Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Chapter 9 Mesh Modeling 219 object during the conversion process. A low value will create a cleaner look in the formed faces. The default setting is 0, which specifi es that no limitation is applied to the aspect ratio. A setting of 1 specifi es that the height must be equal to the width. A setting greater than 1 specifi es that the height may exceed the width. A setting between 0 and 1 specifi es that the width may exceed the height. The Maximum edge length for new faces: setting is the maximum length any edge can be (FACETERMAXEDGELENGTH system variable). The default setting is 0, which allows the size of the mesh to be determined by the size of the 3D model. A setting of 1 or higher results in a reduced number of faces and less accuracy compared to the original model. When the Use optimized representation for 3D primitive solids check box is checked, the mesh settings in the Mesh Primitive Options dialog box are applied when converting a solid primitive. This is the default setting. If the check box is unchecked, the settings in the Mesh Tessellation Options dialog box are applied. NOTE NOTE Converting swept solids and surfaces, regions, closed polylines, 3D face objects, and legacy polygon and polyface mesh objects may produce unexpected results. If this happens, undo the operation and try making setting adjustments in the Mesh Tessellation Options dialog box for better results. Converting from a Solid or Surface to a Mesh The MESHSMOOTH command is used to convert a solid or surface object into a mesh object. See Figure 9-7. The command is easy to use. First, enter the command. Then, select the solids or surfaces to be converted. Finally, press [Enter] and the objects are converted into mesh objects. If you select an object that is not a primitive, you may receive a message indicating that the command works best on primitives. If you receive this message, choose to create the mesh. PROFESSIONAL TIP PROFESSIONAL TIP With a good understanding of solid modeling, create a solid model fi rst. Then, convert it to a mesh object using the MESHSMOOTH command and edit the mesh to create a freeform design. MESHSMOOTH Ribbon Home Mesh Mesh Mesh Smooth Object Type MESHSMOOTH SMOOTH CONVTOMESH A B Figure 9-7. Converting an existing solid or surface into a mesh object. A—The existing objects shown are a surface (left) and solid (right). B—After converting each object into a mesh using the MESHSMOOTH command.