Working with Curved Surfaces
From ShadeCamp
A curved surface is an object composed of Bezier line objects. Shade allows easy manipulation of curved surfaces. In this chapter, you will learn how to edit curved surfaces and later try to create a simple curved surface.
Contents |
Modifying Curved Surfaces
Refer to “Editing line objects” for information on editing the line objects forming the curved surfaces.
Editing the Lattice Structure Within a Curved Surface
Line objects forming a curved surface can be deleted, extracted, and rearranged within the curved surface part. You can also add line objects to curved surface parts at any time. Line objects that are added must match the lattice structure of the curved surface. You can divide, combine, and join curved surfaces to other objects by editing the lattice structure.
Dividing Curved Surfaces
Curved surfaces can be divided without changing their shapes. For the sake of explanation, we will separate the curved surface shown below into two pieces at line object A within the Curved Surface part.
The curved surface above consists of eight closed line objects and four open line objects. We will separate the curved surface at the fourth closed line object from the top with the following procedure.
1. Duplicate the curved surface at the same position. You can duplicate a selected object at the same position by clicking in the Figure window while holding down the Shift + Z or Shift + Ctrl (Win) / Shift + option (Mac).
Hide the curved surface duplicated at the same position.
Note: When objects overlap, you can hide the objects in the Figure window that are not to be edited, in order to see clearly the object you are working on. In this case, select the object to be hidden, and choose Hide Selected from the Figure menu to hide it.
2. Delete the line objects in the first Curved Surface part that are above line object A.
Select the line object directly above line object A in the Browser window, and press the Delete (Del) or Back Space (BS) key (Win) / Delete key (Mac) until all line objects located above A disappear.
The top three closed line objects have been deleted from the displayed curved surface part.
3. Delete the line objects in the duplicate Curved Surface part that are below line object A. Select the line object at the bottom and delete (press the Delete key) until all the line objects below A disappear. We have finished dividing the part.
Display the hidden curved surface, and hide the edited curved surface. Then delete the bottom four closed line objects from the displayed curved surface part.
Both curved surfaces are displayed. You can see the division by moving the top curved surface.
Combining Curved Surfaces
Curved surfaces can be combined. In this example, we will combine two spheres after having deleted some unnecessary line objects to make a cigar-shaped object.
1. Create two spheres.
Use the Sphere item in the Create tool to create two spheres aligned vertically in the Front view.
2. Convert them into curved surfaces
Click the convert button to convert the spheres into curved surfaces.
3. Switching the display of the Curved Surface part.
Use Switch in the Modify tool to switch the display of the two spheres to the intersecting direction. The Curved Surface parts now each consist of three closed line objects.
The Curved Surfaces right after using Convert.
The Curved Surfaces after having been Switched.
4. Delete unnecessary objects
Now we will delete the closed line object at the bottom of the Curved Surface located at the top in the Front view. Click to select the third closed line object in the Browser window, and delete it.
5. Add the line object in the Curved Surface part
Select the second and the third closed line objects within the Curved Surface at the bottom. To do this, click the second closed line object in the Browser window, then click the third closed line object while holding down the Ctrl (Win) / Shift (Mac). You can see that the two line objects are selected. Release the key and drag the selected line objects to the bottom of the upper Curved Surface part. We have finished making our shape.
Using the modify Tool
Iron
You can automatically adjust control points and smooth line objects using the Iron tool in the Modify tool. Refer to “Editing line objects” for more details.
Smooth
You can automatically adjust tangent handles and smooth line objects using the Smooth tool in the Modify tool. Refer to “Editing line objects” for more details.
Unsmooth
You can delete tangent handles by choosing Unsmooth in the Modify tool. Refer to “Editing line objects” for more details.
Switch
When Switch is chosen from the Modify tool, the display of curved surfaces selected in the Browser window changes to display the line objects in the intersecting direction. Refer to “Editing line objects” for more details.
Reverse
When Reverse is chosen from the Modify tool, the order of the control points on all selected line objects are reversed. Refer to “Editing line objects” for more details.
Round Edge
The Round Edge tool rounds off edges (ridgelines where two surfaces meet) of curved surfaces. This function is used on line objects that form the edges of a curved surface. A line object must meet the following conditions for it to be considered an edge:
- The line object is a ridgeline where two surfaces meet, not a circumference of the curved surface.
- The line object does not have any tangent handles stretching in the intersecting direction.
- The line objects on either side of the edge line object do not have any tangent handles that stretch in the intersecting direction of the line object to be rounded.
Select a line object that fulfills the above conditions, then apply Round Edge from the Modify tool. The Radius dialog box appears.
The Round Edge function and the Bevel Edge function both replace a line object acting as a ridgeline where two surfaces meet with two line objects that are located the length of the radius away from the first line object, toward each surface. In addition, in the Round Edge function, tangent handles in the intersecting direction are added so the surface between the two new line objects will approximate a quarter-circle.
1. The illustration below shows a curved surface that consists of three L-shaped open line objects. Each line object consists of three anchor points, and no anchor point has tangent handles. Select a line object which forms a ridge line and choose Round Edge, then enter appropriate values in the Radius dialog box.
2. The line object forming the ridge line is replaced by two line objects with tangent handles in the intersecting direction, and the edges are rounded.
3. Select a line object forming the ridge line from the line objects in the intersecting direction, then apply Round Edge again.
4. Result of the above operations.
Beveled Edge
Edges of curved surfaces can be beveled by selecting Beveled Edge from the Modify tool. The same conditions apply as for the Round Edge function.
The procedures we have followed above are performed, except that Round Edge is replaced with Beveled Edge.
Creating a Simple Curved Surface
Let’s create a simple curved surface.
1. Select New from the File menu.
2. Select Curved Surface from the Part tool in the Toolbox.
A part called Curved Surface is created. The objects created from now on will be contained within this part.
3. Select Open Line from the Create tool in the
Toolbox. Click at three points A, B, and C in order in the Front view to create a curved open line with three control points.
The object you make does not have to be identical to that shown in the figure.
4. With just the Open Line selected in the Browser, select Translate from the Copy tool in the Toolbox, and drag in the Top window to copy the Open Line.
The open line is copied, automatically creating new lines connecting the control points of the original line and the copied line.
5. Select Shading from Display Mode in the Rendering menu.
The perspective view is displayed using quick rendering. To facilitate the explanation, quick rendering display will be turned on or off at various times.
A curved surface is just like a papier-mache object. The line objects in the curved surface part act as ribs in the papier-mache object; a plane cannot be created with only one rib, but a plane can be stretched between two ribs. If you look closely at the Figure window, you will see that new line objects have been formed, connecting the two line objects you created.
Depending on your monitor settings, the border between other colors in the Figure window and an object whose base color is white may not be clear. In that case, choose Preferences from the Edit menu (Win) / Preferences from the Shade menu (Mac) and set gray or some other light color for the Background in the Color tab of the Preferences window.
6. Look at the Browser, then drag a selection box to select one of the automatically formed new line objects in the Top view, that run perpendicular to the objects you created.
Look closely at the Browser window. The “perpendicular” line object you selected is now displayed within the Browser window.
The control points of this line object can be modified just like other line objects.
Note: You can select this line object directly with the selection box to display it in the Browser window, or you can select Switch from the Modify tool in the Toolbox while the line object within the curved surface part or the curved surface part itself is selected.
7. Select line objects in the Browser window in order, and compare them with the line objects displayed in the Figure window.
Two Top views
You can clearly confirm that the line object displayed in the Browser window is newly created. The curved surface part cannot simultaneously display line objects that stretch in two directions. Only a line object that stretches out in one direction can be selected at one time, and only one of the two perpendicular objects will appear in the Browser at any given time.
8. Select the line object in the middle again.
To make the control points appear, you can either select the line object again using the selection box, or use the Modify Control Points function available in the Modify tool in the Toolbox.
9. Drag the mouse cursor from anchor point A in the Side view while holding down the Z key (Win) / option (Mac) and stretch out a tangent handle to change the straight line object to a curved line.
By changing the line object in the middle to a curved line, a compound curved surface is created (i.e. one that curves in two directions).
10. Similarly, stretch out the tangent handle from anchor point B.
A compound curved surface is created.
11. Select the curved surface part and render it.
Using Curved Surfaces
Using curved surfaces, let’s try creating a paint tube. A tubular object such as this can be effectively created by converting a revolved object into a curved surface.
1. Select New from the File menu.
2. Set the coordinate value of the X axis in the Control bar to 0 (by clicking in one of the other views), then move the mouse pointer into the Side view.
3. Create a paint-tube-shaped line object in the Side view as shown in the figure below.
The shape does not have to be identical. We do not need any tangent points now, because control points can be modified at any later time; use only anchor points to create the line object out of straight lines.
4. Select Revolve from the solid tool in the Toolbox, and drag the mouse cursor from A to B at the same point along the Y axis as the end point.
Note: When dragging the mouse cursor from A to B, be sure to start dragging from the same position along the Y axis as the end point of the line object.
A revolved object is created.
5. Make sure that Revolved Open Line is selected in the Browser window, and click convert in the Toolbox.
A revolved object is converted into a curved surface by clicking convert while the revolved object is selected.
6. Select the Open Lines in the curved surface part within the Browser window in order from top to bottom, to confirm how the curved surface is being created.
The order in which the Open Lines are arranged in the curved surface part is significant, because the planes are created in the same order. When selecting, look closely at the shapes of each line object. Remember that the shape of the Curved Surface depends on the arrangement of each line object in the Curved Surface part.
7. Select the Curved Surface part or any line object in the Curved Surface part, and select Switch from the Modify tool in the Toolbox.
As before, to alternately display the intersecting line objects in the Browser window, one of the line objects can be directly selected in one of the views in the Figure window, or Switch in the Modify tool can be used.
8. Similarly, select the line objects in the curved surface part within the Browser window in order from top to bottom, and confirm the structure of the curved surface.
Round Closed Lines are arranged from the Note of the tube to the bottom, and planes are created in the same order.
Let’s modify the control points at the bottom of the tube to form a flat shape.
9. Select a line object on the side from the Top view.
10. Display the control points and drag the control point at the bottom of the tube to the right, in the Top view.
Quick Rendering in the perspective view is used here to show us what is happening.
11. Similarly, move the control point of the line object on the other side.
The shape is getting closer to a paint tube.
Now, we will work on some details of the tube. We will add control points to round off the corners.
12. Display control points on the upper line object in the Side view, and add two new points on either side of control point A.
Control points are added by dragging the mouse cursor across the line while holding down the X + Z keys (Win) / }{ + option (Mac). Control points are added within the curved surface, and at the same time, a line object with the added control points is automatically created.
13. Select the intersecting Closed Line with the control point A in the corner using a selection box.
The Closed Line in the intersecting direction is selected.
14. Delete the selected line object with the BackSpace key (Win) / Delete key (Mac).
The corner is now rounded off. Similarly, let’s round off the mouth of the tube.
15. Select a line object on the upper side in the Side view, and add two control points on either side of control point B.
16. Select control point B at the corner by clicking on it.
17. Select Switch from the Modify tool in the Toolbox.
By selecting a single control point in the curved surface, and then Switching, you can select the line object that is perpendicular to the currently selected object. This is a useful method for line objects that are difficult to select.
18. Delete the line object by pressing the Backspace key (Win) / Delete key (Mac).
The line object that formed the corner has been rounded off. Do not panic if the wrong object gets deleted. The original state can be regained by selecting Undo from the Edit menu. Similarly, let’s round off another corner control point (C) at the mouth of the tube.
19. Select the line object at the upper part of the Side view, and display the control points.
20. Add two control points on either side of control point C. Select control point C, select Switch from the Modify tool in the Toolbox, and delete the line object.
21. Select the original line object, to confirm that the corner has been rounded off. Now, let’s create a fold at the bottom of the tube as shown in the figure.
22. In the Side view, add a control point at the rear of the shape where the fold is to be created.
Note: The control point can be added by dragging the mouse cursor across the line object while holding down the X + Z keys (Win) / }{ + option (Mac).
23. Move the added control point down, to more or less the same height as the control point at the bottom of the tube.
Bending the tangent handle of the control point is an effective way to create a fold. To move the control point smoothly, turn off the Snap checkbox in the Control Bar.
24. Move tangent handle A while pressing the Z key (Win) / Option key (Mac), to separate the tangent handles.
25. Similarly, stretch out the tangent handle and add some more bulge to the fold, by dragging anchor point B while holding down the Z key (Win) / option (Mac).
26. In the same manner, modify control points C and D on the lower line object as shown in the figure below.
27. Similarly, add some bulge to the two side edges of the fold by modifying the respective tangent lines in the Top view.
The fold has been created on the tube.
Now we will modify the cross section at the intersecting direction to put some more emphasis on the fold.
28. In the Top view, select the line object shown in the figure by dragging a selection box.
Top view
In the Front view, look at how fat the cross section of the fold is, and imagine the cross section of a real fold of a real tube. We will modify it to reduce the bulges on both sides.
29. In the Front view, select the control point shown in the figure, and move the tangent handle to narrow the bulges while pressing the Shift.
Note: By dragging the tangent handle while pressing the Shift, you can maintain the current direction, and just change the length of the tangent handle.
30. Similarly, move the other tangent handle, which stretches out in the opposite direction, while pressing the Shift.
31. Now, modify the tangent handles for the control point on the opposite side, while pressing the Shift.
If you are not using the Shift to adjust the tangent handle, you can drag the anchor point directly while holding down the Z key (Win) / option (Mac) as an alternative.
However, you may not be able to recognize that the tangent line has been stretched out in the opposite direction when performing this operation.
If an unusual shape is seen when rendering, as shown in the figure below, the tangent handle may be stretched in the wrong direction.
In that case, select the control point, and select Reverse from the Modify tool in the Toolbox.
The figure below shows an emphasized figure where the tangent line stretches out in the wrong direction. By executing the Reverse function, a line object without a twist can be created.
Select Reverse from the Modify tool
Let’s now learn to create depressions in the tube.
32. Select an open line and add control points at points A, B, and C.
The positions do not have to be identical to the figure.
33. Select the added control point B and move it downward.
A depression has been created. If you press a real tube, it will flatten out horizontally. Let’s create the same shape.
34. Move the control points shown in the figure in the Top view slightly horizontally.
The Top view
The finished shape from step 34
35. Let’s transform the shape freely by modifying other control points.
Move control points or change the length of the tangent handles as you like. You may be puzzled as to how to transform the object at first. If you have any tube-shaped objects (paint tubes, tooth paste tubes, etc.), look closely at them. If what you have created does not turn out to be what you expected, you can always select Undo from the Edit menu. You can undo a maximum of 100 operations. A sample Tube file named “Tube.shd” is located in the “Chapter07” folder contained in “User Guide” folder. Take a look at it as a reference.
Finally, let’s bend the tube.
36. Select several line objects in the fold at the bottom of the tube (by shift-clicking them in the Browser).
37. Select Rotate from the Move tool in the Toolbox. Click once at point A, then drag from point B to C to rotate.
The tube is now bent. The paint-tube shape is now complete.
The finished object from step 37
We will use a prepared surface attribute file to render an image.
38. Select Surface from the View menu and open the surface window.
39. Select the “Curved Surface” part.
40. Press the Load button in the Surface window, and from the file selection dialog box, select the “Tubemtl.shdsfc” file in the “Chapter07” folder within the “User Guide” folder.
The surface attributes are loaded.
41. Render an image.
The finished object from step 41
When carrying out scan line rendering, Smooth Shading must be selected in the Shading pull-down menu contained in the Rendering Options of the Image window to reflect the surface attribute settings in the rendered image.
Examination of Curved Surfaces
From what we have learned so far, the following can be said:
- Line objects in a curved surface have a role similar to ribs in a papier-mache model: a plane is created between two line objects.
- A curved surface consists of intersecting line objects that stretch in two directions.
- Both of the intersecting line objects that define a curved surface can be modified as normal line objects.
- A Curved Surface part in the Browser window only displays one of the two line objects which define the surface, at any one time.
The plane for a curved surface is created by the line objects in the order in which they are listed in the Browser window.
Take the curved surface you have just created as an example. The Curved Surface is currently displayed in the Browser window as shown in the figure below. (The three Open Line objects have been given the names A, B, and C to facilitate the explanation. You can rename your objects by double clicking them in the Browser.) The plane (surface) is created in the order A, B, C, because the line objects are arranged in that order.
Let us move line object A to the very bottom of the row (drag it in the Browser). You will see that the arrangement now becomes B, C, A, and the plane is created in that order.
If you continue to rearrange the objects, you can create a very strange surface A, C, B, as shown in the figure below. Just rearrange the line objects back to the correct order to regain the original shape.
Let’s examine what we have done.
Various operations are involved in modeling a shape. To summarize, you converted a revolved object into a curved surface, and then modified (moved or added) control points on various line objects.
Select each of the four Open Lines in the Browser window and examine them.
You will see how the twisted tube is expressed by looking closely at the shapes of the four Open Lines. Take a look at a real tube and compare. The contour lines of the real tube as seen from the top are reflected in the line objects.
Similarly, the contour lines as seen from the side are the same.
In other words, you can create four line objects to be used as edges, place them in a Curved Surface part, and add some modifications to the line objects in the perpendicular direction to create a shape similar to a real object.
The same thing can be said for the Closed Lines. Shapes that resemble round slices of a real tube can be included in a Curved Surface to model a real object.
The important part in creating shapes from curved surfaces is how we compose the line objects.
There are numerous ways to achieve a desired curved surface shape. However, the final curved surface shape will reflect the composition of the original line objects.
In other words, once you determine the composition of line objects required for the intended shape, the shape-modeling process is halfway finished. The composition of line objects is sometimes determined by the Side view, as in our tube and boot examples, or by a sectional view. If the composition of either of these can be determined, the composition of the crosssectional line objects is then naturally determined.
At the first stage in modeling an object, you might be puzzled about how to compose the line objects. But remember that each line object in a curved surface represents the characteristic lines of the individual object that you are intending to model. Therefore, if you can discover the shape-distinguishing characteristic lines for the intended object, you can start to compose the line objects for the curved surface accordingly.
Let us take the modeling of a computer monitor as an example.
What is the main distinguishing line for the monitor? Most people would agree that it is the rectangular outline of the screen.
This simple rectangle best represents a simplified computer display. If you consider how to compose the other line objects for the curved surface based on this first rectangular line, you can come up with a design as shown in the figure below.
To model an intricate curved object such as a man’s face, consider a composition of lines based on the profile that distinguishes the face. You will find that the lines should be composed as shown in the figure below.
It is no wonder some people say that the distinguishing line is the line stretching in the opposite direction for the above two examples. In such cases, you have only to consider the composition of the line objects based on that line for the curved surface.
It is clear from the above description that a curved surface shape is the shape that can make the most of the distinguished line the intended object has.
We see that a curved shape can be modeled by creating a few characteristic lines, and then combining them in a curved surface to get the cross-sectional lines. Because of this, it is relatively easy to edit shapes.
Sometimes you can model an object by combining multiple curved surfaces, instead of using only one. In such cases, the basic concept for modeling is still the same. You have only to compose the lines for each curved surface based on its characteristic outline.
Now that we have learned how to make a curved surface, let’s model a shape using multiple curved surfaces.
Combining Multiple Curved Surfaces
Each shape that was modeled in the previous section can be created from one curved surface. However, some shapes cannot be created using a single curved surface. In fact, it is common to divide the shape you want to create into several parts and create them separately. Let’s make a computer mouse by creating a curved surface that utilizes the line objects of another curved surface, and by dividing a curved surface.
Completed object
Since the computer mouse is symmetrical, you will at first create the right half, then create the left half as a mirror copy. This method is a little easier since you only have to create half of the shape.
1. Open a new file, choose Curved Surface from the Part tool in the Toolbox to create the Curved Surface part.
2. Within the Side view, create a line object (open line object) in the direction of the arrows to represent the profile of the top part of the mouse.
The point enclosed by a circle will be the border line between the mouse button and mouse grip, so you have to place that point a little closer to the front of the mouse.
3. Select Rotate from the Copy tool in the Toolbox to rotate the line object at right angles within the Front view to make the duplication.
Note: Since dragging the mouse while pressing the Shift allows you to restrict the angle to multiples of 45°, you can easily make a duplication rotated at 90°.
4. Select Scale from the Move tool in the Toolbox and scale the line object up by clicking point A and dragging from point B to C within the Top view to fix the shape of the mouse.
The shape is starting to look like the top part of the mouse.
Finished Scale
Next, we will add some bulge to the cross-sectional line objects.
5. Within the Front view, select the line shown in the figure below twice with a selection box.
Select the line within the Front view
The control points appear.
Control points appear
6. Drag one of the anchor points while holding down the Z key (Win) / Option key (Mac) to stretch the tangent handles parallel to the X axis.
To make the line seamless when you apply the mirror copy later, the tangent handles must be stretched horizontally.
Note: When you drag the mouse while holding down the Z key (Win) / option (Mac), press the Shift also to restrict the movement of the tangent lines to certain angles to facilitate stretching out horizontal handles.
7. For the other anchor point, stretch the tangent handles parallel to the Y axis.
View with both sets of tangent handles
Let’s perform the same operation for the other three line objects.
8. Drag each of the anchor points while holding down the Shift key plus the Z key (Win) / Option key (Mac), to stretch the tangent handles parallel to the Y axis or X axis.
The top part of the mouse is completed.
You will now make a mirror copy to make sure that the shape is well-balanced. Here you will use the Numerical function in the Copy tool for the mirror copy.
9. With the Curved Surface part selected, choose Numerical from the Copy tool in the Toolbox, then click the reference point for the mirror copy.
10. When the Transformation dialog box appears, type -1 in the Scale text box of the X axis, then press the OK button.
11. If the balance of the shape in the Top view is not quite right, you can use the Undo command to delete the mirror copy, and then modify the original righthalf. Use this procedure as many times as required to get a pleasing Top view. Once it looks right, use the Undo command a final time to delete the mirror copy.
Next, you will create the side of the mouse, using a line object in the curved surface you have already created.
12. Select the line object shown in the figure below, then click anywhere within the Figure window while holding down the Z + Shift (Win) / option + Shift (Mac) to duplicate the selected object at the same position.
The only change that will occur within the Figure window is the slight shadow that appears in the quick-rendered Perspective view (see below). We will explain this in a moment.
13. Create a new Curved Surface part, then drag the duplicated line object into it.
14. Make sure that only the line object moved into the new Curved Surface part is selected, then drag it downward in the Side view while pressing the Z + Shift (Win) / option + Shift (Mac) to translate and duplicate it.
Finished duplication
Note: If you release the Z key (Win) / 3 (Mac) immediately after you start dragging with the Z + Shift (Win) / option + Shift (Mac) pressed, the movement is restricted to certain angles.
There is now an unexpected shadow on the side of the newly created curved surface. This shadow results from the duplication of line objects in the curved surfaces. The same type of shadow resulted from the duplication in step 12. You should be careful with duplication of line objects within a curved surface. A line object that is/was within a curved surface has not only the usual tangent handles, but also perpendicular tangent handles at each control point.
In Modify Mode, you will only see the tangent handles in one plane, but the control points do in fact have four handles. Therefore, if you duplicate such a line object, the new object will also have these four handles at each control point.
15. Select twice the cross-section line object shown to enter the Modify Mode.
16. Select each of the two control points to check the tangent handles.
When the line object was duplicated, the perpendicular tangent handles were also duplicated. In the case of the line object now selected, its tangent handles are too long in the same direction, and so they overlap. You do not usually want the tangent handles of adjacent control points to overlap, because this causes wrinkles and so forth when rendering. If you render a curved surface shape and it has unexpected wrinkles or plane distortion, you should check for overlapping tangent handles.
17. Select the new Curved Surface part, then choose Unsmooth from the Modify tool in the Toolbox.
The Unsmooth function deletes line object tangent handles. Unsmooth allows you to delete all the tangent handles from the line objects listed in the Curved Surface part, and removes the unexpected shadow from the quick-rendered image.
In the Modify Mode, you can verify that the tangent handles have been deleted, as shown in the figure below.
With a Curved Surface part selected, the Smooth and Unsmooth functions only affect the tangent handles of line objects currently shown in the Browser. The tangent handles of the lines that are perpendicular (the lines that appear when you choose Switch) are not affected.
Now that the side of the mouse is completed, you will divide the curved surface of the top part into the button part and the grip part.
18. Select the Curved Surface part that represents the top part of the mouse to switch.
19. Switch it to display the line objects stretching in the direction shown in the figure below.
If the line objects stretching in the direction shown in the figure below are already displayed within the Curved Surface part, you don’t have to Switch it. Note that you will not see any change in the Figure window, only in the Browser.
20. Click anywhere while holding down the Z + Shift (Win) / option + Shift (Mac) to duplicate the Curved Surface part that represents the top part of the mouse, at the same position.
21. We will “create” the button part by deleting some of the line objects in the original, upper-most Curved Surface in the Browser.
The upper four lines will be the button part, so we delete the last two lines.
22. Delete the unwanted line objects to create the button part.
Select the unwanted line objects and delete them
You can tell if the button part was created correctly by selecting the Curved Surface part.
The first Curved Surface part now represents the button part
23. Similarly, we will create the grip part using the duplicated Curved Surface part in the Browser (the second Curved Surface).
By selecting the last three line objects, you can see the grip part, and realize that we need to delete the first three line objects.
24. Delete the unwanted line objects to create the grip part.
You can check that the grip part was created correctly by selecting the Curved Surface part.
The unwanted line objects have been deleted
The original curved surface has now been divided into two parts. Because the number of shapes is increasing, we will give them names in order to organize them and avoid confusion.
25. As shown in the figure below, name the curved surfaces “Button”, “Upper Grip”, and “Lower Grip”.
26. Select the indicated line object of the Button shape, then drag it slightly in the Z-axis direction while holding down the X + Shift (Win) / }{ + Shift (Mac) to translate it and create clearance.
Side view zoomed in
Zoom in the Figure window so that you can translate it slightly. If you release the X key (Win) / }{ (Mac) immediately after you start dragging, the movement is restricted to certain angles.
27. Similarly, select the indicated line object of the “Lower Grip” shape, then translate it slightly in the Y-axis direction to create clearance.
Side view zoomed in
Finally, we will create the bottom of the mouse from a Closed Line object.
28. Select the line object that represents the bottom of the “Lower Grip” shape, then click any area within the Figure window while holding down the Z + Shift (Win) / option + Shift (Mac) to duplicate it at the same position.
29. Move the duplicated line out of the Curved Surface part.
Move the duplicated line out of the Curved Surface part
30. Display Object Info in the Aggregate window, and switch on the Closed Line checkbox of the Line Object dialog box.
Closed Line created from an Open Line
31. In the Top view we can see that our half-mouse bottom has an unwanted bulge to the left. In Modif Mode, click the unwanted tangent handle while holding down the X key (Win) / }{ (Mac) to delete it.
The bottom part is created from a Closed Line object.
However, you must be careful when using a Closed Line as a shape. A closed line that is not on a plane (i.e. has distortion) cannot be rendered properly. In that case, you must convert the Closed Line object to a Curved Surface.
We have now created half of the mouse. Let’s create the other half using a mirror copy.
32. Name the root part “Mouse Right”.
33. With the “Mouse Right” part selected, make the mirror copy.
A new root part appears, and it contains the original shape and the duplicated shape.
34. Name the duplicated part “Mouse Left”.
The computer mouse is completed!
35. Select the root part and render it.
