Lofts:
Lofting is one of the most useful
features in 3DStuidio MAX. You can think of it as pulling one shape
along another shape. Extrusion,
for example, is just lofting in a straight line.
Observe.
Except with lofts you
can pull the shape along anything, not just a straight line.
And you can do cool
stuff to the shape as it is pulled along the path.
And you can have
multiples shapes at different levels on the path.
Here's a quick example of how you can
use lofts and deformations to make a flower vase that would be nearly
impossible to make by other means.
Make a simple loft with a hexagon (I rounded it with edit
spline; you can do the same if you want)
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Then add a twist and a scale deformation.
(see below how to do that)
Here is what the two deformation curves look like:
 | A deformation graph is a graph of to what percent or angle the
shape is deformed vs. percent distance along the path. By
manipulating these graphs (essentially the same way you edit splines)
you can achieve a wide variety of shapes.
Okay, this is broken up into three sections:
a) how
to make a loft object b) how
to do deformations (except fit, because that requires a little
explanation that I don't quite have time to give)
c) how to manipulate shapes along the path.
HOW TO MAKE A LOFT!
First make two splines:
a path and a shape. |
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Then go to the create tab, press "geometry", and
select "Loft Objects" from that menu. |
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Select the shape you want to be the
path
- (you can select the shape, but the loft is usually aligned
better when you loft from the path)
|
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Press the Loft button
Press the Get Shape button
Click on your shape
Presto: a loft! |
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To see it render in the perspective
viewport. |
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HOW TO DO
DEFORMATIONS:
First select your loft. Then drag the window
up, and click the deformations button if necessary. |
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Pick a deformation, any old deformation. I
picked scale. Press the scale button.
Now a graph will pop up that looks something like
what you see to your right. |
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To add points to this curve, press the add points
button. If you hold it down, you can choose between a corner,
bezier, and bezier corner point. |
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To adjust the points and the tangent handles,
click on that move-resembling button and move them.
|
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HOW TO MANIPULATE SHAPES ON A LOFT:
Take a loft (hey, you can even use the one from before,
if you are doing these in order <gasp>) and select it.
Now drag the path spinner under path parameters to
some significant number (like 50) or just click in the field and
type it in. This adjusts what percentage along that path your
new shape will be at. |
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Make another spline. I'll do a
rectangle. |
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Now select the loft again, press the get shape
button, and click on the square. |
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Look; the circle morphs into the square as it goes
along the path. Lofts are awesome, aren't they?
|
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Summary:
Home
--- Basic
Stuff --- Concepts
--- Cool
Stuff
Questions, comments, and
complaints go to
mattei@bergen.org
AAST
200 Hackensack Ave.
Hackensack, NJ 07601
By the way, All images (except the screen grabs from MAX) by me, so give me
credit and let me know if you use them. All
contents copyright © 1998, Bergen County Technical
Schools |