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Carrara Ruled surface tool

VolcanicMinkVolcanicMink Posts: 0
edited December 1969 in Carrara Discussion

Is there a Ruled Surface Tool in Carrara 7? The last icon at the top is the Weight Painting tool.

Comments

  • 3DAGE3DAGE Posts: 3,311
    edited December 1969

    Hi VolcanicMink :)

    The last icon should be a multi choice icon for surfaces including ruled surface. (you need to be in edit mode) not animation mode where the weight pat brush becomes active.

    You can also select "ruled surface" from the "Construct" menu

    Pic

    ruled.jpg
    800 x 165 - 28K
  • GarstorGarstor Posts: 1,411
    edited December 1969

    3DAGE said:
    The last icon should be a multi choice icon for surfaces including ruled surface.

    On that point, I've never really understood ruled surfaces. What are they? How does one use them?

    I read the section in the Carrara 7 user manual but it didn't really add useful information...sort of "you can do this thing" without really showing me what that thing is and what it is useful for.

    Thus far, I have stuck to the primitives, plus terrain and ocean...that's about it. Any additional enlightenment for this wanna-be artist? ;-)

    Thanks!

  • AscaniaAscania Posts: 1,853
    edited July 2012

    What is not to understand about it? First you put up the rules splines, then you pull the surface over them.

    Have you never erected a marquee?

    Post edited by Ascania on
  • GarstorGarstor Posts: 1,411
    edited December 1969

    Ascania said:
    Have you never erected a marquee?

    Nope! :)

    I'm looking at the Ruled Surface section of the manual again. The example is a "pipe" bent to 90 degrees. As I said, I get it conceptually, I just don't understand how to make use of it. Couldn't Extrusion have done the same thing?

  • VolcanicMinkVolcanicMink Posts: 0
    edited December 1969

    Garstor,

    The Ruled Surface tool seems to be similar to extrusion, but I see some different applications for it. Since it's not easy to descibe, and I'm just trying to figure things out here myself, here's the link to the tutorial where I discovered it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3uKJJsXAto
    It's a YouTube video called Carrara Vertex Modeling Tutorial Part 2. The relevent section begins at 0:40. Both Part 1 and Part 2 are fast-paced, but they really helped me understand how the tools work, which the manual doesn't help much with.

    3DAGE,

    The image you sent looks like the screen in the video. I see where the tool is supposed to be, but the last 4 icons are not there; the brush is the last icon in the row. Under the Constructmenu I have Insert 3D; Insert 2D; Extrude; Sweep: Lathe; Loft; Organic; and Boolean. I am in Edit Mode. When I right-click on the tool bar it shows all 5 menus checked off. Were these tools added in a later version than C7?

  • GarstorGarstor Posts: 1,411
    edited December 1969

    VolcanicMink said:
    Garstor,

    The Ruled Surface tool seems to be similar to extrusion, but I see some different applications for it. Since it's not easy to descibe, and I'm just trying to figure things out here myself, here's the link to the tutorial where I discovered it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3uKJJsXAto

    Cool stuff, I'll take a look at that later. Thanks!


    I did play a bit with the Ruled Surface this morning...putting together a bunch of scribbled closed curves and seeing what comes out. Kinda neat. I'll have to try the same with the Gordon and Coons surfaces too. Then try to figure out what I can use them for.

  • 3DAGE3DAGE Posts: 3,311
    edited July 2012

    Hi VolcanicMink :)

    Do you have the Pro version or Standard version of Carrara. ?
    some tools and features are only available in Pro versions.

    here's a quick screen capture from C6 pro, showing the tools.

    One feature of ruled surfaces is that you can create complex shapes from simple splines which have different amounts of vertices.
    The ruled surface will create new vertices as needed to create the shape.

    ruled_EX.jpg
    800 x 638 - 138K
    Post edited by 3DAGE on
  • GarstorGarstor Posts: 1,411
    edited December 1969

    3DAGE said:
    One feature of ruled surfaces is that you can create complex shapes from simple splines which have different amounts of vertices.
    The ruled surface will create new vertices as needed to create the shape.

    Thanks 3DAGE! I have been creating some odd and monstrous shapes this way. It is neat; but I am still not sure where I would use it over other primitives.


    Actually, I may have an answer for that soon. One thing I'd like to create are columns with sections "carved out" around its circumference. This was fairly simple in POV-Ray since you had to script your scene programmatically...I wrote a loop that did Boolean differences of a small column around the circumference of a bigger column.


    I couldn't do that in Carrara but it looks like Ruled Surface might be my answer. I'm still experimenting to see what I can do with this.

  • ds-mail_2e0cb9c256ds-mail_2e0cb9c256 Posts: 70
    edited December 1969

    Garstor said:
    Ascania said:
    Have you never erected a marquee?

    Nope! :)

    I'm looking at the Ruled Surface section of the manual again. The example is a "pipe" bent to 90 degrees. As I said, I get it conceptually, I just don't understand how to make use of it. Couldn't Extrusion have done the same thing?

    Suggest you consider that the Carrara vertex modeling tools are a 'subset' of Hexagon tool-set. I prefer to usually use the Hex app, but with vertex tools integrated in Carrara, they are often easier to use in a scene.

    That said....take a look at Hex user manual...good explanations and plenty of short videos. I'm quite sure its on the DAZ web site and maybe can still be downloaded (large file set) for easy ref. on your PC.

  • GarstorGarstor Posts: 1,411
    edited December 1969

    DougS said:
    Suggest you consider that the Carrara vertex modeling tools are a 'subset' of Hexagon tool-set. I prefer to usually use the Hex app, but with vertex tools integrated in Carrara, they are often easier to use in a scene.

    That said....take a look at Hex user manual...good explanations and plenty of short videos. I'm quite sure its on the DAZ web site and maybe can still be downloaded (large file set) for easy ref. on your PC.


    That is a very good idea, I have not touched Hexagon yet. In another thread, reference was made to some training material for Hexagon available at: http://www.geekatplay.com/sunshop/index.php?l=product_detail&p=90


    I'll likely check out that training too.


    Also, the example shown by 3DAGE above actually got me thinking about how to use this! It just took a bit while my neurons chewed on it for a couple of days! I like extruding from a square to produce lanterns...ultimately, I'd like to put these lanterns atop a pole. Instead of simply setting the model on the end of a cylinder, the Ruled Surface can build a smooth transition from a circle to square.

  • Patrick210Patrick210 Posts: 20
    edited July 2012

    Ruled surface is useful for modeling specific volumes, especially when you have plans. You can create your curves in a vector porgram and import them, or draw right in the modeler (easier in Hex, IMO). I use ruled surface for starting vehicle bodies, etc.

    http://tutengraphics.com/

    Post edited by Patrick210 on
  • GarstorGarstor Posts: 1,411
    edited December 1969

    Patrick210 said:
    Ruled surface is useful for modeling specific volumes, especially when you have plans. You can create your curves in a vector porgram and import them, or draw right in the modeler (easier in Hex, IMO). I use ruled surface for starting vehicle bodies, etc.


    That is something that I'd love to learn more about -- I am amazed at some of the spectacular vehicular models the people create. Recent case in point is RichardChaos' Sherman tank and F4 Phantom II jet.


    I guess I'll have to fire up Hexagon and open its documentation! Time for education!

  • ds-mail_2e0cb9c256ds-mail_2e0cb9c256 Posts: 70
    edited December 1969

    While the Hex user manual is good at explaining each of the tools....my advice is to play play play with the app. Try to do something simple, then expand to other tools etc. And there are many free (and a few $$) tuts, mostly videos, on www. Also see the Hex discussion forum on this DAZ site.

  • cripemancripeman Posts: 63
    edited July 2012

    hey ya'll. I have a tutorial on ruled surfaces coons and double sweep here...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1_gq7DHd9k

    yeah the hex manual is set up pretty nice.

    Post edited by cripeman on
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