the smooth spline curve. This enables the user to manipulate the angles between the line segments (forward kinematics).
In skeleton mode the user interface will display the rotate x, rotate y, and rotate z buttons. When these are switched on, rotation axes and circles are shown for selected spline objects. The rotation axes can be picked; dragging them affects the corresponding angle. The actual appearance of these axes and circles depends on the mode of the rotation angles, which can be global or local depending on the corresponding buttons in the angles menu in the points box. Global angles are shown as red (for x), yellow (for y) and blue (for z) rotation axes aligned with the spline-objects coordinate system. This system can of course be affected by transformations in the GIG transformations menu.
A similarly colored circle is displayed perpendicular to each axis to show the plane in which the points rotate. Local angles look the same as global angles, but the rotations are performed one after the other: first the rotation around the y axis at the first spline point, then the new z axis at the first spline point, then the new x axis at the first point, and then on to the following spline points. Because of this ordering, the local x-axes are always aligned along the skeleton segments.
If constraints are used, the angle constraints are shown as black segments on the rotation circles. Angle constraints can be applied only to local angles, so they are shown only in local angles mode.
Comments
In skeleton mode, the points dialogue box will show one column of icons that symbolize the spline points of the selected spline. If more than one spline point has been selected, all mouse actions are applied to all selected spline points. A menu is shown next to the icons in the points box that is similar to the menu shown in spline editing mode. Only the entries to set the twist, taper, and tangent vector are replaced with values for the angles and another pair of global/local buttons (see above). If constraints are used, there are also input boxes for the minimum and maximum value of each angle.
All spline objects have a first and a last spline point. The first point corresponds to the lowest icon in the points box (branches are attached by their first point). The angles at the last point can be set, but since there are no further points setting them has no effect.
The skeleton editing mode affects the same points as the spline editing mode; the only difference lies in the handles shown by the graphic user interface. The axes value conveniently sets the size of these handles (axes, circles, etc.). The skin of the spline object always depends on the shape of the smooth spline curve, not on the straight lines shown in skeleton mode.
See also
solid, spline, skin, rotate x, rotate y, rotate z, constraints, points box , pick area, pick area, angles,min,max, global/local, dynamics, branches, axes
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Usage
Click the skin button to select the skin editing mode. All interface actions will now affect the skin points. Skin points cannot be picked and dragged directly. However, the user interface will display the skin twist, skin taper and skin shift buttons. These buttons determine in which direction the selected skin points move when dragged.
Comments
In skin mode, the points dialogue box will show a collection of icons that symbolize the skin points of the selected spline. If more than one skin point has been selected, all interface actions are applied to all selected skin points. A menu is shown next to the icons in the points box that can be used to set the coordinates of the selected skin point. These coordinates are in an undeformed system, as if the spline points were aligned along the y-axis from -0.5 to 0.5.
It is not possible to set the global value of a skin point directly. If the dynamic button is on, a slider and a full springs button are shown as well. The dynamics are used only if the dynamics value for one or more skin points is larger than 0.0, in which case a label with dynamics on is displayed.
See also
solid, spline, skeleton, skin twist, skin taper, skin shift, points box , pick area, pick area, dynamics
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Usage
Either click and drag the start wheel, or click the start input box to activate it. The value can now be changed. The active solid will move up and down along the spline it has been connected to unless set start/end was activated. If the active solid is a spline-skin primitive the skin will move up and down along the spline.
Comments
The start value ranges from 0.0 to 1.0.
See also
connect solid, end
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Usage
Either click and drag the end wheel, or click the end input box to activate it. The value can now be changed. The active solid will move up and down along the spline it has been connected to unless set start/end was activated.
This works only if the active solid has been connected to splines at two points. If the active solid is a spline-skin primitive the skin will move up and down along the spline.
Comments
The end value ranges from 0.0 to 1.0.
See also
connect solid, start
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Usage
Either click and drag the size wheel, or click the size input box to activate it. The value can now be changed. The size value affects the scale of the active solid.
Comments
When a solid is connected to 2 splines, the distance between the 2 connections also sizes the connected solid to create bulging muscle effects.
See also
connect solid
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Usage
Click the spline twist button to activate it. It is now possible to pick and drag the (red) twist axis of the spline. The twist is a rotation factor applied to the skin. For each row of skin points, the twist used is an interpolation of the twist factors at nearby spline points. The twist factors can be fixed in key-frames and animated.
Comments
Changing the twist factor is done by dragging the cursor from left to right, regardless of the orientation of the spline-skin. The spline twist button is accessible only in spline editing mode. The twist factor does not alter the skin, but only affects the way the skin is wrapped around the spline. To alter the skin points, use the skin twist function in skin editing mode. To animate twisting of skins use spline twist instead of skin twist.
See also
spline, skin, skin twist, spline taper, spline tangent, fix, play
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Usage
Click the spline taper button to activate it. It is now possible to pick and drag the (blue) taper axis of the spline. The taper is a scale factor applied to the skin. For each row of skin points, the taper used is an interpolation of the taper factors at nearby spline points. The taper factors can be fixed in key-frames and animated.
Comments
Changing the taper factor is done by dragging the cursor from left to right, regardless of the orientation of the spline-skin. the spline taper button is accessible only in spline editing mode. The taper factor does not alter the skin, but only affects the way the skin is wrapped along the spline. To alter the skin points, use the skin taper function in skin editing mode. To animate tapering of skins use spline taper instead of skin taper.
See also
spline, skin, skin taper, spline twist, spline tangent, fix, play
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Usage
Click the spline tangent button to activate it. It is now possible to pick and drag the (yellow) tangent vector of the spline. The tangent sets the shape of the spline curve through the spline points. The tangent vectors can be fixed and locked in key-frames and animated. If the auto orient button has been set for a spline, the tangent axes are set automatically so they cannot be changed.
Comments
The spline tangent button is accessible only in spline editing mode. In this mode, the tangent vector can be set with the corresponding entry boxes in the points box as well.
See also
spline, spline twist, spline taper, auto orient, lock point, fix, play, points box , tangent vector
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Usage
Click the rotate x, rotate y, or rotate z buttons to activate them. The corresponding rotation axes will be displayed at the spline points. It is now possible to pick and drag the (endpoints of the) rotation axes. This changes the angles from one spline point to the next (actually from one skeleton segment to the next). If angle constraints are used, it is not possible to change an angle outside its constraints.
Comments
The rotation buttons are accessible only in skeleton editing mode. In this mode, the angles can be set with the corresponding entry boxes in the points box as well. Changing a rotation angle is done by dragging the cursor from left to right, regardless of the orientation of the spline-skin.
See also
skeleton, angles, constraints, global/local
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Usage
Click the skin twist, skin taper, or skin shift button to activate it. This determines the effect of picking and dragging points in skin editing mode. In twist mode, the selected skin points are twisted around the spline. In taper mode, the selected skin points are scaled with respect to the spline. In shift mode, the selected skin points are moved up or down along the spline.
Comments
The skin twist, skin taper and skin shift buttons are accessible only in skin editing mode. In this mode, the coordinates of a skin point can be set with the pick area entry boxes in the points box as well.
The skin twist and skin taper affect the skin points in their own (x,z) plane, whereas the skin shift shifts the skin point along its y-axis. Changing a skin twist, skin taper, or skin shift value is done by dragging the cursor from left to right, regardless of the orientation of the spline-skin.
See also
skin, points box, pick area.
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