SECTION 3 - Forms Editor

2] Forms Editor: getting started, By David Alan Steiger.

I love Imagine's Forms Editor. I think it's one of its best features. I must admit I didn't really get into it until a year ago, but now most of my good objects are at least partly based in the forms editor. I built an animatable human figure for a game I am involved with, composed entirely of form objects.

To me it's a more intuitive way of creating objects. I have worked with sculpting clay, and making objects feels similar to what I have been taught. Now I don't know what I would do without the Forms Editor!

Here are some tips for beginners.

Don't expect precision.

The Forms Editor isn't made for exact, mechanical objects. You can make them, but expect to do a lot of vertex tweeking.

Its great for torsos, drumsticks (both kinds) muscles, and rounded objects like chicklets, old refrigerators, or safes.

Top view is a little different from Front & Right.

The default section type, "X-Y cross section" causes the Top view to work somewhat differently than the Front and Right views. "Y-Z cross section" does the same for the Right view. I'll keep my talk to the default X-Y.

Each pair of points in the Front or Right view correspond to a ring (cross-section) in the shape of the Top view shape. The width between these two points in the Front view define the cross-section's X-size. The width between these two points in the Right view define the cross-section's Y-size. The Top view shape will be squashed and stretched to fit these sizes. The points of each view also define the angle of the cross section.

The Front and Right views alone define the max width, height, and depth of the object. So what does the Top view do?

The Top view shape's effect is relative. If You scale X and Y simultaneously, nothing will change. Only the pos ition differences between its vertices make a difference.

The most important point with the Top view is the fact that You may have multiple cross-section shapes.

This allows You to create a whole sword out of one form. Circular cross-section hilt. Square T-bar. Thin d ia mond-shaped blade. And Imagine will morph between two defined cross-sections.

At first, keep angles gentle.

Usually, severe jagged edges, peaks, or troughs only work well if or it's done in the Top view, or some sort of symmetry is active.

I have many forms that break this rule, but following it will keep You from frustration while You learn.

At first, keep Front and Right points at roughly the same height.

Note that when You drag a point in the Front or Right views, You get feedback as to where its partner point and the other view's partner points are. This is important. A lot of my first screwups were because of overlap problems.

This isn't to say You must follow this rule, many of my better forms don't. But You have to be careful not to get overlapping mess-ups.

Rotate that perspective view!

A lot of forms errors can be hidden behind (or worse, inside) an otherwise nice form.

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