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Mirror

This modifier provides a parametric method of mirroring an object, or a sub-object selection within the Modifier Stack. You can apply the Mirror modifier to any type of geometry, and you can animate the mirror effect by animating the modifier’s gizmo.

Reference

GENERATE/MIRROR2.gif  

Sub-Object Selection

Mirror Center: This gizmo represents the axis of the mirror effect. After selection you can move, rotate or scale the gizmo to affect the mirroring. Unlike the toolbar Mirror tool, you can animate the gizmo transforms.

Mirror Axis Parameters:

X, Y, Z, XY, YZ, ZX: Check these to specify the axis or axes about which the mirroring takes place. You will see the effect in the viewport as you check the option button.

Options Parameters

Offset: Use this to specify the offset, in units, from the mirror axis. This is an animatable parameter.

Copy: Check this to copy the geometry rather than simply mirroring it.

Note: The Copy option only effects geometry with triangular meshes.

How To

This examples shows how to use the Mirror modifier to animate a gear rotating about another.

To Create a couple of gears:

  1. In the Perspective viewport, create a thin, wafer-like cylinder with 12 sides.
  2. Apply a Mesh Select modifier, and select every other side facet.
  3. Apply a Face Extrude modifier, and increase the Amount spinner to create teeth on the gear.
  4. Choose Collapse All in the Edit Stack dialog to convert the gear into an editable mesh.
  5. Choose Clone in the Edit menu, and make a copy of the gear.

Next, to mirror the gear and then rotate it:

  1. Apply the Mirror modifier to one of the gears.
  2. Set the Mirror Axis to X.
  3. Increase the Offset spinner (with Copy unchecked) until the mirrored gear is side-by-side with the other gear. (Don’t worry if the teeth overlap, you’ll fix that later.)
  4. Click the Sub-Object button to access the Mirror Center gizmo of the Mirror modifier.
  5. Choose the Rotate tool (Z axis), and turn on Angle Snap.
  6. Turn on the Animate button, and go to frame 50.
  7. Rotate the Mirror Center 180 degrees.

    8. As the gizmo rotates, so too does the gear, rotating halfway around the fixed gear.

  8. Go to frame 100, and rotate the gizmo another 180 degrees.
  9. Turn off the Animate button and the Sub-Object button.
  10. Select the fixed (central gear), and rotate it so that its teeth mesh properly with the rotating gear. (You can do this at any frame.)
  11. Play the animation.

    12. The outer gear rotates while orbiting the inner gear.