Albatross 3D - Meshes

Mesh toolbox

Toolbox to create and move meshes. group and ungroup meshes.
rc Key: tbxObjects


rc Key: objEditGroup

Select 3D mesh
rc Key: objSelect
shortkey: s
Place the mouse over the selection handle, and left click to select the mesh. Press 'Shift' if you want to add/remove the pointed mesh to/from the current selection. When the mouse is over a selected mesh select handle, the mouse cursor changes of shape. Click on the mesh handle, and drag the mesh. Only the mesh under the mouse is moved, whatever is selected.
Select 3D mesh by Rectangle
rc Key: objRecSelect
shortkey: r

Select 3D mesh by Area
rc Key: objLassoSelect
shortkey: l

Move selected 3D meshes
rc Key: objMove
shortkey: M
Grab the move handle to move the selected 3D meshes.
Rotate selected 3D meshes
rc Key: objRotate
shortkey: O
Grab the rotate handle to rotate the selected 3D meshes around their barycenter. If only one mesh is selected, the rotation is made around the pivot point.
Scale selected 3D meshes
rc Key: objScale
shortkey: S
Scale selected 3D meshes
Duplicate selected 3D meshes
rc Key: objDup
shortkey: Ctrl d
TO BE DONE
Remove selected 3D meshes
rc Key: objDel
shortkey: Delete
Deletes the selected meshes.
Edit the last selected object
rc Key: objEdit
shortkey: e


rc Key: objCreateGroup

Add a cube
rc Key: objCube
shortkey: B
Adds a box in the center of the scene. The box parameters are:
  • Size: x, y, z
  • Subdivision: x, y, z

Add a cylinder
rc Key: objCylinder
shortkey: C
Adds a cylinder in the center of the scene. The cylinder parameters are:
  • r: radius
  • h: height
  • n: height subdivision
  • s: radius subdivision
  • Bottom Cap
  • Top Cap

Add a sphere
rc Key: objSphere
Adds a sphere in the center of the scene. The sphere parameters are:
  • r: radius
  • v: subdivision
  • z: subdivision

Add a grid object
rc Key: objGrid

Add a null object
rc Key: objNull

Add 2D Closed Curve
rc Key: obj2dClosedCurve

Add a grid object
rc Key: obj2dCurve

Add a grid object
rc Key: obj3dCurve

Add a 2D Close Polygon
rc Key: objPolygon
Adds a mesh made of one flat face in the center of the scene. The face is defined by a closed 2D curve. If more than one curve is created, only the first one is used. The spline subdivision can be changed in the params area.
Add a Tube mesh
rc Key: objTube
Adds a Tube mesh in the center of the scene. Two curves are needed: a closed 2D curve and an opened 3D curve. The two curves will be created in that order. Once created, the two spline subdivisions can be set in the params area.
Add a lathe object
rc Key: objLath

Add a Skin mesh
rc Key: objSkin
Adds a Skin mesh in the center of the scene. Two curves are needed: a closed 2D curve and an opened 3D curve. The two curves will be created in that order. Once created, the two spline subdivisions can be set in the params area.
Add a pyramid
rc Key: objPyramid
Adds a pyramid in the center of the scene. One 2D closed curve is needed, so Albatross 3D opens the edit 2D curve toolbox.
Add ribbons object
rc Key: objRibbons


 
 
The other commands available in the popup menu are:

Grid

rc Key: mnuObjectsBasePlane
shortkey: G
Add a Grid in the center of the scene. The grid parameters are:
  • Size: x, y
  • Subdivision: x, y

Torus

rc Key: mnuObjectsBaseTorus
Add a Torus in the center of the scene. The torus parameters are:
  • b radius: Big radius
  • s radius: Small radius
  • b sub. div.: Big subdivision
  • s sub. div.: Small subdivision

Null

rc Key: mnuObjectsNull
shortkey: N
Adds a Null mesh. A Null mesh is not rendered, and only specified a position and an orientation in the 3D space that can be used for other commands.

Blob

rc Key: mnuObjectsBlob
Opens the Blob toolbox. A blob mesh is composed of sphere that gently blend together to give a smooth organic look.

Height Field

rc Key: mnuObjectsHeighfield

Math. Surface

rc Key: mnuObjectsMath

Simplify

rc Key: mnuEffectSimplify
Simplifies the selected meshes. The coplanar faces are merged, the unused vertices are removed.

Reinit. Meshes

rc Key: mnuEffectReinit
shortkey: R
Recomputes face normals. Sometimes, Albatross 3D doesn't update correctly the faces normals and it became difficult to select faces or to see them. Use this command to comme back to correct normals.

Recompute Normals

rc Key: mnuEffectNormal
Recompute the vertices normals used for shading. These normals came with face sharing the same smooth group, and sometimes get wrong while working on a mesh. Thsi command helps when this happens.

Vertex to Grid

rc Key: mnuEffectToGrid
Snaps the vertices of the selected meshes to the grid.

Add current version to History

rc Key: mnuEffectAddHistory
Add the current mesh in its history (so that the mesh can be restored later). Can't be used on basic meshes.

Clean History

rc Key: mnuEffectCleanHistory
A rought history of the mesh modifications is attached to each mesh. This history consumes memory, and if it is not needed, it can be a good idea to clean the history of your meshes from time to time. The history of a mesh can be seen with the menu 'Option->Statistics', 'History' button.

Decimation ...

rc Key: mnuEffectDecimation
The decimation process consists in removing faces, edges and vertices of the last selected mesh. The removes faces are choosen to maintain as much as possible the current shape of the mesh. The command opens the decimation window, where the user can choose the desired number of vertices. The user can always see the original model and the decimated model. The process can be quite slow.

Merge Near Vertices ...

rc Key: mnuEffectMergeVertices
Sometimes, the meshes have vertices so near that it is difficult to distinguish them without a huge zoom factor. They can create small faces that don't contribute to the model but eat memory and drawing power. Albatross 3D asks for a threshold, the minimum distance possible between two connected vertices. If the dsitance between 2 vertices is lower than that threshold, they will be merged.

To SDS

rc Key: mnuEffectInitSds
shortkey: Ctrl s
Turns the last selected mesh into SDS (subdivision) mesh.

Cancel SDS

rc Key: mnuEffectUnSds
Turns the last selected mesh from SDS mesh into normal mesh (mesh).

SDS to Mesh

rc Key: mnuEffectSdsToObject
Converts the SDS selected mesh into mesh. The control mesh is removed. This command can be undone with the next one as long as the mesh is not edited.

Mesh to SDS

rc Key: mnuEffectObjectSds
Converts the last selected mesh into SDS mesh. Only available for meshes that cames from SDS meshes, and that weren't edited.

No more symmetrical

rc Key: mnuEffectSymmetricalRemove
If a mesh is a symmetrical mesh, this command will remove the symmetrical property of the mesh. Sometimes, when working on a symmetrical mesh, the mirror plane can be altered. Use this tool, and the mirror tool again to restore it to the wanted value.

Miror

rc Key: mnuEffectSymmetrical
If a mesh is a symmetrical mesh, this command will duplicate the symmetrical part and attach it to the mesh so that the mesh is no more symmetrical.

Project the last selected object ...

rc Key: mnuEffectProject
Projects the vertices on the last selected mesh onto another mesh of the scene. This is a way to create morphing targets (Duplicate a mesh. Then, project the duplicated onto the target. Then, set the projected mesh as morphing target of the original mesh).

Hide

rc Key: objHide

Show All

rc Key: objShow

Lock

rc Key: objLock

Unlock All

rc Key: objUnlock