Meshing Question GMAX: Spline shaping

[Coolhand]

hah... well its been a while since i used splines in this way, its not a modelling technique i'd ever recommend... however it is possible to weld spline vertexes together, and often its advisable to do this as it can allow you to easily interpolate the corners, fillet them, etc... however in this case, no the verts are not weldable! since we have 3 sets of lines coming together at each point.. i don't think you can weld more than 2 unjoined ends.

just to elaborate on some of the other points -

- patch modelling works a little like splining but without needing to start with a cage and surf modifier, but imho, its basically as cumbersome.

- the nurbs tools are pretty awful too.

- the most powerful, fastest and flexible way of modelling is subd, generally using turbosmooth, this can be essentially nurbs in a sense, but at least in max this doesn't refer to a high order surface such as a nurbs surface. its an iterative catmull-clarke (iirc) mesh subdivision method based on constructing a control cage... in something like Maya, you can use this to control nurbs also.

- extruding and ffd, is not a modelling technique really... ffd is useful, lifesavingly useful at times, as is extruding but really they're just tools to use within a larger technique or workflow, or whatever you like to call it.

 

[DaveS]

This is what I'm trying to model:, the STS ET LOX feedline fairing. Any better tips on how to model such a thing?

 

[Moach]

i say,
- create a box, single faced;
- convert it to poly
- weld the two fore-upper vertices to the aft-upper ones (creating a forward slant)
- now collapse those two upper vertices (should give you a 3d triangle from with a square base)
- collapse the two fore-lower vertices as well (making a a triangle base)
- convert that to editable patch
- now increase surface iterations and edit your handles to create the smooth curves

you see, you dont need to go through the horrors of the surface modifier to get a patch object - that's why ppl don't do spline cages so often, you'll find that there's pretty much always a better way :hmm:

 

[DaveS]

i say,
- create a box, single faced;
- convert it to poly
- weld the two fore-upper vertices to the aft-upper ones (creating a forward slant)
- now collapse those two upper vertices (should give you a 3d triangle from with a square base)
- collapse the two fore-lower vertices as well (making a a triangle base)
- convert that to editable patch
- now increase surface iterations and edit your handles to create the smooth curves

you see, you dont need to go through the horrors of the surface modifier to get a patch object - that's why ppl don't do spline cages so often, you'll find that there's pretty much always a better way :hmm:

Thanks. I'm however stuck on steps 3 and 4. Could you show me a image of what you mean?

 

[Moach]

ok this is what i mean:

pictures really do explain better... if only we could draw directly to the forum entry thingy

 

[DaveS]

ok this is what i mean:

pictures really do explain better... if only we could draw directly to the forum entry thingy

Thank you! Just one final question:

" now increase surface iterations and edit your handles to create the smooth curves"
By increasing the surface iterations, you mean View steps under Surface? Also what do you mean by "handles"?

 

[Moach]

(...)
By increasing the surface iterations, you mean View steps under Surface? Also what do you mean by "handles"?

yep, the spinner that gives you more poly's per section :thumbup:

and by "handles" i mean the green bezier tangent thingies that control the curve around the vertices

 

[DaveS]

I have been stuck on this for a while now. Can't seem to get anything decent shaped. If either of you could make a basic video of making a LOX feedline fairing based on Moach' approach and put it on Youtube, that would be fantastic!