Path extrusions coming out "wonky"
WsCG
Posts: 391
Hello all,
So, I've been working through more of a scene I'm putting together, which involves a kitchen counter. I've tried a few different ways of creating the counter, using vertex modeling, but have run into problems with each approach (extrusion, etc). My latest approach was to do a simple path extrusion using the profile of the counter's shape.
Well, it works, but the result always comes out wonky, with the counter getting skinnier near the corner, and then expanding back out into the normal width at the ends. I can't figure out why this is happening, or how to fix it, but I'm suspecting it's something so simple and obvious I'll feel like an idiot once I find out lol. I'm sure others have run into it, too, though. Can someone point me to a way to correct, or better, avoid this happening?
Here's a vid showing it.
Thanks!
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Comments
No, it cannot be done that way (at least not in Carrara), what happens is that copy of the main section is rotated 45 degrees at center point, so when surface is created between them it's narrower on that side ...
Nice design on the counter. In order to step around this I would probably divide it up into each straight counter piece. For the corner I'm wondering if Ruled Surface could be used with 3 of you counter outlines/templates. 1 would be just beyond the end of the 1st straight section, next make to duplicates... rotate one at 45 the other at 90 then try Ruled Surface.... get the templates out of the way or delete them and weld all three pcs together... after butting them up so that the points are nearly touching at the ends.
Did I help or only confuse things further?
Ahh... that makes sense. Hmm... okay, then I'll have to find another way to get it done lol.
Thanks! I'm modeling it roughly after my actual Kitchen counter. There's more detail to be added after that, I'm just trying to get the basic shape down, first. I was finding it didn't want to play nice with extrusion modeling, either. I'll figure something out. It's one of those things that seems harder than it is only 'cause I'm still getting used to the tools. Like, I could probably crank out the counter design easily in Blender.... but then that would defeat the purpose of trying to learn Carrara lol.
I'll figure something out. Thanks!
Yeah - sweep path will not work for that because it tries to keep the profile the same size all along its length, but that corner needs to be longer than the straight edges (geometry for fun and profit!
).
You will need to use your profile on one end, duplicate and rotate it at the other end, then put a longer duplicate of it in the corner rotated 45 degrees. Once you've done that you can use Ruled Surface to connect them as @wgdjohn suggests above.
That's supposed to say "SAME L." but I'm not at my "art" computer so I'm writing with a mouse again.
Okay, solved it!
Between FifthElement's and wgdjohn's comments, I decided to try something. I set it up to create it as a ruled surface, but scaled and tweaked the corner/45-degree piece so the points would line up with the straight pieces. I had to tweak some points around after creating the surface, to get the edges straight... but it worked!
So thanks to both of ya! And I've learned a lesson about swept surfaces along a path! They are not ideal for modeling sharp 90 degree turns!
Path sweep does work,. it's just using the default,. not the next option (see pic)
look on the right hand side panel,. after selecting the sweep path tool,.. but before you click to select your path line,. you'll see options fo the tool./ the second option does straighrt lines and sharp corners.
Ha! Well there ya go. I hadn't noticed that other option, and I don't believe I've seen a tutorial that goes into that. I guess the rule should be: "If something isn't working as it probably/intuitively should, check the options in the right-side panel".
Definitely good to know for future use.
Thanks!
For me too !
We learn something everyday on this forum !
yes the righthand panel is a wealth of oprtions I have only recently been discovering too.
My main gripe with the path sweep is that I do not seem to be able to create a closed path, have manually joined stuff up but is never quite right.
Nice! Well, I'm glad the thread's proven helpful to others! Now I'm going to be looking at the right panel for everything I do lol.
Plenty more to do for this scene I'm setting up, so I hope to get around a lot of the tools in the process.
Gosh all I need to do is follow you around to find links to add to my own thread... this thread is there now... Modeling Objects in Carrara - Q&A - Come One and All.
Eep... Sorry?
I guess I ask too many questions.
Double Post - can be deleted.
Not bothering me at all... hope I din't imply that you ask too many... if so I apologize. In the quest for knolledge one must always ask questions. :) I have Blender but have been so busy learning Carrara I've not even attempted to learn 2 programs at the same time.
You can never ask too many questions,. and there are no Stupid questions,. just questions you don't know the answers to,.. yet.
Hopefully we'll all continue to learn something new everyday,. for a long time.
In Carrara,. almost every tool you choose, or item you select, changes the functions available in the right hand panels,. they're where your settings and options are always located.
There are a lot of tools, and various options for each tool,. so,. it takes time to learn how, what's where, and why it's there.
Ask if you're not sure of anything. (pics of what you're doing,... help)
Ah okay, then lol.
I've been on a number of forums where people get agitated when you ask questions and don't just "RTFM", or go searching through the forums for an answer, even though you might not even know what the right question is, yet. So, it's not targeted at anyone in particular, esp. not here, but I always feel a bit pensive when starting a new topic to ask a question.
Cool! No problem with asking questions. I'm a very curious person, and tend to think up a lot of "what-if?" type scenarios, so I'll certainly be asking more questions in the future.
Just for reference,.
Images help explain.
I was annoyed early on by a RTFM type and after being helped by the lovely 3Dage like you vowed to be the latter never the former sort to others.
RTFM ....
still good advice,. :) the C7 manual covers most of the main stuff pretty well,. Dart's help threads are a great addition too.
perhaps because Carrara has so many abilities,. it's a big program,. there's always something to be learned.
You've pushed a lot of boundaries with those toes in carrara,. and that's a great thing :)
Missing Brian.
Oh, absolutely. I do keep the manual handy. I'm fine with people suggesting that a manual, or a guide, or a link, is a good resource. But when people say such things just to be rude, in lieu of trying to be helpful, or not posting anything at all, it's just annoying, and discouraging. At least for me.
I think there's a point where mastery of a program kinda turns a corner, and certain things become second-nature. Like, for a time, I wouldn't think to look at a manual, or do a google search, because I'm not even sure exactly what I'd be looking for, search term-wise. But, now that I realize the right side panel has such a variety of tools, that's something I would know to look at and/or look up info about, if that makes any sense. Basically, before you can ask the right question, you have to know what the right question actually is. So, for now, when I run into something that I'm not even sure how to describe, I'd just post a video saying "this is weird... what is this?". And, much to my appreciation, people have been very helpful and patient with my endless barrage of questions.
I went through a similar phase with Blender. For the longest time, I'd do tutorials, and just had no grasp on what I was really doing, or how to apply the tools in other situations, etc. Now, I'm at a point where I can load up Blender and navigate without even really thinking about it. It's almost like highway hypnosis. I've just come to feel like its interface is too scattered and disorgnanized. I think they need to take a step back and re-think its workflows.
After a point, things will just start coming to me more easily with Carrara, and the questions will start to fall off. Further, I'll probably even begin to know how to answer others' questions!
When this happens, it's always good to just replace it with a picture. Threads always look better with pictures in them ;)
Cool thread, btw!
It's really interesting seeing them side by side like that. I can see uses for regular, irregular and envelope, but I wonder what a practical use of parallel sweep would be? Anyone have any ideas?
I'm rather fond of the Envelope Sweep
Once again the Prize goes to 3DAGE for the most helpful pics and descriptions. :)
Miltovo, In the past I always used to RTFM first to get an idea of where to start out. Manuals just are'nt what they used to be. Now I just go and mess around until I get stuck trying to do something... then it's time to crank up the manual and search for a keyword about what I'm trying to do... darn... still can't find it... so it's time to ask in the forums how to do what I want. Kewl... look at all the answers I get about how to accomplish what I've been racking my tiny brain to figure out. Only in the forums can I get answers to questions that any tutorial shows.
I've found that the tutorial Carrara Vertex Modeling Tutorial Part 1 by dimensiont - is very helpul getting started. Don't miss Part 2.
lol.. I'm really getting the vibe here that y'all are trying to indirectly let me know you want me to stop asking questions. You're claiming otherwise, but reading between the lines, it's pretty obvious what the intended message is. Especially when people seem to feel they have to keep repeating it.
I've already explained that I will look things up.. but sometimes I'm not quite sure what it is I should be looking for, or what the right question is to ask. This is especially so since Carrara handles things differently than most any other 3D program I've worked with, and uses different terminology.
I'm not sure why people feel they need to keep pushing the "RTFM" thing. For crying out loud, I'd mentioned the "RTFM", as an example of rude attitudes I've experienced on other forums, and now it seems like some of you have adopted the attitude yourselves, though you're trying to make it seem like "friendly advice".
How about this... If you don't want me asking questions here, then just say so. I'll just shut up and go away, and stop bothering you with my annoying questions. Deal?
I mistook this community as a friendly one, with people who are happy to help, without all the "why don't you read the effing manual before asking here?" nonsense I see so often elsewhere. I see I was wrong. I guess it's also too difficult for those of you who find my questions annoying to simply not read the thread. But I'm sure that's my problem, too, right?
@Mitovo- I think you were correct in your original estimation and are misreading now because of your past experiences. Generally people here want to be helpful and based on my experience with this forum and the people here I am reading their responses as exactly the opposite of what you are reading.
Since you are new to the Carrara forum here, please let me translate: everyone is saying "Please DO ask questions, we are happy to answer them and love encouraging new Carrara users."
All is well - please continue to ask questions as they occur. Just be prepared for the fact that in addition to answering your questions, we will probably post lots of links that might be kind of tangential to your question and the discussion may expand to things you weren't actually asking about because we all like sharing tips and tricks with each other here. Many of us also get a bit excited by new users and want to show them everything at once.
Yeah... the manual might be really good, and a great place to start... but that's it... a great place to start.
But you don't have to head there first. Ask away!
I had to go back and read a few posts to try to see where this thread may have derailed and you got this impression...not sure what happened but at worst a few members were empathetically commiserating with the whole "manual" stuff. Please keep asking questions, my experience here is this community will bend over backwards to help! Asking questions pushes us all and helps us all learn!
(!)