The Soft panel opens when Use Soft Selection is on, and provides controls for modifying how Soft Selection works. For details, see Soft Selection Rollout
When on, you can change Soft Selection parameters interactively with the keyboard and mouse. For details, see this procedure and this section.
Paint a soft selection on the active object using the current settings. When active, opens the PaintSS panel for controlling how painting works.
Drag the mouse cursor over the object surface to paint the selection.
When on, limits the soft-selection region to the specified number of edges (use the adjacent numeric setting) between where you select and the maximum extent of the soft selection. The affected region is measured in terms of "edge-distance" space, along the surface, rather than real space.
This option is useful in cases where you want to select only contiguous sections of geometry. For example, if a bird's wing is folded back against its body, selecting the wing tip with Soft Selection would affect nearby body vertices as well. But if you turn on Use Edge Distance, set the numeric value to the distance (in edges) along the wing that you wish to affect, and then set Falloff to an appropriate value, selecting and then moving the wing tip would move only the wing geometry.
Distance in current units from the center to the edge of a sphere defining the affected region. If Edge Distance is on, Falloff is measured in edges and the Edge Distance setting limits the maximum falloff amount.
Toggles the availability of the Falloff control on the caddy when Select And Manipulate is active.
Adjusts the slope of the curves on either side of the top point of the soft-selection falloff curve (visible on the command panel). Default=0.
Pinch sets the relative "pointedness" of the region. When negative, a crater is produced instead of a point. At a setting of 0, Pinch produces a smooth transition across this axis.
Toggles the availability of the Pinch control on the caddy when Select And Manipulate is active.
Expands and contracts the soft-selection falloff curve (visible on the command panel) along the vertical axis. Sets the relative "fullness" of the region. Default=0.
Bubble is limited by Pinch, which sets a fixed starting point for Bubble. A setting of 0 for Pinch and 1.0 for Bubble produces the smoothest bulge. Negative values for Bubble move the bottom of the curve below the surface, creating a "valley" around the base of the region.
Toggles the availability of the Bubble control on the caddy when Select And Manipulate is active.
The PaintSS (Paint Soft Selection) panel provides controls for painting a soft selection of sub-objects on an editable poly or Edit Poly object.