Grouping

The Meta-Clay->Grouping command in the Model module allows you to create groups of meta-clay elements within a meta-clay system. It also lets you prevent groups from blending with each other in an unwanted fashion. This lets you create complex objects such as a hand using a single meta-clay system. You can manipulate the finger groups individually, so that they can touch without blending together.

A meta-clay element cannot belong to more than one group. If you attempt to do this, the meta-clay element is automatically deleted from the first group to which you assigned it, and included only in the second choice.

Procedure

Defining Groups

1. Make sure elements are properly named first, otherwise they will all be called balln and you won't be able to tell them apart
2. Select a meta-clay system or a meta-clay element.
3. Choose the Meta-Clay->Grouping command.

The Meta-Clay Groups Settings dialogue box is displayed. Enter a name such as "arm" in the Group text box and click Accept. The name "arm" is added to the Group scroll box and also the Unblending Groups scroll box, and the No. of Groups Defined is increased by one.

You can define all groups before you define their contents.

Defining the Group Contents

4. Select a name in the Group scroll box.
5. In the Included Primitives scroll box, select the meta-clay elements you wish to include in the current group.
   
   If you have not given the meta-clay elements meaningful names and need to identify the correct element, click the Pick button. The dialogue box disappears and you can pick the meta-clay elements from a window. When you pick one, the dialogue box reappears.
   
6. Repeat the previous steps.

Defining Unblending Relations

7. Select a group name in the Group scroll box. The meta-clay elements included in it are highlighted.
8. In Unblending Groups, select any group(s) with which you do not wish the current group to blend. For example, for the group "arm," you could choose any and all groups except "arm" in Unblending Groups.
   
   Each time you select an Unblending Group, notice that the No. of Unblending Relations increases by one.
   
9. Select another name in the Group list and repeat the steps until all unblending relationships are defined.
10. Click Ok to accept the settings or Cancel to exit the dialogue box.

Parameters

Group

This set of options is used to create, select and define groups of meta-clay elements within a meta-clay system.

• Group text box allows you to enter the name of a meta-clay element group.
• Accept accepts the name you entered in the Group text box. The name is activated and displayed in the Group scroll box and in the Unblending Groups scroll box.
• Scroll box lists the groups of the meta-clay system. The active group is highlighted.
• Rename renames the selected group according to the new name entered in the Group text box.
• Delete deletes the selected group name. The group's meta-clay elements can then be reassigned to other groups.

Included Primitives

This set of options is used to show and assign specific meta-clay elements to groups.

• The scroll box lists all the meta-clay elements in the meta-clay system. Meta-clay elements that are assigned to the currently selected group are highlighted. For example, if you select "finger1" in the scroll box, the constituent meta-clay elements are highlighted in the Included Primitives scroll box.
• Pick hides the dialogue box and allows you to pick a meta-clay element interactively from any window and assign it to the selected group. This is useful if you are do not know the specific name or number of the meta-clay element(s) to include in the group.

Unblending Groups

The scroll box lists group names that do not blend with the active group. It is used to prevent blending relationships between groups. The groups highlighted in this scroll box are groups that do not blend with the group selected in the Group scroll box.

Last updated 02-apr-1998