On the Create panel, the categories for Geometry and Shapes supply the "building blocks" to combine and modify into more sophisticated objects. These
parametric objects are ready to use. By adjusting values and turning some buttons on or off, you can create dozens of "new" building blocks from the ones listed here.
You can choose these types from the sub-categories list on the Create panel.
Geometry Types
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Standard Primitives
- Relatively simple 3D objects such as Box, Sphere, and Cylinder, as well as Torus, Plane, Cone, GeoSphere, Tube, Teapot, and Pyramid.
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Extended Primitives
- More complex 3D objects such as Capsule, OilTank, Spindle, Hedra, Torus Knot, and Prism.
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Compound Objects
- Compound objects include Scatter, Connect, ShapeMerge, Booleans, Morph, BlobMesh, Terrain, and Loft. Booleans combine the geometry of two objects using union, intersection, and difference operations. Morphs are animated objects that change one geometric shape into other shapes over time. ShapeMerge lets you embed a spline shape into a geometric mesh.
Loft uses shapes as cross sections along a path to produce a 3D object.
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Particle Systems
- Animated objects that simulate spray, snow, blizzard, and similar collections of small objects.
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Patch Grids
- Simple 2D surfaces ready for modeling or repairing existing meshes.
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Body Objects
- A generic object format to support geometry created in other applications.
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Doors
- Parametric door styles include Pivot, BiFold, and Sliding.
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NURBS Surfaces
- Analytically generated surfaces especially suited for modeling surfaces with complicated curves.
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Windows
- Parametric window styles include Awning, Fixed, Projected, Casement, Pivoted, and Sliding.
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AEC Extended
- Elements useful for AEC design, including Terrain, Foliage (plants and trees), Railing, for creating custom railings, and Wall, for the production of Wall objects.
Note: Default materials are automatically applied to Foliage, as well as to the following object types: Railing, Stairs, Doors, and Windows.
- Dynamics Objects
- Consists of the
Spring and
Damper object types.
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Stairs
- Four types of stairs: Spiral, L-Type, Straight, and U-Type.
Shape Types
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Splines
- Common 2D shapes such as a Line, Rectangle, Circle, Ellipse, Arc, Donut, NGon, and Star. Text shapes support TrueType fonts. Section creates a spline from the cross-section of an object. Helix is a 3D shape.
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NURBS Curves
- A Point Curve and CV Curve provide the starting points for complex surfaces. See
Introduction to NURBS Modeling.
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Extended Splines
- More complex 2D shapes including Walled Rectangle, Channel Spline, Angle Spline, Tee Spline, and Wide Flange Spline. Extended splines can be used in architectural and similar applications.