| Object modes tool-palette Updated 05 Apr 2018 | Upper levels: - QuArK Information Base - 1. Introduction to QuArK - 1.5. Model-editor in QuArK - 1.5.6. Tool-palettes

1.5.6.5. Object modes tool-palette | [ Prev - Up - Next ]

Index

- Overview (05 Apr 2018) - Object Dialog Input (05 Apr 2018) - Deactivation (05 Apr 2018) - Sphere (05 Apr 2018) - Pyramid\Cone (05 Apr 2018) - Double-Cone (05 Apr 2018) | - Cylinder (05 Apr 2018) - Dome (05 Apr 2018) - Fan (05 Apr 2018) - Torus (05 Apr 2018) - Dialog boxes (05 Apr 2018) - Visual Aids & Misc. Info (05 Apr 2018)

Overview | cdunde - 05 Apr 2018 | [ Top ]

With the QuArK Quick Object Makers an abundance of 3D object shapes can be created by simply choosing one of the toolbar object buttons and, while holding down the LMB, dragging the cursor around within any 2D view. Any of these objects can easily be created with the finished structure as an addition to the currently selected model component. In the image below you can see just some of these shapes of which all of the finished objects will have triangular faces. The top row shows a simple (minimum amount of faces) shape for the Sphere, Pyramid\Cone and Cylinder objects. The second rows shows these same objects as more complex objects (more faces used). The third row shows simple, complex and more complex objects of the Torus maker.

Object Dialog Input | cdunde - 05 Apr 2018 | [ Top ]

Pressing this button, will open a dialog input box for the Object modes Toolbar item currently in use. Not all objects will use the same dialog input box. Which ever object button is active at the time this button is clicked, will produce that objects dialog input box. These dialogs will remain open until they are closed manually. They can also be moved around, resized and will save their settings, which are still active while closed, when QuArK is exited. If a particular object has its own dialog then that objects name will appear in the title. Other wise the standard Object Distortion Dialog will be used for all other objects. You can have one or more 'Dialog boxes'. open and active at a time. But they will only effect the objects that use them.

Deactivation | cdunde - 05 Apr 2018 | [ Top ]

Deactivator button: To return to regular operation mode you must click this button to turn 'Off' the 'Quick Object Maker'. To reactivate it simply click on any of the 'Quick Object Maker' shapes you wish to use.

Sphere | cdunde - 05 Apr 2018 | [ Top ]

Quick sphere maker: After you click this button, you can draw spheres in the editor with the left mouse button and each sphere will be turned into an actual model object. Move the mouse forward to add more faces, backwards for fewer faces, right to make it larger and left to make it smaller. NOTE: Less than 3 faces will not draw anything. Over 20 faces will 'freeze' QuArK but it will return. Because the Sphere object is a far more complicated item to compute, creating it will take longer then the other objects as the number of faces it is given increases. Although it can 'freeze' the program for a period of time for processing, it will return the object and become active again. Increasing the amount of its Object Distortion Dialog will increase its height, making it more elongated. Using a negative amount will make it wider or more oblong.

Pyramid\Cone | cdunde - 05 Apr 2018 | [ Top ]

Quick pyramid-cone maker: After you click this button, you can draw pyramids-cones in the editor with the LMB and each object will be turned into an actual model object. The more sides that are added the more it becomes a cone shape. Move the mouse forward to add more faces, backwards for fewer faces, right to make it larger and left to make it smaller. NOTE: Less than 3 faces will not draw anything. Once the object has been created you might have to use the special vertex movement function to stretch or reduce its size by dragging its top point common vertex. To use this function simply hold down the ' n ' HotKey when you select, drag and release the LMB. For some reason, you only need to do this the first time the common vertex is dragged. Afterwards the vertex can be moved correctly, without using the special function, in the normal manner of just holding the cursor over the vertex, pressing the LMB and dragging it. Using the special function above without actually dragging the vertex will also create the same results. Increasing the amount of its Object Distortion Dialog will increase its height. Giving a negative amount will make it shorter.

Double-Cone | cdunde - 05 Apr 2018 | [ Top ]

Quick double-cone maker: After you click this button, you can draw double-cones in the editor with the LMB. Each double-cone will be turned into an actual model object. The more sides that are added the more it becomes a double-cone shape. Move the mouse forward to add more faces, backwards for fewer faces, right to make it larger and left to make it smaller. NOTE: Less than 3 faces will not draw anything. Increasing the amount of its Object Distortion Dialog will increase its height. Giving a negative amount will make it shorter.

Cylinder | cdunde - 05 Apr 2018 | [ Top ]

Quick cylinder maker: Clicking this button allows you to draw cylinders in the editor with the left mouse button and each cylinder will be turned into an actual model object. This can make angled sides or a more curved style cylinder by adding more faces. Move the mouse forward to add more faces, backwards for fewer faces, right to make it larger and left to make it smaller. NOTE: Less than 3 faces will not draw anything. Increasing the amount of its Object Distortion Dialog will increase its height. Giving a negative amount will make it shorter.

Dome | cdunde - 05 Apr 2018 | [ Top ]

Quick dome maker: Clicking this button allows you to draw domes in the editor with the LMB and each dome will be turned into an actual model object. Move the mouse forward to add more faces, backwards for fewer faces, right to make it larger and left to make it smaller. NOTE: Less than 3 faces will not draw anything. The amount of its Object Distortion Dialog will be the number of sections to create the top, dome, curved part. This can make angled sides or a more curved style dome by adding more sections. As the mouse is dragged more downward, the sides become more flared outwards.

Fan | cdunde - 05 Apr 2018 | [ Top ]

Quick fan maker: Clicking this button allows you to draw fans in the editor with the left mouse button and each fan will be turned into an actual model object. Move the mouse forward to add more faces, backwards for fewer faces, right to make it larger and left to make it smaller. NOTE: Less than 3 faces will not draw anything. Increasing the amount of its Object Distortion Dialog will increase its height.

Torus | cdunde - 05 Apr 2018 | [ Top ]

Quick torus maker: After you click this button, you can draw a torus in the editor with the left mouse button and each torus will be turned into an actual model object. Move the mouse forward to add more faces, backwards for fewer faces, right to make it larger and left to make it smaller. NOTE: Less than 3 faces will not draw anything. This particular object maker has its own Dialog Input Box because of the many different shapes that can be obtained when using a torus object.

Dialog boxes | cdunde - 05 Apr 2018 | [ Top ]

At this time there are two dialog input boxes for the QuArK Quick Object Makers Toolbar that are linked to the Object Dialog Input button. When an Object Makers Toolbar button is selected and this dialog button is clicked, the proper dialog box for that object maker will open. All amounts that are set for any dialog box will still be active even if that dialog box is closed. All of their settings will also be saved when QuArK is closed and remain the same when QuArK is reused. All dialog boxes can be moved, resized and will remain open until manually closed. Both dialog boxes can remain open at the same time and are active on the particular object makers that they relate to.
Object Distortion Dialog: This is a basic dialog input box that is used by every object maker on the toolbar unless a specific one has been created for that particular object maker. Distortion: Clicking on the 'up' arrow will cause the object to be stretched, or elongated, from its normal shape. Clicking on the 'down' arrow will do the opposite and cause it to shrink or be squished. If set to '0', then it will have no effect and the object will be crated to its normal default shape. It has no effect on how many 'rings', sections, or faces that an object will have. That is done by the actual dragging process or a 'custom' dialog box possibly. Make hollow: Checking this box will make the object hollow when the LMB is released, no end faces. This function only applies to the Pyramid and Cylinder Objects. When not activated (unchecked) end faces will be created for the Pyramid and Cylinder Objects to allow extrusion and vertex manipulation to create shapes such as arms and leg parts. Clicking the 'X' will close any dialog box.
Torus Distortion Dialog: This is a custom dialog input box that only relates to and effects the torus object maker. The basic dialog box, covered above, has no effect on the torus object. Many shapes can be created from a torus using one or more of these input items. Segments\Faces: Segments - using the left and right arrows will add or reduce that number of sections or 'rings' that a torus would normally have. Faces - using the up and down arrows will add or reduce that number of faces per section that a torus would normally contain. Hole\Seg size: Hole size - using the left and right arrows will increase or reduce the radius of a torus, making its 'hole' larger or smaller. Seg size - using the up and down arrows will add or reduce the radius for the sections of the torus, making it taller or shorter. X\Y distortion: X distortion - using the left and right arrows will increase or reduce the length of a torus, causing it to become oblong on the X axis. Y distortion - using the up and down arrows will increase or reduce the width of the torus, causing it to become oblong on the Y axis. Z\Up distortion: Z distortion - using the left and right arrows will increase or reduce the height of a torus, causing it to become taller or shorter on the Z axis. Up distortion - using the up and down arrows will actually 'stretch' and taper the torus, causing it to become more of a hollow 'tube' on the Z axis. Ring\Seg edges: Ring edges - using the left and right arrows will cause the edges of the 'rings' of a torus to become angled or squared off, creating more of an overall 'box' shape. Seg edges - using the up and down arrows will cause the edges of the 'segments' of a torus to become angled or squared off, giving it more of a 'hallway' shape. Both of these powerful functions can render some very unusual results and shapes that add just 'gobs' of real creativity, experimentation and fun to this object. Reset & the X buttons: Reset button - this one 'defaults' button, as it is marked, will reset all of the default values for this dialog box. X button - this will of course close the dialog box with its current settings. Even though it may be closed, these settings are still active. As some general notes: All of the input amounts can also be done manually and will take multipal decimal place input as well, except the first set for 'Segments\Faces'. Also, there have been some built in safe gards such as not allowing some to go below zero or pass another that can cause a torus to break up. Another safe guard that has been added is the removal of any unbound (floating) faces during the dragging process when very abstract shapes are being created. So basicly, 'what you see is what you get'.

Visual Aids & Misc. Info | cdunde - 05 Apr 2018 | [ Top ]

Visual Aids: Applying to all of the QuArK Quick Object Makers, a number of visual aids have been added to enhance their features. These are covered below in relation to the screen shot also shown below. As a general statement, all objects shapes and changes are shown during the entire dragging process in all of the 2D and 3D views as redline objects. Once this process is completed they are 'dropped' into these views as model objects with triangular faces and become part of the currently selected model component with the 'Default' skinning texture applied, which will need to be adjusted in the Skin-view.
Ruler guide in 2D views: This function has been incorporated to show dimensions as a drag is taking place and upon its completion as well. The 'Rulers' are fully dependent on their normal view function controls and can be turned on or off for each individual 2D view as desired. While a drag is in progress the rulers text size will show slightly smaller then that of existing component items, which will retain their own measurement display. Starting point marker: At the beginning of each drag a blue target marker is created to designate that position in the 2D dragging view. Because a poly can not be constructed with less than three faces, objects will not be drawn until, holding down the LMB, the cursor has moved at least three vertical scale grid sections away from this target position and either to the left or right of it. For every grid unit the cursor moves away vertically (up or down) from this target an additional section of faces, and in some cases an additional section, will be added to the object. When the cursor is moved horizontally (left or right) from the target the object will increase in size. The reverse also holds true. To keep from creating an object, to change its distortion settings or cancel its creation, simple move within the 'no draw' zone and release the mouse button. Segment\Face indicator: As a drag takes place a green label and cross hairs are also displayed and updated to indicate the number of segments (sections) in some cases and faces. As the amounts increase and decrease, the label will change color from green to fuchsia to purple to red indicating a possible program performance slowdown and excessive faces for game use. In the case of the Sphere object, any amount over fifteen faces, in the purple to red range, will cause a program slowdown and possible temporary freezing. However, it will return to finish the object if so desired. Otherwise, just move the cursor back below the purple zone and continue when it returns active. Misc. Info: A couple of brief extra points on the use of the QuArK Quick Object Makers are given here, below. Special vertex dragging : As mentioned earlier in the 'Pyramid\Cone' section above, movement of an objects vertex using the standard method may cause unwanted distortion. If so, try using the special vertex dragging function as described in the 'Pyramid\Cone' section. Grid Scale effects : Changing the Grid Scale settings will have a direct effect on both the size of the objects and the scale of their skin texture, which is always the currently selected skin texture of the model component.

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