Matrix 5 PRIMARY TUTORIALS
Using Blend: Page 1
Using Blend it once so that it is highlighted in pink. Click on the In
Create an open shank using the Ring Rail and Profile Placer arrow beneath the Line preview window in the
tools. There is a mirrored profile at the 145-degree position on Profile Placer builder and the curve will appear in
the rail and a single profile at the 180-degree position, creating the box. Now it is ready for a profile!
a tapered shank at the bottom. Sweep with an open Sweep 1.
Use Split Edge to split the edges of the open shank at the
Midpoint of each edge. Use the Surface command Blend to
create blended end caps on the ring. Join them to the ring to
complete it. Or, try using the Split Edge command to split the
rail in two more positions: the Mid point of both halves created
by the first Split. Then, Blend the top and bottom portions of the
surface to create a new Blend shape at the end of the ring, as
pictured in the second render, below. Click on the olive green Profile preview window to
open the Profile Browser at the bottom of your
Primary-Level Skills Render of Finished Model screen. Using the blue scroll bar on the far right-hand
side of the browser, scroll down until you find the
“slow dome” profile shape. Click on it once and the
profile will be added to the Profile preview window in
Ring Rail the builder.
Profile Placer
Sweep 1
Mid O-Snap
Split Edge
Blend 3 Turn on Mirror to set two identical profiles that
are mirrored around the midpoint of the curve. Using
Join the interactive controls at the bottom of the builder,
set the profile’s Position Along Curve to 145-
1 Click on the Tools fly-out menu and degrees. Set the Height to 3 mm and the Width to 5
mm. Click on Set Profile to keep the profiles that
select the Ring Rail tool. Select a Size 7 ring rail were set.
from the drop-down menu and click on GO to
place it in the viewports.
2 Open the Profile Placer builder, also found
in the Tools fly-out menu, and select the rail curve
that was already placed in the viewports, clicking on
Matrix 5 PRIMARY TUTORIALS
Using Blend: Page 2
4 Deselect these profiles in the viewports and
begin making changes to the IC sliders. As you do, a
new pair of profiles will be visible on the rail curve. Select an Open Sweep in the Sweep 1 Rail Options
Turn Mirror OFF and only one new profile will be left. dialog box (deselect the “Closed Sweep” option) and
Place this one in the “0” position on the curve. Make click on OK. The surface will be swept.
the height 2 mm and the width 2.5 mm.
6 This time, instead of using Cap Planar to create
a closed surface (solid), the Blend command will be
used to create a smooth, rounded end cap. To
prepare for the Blend operation, turn on the
Now, click on Set Profile or just click in a viewport to
Mid O-Snap. Then, select Split Edge in the
set this profile in place.
Utilities fly-out menu. The Command line will switch
to “Select edge to split”. Select one of the edges of
the open surface.
Note: In this operation, you are splitting the surface
edge, not the yellow profile curve! For clarity when
doing this, you may wish to turn OFF the Creation
yellow layer color to see only the surface edge.
After the edge curve has been selected, an OnCurve
O-Snap Indicator appears, constraining the marker
5 In the Surface menu, click on to the edge of the surface. Moving the mouse now
Sweep 1. Select the rail curve at the bottom. Then, to drives the marker along on the edge. When the Mid
indicate the cross-section curves, click on the profile O-Snap Indicator appears at the top of the edge
curves in this order: (1) upper left, (2) bottom, and (3) curve, click once. This will split the edge at its
upper right. Adjust the Seam Point Arrows and midpoint.
make sure they are correct. Then press Enter.
Matrix 5 PRIMARY TUTORIALS
Using Blend: Page 3
Click on the Mid O-Snap Indicator to split the
surface edge at the midpoint of the edge curve:
Now, press Enter. When the Adjust Blend Bulge box
Note: This split point will not be visible… however,
appears, click on OK to continue.
fear not… it is still there!
7 Now, click on Blend from the Surface fly-
out menu. The Command line will switch to “Select
segment for first edge”. In this example, there are
actually two split points on the rail: the one we set at
the midpoint and the natural split point at the End
point of the curve (directly opposite the midpoint).
Therefore, the edge is now made up of two segments.
To indicate the “segment for first edge”, click on the The blended surface will appear.
edge curve just to one side of the midpoint that was
set above. It will become highlighted in pink:
Press Enter and the Command line will change to 8 Isn’t it pretty?!? I hope you liked steps 5 & 6 …
“Select segment for second edge”. Click just to the you’re now going to repeat it on the other end of the
other side of the same point! Clicking anywhere else open rail.
on the curve will cause the blended surface to
intersect itself: 9 Once both caps are made, select them both, and
select the rest of the ring, and click on Join. The
Feedback Line will indicate that one closed
polysurface has been made.
Matrix 5 PRIMARY TUTORIALS
Using Blend: Page 4
Select all of the ring and click on Join: First edge for Blend (Left). Press Enter to indicate
second edge for Blend (Right).
Adjust the Blend Bulge to 2 mm this time. Notice that
a markedly different shape appears. Join the blended
cap to the model and repeat this step on the other
side of the ring.
10 To change the shape of the blended end cap, try
backing up to Step 6, where the open surface of the
shank is waiting to be capped. This time, use Split
Edge just as before, to split the edge at the Mid point
of the surface. Now, click on Split Edge again and
click the Mid point of one of the two new edges.
Repeat, clicking on the Mid point of the other edge.
After First Split: After 2nd & 3rd Splits:
Use the Show Edges command found in the Utilities
menu to see where the split points were placed:
Blend works differently depending on the Split points
in the surface you are working with and how you
select each edge, so be sure and take note of these
factors when working with this command.
11 This time, when running the Blend operation,
start the selection just past the “3 o’clock” position
on the edge. Work your way down, selecting the edge
just past the 6 o’clock position on the edge. Then,
press Enter. Select the other edge, starting just above
the 3 o-clock position and then clicking just to the left
of the 12 o-clock position.
