Many controls are common to the various kinds of sub-objects in NURBS models (with the exception of Imports). This topic introduces the controls that are common to most NURBS sub-objects.
One way to alter a NURBS model is to transform its sub-objects. Transforming lets you interactively change the model’s curvature and shape. Transforming points or CVs is especially useful for adjusting the shape of a NURBS curve or surface.
You can also Shift+Clone most kinds of sub-objects, except CVs. For curves and surfaces, Shift+Cloning displays a Sub-Object Clone Options dialog, which lets you reduce relational dependencies to improve performance.
There is a Selection group box on the rollout for all NURBS sub-objects except Imports. The buttons in this group let you control which sub-objects to select. The selection buttons let you select sub-objects individually, or multiple sub-objects at once. For example, Surface CV selection buttons give you the option of selecting individual CVs, or selecting a row of CVs on the surface, and so on.
Selection controls also include a Name field that lets you customize the name of individual NURBS sub-objects other than CVs. (The Name field is the only selection control for Import sub-objects.)
You can hide or unhide NURBS sub-objects as you do other objects. Hidden sub-objects are invisible in viewports, but remain renderable. (At the sub-object level, hiding doesn’t affect the renderer.) You can’t select hidden sub-objects. Hide and unhide by name is available for curve and surface sub-objects.
You can make a dependent point, curve, or surface sub-object independent.
All sub-object rollouts have a Remove Animation button. This removes animation controllers from the selected sub-objects.
You can create a new curve or surface object by detaching a curve or surface sub-object from a NURBS model. To do so, select the curve or surface and then click Detach. A dialog is displayed, which lets you enter a name for the new NURBS object. The new object is no longer part of the original NURBS object.
You can also use the Detach button to create a new NURBS object that is a copy of a curve or surface sub-object. To do so, select the curve or surface, and click to turn on Copy before you click Detach. A dialog is displayed, which lets you enter a name for the new object. The original curve or surface sub-object remains part of the NURBS object you were editing, but the copied curve or surface is now a NURBS object of its own.
This toggle affects dependent objects. When off, detaching a dependent sub-object makes it an independent object. For example, detaching a U loft converts it to a CV surface. When on, detaching a dependent sub-object also detaches the objects it depends on, so the object remains dependent. For example, detaching a U loft also detaches the curves that define it.