Tinker Toys Getting Started  Object Control Window  

Composite Matrix Tutorial

Apply the matrices within a composite matrix one at a time.

• Reset the objects by pressing the Reset Toolbar button in the Object Control Window.
  
  
• Use the Window menu Matrix Window item to display the Matrix Window.
  
  
• Set the Operation to Rotate Y and With respect to to Center.
  
  
• Rotate the model by clicking the mouse button on one of it's vertices in the World Panel, dragging it slightly in the desired direction of rotation, and releasing it. Notice that the Matrix Window now holds the model last transform matrix, which performed the rotate.
  
  
• Rotate the model around the Z-Axis by selecting Rotate Z and repeating the above step.
  
  
• Scale the model equally in all three dimensions by selecting the Scale Eq Operation and then clicking the mouse on one the model's vertices, dragging it slightly outside of the model, and releasing it.
  
  
• Back-up the scale transformation by pressing the Backup Toolbar button once. Note that the composite transformation matrix that did the scaling is still displayed in the Matrix Window.
  
  
• Highlight the composite scale matrix's first sub-matrix, T1, by clicking the mouse button on the box in the Matrix Window which contains the T1 matrix's text. Examine the matrix displayed in the Matrix Display Panel to the right and see that it is now a translation matrix.
  
  
• Apply the T1 matrix to the model by pressing the Apply button. The Model's center will be translated to the origin.
  
  
• And then apply the other matrices (A1 first, then S, A2 and T2) by selecting them and then pressing the Apply button. This will step through the individual transformations that scale an object with respect to its center.