About Morphs

Use the Morph tool to create freeform elements within ArchiCAD, so you don’t have to
import special shapes from other programs.
The Morph tool is fully integrated into ArchiCAD, and works with a familiar logic and int
erface. Like other construction elements, a Morph’s essential structure derives from its B
uilding Material.
You can enable priority‐based connections between Morphs and other elements.
See Element Intersections and Merge Elements: Roofs, Shells, Morphs.
However, there are some Morph features that go beyond the other ArchiCAD constructio
n tools. Morph Geometry and Sub‐Elements
•Compared to traditional construction elements, the Morph has practically no geomet
ric limits: every edge and every surface can be moved and shaped in any direction, s
o you can create exactly the element you need to fit project‐specific situations.
•Morphs consist of one or more sub‐
elements: these can include faces and/or edges. For any Morph, you can edit the en
tire element as a whole, or any of its sub‐
elements separately, or in combination. A new selection logic is available to enable y
ou to edit sub‐elements. Morph Creation
•In addition to familiar input methods, the Convert Selection to Morph command en
ables the quick creation of a new single Morph out of existing elements.
•The Magic Wand is especially powerful with Morph creation: tap any surface (e.g. a
Mesh) to create a Morph.
•Unlike other construction elements, 2D Morph shapes can be created in the 3D win
dow (lines and planes). These can be used for sketching or documenting purposes.
Morph Settings
•In Morph Settings, you will notice that there are no numerical geometric parameter
s, apart from its default elevation.
•The Floor Plan and Section controls are similar to those of the Shell Tool. By defaul
t, Morphs (as well as Shells) are displayed on the Floor Plan in true 3D projection m
ode.
•Morph Selection Settings varies depending on whether you have selected an entire
Morph, or any combination of its sub‐elements (e.g. faces, edges). In sub‐
element selection, only the Model panel is available, and only the relevant controls a
re available, depending on whether you have selected edges, faces or a combination
thereof. Graphical Editing
•Morph creation and editing is most intuitive in the 3D window. Graphical interface
uses familiar methods and interactions: select any edge, grab any point or surface, or
any combination of their sub‐
elements, to modify the Morph with the help of the pet palette and
 real‐
time feedback. Notice that Fillet and Chamfer are available for Morphs in the 3D win
dow, applied to any or all edges or corners.
•Morphs (like Shells) can be input onto any plane of the 3D window, and with many
editing interactions, you can also switch the editing plane as you go, so that there a
re few constraints.
•There are separate Solid Operation commands for Morphs. Unlike Solid Element Ope
rations, which create connections, Solid Morph Operations are not associative ‐ the fi
nal result of the operation is permanent.
•Morphs can participate in priority‐
based connections with other elements, provided that you merge them using the Des
ign > Connect > Merge Elements command. Morph Smoothing
Morph surfaces are defined by faces, and as you edit the Morph, its many segments ar
e automatically smoothed to create curved surfaces. In addition, a number of commands
allow you to transform the Morph with a single click, by smoothing or subdividing its s
ub‐
elements, and also gives you some control over the smoothing mechanism. These comm
ands and controls include:
•Smooth & Merge Faces
•Curve & Merge Edges
•Modify Segmentation
•Hard or Soft Edges: in the Info Box or Morph Settings, any edges can be individuall
y re‐
set to be “hard” or “soft”. By default, they are hard; if you reset an edge to be “so
ft,” then its adjacent faces will behave as though merged into a single, flexible face.
A soft edge is an internal sub‐
element that divides segmented faces. Such faces are displayed (in OpenGL and rend
ering) as smooth and curved. Texture Mapping for Morph Faces
As with other 3D elements, if you have applied a surface that includes a texture, you ca
n use the Align 3D Texture command to fine‐
tune the origin and rotation of the texture pattern. For the Morph, these options are al
so available individually and separately for each face.

Morph Selection
Morphs consist of multiple sub‐elements (faces and edges). Select Entire Morph
•Click on any part of the Morph to select the entire Morph element (including its su
b‐elements).
A selected Morph has only a single hotspot, which represents the point of its elevation
value.
•Check the Info Tag to see the sub‐elements that make up the selected Morph.
Area selection will select the entire Morph. Select Morph Sub‐Element
Use Ctrl+Shift to select just a sub‐
element (an edge or a face) of the Morph. (The cursor changes to a white arrow to ind
icate that you are selecting a sub‐element.)

In this case (with Ctrl + Shift pressed):

•the pre‐selection highlight shows you exactly what will be selected when you click
•use the tab key to cycle among the pre‐selected sub‐elements
•area selection will select only sub‐elements
When a sub‐element is selected, all the pet palette commands will work on that sub‐
element only. For example, using the Move command on a selected face will move the
face in space (and the connected parts of the rest of the Morph along with it) ‐ it does
not move the whole Morph element.
This is also reflected by in the Info Box and Morph Selection Settings, where only those
controls are available that can be applied to the selected sub‐
element. The number of editable sub‐elements is also shown.
Sub‐Element Selection by Default
If you are editing Morphs, you may wish to select only Morph sub‐
elements (faces and edges) by default, rather than the entire Morph. To do this, activat
e the Sub‐Element selection method for the Arrow tool.

This only works for Morph selection. If Sub‐

Element selection is on, and you try to select other element types, you get a “Do Not E
nter” cursor, and selection is not possible unless you use the modifier key (Ctrl + Shift).
If you have activated Sub‐
Element Arrow selection by default, then the usual selection logic is reversed: sub‐
elements are selected by just plain clicking, while to select an entire Morph, you have t
o use the modifier key (Ctrl + Shift). Change the Sub‐
Element Selection Modifier Key
Use the Work Environment’s Shortcut page to assign a different modifier key for the “Su
b‐Element Selection Modifier” command, which toggles between entire element/sub‐
element selection of Morphs.

Create a 2D Morph
Choose the Morph Tool from the Toolbox, then choose a Geometry Method from the In
fo Box.

Use the following methods to create 2D lines, polylines, curves and closed polygons on t
he Floor Plan or in the 3D Window.
•Polygonal
•Rectangular and Free‐Rotate Rectangular
•Curved ‐ Centerpoint and Radius
•Curved ‐ Circumference
The input process with these geometry methods works just like ArchiCAD’s 2D drawing t
ools.
The result, however, is a Morph face or a Morph line, rather than a 2D polygon or line:
it is displayed in the 3D window, but has no geometric parameters (e.g. thickness). You
can use the resulting 3D lines and surfaces for sketching or documenting purposes in t
he 3D window. Free‐Rotate Rectangle
The Free‐
Rotate Rectangle input method of the Morph tool allows you to draw the rectangle on
any plane in space.
1.In the 3D window, choose the Free‐Rotate Rectangle method.
2.Click twice to draw the first edge of the rectangle. You can draw this edge on any
plane in space.
3.Click to place the opposite corner of the rectangle. You can snap to any point in s
pace.
Create a Box Morph
Activate the Morph Tool and choose the Box geometry method.
In the 3D Window:
1.Choose the input plane. Either click to find the default plane, or choose another in
put plane based on existing elements or using the Editing Plane controls.
See Reposition Editing Plane.
If you click in “empty space”, the default input plane is at the base height define
d in Morph Default Settings.
 2.Click twice to define the rectangular base of the Box Morph. (The base is always al
igned with the grid. You can rotate the grid to place the box at a different angle, or
you can place it and then rotate it afterwards.)
3.Drag the cursor to define the height of the Box Morph.
4.Click to complete.
On the Floor Plan or in Section:
1.Choose the Box geometry method from the Info Box.
2.Click twice to define the rectangular base of the Box Morph.
3. Enter an extrusion vector length ‐ the distance that will be the height of the Box
Morph.

Create a Revolved Morph

Use the Revolved method to create a Morph by defining its profile (either a default sha
pe or a freehand profile), then revolving the profile around an axis.
Activate the Morph Tool and choose the revolved geometry method.
On the Floor Plan or in Section:
1.Draw the Morph profile ‐ a polyline or a closed polygon ‐ with the usual polygon in
put methods. (The resulting Morph will have as many faces as the number of polygo
n segments.)
Note: You can use the Magic Wand to trace any closed polygon as your profile.
2.Double‐click to complete the polyline or polygon.
3.Click twice to draw the revolution axis.
4.In the appearing dialog box, enter the Morph’s revolution angle. A positive number
will revolve the Morph toward you. A negative number will revolve the Morph away
from you.
In the 3D Window:
1.Choose the input plane. Either click to find the default plane, or choose another in
put plane based on existing elements or using the Editing Plane controls.
See Reposition Editing Plane.
This is the plane on which you will draw the profile and then its revolution axis.
If you click in “empty space”, the default input plane is at the base height define
d in Morph Default Settings.
2.Draw the Morph profile ‐ a polyline or a closed polygon ‐ with the usual polygon in
put methods.
Note: You can use the Magic Wand to trace any closed polygon as your profile.
 5.Move the cursor to complete the revolution axis.Navigate in the 3D view to find th
e best angle for seeing the feedback.)
6.The Morph is complete.

Create Morph from Existing Elements

Convert Selection to Morph(s)
Use this command to create multiple Morphs out of selected elements: each selected el
ement will become a separate Morph.
1.In any model window, select the elements to change into Morphs.
2.Use Design > Convert Selection to Morph(s).
3.The selected elements, provided that they have a 3D representation, will be turned
into Morphs.
Example: Convert GDL Object to Morph

When you convert a GDL object to Morphs:

•GDL objects will be converted into independent Morphs.
•GDL sub‐
element components of other elements (e.g. door, window, wall end, skylight) will be converted in
to independent Morphs themselves.
•Similarly, the sub‐
elements of complex roofs and curtain walls are converted into independent Morphs.
Note: If the resulting Morph is very complex, you may run into editing and performance proble
ms.
Notes on Attributes of Newly Created Morphs:
•If the transformed element was an object, its surface is added to the project’s set of surfa
ce attributes, if the surface doesn’t exist there already. Such a newly added surface attribute a
utomatically receives a suffix of _from Converted Object, though this string is not considered w
hen the program checks for duplicate names. (If the converted object’s
surface already exists in the project, the new Morph uses the existing surface.) Any texture atta
ched to the surface is added to the embedded library.
•In Teamwork, creation of Surfaces and Fills requires the appropriate access right. If you do
not have this right, you will see a warning message. The Morph will still be created, but the su
rface/fill/texture will not be added to the project, and the Morph may thus look different than
expected.

Basic Morph Editing

When you work with the Morph tool, you will typically place a standard shape, then graphically edit i
t into its final form.
Select the entire Morph, or select one of its sub‐elements.
You can edit the Morph graphically using one of its sub‐
elements (face or edge). When you drag a face or edge, all of its connecting faces and edges move a
long with it.
The best way to learn this is to simply try out the editing options from the pet palette, using the 3D
window. Don’t forget that, in many situations of Morph editing, you can reset the editing plane to a
ny position.
Push‐Pull
Bulge
Add
Tube
Custom Face Settings
Edge Type: Hard, Hidden, Soft
Offset Morph Edge
Offset All Edges
Curve Edge
Move Morph Sub‐Element
Add Node to Morph
Fillet/Chamfer a Morph
Custom Resolution for Fillet

Push‐Pull
1.Click on the flat face of a Morph. (Multi‐select sub‐elements to edit them simultaneously.)
2.From the pet palette, choose the Push‐Pull command.
Create a Morph‐Shaped Hole in Another Morph
This method works if you push a Morph all the way through another Morph, provided that both ends
of the “host” Morph are parallel faces.
For other kinds of geometries, use Boolean Operations on Morphs.
See Boolean Operations with Morphs.
1.On an existing Morph, use the Add command to draw a new Morph in the shape of the hole y
ou want.
See Add.
The new Morph becomes a sub‐
element of the existing Morph (since you used the Add command to draw it.)
2.Click on the sub‐element.
3.Use Push‐Pull to push the sub‐element through the Morph.
4.Click the cursor on an opposite edge to complete the Push.
Bulge
1.Click on any face of a Morph.
Note: Choose the clicked point carefully, because it will be the centerpoint of the circle out of
which you will draw the bulge.
2.From the pet palette, choose the Bulge command.
3.Drag the cursor to define the radius of the bulge.
•A small radius will give you a smaller, sharper outcropping.
•Use a larger radius for a more gentle rounded result.
4.Click to complete the radius.
5.Now drag the cursor to bulge the Morph in or out.
Add
Use the Add command to expand an existing Morph by drawing an additional Morph shape onto it. T
he result will be a single Morph that behaves as a single element.
Note: Alternatively, you can draw a separate Morph onto an existing one, without using the Ad
d command; in this case, the new Morph will operate independently of the old one. Later, if need
ed, you can use Create Morph from Selection or the “Union” Solid Morph Operation to merge the
se separate Morphs into one.
1.Click anywhere on a Morph or its sub‐
element. The new Morph input will begin at the point you clicked.
2.From the pet palette, choose the Add command.
3.Choose a geometry method from the Morph Info Box.
4.Draw the desired Morph.
Tube
Use the Tube command to extend any Morph face into a tube, changing directions and planes as ma
ny times as you like.
1.Click anywhere on a Morph face.
2.From the pet palette, choose the Tube command.
3.Start drawing the Tube, clicking to place each segment in turn.
Note: The first segment must be drawn perpendicular to the clicked face.
•You can use the Magic Wand to trace a path for the Tube around a closed polygon (provi
ded that the polygon plane and the tube profile plane are not in the same plane.)
•Change the editing plane as needed.
•To undo the last segment, use the Go back command from the pet palette.
Tube Reference Point
The point you clicked on the Morph face to bring up the pet palette is the reference point of the Tu
be (the point by which you drag the tube).
However, once you select the Tube command from the pet palette, you can click anywhere else on t
he face (or its contour) to use that newer clicked point as the reference point:
1.Select a Morph.
2.From any edge, bring up the Pet Palette and choose “Offset Edge.”
3.Drag the cursor, or choose a different editing plane. The Morph edge, plus its adjoining faces, wi
ll move along the chosen editing plane.

2.From any edge, bring up the Pet Palette and choose “Offset All Edges.”
3.Drag the cursor, or choose a different editing plane (only the adjoining planes are available). The
face adjoining the clicked edge (the face that lies on the editing plane) will be offset on all sides
along the chosen editing plane.
2.Click the edge you want to curve to bring up the Pet Palette, and choose “Curve Edge.”
3.Drag the cursor, or choose a different editing plane. The clicked edge, plus the adjoining face, wi
ll be curved along the chosen editing plane.
Move Morph Sub‐Element
Use this command to transform the Morph by dragging it by its sub‐element(s).
1.Select a sub‐element.
2.Use the Drag command from the pet palette.
3.Move the sub‐
element (and its connected faces/edges) along the editing plane. Change editing plane if needed.
Add Node to Morph
1.Bring up the pet palette on the edge of a selected Morph (or on a selected edge).
2.Use the Add Node command from the pet palette.
3.Move the node (and its connected faces/edges) along the editing plane. Change editing plane if
needed.

Fillet/Chamfer a Morph
You can fillet or chamfer the corners and edges of Morphs, in 2D or 3D windows.
Note that a fillet or chamfer operation has the effect of created one or more new Morph faces. Thes
e new faces will always “inherit” the default surface of the original Morph.
Fillet/Chamfer a Morph Corner
1.Select a Morph and bring up the pet palette at one of its corners.
2.Choose the Fillet/Chamfer Corner command and apply the desired options.
Fillet/Chamfer Morph Edges
1.Bring up the pet palette on the edge of a selected Morph (or on one or more selected edges).
Custom Resolution for Fillet
By default, the Fillet resolution is set to 4 (this is best displayed in wireframe):
Useful Commands for Transforming Morphs
Smooth & Merge Faces
Intersect Morph Faces (Generate Edges within a Morph)
Curve & Merge Edges
Combine Morph Faces for Smooth Editing Effect: Use “Soft” Edges
Box Stretch a Morph
Cover with Faces

Smooth & Merge Faces

Use this command if you have done a basic angular‐
shaped model, and wish to achieve a more rounded effect with just one click. Smooth A Non‐
Solid Morph
For example, we start with the following hollow Morph.
To achieve a smoother effect:
1.Select the Morph or a sub‐element.
2.Use Design > Modify Morph > Smooth & Merge Faces.
3.The Smooth & Merge Faces dialog box appears.
Since the current (non‐
solid) Morph has outer boundaries (edges that are not adjoined by any faces), you can choose ho
w to treat these boundaries:
•Smooth boundaries means that the bounding edges of the selected element(s) or sub‐
elements will also take part in the smoothing:

•Preserve boundaries means that the bounding edges of the selected element(s) or sub‐
elements will stay intact, and only the inner parts are smoothed.
 •Subdivision level: Use the slider to adjust how much triangulation (subdivision) you wish to achie
ve. Be aware that a higher subdivision level, used on complex or multiple Morphs, can lead to a h
igh polygon count that can affect model size and ArchiCAD performance.
Smooth a Solid Morph
With a solid Morph, you have no free‐
hanging edge boundaries, so all selected parts take part in the subdivision:

Intersect Morph Faces (Generate Edges within a Morph)

While editing a Morph, its shape may be transformed such that a single face is intersected by other
parts of the Morph. At this point, the new (self‐)intersection is not yet delimited by any edges.
If you henceforth want to treat such intersecting faces separately, use the Design > Modify Morph >
Intersect Morph Faces command.
This command works on a single selected Morph only.
Curve & Merge Edges
Use this command to segment one or more straight Morph edges to achieve a smoother, curved effe
ct.
This feature is also useful to merge multiple curved Morph edges.
1.Select one or more Morph edges; or select one or more faces.
2.Use Design > Modify Morph > Curve & Merge Edges.
3.If needed, use Design > Modify Morph > Modify Segmentation to correct the effect.
Vary Smoothness Level of Morph Edges
If you want to vary edge smoothing within a single Morph, you can adjust the Smoothing Level of ind
ividual Morph edges: select an edge, then use the Design > Modify Morph > Modify Segmentation co
mmand. This will reset the Smoothness behavior of the selected Morph edge only.

Combine Morph Faces for Smooth Editing Effect: Use “Soft” Edges
Morph editing often involves selecting and editing a sub‐
element (edge, node or face), which in turn affects the connecting faces of the Morph.
As the Morph changes shape, the connected faces, joined by a “hard” edge by default, behave as indi
vidual units, retaining their own geometries.
However, if you want the connected faces to “morph” smoothly, you can combine the distinct faces s
o that they henceforth behave as a unit while you edit them.
To do this, change the Edge settings (for any selected edges) from Hard (the default) to Soft. The eas
iest way to do this is to select any Edges, then click the Soft icon from the Info Box.

Faces connected by a “soft” edge behave as a single surface in Morph editing operations, and the sm
oothing algorithm is applied to them as a whole, resulting in a different editing effect:
Box Stretch a Morph
Use this command from the pet palette of a selected Morph, to stretch the entire Morph by its boun
ding box.
1.Select a Morph.
2.From the pet palette, choose the Box Stretch command.
A bounding box appears around the Morph.

3.Click on an edge, face or node of the bounding box.

A “stretch” pet palette appears with three options.
4.Choose one of these three stretch varieties: Stretch, Stretch from Center, or Skew.
5.Then drag to transform your Morph.
Depending on which part of the box you clicked, the stretching result will vary:
The plain Stretch (clicked on box face):
Cover with Faces
Use this command (Design > Modify Morph > Cover with Faces) to add faces onto an existing Morph
.
Select a Morph, or a series of Morph edges that form a closed polygon (this polygon can lie on any
planes in space.
Use Design > Modify Morph > Cover with Faces.

From the appearing dialog box, choose whether the new faces should be based on
•Sharp edges
•Smooth surface
On an entire Morph:
If you have closed holes in the Morph, faces are generated to cover these holes.
On a series of selected edges forming a polygon:
•A Morph face is generated.
While you can also use the Add command from the pet palette, the Generate Faces command is diffe
rent because it works on any plane in space.

Custom Face Settings

You can apply custom surface and texture mapping settings to one or more Morph faces.
Note: By default, the surface applied to all Morph faces derives from the Building Material assi
gned to the Morph. You can override all Morph faces, using the Override Surface control in the M
odel Panel of Morph Settings. The Custom Face Settings offers a further way to customize the surf
ace of any one or more Morph faces.
 1.Select the face(s), or the entire Morph.
2.From the pet palette, choose the Custom Face Settings command.

3.Choose a custom surface and/or a different texture mapping:

Surface: Click the Surface override button, then choose a custom surface for the selected Morp
h face(s).
Texture: Choose a different texture mapping for the selected Morph face(s).

4.Apply Changes to: Once you have set the options as needed, choose the faces to which to appl
y these changes:
Note: These options are only available if you selected the entire Morph before bringing up the
pet palette. If you selected only one or more faces, then your changes are applied only to the sel
ected faces, and you have no other options here.
•Clicked Face will apply the chosen options (surface, texture mapping) only to the face you clicked
when bringing up the pet palette.
•All Similar Faces will apply the chosen options to all faces in the selected Morph which had the
same initial surfaces as the oe you changed. For example, if you change the of a face from yellow
to red, all faces in this Morph whose surface was yellow will also change to red.
•All Faces will apply the chosen options to all faces of the selected Morph.
5.Click OK to apply changes.
Custom Morph Surface: Feedback in Morph Settings
If you have customized any of the Morphs’s Face surfaces (in the Custom Face Settings dialog box), a
yellow “custom” icon appears alongside the surface setting control in Morph Settings, indicating that
one or more face surfaces have been changed from the general setting.
If you later change the Surface setting in Morph Settings while the dialog box is still open, the yellow
patch (indicating “custom face”) gets a red shadow. This means that the Morph’s surface setting is g
oing to change: do you want to apply this override to the custom faces too? If so, check the box at
the bottom of Morph Settings (Apply changes to custom faces/edges too). If you do not check the bo
x, your custom faces remain the way you set them.

Edge Type: Hard, Hidden, Soft

•Morph edges, if hard, can be selected and edited.
•Hidden edges are simply hard edges that you have manually selected and set to be hidden.
•Soft edges are automatically generated during editing and smoothing operations, and within any c
urved Morph shapes; they are hidden by default and cannot be selected.
•Soft edges can also be defined manually by the user, as when you combine two faces into one b
y softening the dividing edge.
•A soft or hidden edge
•A soft edge is an internal sub‐
element that divides segmented faces. Such faces are displayed (in OpenGL and rendering) as smo
oth and curved.
See Combine Morph Faces for Smooth Editing Effect: Use “Soft” Edges.
Hard vs. Soft Edges: Show Hidden Morph Geometry
As you edit a Morph, you may wish to redefine an edge to be hard instead of soft, so that you can
select it to modify the Morph shape.
To view (and be able to select) all edges, including soft ones:
Use Design > Modify Morph > Show Hidden Morph Geometry.

Change Edge Type

You can change the Edge type of any selected edge(s) of a Morph.
For more information on using this function, see Combine Morph Faces for Smooth Editing Effect: Use
“Soft” Edges.
1.Select the edge(s), or the entire Morph.
2.Choose a different Edge type (Hard, Hidden, or Soft) using one of the following controls:
•From the Info Box, or
3.Apply Changes to: Once you have set the options as needed, choose the edges to which to appl
y these changes:
Note: These options are only available from the Custom Edge Settings dialog box, if you selecte
d the entire Morph before bringing up the pet palette. If you selected only one or
more edges, then your changes are applied only to the selected edges, and you have no other
options here.
•Clicked Edges will apply the chosen edge type only to the edge you clicked when bringing up the
pet palette.
•All Similar Edges will apply the chosen options to all edges in the selected Morph which had the
same initial setting as the on you changed. For example, if you change the Edge type from “Hard”
to “Hidden,” all of this Morph’s hard edges change to hidden.
•All Edges will apply the chosen type to all edges of the selected Morph.
4.Click OK to apply changes.
Boolean Operations with Morphs
Three Boolean operations are available from the Design > Modify Morph menu (or the context menu
of selected Morphs):
•Union
•Subtract
•Intersect
Note: You can also enable priority‐
based connections between Morphs and other elements. For information on how intersections (jun
ctions) work among construction elements, including Morphs.
See Element Intersections and Merge Elements: Roofs, Shells, Morphs.

These commands are available if the last selected is a Morph; these operations can only involve Morp
hs. (If you want to operate on non‐Morph elements, first convert those elements to Morphs.)
Unlike Solid Operations on other ArchiCAD elements, these operations are not associative ‐ the final re
sult of the operation is permanent. Union
1.Select the Morphs you wish to merge.
2.Issue the Boolean Operations > Union command.
Note: If you have only selected one Morph, it is considered the operator. You are prompted to
click another (Target) Morph with which to merge it.
 3.As a result of this command, the Morphs in the selection will be merged into a single Morph el
ement.
The resulting Morph will use the attributes of the last selected Morph. Subtract
Use this Solid Morph Operation to subtract one Morph from another.
1.Select the Morph(s) you wish to subtract.
2.Issue the Boolean Operations > Subtract command (from the context menu) or Design > Modify
Morph > Subtract.
Note: If your original selection contains any non‐
Solid Morphs, you are warned of this. You can either proceed anyway ‐ this will leave the non‐
solid Morphs out of the operation ‐ or ask to Show non‐Solid Elements.
3.You are prompted to “Click a Morph from which to subtract the selection.”The clicked target Mo
rph can be a surface; it need not be solid.)
Note: If you try to click a target element that is not a Morph, the cursor changes to the “Do
not Enter” sign and you get a warning to that effect.
 4.After the Subtract operation is completed, the Operator elements are deleted. The result is alway
s a Morph. Intersect
Use this command to intersect multiple solid Morphs and end up with a single Morph.
1.Select the Morphs you wish to intersect.
2.Issue the Boolean Operations > Intersect command (from the context menu) or Design > Modify
Morph > Intersect.
Note: If you have only selected one Morph, that element is considered the operator. You are p
rompted to click another (Target) Morph with which to intersect it.

3.As a result of this command, the intersecting portion of the originally selected Morphs are retain
ed, resulting in a single solid Morph.
The resulting Morph will use the attributes of the last selected Morph.

Morph Texture Mapping and Alignment Texture Mapping

If your Morph uses a surface that includes a texture, you can control how that texture is displayed o
n the Morph surfaces.
The Texture Mapping definition (either Box or Planar) is shown in the Model Panel of Morph Selectio
n Settings.

Box Mapping: this is the default, and the only option available if you have selected an entire Morph
(see Box Mapping below).
Planar: This option can only be chosen if your selection includes one or more faces. The “Planar” defi
nition means that you can vary the plane from which the texture is projected onto the selected face,
as well as set an individual texture alignment and origin for the face. Box Mapping
For a Morph selected as a whole, and for default Morphs, the texture mapping is always “Box.”
“Box” means the pattern is projected onto the Morph from six planes (as from a box). Any given pla
ne gets its texture from the direction of the closest of the six planes.

The origin of the texture is at Project Zero. Set Origin of Box Mapping
1.Select one or more Morphs.
2.Use Design > Align 3D Texture > Set Origin.
3.Click at the point (e.g. a corner) where you want the texture pattern to originate.
4.The origin is set. (If you selected multiple Morphs, the texture origin is in effect for all selected
Morphs.)

Set Direction of Box Mapping Texture

1.Select one or more Morphs.
2.Use Design > Align 3D Texture > Set Direction.
3.In the appearing dialog box, enter a rotation angle or draw a vector to reset its direction.
Reset Box Mapping
For Box Mapping, “reset” means that the texture origin returns to Project Zero.
1.Select one or more Morphs.
2.Do one of the following:
•Use Design > Align 3D Texture > Reset.
•Click Reset Texture in Morph Selection Settings (Model Panel).
 3.The texture origin is reset. Planar Mapping
This option can is available only if your selection includes one or more Morph faces. The “Planar” defi
nition means that you can vary:
•the plane from which the texture is projected onto the selected face
•the texture origin separately for any face
•the texture alignment separately for any face

Set Texture Projection by Plane

1.Select one or more Morph faces.
2.Choose Design > Align 3D Texture. (The Texture Mapping control in Morph Selection Settings aut
omatically changes to “Planar.”)
3.Choose one of the following commands: Set Origin/Set Direction.
4.An editing square appears on the Morph face, representing a unit of the texture pattern.
5.Vary the editing plane to vary the texture projection. Set Origin or Alignment by Plane
1.Select one or more Morph faces.
2.Choose Design > Align 3D Texture. (The Texture Mapping control in Morph Selection Settings aut
omatically changes to “Planar.”)
3.Choose one of the following commands: Set Origin/Set Direction.
6.Do one of the following:
•Drag the square and click to place. The clicked point represents the origin of the texture pattern
on that face.
•Choose the Move icon to drag the texture and realign its origin (same effect as above).
•Choose the Rotate icon to rotate the texture direction on that face.
7.Click anywhere outside the square with the hammer cursor to complete the operation.
Fix Modeling Errors: Check and Solidify Morphs
Given the freeform workflow and many editing options of working with Morphs, it is possible that yo
u will inadvertently create one or more Morphs that are not “solid” ‐ that is, the Morph is hollow. Of
ten, you cannot see the non‐solid error if you are looking at a complex model.
This need not be a problem, except that
•if you calculate Morph volume in lists, a non‐solid Morph will have a volume of zero;
•only solid Morphs can have a cut fill; a non‐solid Morph in Section is shown without a fill.
To find and fix such modeling problems, you can do one of the following:
•Check the Info Box or Settings of any selected Morphs to see if they are solid.

•If any of the Morphs is not solid, you get a warning, and the problematic Morphs (and their edg
es) are highlighted in the model.