Object Merge

[Stiglr]

Fabrizio:

I've had to do exactly the same thing. Here's how.

Say it's a landing gear, and you want to articulate it with shock absorber oleo effects, and have the wheel turn when it's rolling on the ground. And when you start assume the entire gear leg and tire in are one merged piece called "gear_left".

1) Isolate the gear by "hiding" or "locking" every other part of the plane.

2) Go to surface mode. Be sure that "select through" is selected.

3) Drag the cursor to select all the surfaces of the top half of the gear leg (use a knife to cut it if it's one single leg).

4) Surface > Cut Away Object. Then go to Object mode and name that "upper_gear_l (for, upper gear leg left).

Repeat 3 and four to separate any parts that will be animated independently. In the models I do, it usually ends up being a) upper gear leg b) lower gear leg/axle and c) wheel.