As with shaping, values can be controlled from the menus (incrementally), with chat commands (directly giving values), or with the HUD add-on (with sliders).
You get real-time interactive twisting with menu buttons or HUD sliders.
However, note that if you rez new beads after twisting begins, you will need to click "RECONNECT" in the menu or an icon in the HUD to initialize the new beads for twisting.
If you prefer chat commands, note that chatted commands do not automatically affect beads that are already rezzed. You CAN update beads after a chatted twist command by clicking "RETRANSMIT" in the TWIST2 menu.
The reason for these behaviors is that Beadrez was originally designed so that twist commands would not change already-rezzed beads, to allow different twists to be set up for different runs of beads.
Here's a necklace with NO commanded twists (it uses a slightly-stretched flat ring from my link sculpty set, and a freebie "silvlink" texture I picked up at Sirena):
The twistc value (c for constant) controls the base twist for all links. It doesn't really make the necklace look twisted, but is used to twist the entire thing.
Above: twistc -45 (constant twist in degrees)
Above: twistc 45
Above: twistc 90
The twistf and twistb values (global front and back twist) are used to add twist separately to either the front or back necklace part. Think of this as grabbing the tip or backmost part and twisting there.
Above: twistf 90 (compare front part to first picture in this post)
Above: twistf 90 and twistb 90 (now back is twisted too)
Above: twistf 360 and twistb 180
The twisti value (i for incremental) adds a per-link twist (to each link relative to the preceding link). Unlike for f and b twists, the overall resulting twist will depend on the number of beads.
There are also two types of link symmetry to go with twisti: you choose either type twistN or twistS, and the effect is illustrated in the following pictures.
Above: twisti 10 with twistN (incremental twist and symmetry type)
Above: twisti 20 with twistN
Above: twisti 20 with twistS (symmetry type has changed: look carefully and follow the twist through the tip. One side is the same as before, but the twist has changed "direction" on the other side so it is no longer just a mirror version.)
Above: twisti 10 with twists (another example of symmetry change: compare to "twisti 10 with twistN")
The twista value controls alternating twist, and you should also know how it interacts with twistaflip and addtip. I've left the red sizing guides turned on to emphasize what happens at the tip. To start, here is another necklace with NO twist (using a standard dimpled sphere as a link, with a gold texture).
Above: no twist (as a reference for images below)
Above: twista 90
Does that look a little funny to you at the tip? Maybe you don't want the sides to meet up like that.... here are two ways to change it:
Above: twista 90 and twistaflip setting (the links that get twisted by twista are now switched on one side, so the sides meet differently at the tip now).
Above: twista 90, but this time the necklace was started with addtip, so there's an additional "odd" link at the tip joining the sides (unlike the previous example, no twistflipa is needed, and it can be turned of with "twistanoflip").
Above: same as before except combined with twistc 90 to rotate the tip bead up.
The twistr value adds randomness to each link's twist:
Above: twista 90 and twistr to add a little randomness (don't know the exact twistr value on this one)
Above: twistr 360 for completely-random per-link twist.
The directf and directs commands were added to Beadrez 4 to set the way beads are directed on one side of the necklace vs. the other. Some users who requested this call it "follow" and "split", after another necklace tool. Another way to put it is that directs flips the beads around on one side, as shown in the picture below.
Above: For directf (left), the bead has consistent direction through the tip (the red half is always down). For directs (right), there is a direction switch at the tip, so one side has beads turned red-side-up. (click picture for closer view)
Finally, here's an example of combined twists (using the "nanosculpt" link included with Beadrez, with added L*nden rock texture and bumpiness set to darkness):
Above: combined a few twist types
