Create

Introduction

The tools on the Create Tab allow you to make geometry. A wide range of tools is provided, including pre-made basic shapes known as primitives, drawing tools to create lines, curves and polygons, text, metaballs, and point creation tools that let you make points one at a time where you want them, or in groups at a time.

Tools and the Mouse Buttons

As will be shown in the examples for the primitive tools below, the LMB allows you to activate a tool by clicking on it, interactively adjust the geometry, and finally make the geometry by clicking again on the tool to drop it and complete the operation. Most (interactive) tools that create geometry (Box, Ball, Capsule, etc.) use the RMB to complete one operation with the tool - making new geometry, if applicable - and then begin a new operation with it, essentially dropping the tool and then reactivating it in a single step.

Creating in Perspective

You can create primitives in a perspective viewport in a similar way to how you would do it in a 2D viewport. You will see highlighted control points at the corners, sides, and center. You will also notice that you can see (fainter) hidden sides and control points. You can also drag any of the control points. Dragging a side control point will move the corresponding side along its perpendicular axis.

tip

Remember, you can rotate your view by holding the Alt key as you drag.

Numeric Panels

For most tools there is also a Numeric panel available, which provides for precision when you need it, and which many find a quick and convenient way to control the various characteristics of the object they are creating. The contents of the numeric dialog will change as you select different tools. You may find it handy to just leave the numeric dialog open.

For example with the Box tool, the numeric panel offers two different ways to adjust the shape of your box, the Size and Range modes. Other options allow you to round off the edges of the box (Radius and Axis) or to make the edges sharp or smooth them (Sharp Edge).

Using the cursor Keys

The cursor keys let you quickly adjust settings for most primitives. For the Box tool, for example, they work as follows:

Right/Left cursor
Incr./decr. Horizontal Segments*

Up/Down cursor
Incr./decr. Vertical Segments*

*based on viewport beneath mouse pointer

Make UVs Option

The Make UVs option at the bottom of the various primitive Numeric Panels assigns some default UVs based on the geometry of the object. Note that a UV Texture Map must be currently selected or this option will be ghosted.

• Primitives

• Primitives - More

• Text

• Text - More

• Points

• Points - More

• Polygons

• Polygons - More

• Curves

note

Contributed by Richard Feeney