This tool allows you to create basic shapes such as cubes and cylinders. You can then transform them (stretch, compress, rotate and so on) and place them on the scene. There are several advantages to using these primitives instead of using the polygonal tools:
( These primitives are simple and high level - you can change the fineness (polygon count) using a single slider.
( Since they are represented as such in the output file (VRML, Open Inventor and so on) the resultant file will be compact and efficient for VR browsers, ray-tracing engines and other programs that process the file.
Object Name: You can give a meaningful name to the object using the "Object Name" text field, and pressing "Ok".
Hint: We recommend that you give meaningful names to your objects as soon as you create them, rather than name them afterwards using the "Object List". This will help you immensely as your scene gets more complex.
Complexity:
This affects the smoothness of the primitive. The more the complexity, the more the sphere or cone will appear, and more the number of polygons (triangles) in the object. Hence use a smaller complexity for interactive world building.
Note: Both VRML browsers (at this time) and ray-tracers do not support the concept of complexity for primitives, and decide on their own how fine the primitive should be. Hence, unless you plan to edit the polygons of the primitive during the modeling process, you may as well create primitives with lesser complexity for more interactivity.
Create: Select a primitive from the list, and choose "Create" .
Info: This gives information about the primitives selected in the list.
