Click on Select all in the Edit menu
Right click on the selected objects and click on Freeze Selection
This white and grey bar is a scroller to some more options
Enter the dimensions of the box here.
Change the Height Segs down here.
Notice all the little white lines dividing the height of the box? Those are the Height Segments. They are important in upcoming steps.
The Modifier Stack and Twist Hierarchy are found here.
Move the center of the Twist Effect to the intersection of the black lines in the Top View
Cylinder-tastic!
Select Taper from the Modifier List
Set the Taper Amount to 2.5
Click on Center on the Taper Hiearchy.
Move the Taper's Center up the cylinder about midway.
Click Symmetry for the final effect.

Shape Effects and the Modifier Stack

1. First off, we're going to freeze everything we've done so far. Freezing prevents you from selecting the objects you don't want selected. Click on Select all in the edit menu, then right click on the objects and click 'Freeze Selection' from the pop up menu. The frozen objects turn to some cold colour to show that they're frozen.

2. Now create a Box with Length = 7, Width = 14, Height = 140; use the Keyboard Entry rollout to enter these - don't create it yet. In the Parameters rollout, set the Height Segs = 40.

3. Move the box to the outside of the box with the Select and Move button .

4. With the box selected, open up the Modifier Tab on the Command Panel with the button. Select 'Twist' from the Modifier List drop down menu. On the Parameters rollout enter Angle = 487.

5. Open the Twist Hiearchy by clicking on the + sign in front of Twist on the Modifier Stack. Click on Center and then Select and Move . While observing the top view, move the center of the twist to the intersection of the black lines. Your box is now twisting around the center that is outside the object.

6. Now we're going to add the center piece of the base-a CYLINDER! Set the Radius = 5, Height = 150 on the Keyboard Entry rollout. Set the Height Segs to 2 and then click create.

7. Now we're going to add a Taper to the object to make it look more futuristic. On the Modifier Tab , select Taper from the modifier list. Set the Amount = 2.5 on the Parameters rollout. Your cylinder now is Tapered from top to bottom.

8. Open the Taper Hiearchy by pressing the + sign beside it. Click on Center and then the Select and Move button . Move the center of the taper to about halfway up the cylinder and watch what happens. When it is halfway up, click on Symmetry in the parameters rollout. You now have your central pillar done. Good for you.

9. Last thing before the base is done: click on the create tab , then select all from the edit menu then right click and freeze everything, just like you did last page. When we're working on the terrain, you don't want to be messing around with the base.

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