In many cases, the Cone tool will automatically turn on when performing some function that requires it. You can also turn the tool on and off manually by toggling Tools → Quadric → Cone.
The Cone tool can be placed in two ways: interactively through direct manipulation of tool hotpoints with the mouse or precisely positioned by typing coordinates into a dialog.
To move the Cone with the mouse:
Place the mouse pointer over the center of the tool.
Click (and hold) the left mouse button.
Drag the Cone to the desired location.
Release the mouse button.
To stretch the Cone with the mouse:
Place the mouse pointer over either of the center line’s endpoints.
Click (and hold) the left mouse button.
Drag the endpoint to the desired location.
Release the mouse button.
To change the Cone radius with the mouse:
Place the mouse pointer over the base ring.
Click and drag to the desired radius.
To rotate the Cone with the mouse:
Place the mouse pointer over the end of one of the central axes.
Click and drag until desired rotation is accomplished.
Release the mouse button.
Selecting the x axis will rotate about the Y axis.
Selecting the y axis will rotate about the X axis.
Selecting the z axis will rotate in general about the
axis origin.
Note: The mouse pointer will change when it is over a hotpoint. (/ button at the bottom of screen can be used to undo/redo the tool transformation
Cone moving and stretching is restricted to the plane perpendicular to your line of sight. If you need to move the Cone in another plane, either rotate the model such that the desired translation plane is perpendicular to your new line of sight or use the other modes for manipulating the tool.
Note: The Cone will not exactly track the location of the mouse pointer.
To set the Cone by specifying coordinates:
Open the Transformation Editor dialog by clicking from the Tool Locations settings icon.
Select → → if the panel is not set to Cone tool.
Enter the desired coordinates for the Origin (location of the cone tip), the Axis (direction vector), and the conical half angle (in degrees) and press Return.
You can also rotate, translate or scale the Cone by setting the desired transform action and axis and manipulating the slider bar. In this case, the values in the Scale Settings section control the sensitivity and limit of the slider action.
Note: You can also use this dialog to view (rather than set) the position of the Cone since the numeric values always update to reflect the current location. If you are positioning the Cone interactively with the mouse, the values will update when the mouse button is released.
The clip/cut from the cone tool will extend infinitely from the tip outwards unless you choose Extent → Finite in the pulldown.