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A Lesson on Lattice
You've seen them on the forums, you've seen them on the LEX. Now create your own lattice, from any editable mesh or poly!
- Create your object. Remember to set the edges of your mesh to your liking, because the edges will become the bars of the lattice.
- Right-click on the name of your viewport to open the Viewport Options Menu. Check "Edged Faces". This isn't necessary, but it makes this whole process a lot easier.
- Select your mesh. Go into Edge Mode, then go to the Edit menu and press "Select All". All the edges in the mesh should now be red.
- Push "Create Shape from Edges".
This is the Create Shape dialog box. If you check the "Smooth" box, you'll get a shape with curvy bezier vertices. This is better if you have a curvy mesh, as it make it look a little more realistic. If you want it to to have straight, direct connections between vertices, check "Linear". Make sure "Ignore Hidden Edges" is checked, or you'll get a really wierd shape.
Find the "Mesh Settings" rollout. Check "Display Mesh". Thickness lets you change the diameter of the lattice bars. Sides lets you change the number of sides. Use a low number of sides, like 6 or 8, for most lattices. If you are making a really thick lattice, use more sides. Angle lets you change the rotation of the segments. So, you could change a diamond-shaped cross-section to a square cross-section. Don't be alarmed if this doesn't seem to work. You need to shoot it up really high to have an effect.
Once you set the Thickness, Sides, and Angle to the settings you like, right-click it in the modifier stack and click "Convert to Editable Mesh". NB: You must do this, or else it won't show up in renders!
If you have any questions about this article, please PM STomnibus.
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