December 2014 Video Tutorial -- Making a Polygonal Tree

[wizard509]

There are three rings around the planet Bouton, each of which is a ride attraction, one of many on Bouton. Tickets are available at TicketsNow online.

You might want to take along a towel.

Why the towel? Is that in case you wet yourself on the ride?

[Gare]

Why the towel? Is that in case you wet yourself on the ride?

Larry, that was an oblique reference to Scott Adams' "The Hitch-hiker's Guide to The Galaxy", where gormless Arthur Dent was advised that when traveling, always take a towel. It has many uses when hitch-hiking through the galaxy. But he never explained why. So I cannot, either, okay?

:)

-g

[wizard509]

OK Gare, that is one of my favorite books. I couldn't help wondering about the effect the ride might have and the need for a towel.

[alanstancliff]

Hi,

It seems that when I get about 4 minutes into the tute, I get stuck. After using the mould tool on a quick shape, the ability to connect the dots is disabled. The drawing tool is there but the quickshapes only have the mould envelope.

[Rik]

Alan: I'm not sure I completely understand what you're having problems with?

But, at the point you're talking about, you are asked to draw the panels of the tree.
As you can see by the attached image, I've used the Shape Tool, to draw 4 points to make a panel.

The two star shapes, at this point, are used to give perspective to the panels.

Are you saying that you cannot select the 'Shape tool' or the 'Pen tool', to draw the panels?

[Gare]

Hi Alan—

I think I should apologize for a poor choice of phrases. You figuratively connect the upper with the corresponding lower star points, but you do not "connect the dots", not literally, because that suggests that you're actually connecting the control points on the stars t one another using line segments, which is completely false.

Deselect everything...press ESC...and then with either the Shape tool set to line mode with cusp connections (see my sketch here), or the Pen tool, click a point at a vertex as shown in this illustration. Doing this sets a control point, so you make five clicks, one for each corner of the panel you want to draw, and then a fifth click to close the polygonal panel so the shape can then be filled.

You're using the star shapes for reference, but that is all. There is nothing to connect the stars with, not as closed shapes and not within a Mould feature.

I'm sorry I used slang here, and should be slapped silly for doing so :).

Does this diagram help you out here?



My Best,

Gary

[alanstancliff]

Thanks Gary,

I won't be slapping anybody with such an American accent.

You ought to be in the movies!