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Edit | Camera mode options allow Wings to work with 1 or 2 button mice (default is 3 btn). It is also possible to configure the way the
mouse is used for basic window navigational functions (Pan, Zoom, Tumble, Rotate etc).
If you're new to all the options - maybe experiment to find one best suited to the way you work.
Keyboard keys - eg C, D, E etc relate to the unshifted character - ie a press of that key alone - if the keystroke requires a modifier
(Alt / Shft / Cntrl) it will be stated in the text (eg Shift D)
Wings has context sensitive menus for each of its 4 selection modes (vert, edge, face and body). This means that Wings will only
display valid tool options for that particular mode, once geometry has been selected. 'Greying out' of unavailable options is not used
in Wings.
Although some tools are common to all 4 modes, these menus are different.
If Smart Highlighting is activated (Edit | Preferences -> SH) then Wings will highlight (and thus allow you to select) verts, edges or
faces (but not all at the same time) Once a v,e or f has been selected, wings 'locks' into that mode and will subsequently only allow
the selection of further elements of the same type.
Pressing spacebar will deselect all geometry, whatever the selection mode and will re-activate SH.
Pressing the V,E, F or B keys will directly select vert, edge, face or body (selection) mode - as will LMB on one of the 4 pyramid icons
at the top of the geometry window (same order - v, e, f, b)
If you cannot see any pyramid icons, RMB on the green title bar at the top of the geometry window and LMB on 'Show Toolbar'.
Ensure that View | Show Info Text has been activated (data readout in top left corner of geom window) and lastly - most important,
regularly check the contents of the main info line along the bottom of the geometry window - this shows appropriate
information about current options for the tool in use (as well as general navigational tips) - ignore this at your cost :)
L,M and R on the info line refer to mouse buttons, not keys
A navigation / camera tip: Select an element and press A (View | Aim) - Wings will then make the centre of the selection the new
'tumble' origin in the centre of the screen. You can then zoom in as required. The selection used can be anything from a single vert
to whole objects.
(If you tick Edit -> Prefs -> Adv. Prefs -> Use Highlight as Temp. Seln., you won't even need to actually 'select' a piece of geom. -
just highlight it and press A)
(Also check out View | Frame and View | Align to selection sometime)
10 - 12). Repeat the same procedure as that just completed, but using the other set of edges (parallel to the X (red) axis) to those
just adjusted - ie select edges, (select one, press G), connect them (press C), bevel (4.0) the newly created edgeloop.
13). After this, you should have a shape like that shown. Select one (and only one) of the edges depicted and check the info readout
(top left corner) - it should read 0.2 (units). (Wings will also display the distance between any 2 selected verts).
14). Deselect edge after measuring it and (in Face mode) select the 4 small corner faces.
15). RMB for face menu and choose Extrude -> Normal with LMB - drag mouse and stop when the 4 faces have been extruded by
0.1 unit (pressing Cntrl whilst dragging constrains 'steps' to 0.1 unit increments) - note that all 4 faces have been extruded.
16). Repeat this extrude operation, either by using the above procedure - OR - by pressing D (Edit | Repeat Last Action shortcut) -
and drag the extrusion(s) to 1.0 units. (pressing Shift constrains to 1.0 unit 'steps')
17). Keeping the extrusion end faces selected, RMB for face menu and choose Scale -> Uniform with LMB. Drag the mouse to get
60% (eyeball info, top left and use Cntrl to constrain to 10% 'steps') Note how each face scales about its own centre - not a centre in
the middle of all 4 selected faces.
18). RMB for face menu and choose Extrude -> Normal (again) and drag to 0.1 units (Cntrl ?).
19). Repeat the Face | Extrude operation (press D to repeat last op) and drag to get a 0.3 unit extrusion. You should now have an
object with 4 extrusions as shown here. Deselect faces (spacebar)
20). Select the same edge as the one shown on each of the 4 extrusions (total of 4 edges selected)
Part 3 - preparing the legs for cross-braces and starting the cross braces.
21). RMB for edge menu, choose Dissolve with LMB (or just press Backspace). All 4 selected edges will disappear - this
leaves a strange looking (but valid) face with 6 verts / edges - this is ok.
22). In Face mode, select one of these 'faces', then select the equivalent face on the extrusion diagonally opposite - should now
have 2 of these faces selected.
23). RMB for face menu and choose Bridge with LMB. Wings will now join the 2 selected faces with new geometry. (This
command will only work if the 2 faces to be bridged have exactly the same number of verts / edges as each other. 'Tunnels' can
also be cut through objects if the 2 faces are on opposite sides of the object. Faces do not have to be the same shape.)
24). Select all 6 of the edges on this new piece of geometry (select one, press G).
25). RMB for edge menu and choose Connect (or just press C). Wings will create a series of new edges by connecting the mid
points of all the selected edges.
26). RMB for edge menu, choose Bevel and drag to 0.4 units.
27). Deselect the new faces (spacebar) and select the 6 new edges formed by the bevel operation.
28). RMB for edge menu and choose Connect with LMB.
29). Select the edge shown, together with the corresponding (similar) one on the other side of the bridged 'bar'.
Try using Object | Scale (or Face | Move) on the cube to make the same shape / size tabletop as that used here - maybe use the
measure facility to check?
Check what happens in (17) if you convert the face selections to edges or verts (and then scale uniform)
Select all 9 faces on the table top (select large centre face, press + key) apply Face | Extrude -> Normal (say 0.5) and then use
Face | Scale -> Uniform.
Undo this and repeat using Face | Extrude Region Normal (then scale again) - note the difference.
Try selecting the 2 large square faces on the tabletop (top and underside) and try Face | Inset followed by / or Face | Bridge. (Also
Face | Bump on just the top square?)
Select the 4 small faces (select one, press I (select similar)) around the top of each leg (16 total) and try Face | Bump - drag the
mouse and press + / - keys to alter 'boundary edges' - check info line at bottom.
Instead of just 'dragging' during a command (whether using constraints or not) try pressing the Tab key. Wings then displays a data
entry box where you can enter precise amounts for your operations.
How would you make the diagonal 'braces' thinner?
What would you have to do to put a twist on the table legs?