Box Canyon using only a grid

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Time to work on the background ledges.

In the Tools properties box, Set the Radius to 5.00

Then select an area of faces from the bottom - back canyon floor. You don't have to be perfect as we are building a ledge which in nature is never a straight line. Select approx. 20 faces deep, as shown below in blue.

Using the Y Arrow (green) again, pull up on the translator.

 Watch the Object properties box, you want to stop when Y's Position reaches 20.00

Now we are going to play a bit with the Resize Manipulator vary the Soft selection.

With the same area selected as you just moved, Change the Tool properties - Soft selection - Radius to 19.00

Then select the Rotate Manipulator

You will notice this tool has many different handles on it all of which will give you a different result depending on how they are used.  We are basically going to move an outside corner inward to give the waterfall / back ledge a bit more form. Rotate the room a bit so you can see the right side of the. Move the mouse around a bit to find and highlight the forward  right corner (it will light yellow when you move over it, shown below), then click and drag it to the left.

Below is what the change will look like

First ledge is roughed out, but now we need to build up the top ledge. Start by changing back to your Translation Manipulator,  select approx 5 faces deep along the back wall of your first ledge. You don't have to be exact and in fact varying the selection will actually help you rough in a more natural rim edge. In your Tool Properties box, change Soft selection Radius to 5. Then pull up on the Y (green) arrow (shown below) till it is even with the very top border in the back.

You will notice we now have a pretty sizable gap in the mesh which will now be addressed.

Select a row of faces along the back ledges, all the way down to the floor of the canyon, and up far enough where soft selection picks up only a few of the back border points with soft selection radius of 5. Switch to the Resize Manipulator.

You will want to use the outer cage blocks (pink blocks), to move and resize the mesh. Using the  Resize cage handles allows for changes to one side without moving the other.

Rotate the room so you can clearly see the left side (canyon opening) Cage block but not so far as to not be able to see the forward side. Click the Pink block and push it right till it is within 2 faces of your right side border.

Without changing your selection, Rotate the room again till you are looking at the bottom.  Select the block cage face and push up until you are very close to the top border.

As you can see we have lifted and pushed the mesh so it is more evenly spaced.

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