8. A mouse on a piece of cheese

This example places an easy-to-draw object, the cheese, and a more complex object, the mouse, together in a scene. You will quickly realize that anything (or nearly anything) can be made with the Amapi 3D tools.

The cheese (the recipe...)

Þ Step 1: Shape the cheese

q Tool: Extrusion q Open the model file: Fromage q Do it: 1. Start with the closed curve which is the cheese section and extrude it 4 or 5 cm with the Extrusion tool (and horizontal constraint). 2. Validate and click on both ends (red) to close the cheese. q See the detailed explanations in the chapter: User Manual/Tools/Construction/Extrusion, User Manual/Tools/Assistant Palette/Cursor movement and positioning constraints

Þ Step 2: Create the holes

q Tool: Boolean q Do it: 1. Perform a Boolean operation between the block of cheese and the group of spheres. 2. With the +/- keys you can display the results until you get what you like. You have just made a piece of Gruyere, a famous French cheese! 3. Now, save the cheese before making the mouse. q See the detailed explanations in the chapter: User Manual/Tools/Modeling/Cut/Boolean

The mouse

Þ Step 1: The mouse’s body

q Tool: Double Profile q Open the model file: Souris1 q Do it: 1. Select the circle which corresponds to the section. 2. Select the Double Profile tool. 3. Click on the two curves that are the paths of the body shape. You now have the body. q See the detailed explanations in the chapter: User Manual/Tools/Construction/Sweeping

Þ Step 2: An ear

q Tool: Double Profile q Do it: 1. To work more easily, hide the body of the mouse and zoom in on the three curves which define the shape of the ear. 2. Select the curve which is the base of the ear. 3. Take the Double Profile tool. 4. Click on the two curves that are the paths of the ear shape. q See the detailed explanations in the chapter: User Manual/Tools/Control Panel/Hide, Unhide, User Manual/Tools/Control Panel/Views/Zoom, User Manual/Tools/Construction/Sweeping

Þ Step 3: The 2nd ear

q Tool: Mirror 3D q Do it: 1. After making the first ear, unhide the body. 2. Press the 4 key on the keypad. 3. The ear is the current object; select the Mirror 3D tool. 4. With the right hand button of the mouse, (Option+Click on Mac) click about the center of gravity of the body to set the symmetry point. 5. Click on the bounding box face near the ear base: the 2nd ear is automatically placed at the right place. q See the detailed explanations in the chapter: User Manual/Tools/Control Panel/Hide, Unhide, User Manual/Tools/Assembly/Symmetry, User Manual/Tools/Control Panel/Views

Þ Step 4: A front leg

q Tool: Double Profile q Do it: To make the mouse’s legs, proceed as for the ears: 1. Select the curve that is the leg section. 2. Take the Double Profile tool. 3. Click on the two curves that are the paths of the leg shape. q See the detailed explanations in the chapter: User Manual/Tools/Construction/Sweeping

Þ Step 5: The 2nd front leg

q Tool: Mirror 3D q Do it: We always mirror from the body center of the mouse. Click on the bounding box face near the front leg’s face: the 2nd leg is automatically placed at the right place. q See the detailed explanations in the chapter: User Manual/Tools/Assembly/Symmetry

Þ Step 6: The rear legs

q Do it: Repeat the two previous steps for the rear legs.

The mouse on the cheese

You will notice that the legs have only one toe. You can try to add more toes as shown in the final model... (Souris3). Next, you should add the eyes and whiskers (Souris2) and give the piece of cheese to the little mouse.