There’s a new category of space warps, called “Modifier-Based” . These are a form of object modifier that’s created as a space warp, resides independently as an object, but affects other objects to which it’s bound. Essentially, the modifier-based space warp works in the same way as other space warps, but is a duplicate of an object modifier that’s available via the Modify panel. Another way to put it is that the modifier-based space warp works the same as its twin object modifier, except that it works in world space coordinates, and only affects those objects to which it’s bound.
The adapted modifiers are those that use a box gizmo. Thus, the Bend, Twist, Taper, Skew, and Noise modifiers have all been added as new modifier-based space warps.
The new modifier-based space warps are accessed in the drop-down category list of the Space Warps branch of the Create command panel. Choose Modifier-Based from the list to display buttons for each of the new space warps.
You create modifier-based space warps in the same way as you create all other space warps. Since each modifier-based space warp is a box type, you use the mouse in the viewport in the same way you’d creating a Box primitive. Note, however, that, unlike standard modifiers, modifier-based space warps do not have Sub-Object levels.
The creation parameters for a modifier-based space warp are identical with those found at the gizmo level of the object-modifier versionwith the addition of a Gizmo Parameters rollout. The Gizmo Parameters rollout provides spinners for the Length, Width, and Height of the object. There’s also a Deformation area title, containing a Decay spinner. When this spinner is set to 0, there is no decay, and the space warp affects its bound object regardless of its distance from the object. When you increase the decay, the effect on the bound object falls off exponentially.
Note that the Displace space warp doesn’t have mapping alignment buttons, nor does it have the Use Existing Mapping, Apply Mapping, and cylindrical Cap checkboxes. This is because the Displace space warp can be used on particles, which don’t have face normals.