How does the extruder plug in work?

[heyvern]

I got it to work once. Then I created a more elaborate path and all I end up with are wacky things that don't seem to follow the path at all. Is there a tutorial somewhere? Does it not work with bias changes on the path?

 

-vern

[heyvern]

Never mind. You right click on the spot to start the extrusion.

 

-vern

[Fuchur]

I got it to work once. Then I created a more elaborate path and all I end up with are wacky things that don't seem to follow the path at all. Is there a tutorial somewhere? Does it not work with bias changes on the path?

 

-vern

 

I assume you are using Sweeper?

*Fuchur*

[heyvern]

I don't think it is sweeper. I'm using a plugin that came with AM called "extruder". I thought Sweeper was a commercial plugin with more features.

 

-vern

[NancyGormezano]

I don't think it is sweeper. I'm using a plugin that came with AM called "extruder". I thought Sweeper was a commercial plugin with more features.

 

Sweeper is now a standard plug-in of A:M - (you've been in MAC land for way tooooo long, or smoking too much aspartame)

 

In your model

 

1) create a path

2) create a shape - name the group

3) select path - right click - plugins/wizards/sweeper

4) select shape group to sweep - set other options & bam!

 

For more details: Sweep Me Baby, Sweep me now

Edited March 10, 2009 by NancyGormezano

[heyvern]

Don't spread this around. It's not like I am switching to windows or anything. I still love my mac... but I don't use AM on mac anymore. Haven't for a while now. Second... it isn't called "sweeper" in AM although I don't know what it was called before. I thought sweeper WAS included with AM as well but I didn't see the name anywhere and thought maybe I made a mistake. I kind of thought it was like a "generic" version of sweeper. Like burger king has the whopper... Macdonald's has the bib mac.

 

Yes it works great. The problem is you must right click in the correct spot. Where ever you right click to select the extruder plugin is the "starting" point (I think) or maybe you just have to right click on the path itself... whatever the steps are I did not get a successful result until I right clicked on the path itself. Right clicking anywhere else seemed to base the extrusion on the click location as a starting point. Or maybe not. It just produced crazy results. It was extruding along the path but in crazy ways.

 

I was a teeny tiny little bit dissapointed that it didn't use the path as the "extrude" path. I was kind of hoping it would use the actual path for the extrusion. Basically it just uses the path as a "guide" for extrusion. For example I created a path using very few points and bias modification similar to the primitive beveled models. I wanted to get "perfect" curves and straight runs. Instead I had to bump up the number of segments to get those smooth curves and then delete unneeded sections.

 

Not a big deal. It is still a huge gigantic time saver.

 

-vern

[largento]

Still being a relative newcomer (and a social pariah since I use a Mac), Extruder and Sweeper are two different plugins. Both are there in my Mac versions, too.

 

I've really only used Sweeper, though.

[heyvern]

Oh I get it now.

 

Extruder does not require a path to be selected. Sweeper does. Sweeper did not show up when I right clicked because I didn't have a path selected.

 

Thanks folks!

 

-vern