Nulls are objects that have no geometry, but do have a position in space. They are useful for organizing scenes into hierarchies and when used as control objects in a character rig.
To get a null: Choose Get > Primitive > Null from any toolbar.
To display: Select a null and press Enter.
| Icon |
Select from a list of shapes to use for the null's display — see Shapes for Effector, Root, and Null Icons and Their Shadows. Changing the display shape is especially useful when you're using nulls as control objects in a character rig. |
| Size |
Sets the display size of the null in Softimage units. When you change this value, the null's accompanying shadow always scales proportionally with it, regardless of the state of the Lock Shadow Size When Scaling option. |
| Use Display Mode |
Displays the nulls using whatever the current display mode is in the viewport, such as Shaded, Constant, Wireframe, or Hidden Line Removal. This is a visual reference only — the nulls are not rendered. Select a shape that has geometry, such as Rings, Box, or Pyramid to see the effect in a non-Wireframe display mode. |
A shadow is a visual reference that makes it easier to see and select the null. When you select the shadow, the null is also selected.
| Icon |
Select from a list of shapes to use for the null's shadow — see Shapes for Effector, Root, and Null Icons and Their Shadows. |
| Use Display Mode |
Same as Use Display Mode above except for shadow nulls. |
| Color |
Sets the color of the shadow. Select the Custom option to set a custom color using the color sliders. The resulting color appears in the color chip. You cannot change the color of the shadow if Wireframe is selected: the standard display color is used. |
| Position |
Offsets (translates) the shadow from the null on the X/Y/Z axes. |
| Size |
Specifies the scale of the shadow. The default value of 1 means a 1:1 ratio with the null. |
| Lock Shadow Size When Scaling |
Keeps the shadow at a constant size when the null is scaled (using the Scale transform commands, not the Size parameter above). |
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