I'm hoping for some suggestions on a problem. I built a terrain as a subd mesh that I then, using 3ds max's section tool, sectioned through multiple times creating a number of splines. Now I'd like to transform an area under each spline curve into a mesh or some other type of plane. I tried to think of how best to do this but none of them are particularly satisfactory (such as creating another spline directly below the spline in question and trying to extrude between them... which I'm having trouble figuring out how to do in max). Any other suggestions would be appreciated. The splines are fairly complex, so I'd rather not move them into another application. I know I could do this in a breeze using DP.
i'm having the same problem with a p-line terrain that i have built for a project. there used to be a function in autocad that allowed you to select two polylines and create a mesh surface between the two. but alot of the function commands have changed in autocad in recent releases and i'm not sure how any longer. anyone have any ideas?
I've found an answer. If you're in Autocad, and your terrain is set up properly, with all of your heights correct etc, go to the "surfaces" toolbar and click "Ruled Surface". This will then prompt you to choose two separate lines and it will create the intersecting surfaces between those two lines. You can do this for each line of your terrain. If you're working in 2007 or you just hate icons like I do, simply type "rulesurf" and follow same steps. You can also adjust the number of surfaces or planes that are created in the mesh in the properties menu, thus creating either a more rugged or a more detailed and smooth surface to render.
Yes --- same old story , it's allmost frightening;
Just a bit off-topic ;
When I started with AutoCAD Ver. 2.6 I was a young bold boatsbuilder who thought thei CAD thing had to be just the thing, well after years it turned out to be but not with Rule or edgesurf or any of the ready mesh functions see, you can not form and shape a swell boat hull if you can only add a mesh getween two lines and four interconnected lines didn't either offer the smooth mesh I wantet , --- for unfolding the panels as a row of polyfaces. All that I had to do myself just like you in 3D MAX can point to one line after another and have a mesh created with these as defination lines. The application I wrote to create a mesh by pointing to as many 3D lines I wanted btw. must be programmed the same way as the MAX feature, as if you point to the wrong end of a line the mesh get twisted wrong.
Anyway what's frightening is that it seem that AutoCAD still after so many years, don't offer the most sense way to generate a complicated mesh -- by pointing to one line after another , and still if you want such function you have to write it yourself, just like if you want to unfold a mesh into panels in AutoCAD , then also that you must program yourself.
to solve the problem that vindpust is outlining, simply import your model from cad into 3dmax. once there, you can select individual points in the mesh to edit them as you see fit. you can also, like autocad, add more definition to the mesh in 3dmax thus making it smoother and more precise. but no specific programming is required. the tools are there, it's just a matter of using them to full potential. if you're on 2006 or 2007, go to the help menu and go through the advanced modeling tools. they are extremely helpful, especially in 2007.
cool! Thanks alot. I ended up doing it manually in 3ds max.. by adding rib splines to the base splines and then generating the mesh around the rib splines, then refining the mesh through mods (basically archiphreak's last suggestion, I think).
I hate autodesk. What should've been five minutes of work using latent geometries became four hours. I'll look out the new acad 3d command sets, as suggested.. I don't know too much about them.. autodesk really needs to to provide much better version-transition documentation. Urghhhhhh!
Well --- a bit ot. with scenes ,renderings aso. it don't matter that much how the mesh entities are "made" -- the logic distribuating the points defining the mesh. But there are other issues than renderings and scenes ,where it is evident to know from what idea, in what direction the mesh are stored created. I guess this is why AutoCAD still hold on to these old entity types as they can be used for more than a screen representation , knowing their buildup you can unfold the mesh, --- with the random distribuation of points on a Solid , you first have to find a way to filter out the points if you can even "reach" these m so Solids are not good for unfolding surfaces.
Jan 19, 07 3:17 am ·
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spline into mesh question
I'm hoping for some suggestions on a problem. I built a terrain as a subd mesh that I then, using 3ds max's section tool, sectioned through multiple times creating a number of splines. Now I'd like to transform an area under each spline curve into a mesh or some other type of plane. I tried to think of how best to do this but none of them are particularly satisfactory (such as creating another spline directly below the spline in question and trying to extrude between them... which I'm having trouble figuring out how to do in max). Any other suggestions would be appreciated. The splines are fairly complex, so I'd rather not move them into another application. I know I could do this in a breeze using DP.
------- Eh have you just tried saving it as 3Ds or DWG and import it into AutoCAD, if that work you can again save it as 3Ds and import it .
Forgot to say ; you do not need to export the intire drawing, just point out the entities at question.
yes, I did that, but I'm having trouble finding the linking the two corresponding vertices in acad. Dunno why.. something to do with the geometry.
i'm having the same problem with a p-line terrain that i have built for a project. there used to be a function in autocad that allowed you to select two polylines and create a mesh surface between the two. but alot of the function commands have changed in autocad in recent releases and i'm not sure how any longer. anyone have any ideas?
I've found an answer. If you're in Autocad, and your terrain is set up properly, with all of your heights correct etc, go to the "surfaces" toolbar and click "Ruled Surface". This will then prompt you to choose two separate lines and it will create the intersecting surfaces between those two lines. You can do this for each line of your terrain. If you're working in 2007 or you just hate icons like I do, simply type "rulesurf" and follow same steps. You can also adjust the number of surfaces or planes that are created in the mesh in the properties menu, thus creating either a more rugged or a more detailed and smooth surface to render.
Ciao.
Yes --- same old story , it's allmost frightening;
Just a bit off-topic ;
When I started with AutoCAD Ver. 2.6 I was a young bold boatsbuilder who thought thei CAD thing had to be just the thing, well after years it turned out to be but not with Rule or edgesurf or any of the ready mesh functions see, you can not form and shape a swell boat hull if you can only add a mesh getween two lines and four interconnected lines didn't either offer the smooth mesh I wantet , --- for unfolding the panels as a row of polyfaces. All that I had to do myself just like you in 3D MAX can point to one line after another and have a mesh created with these as defination lines. The application I wrote to create a mesh by pointing to as many 3D lines I wanted btw. must be programmed the same way as the MAX feature, as if you point to the wrong end of a line the mesh get twisted wrong.
Anyway what's frightening is that it seem that AutoCAD still after so many years, don't offer the most sense way to generate a complicated mesh -- by pointing to one line after another , and still if you want such function you have to write it yourself, just like if you want to unfold a mesh into panels in AutoCAD , then also that you must program yourself.
to solve the problem that vindpust is outlining, simply import your model from cad into 3dmax. once there, you can select individual points in the mesh to edit them as you see fit. you can also, like autocad, add more definition to the mesh in 3dmax thus making it smoother and more precise. but no specific programming is required. the tools are there, it's just a matter of using them to full potential. if you're on 2006 or 2007, go to the help menu and go through the advanced modeling tools. they are extremely helpful, especially in 2007.
Cheers.
cool! Thanks alot. I ended up doing it manually in 3ds max.. by adding rib splines to the base splines and then generating the mesh around the rib splines, then refining the mesh through mods (basically archiphreak's last suggestion, I think).
I hate autodesk. What should've been five minutes of work using latent geometries became four hours. I'll look out the new acad 3d command sets, as suggested.. I don't know too much about them.. autodesk really needs to to provide much better version-transition documentation. Urghhhhhh!
Well --- a bit ot. with scenes ,renderings aso. it don't matter that much how the mesh entities are "made" -- the logic distribuating the points defining the mesh. But there are other issues than renderings and scenes ,where it is evident to know from what idea, in what direction the mesh are stored created. I guess this is why AutoCAD still hold on to these old entity types as they can be used for more than a screen representation , knowing their buildup you can unfold the mesh, --- with the random distribuation of points on a Solid , you first have to find a way to filter out the points if you can even "reach" these m so Solids are not good for unfolding surfaces.
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