Lesson VI - Creating Basic Shapes In The 2D Shaper (Part II)
In the second part we will discuss the commands not covered in the first part of Creating Basic Shapes In The 2D Shaper. In this lesson you will learn how to use the manipulative and more advanced commands like Copy, Open, Close, Connect, PolyConnect, Outline and Boolean. First access the 2D Shaper by hitting the "F1" key on your keyboard. Then click on the shapes function Create menu. This will bring up a list of commands and submenus. You will see the following commands : Line, Freehand..., Arc, Quad, Circle, Ellipse, N-gon..., Text..., Copy, Open, Close, Connect, PolyConnect, Outline and Boolean. In this lesson we shall discuss the last seven commands which deal with creation in an interactive tutorial.

The Copy Command
The Copy command is used to make a copy of existing polygons. It can be used to make as many copies as you wish of any polygon in the viewport. This command is useful for making backup polygons before you make a drastic change to the polygon. It can also be used to create an array of polygons. To use this tool, just click Copy and move your mouse cursor to the viewport. Then click once on any existing polygon in the viewport. Your cursor will now become a floating copy of the polygon that you selected. Move the copy to the desired position. Then click once to place the copy. Your cursor will become a normal mouse cursor again. You may repeat this process several times to create an array.

The Open Command
The Open command is used to open closed polygons (a closed polygon is a polygon that has all it's vertices connected - this means each vertex is connected to two others). This command basically deletes a segment (a line connecting two vertices) to create free vertices (a vertex that is connected to only one other vertex). First, create a basic shape (ie. a quad). Then click Open. Choose any segment and click on it. The segment disappears therefore creating an open polygon.

The Close Command
The Close command is used to close open polygons (a polygon with open ends). Using the open polygon created from the previous command or a new open polygon, click Close. Then click on the open polygon. The two open ends will automatically be joined by a segment. The polygon becomes closed. During this process, the first vertex is connected to the last and a straight segment is formed between them.

The Connect Command
The connect command is used to connect vertices by forming segments between them. These vertices can be on the same polygon or on different polygons. To use this command, click Connect. Then click on two free vertices, one at a time. A segment will be formed between them. If the vertices are on the same polygon then an effect similar to the Close command is achieved. If the vertices are located on two separate polygons then the segment formed will join them and a new single polygon is formed.

The Polyconnect Command
The Polyconnect command is used to connect two polygons via the first and last vertices. The first vertex of one of the polygons will be connected to the last vertex of the other and vice versa. You can also achieve this effect using the Connect command. However, this command may be more useful in certain situations. To use this command, click Polyconnect. Then click the first open polygon. Next, click the second open polygon. The polygons will be connected to form a new polygon.

The Outline Command
The Outline command is a particularly useful command that outlines a shape or a polygon. If you outline a shape you will get a new polygon defining the shape with an outline. If you outline a polygon you will get a two new polygons that define the original polygon with an outline. In both cases the original shape/polygon is deleted. To prevent this from happening, make a copy of the polygon before using the Outline command. To use the outline command, first click Outline. Then select a shape or polygon to outline. You will then be prompted for the width of the outline. Use your mouse cursor to define this width. Then click once and the outline will be formed.

The Boolean Command
The Boolean command creates boolean objects by carrying out Boolean operations on two separated and closed polygons. There are three types of operations - Union, Subtraction, and Intersection. The Union operation joins the two polygons and a new polygon is created based on the extents of the two polygons. The Subtraction operation subtracts the second polygon from the first. The Intersections operation forms a new polygon based on the area where the two polygons intersect (overlap). The Boolean command requires the two selected polygons to be overlapping. To use this command, first click Boolean. Then click on the first polygon followed by the second polygon. A dialog box will appear where you can select the operation you want carried out on the selected polygons. An option to weld the vertices is also available here. After selecting the operation click ok and the Boolean process will be carried out.

3D Studio MAX
In 3D Studio MAX, the equivalent of the 2D Shaper is the Shapes button in the Create tab. Here you can not only create 2D Shapes but you can also create splines which are 3D lines. The commands work similarly to those of the 2D Shaper.

This concludes our discussion on the Create section of the 2D Shaper. Now that you have mastered the creation of simple and complex objects you will need to know how to manipulate them. In the next lesson will will take a look at the Modify section of the 2D Shaper (should be ready in a week or two).

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