Soft Selection Transform

The Soft Selection Transform tool is a deformation tool, which allows you to simultaneously move, rotate, and scale the selected geometry rigidly, while gradually attenuating the translation outside of the selected area defined by the Soft Selection Radius.

Using Soft Selection Transform

You can find the Soft Selection Transform tool in the Deform sub-tab of the modeling toolbox.

1.   By default, it can be found as an additional option under the Soft Selection Move tool. To reveal it, click and hold the Soft Selection Move button, then select Soft Selection Scale from the list of additional tool.

Tool handles appear in the 3D viewport.

2.   Adjust the handles in the viewport, or edit the values in the tool's Properties panel.

As the Radius value increases, so does the softness of the transformation.

The following options are available for the tool:

Soft Select Transform Panel

Transform

Position X/Y/Z

Displays the offset distance for each axis (calculated from the position the object was in when you activated the tool). When adjusting an object interactively in the viewport, the Position values indicate the current offset distance applied.

Scale X/Y/Z

Displays specific scaling values applied to the geometry. When adjusting an object interactively in the viewport, the Scale input values indicate the current scale factor applied.

Haul

Specifies what action dragging the pointer (when not dragging tool handles) does in the viewport.

Translate - Moves the selection.

Rotate - Rotates the selection.

Scale - Resizes the selection.

Absolute Handle

When enabled, applies an additional function to the tool handles for you to scale the handle itself without affecting the transform amount. In some cases this provides finer control over very large or very small adjustments.

Negative Scale

When enabled, applies negative scale values, if appropriate, when you manipulate the tool handles in the viewport. When disabled, Modo does not automatically change the values if they are negative. You can always input negative values directly.

Pivot

Disabled for the Soft Select Transform tool.

Gimbal

Disabled for the Soft Select Transform tool.

Slip UVs

(Only in Component Modes)

When enabled, edits applied to the geometry do not change the existing UV map. UV values are generally fixed to specific vertices; therefore, further edits to the geometry may warp, deform, or otherwise distort the UV values in undesirable ways. When this happens, you may need to adjust the map or to redo it altogether. To avoid this undesirable result, you enable Slip UVs so as to not disturb any existing UV mapping applied to the geometry.

Slip UVs A

Slip UVsB

Slip UVs function disabled (notice the texture warping)

Slip UVs function enabled (texture remains even)

Morph

(Only available in Component modes) Determines how Modo treats stored morphing information when applying transforms (such as the Move, Rotate, or Scale transforms) to geometry. There are three options for controlling how Modo deals with the morph map vertex data when applying any transforms.

None - Transforms selected (visible) morphs independent of their source, but does not affect unselected morph data.

Transform - Transforms morph data along with the base mesh.

Keep Positions - Converts morph data into an absolute morph map. All vertices retain their pre-transformed positions.

Note:  In previous versions of Modo, to transform a morph along with its base, you needed to select it in the Vertex Map list. If you didn't, when Modo recalled the relative morph map data, it would produce distorted, undesirable results; therefore, it was easy to accidentally spoil a model. To remedy this problem, current versions of Modo have three options to deal with the morph map vertex data.

Snapping

See the Applying Snapping topic for details about this feature.

Selection Action Center

See the Specifying Action Centers and Falloffs topic for information.

Soft Selection Falloff

Radius

Determines the range outside of the selected edge to attenuate the falloff.

Use Connectivity

When enabled, affects only single-surface, connected elements. Modo ignores unconnected elements within range.

Shape

Controls the strength of the falloff's influence along the extent by using a shape preset.

Linear - Attenuates the falloff evenly across its range.

Ease-In - Strengthens the falloff toward the start position.

Ease-Out - Strengthens the falloff toward the end position.

Smooth - Strengthens the falloff toward the center of the falloff.

Custom - Fine tunes the strength of the falloff based on the In and Out values.

In/Out

Determines the strength of the falloff nearer to the start or end position.

Mix Mode

Defines how each falloff interacts with the other(s) in instances where there are multiple falloffs applied to a transform (by using Add in the Falloff menu).

Show Weights

Show Vertex/Show Edge

When enabled, displays indicators of vertices or edges for a visual reference about the Soft Selection falloff.

The image below shows Show Vertex enabled:

Verts