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Help with extrude along a path


Roger

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  • *A:M User*

I'm trying to extrude along a path but not getting anywhere. I created my path in the shape of an arc (working on a handle for my chest) and I created the cross section ( an ellipse).

 

When I choose Plugins > Wizards > Extruder then choose the arc as the path and the ellipse as the cross section to extrude along, I am not getting the results I would expect.

I get something that sort of looks like I wanted, but not quite. One end is pinched, and I was expecting the cross section to stay more or less vertical in the middle and then curve off in the opposite direction on each side, like an arch.

 

Here are two screenshots:

extrude.jpg

handle.jpg

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I find I have better luck with sweeper plugin

 

select your path, rt click/plugins/sweeper - select the cross section and voila!

 

Note that in this example the cross section is modeled at 0,0,0 facing front. You will get different results depending on where, how you model the cross section which is to be swept.

 

I also find I have better luck if I do the sweep in a different temporary model, and then copy the result (sweptobject) to the model I want to use it in, as sometimes sweeper make A:M go boom.

sweeper.jpg

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  • *A:M User*

If I go to plugins > wizards, though, I don't see Sweeper listed (which is strange because I could have sworn I saw it there before).

 

Is there some way I could have hidden it, or maybe it is not visible in the view I'm in?

plugins_screencap.jpg

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If I go to plugins > wizards, though, I don't see Sweeper listed (which is strange because I could have sworn I saw it there before).

 

Is there some way I could have hidden it, or maybe it is not visible in the view I'm in?

 

Look at my screen grab above - you have to first select the path (either in the pws or in the modeling window) then right click , plugins/wizards sweeper.

 

It looks to me that you did not select the path first and only rt clicked in the modeling window

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  • *A:M User*

I think I more or less figured out the basics - thank you Nancy. I'll have to check out the tutorials Homeslice posted.

 

Anyway, here is my basic swept shape:

 

I built in some bevels and I'm going to use this as the building block for my handle. I'm going to bend it as needed, hopefully that will work.

swept_shape.jpg

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  • *A:M User*

Ok, so I've read Homeslice's tutorial (really good btw) and have been doing some more futzing around with Sweeper - is there any way to have the Y axis parallel *except* for the end segments?

Basically, I would like the endmost segments to be parallel to the X axis.

 

Also, If I uncheck keep Y axis parallel, I get rotations of the cross sections (without specifying it) but if it is checked I don't get the rotations. That is not making a whole lot of sense to me.

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is there any way to have the Y axis parallel *except* for the end segments?

Not that I am aware of, but it is pretty easy to manually rotate those two sections how you want them.

 

Also, If I uncheck keep Y axis parallel, I get rotations of the cross sections (without specifying it) but if it is checked I don't get the rotations. That is not making a whole lot of sense to me.

About half way through Emelio's fourth tutorial, "Modeling a Suspended Highway", he covers the "Keep Y Axis Parallel" option. Maybe that will help.

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