Expert: Andre Hickman - 1/20/2006

Question
Hi, very beginners question here, if i draw a shape on a plane using the line tool for example, how do i extrude the outline so that a shape is created? secondly, if i create a box and give it 2 height lenght and width segments then turn to a editable poly, is there any way i can select one face within those segments and divide it so that the individual face has more segments, i know there is a subdivison tool (i think thats the right name) but it alters the shape of the selected face, in other words it pulls a square face into an oval kind of shape. Is there a way round this?

Thank you very much!

Max

Answer
Hey Max,

there are a couple of ways to do it, but the easiest for you would probably be the "bevel" modifier...go into your modifier panel, and look in the pulldown menu of modifiers.  Use the bevel and not bevel profile, because that involves using a spline to determine what the extrusion looks like.  In your path shape, make sure there are no "acute" angles (smaller than 90 deg.) that really sharp, because they will inevitably cause problems.  The way to fix those types of angles would be to zoom into the point real close, then add two other vertices on either side of the point (relatively close to it), then select the points and right-click and make them bezier points, then delete the original point at the tip...this will create a very small curve at the tip of an acute angle, rather than a sharp point.

Second question, you can do a meshsmooth modifier or a tessalate modifier on subsections. For what you are trying to do, though, you may want to work with a mesh, and not a poly.  Try converting to and editable mesh, as opposed to an editable poly.  That way whatever you select is extruded as it appears. Let me know if that helps you out.

Cheers,
Andre'