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UB - Sorry, I haven't gotten that error even though I am trying to screw up the spline modeler.See ugly spline attached. If it is still a problem, could you go step-by-step and I can try to recreate the problem and look for a solution.
In general, I use the pen tool on the front panel to draw the shape that I want the spline modeler to extrude. Also, I use the pen tool to on a side panel to draw the sweep path if it is not standard.
In general, I use the add point tool if I have already drawn the shape on the front or have already completed the side extrusion path and I want to create an interior point for shaping.
Aha! I got the error. The way I got the error was I drew a circular sweep path on the side panel that joined the first pont on the side. If I then put another pen point on the side path, I got the error.
But, I don't think I would want that kind of sweep path for a wine glass.
So if you get a chance, let us know what you are doing.
Just to get you going, I would suggest the following, although it is not the best way.
- start a spline model
- in spline modeling room, use circle tool, hold shift key, and drag a circle on front plane (fron camera if necessary).
- center the circle by using the menu options for section center.
- Make sure the geometry extrusion preset is translation, not pipeline. Also, make sure geometry is on symmetry.
- Use the pen tool on the center path on the side wall. Place two points close to start for the base, then give some length and place another point for end of stem, another point close to that for swell of glass, then give some length for the cup and place a point for the lip, then (counterintuitive!) place a point back towards the start near the bottom of the cup. The track back won't work if you are in the pipeline extrusion preset.
- Now, it might look weird because the outside lines (blue) might be bunched on path (pink), but that is OK. The outside lines have points at same area as path points. Click the side points and pull them away from the path. Pull wide at the base and the cup. Pull narrow for the stem.
- Use the convert point tool on the points of the cup and handles will appear. Use the handles to smooth the curves of the glass.
- Increase surface fidelity to improve the smoothness.
This is not an elegant method, but it should get you up and running in the spline modeler.
If you will be rendering in Carrara, I highly recommend adding the spline modeler to your toolbox. For example, I have two objects in this month's challenge that have circular holes within circular objects. It is annoyig to do in the vertex modeler. I know because I did one of them (the revolver) in the vertex modeler. Using a boolean for this in Carrara's vertex modeler would have resulted in an ugly mesh. The alternative was tedious. I wised up and did the dial for the phone in the spline modeler. Very simple, just use the circle tool and place circles within circles. Select all and combine as compound. Painless.
I have become very good at all that, unfortunately, as I have done it dozens of times.
This is where the rubber meets the road. Either I get the error message when I stop dragging and start again, or the whole thing starts going off in unintended directions. At first I thought that I might not be starting with the pen tool on the mid line, so maybe that was the problem. Thirty or so tries later - one was semi cup-looking - I had to admit defeat. If there is a trick to it, I have been unable to figure it out. The weird part is that when I first followed Phil's spline tutorial a few months back, I was able to make a cup just fine. Something is different. Maybe I just got lucky.
Thanks for trying to help, Diomede!
OK, here is another try because the spline modeler is worth the effort.
This time, instead of focusing on the center path and only pulling the outer paths after they exist, lets focus on shrinking the center path and then extendng the shapes using the outer path.
- Start a new scene.
- insert a spline object.
- Use the circle tool to draw the base shape on the front panel while holding the shift key. Use the section menu to center the circle. Use the front camera if necessary, but return to director camera when done.
- Make sure translation and symmetry are chosen in the geometry menu.
- If you look on the side pane the center pink extrusion path should be medium length. We don't want that right now. Just use the selection tool (not the pen tool) and click the end of the center path and drag it back towards the origin until it is right next to the start. Can hold the shift key while dragging to make sure it is a straight line.
- click on the side blue line to make it active.
- NOW, click the pen tool to make it active. Click on the side panel to the right of the current point and you will see all the lines extend because symmetry is on. Use the pen tool to draw your outer side shape. You can back track towards the origin to scoop out the interior of the glass. When you add points, the symmetric points should be added to all other side panes and the center path should get a corresponding point.
- Use the convert point tool to get the smoothing handles and shape to taste.
- Increase surface fidelity.
And many times you can use projection mapping for textures, or the drawing tool in the shader room. I stuck the Carrara logo on the cup.
OK, that works if I just click and make points with the pen tool. I just made a perfect martini glass, which is mostly straight lines. But dragging to make smooth curves is not possible. Yes, I can probably simulate that by making a lot of points, and smoothing them to some degree, but it still doesn't explain why I can't "sculpt" like Phil does in the video.
Also, why does removing the center path make this workaround work? I guess that I just don't understand the underlying theory.
Anyway, I appreciate your efforts!
.
It should only take 6 or 7 points to make a smooth martini glass with a wide base, narrow stem, and wide cup.
There is an icon tool with a little plus sign. After you use the pen tool to outline the general hape, use this plus icon to convert static points to cuve points.The little handles will appear. Click and move the handles to sharpen or soften the angle of the point.EDIT: Use the convert point tool, not the plus sign tool.
Where is this located? The only icon tool with a plus sign I see is the add point tool.
This sounds interesting and useful. But the larger point of being unable to drag a curve remains.
Sorry, meant the first one, not the one with a plus. My bad.
LOL... better hold onto that one... it looks a bit tipsy. :) Thanks very much for helping UB... I need to practice in the Spline modeler at least a few times a month before I can help anyone... I've used it before but my problem is I do something once but never go back and learn more. "Practice makes Perfect"... hey all I need is practice, practic, practice. Spline models use very low memory compared to vertex objects... this helps when you have a lot of both or only spline objects in a scene.
below is a pic for some wine glass styles and base sizes. grabbed it off google pics... this is from webstaurantstore.com... note that there are many different styles which are very different... one I saw even has a square base.
John hasn't been around for a few weeks now......
hope all is ok with his hip and that....
I love this!
Me too
I really like this thread. Lots of fun stuff throughout!
John also has a thread in the Art Studio forum. Also recommend keeping an eye out there to see if he pops up. With his physical therapy, he may be commenting on others before he has a chance to sit long enough to model his own stuff. John, if you are lurking, sending you positive brainwaves for your recovery.
I use low poly characters fairly often, but sometimes they're a little too low.
I knew Kryten had a missus . . or four!
That's really cool, Steve!
yes, !
this is a terrific thread - i hope it can be waybacked in case of vanishing
whdjohm was last active Nov3 so hopefully just healing from his hip surgery
sitting by a PC may not be best for that at this point
get well soon
Maybe you folks knew what it was, but here is "the rest of the story" as Paul Harvey would say ...
+1
In the terrain room, what would be really useful is if you could just nudge the terrain in some direction. Here's a terrain that's almost exactly what I want, if only I could reposition the features so the end of the valley isn't cut off . . .
Can you export the heightmap, load it in an image editor, duplicate and slide down, then copy the fringe and paste back on while filling in the valley. Then save as a new heightmap to be reloaded.
Or, you could try the terrain editing tools within Carrara but I find them too clunky.
Might be worth a try. I think that stops the terrain from being editable, but we'll see what happens...
It collapses the terrain filter layers to a single filter. Hope you duplicated the terrain first and created a new master. Keep your filter layers that way.
Multiple masters, multiple saves (I learnt that one the hard way
)