Re: Spline Modelling question

[Beg-inner]

Hi Neil n all..   I personally now adays mostly just work in SDS, after "Getting it" some years ago,  I feel SDS is really awesome... When I "got it" some years ago, I felt as one with the SDS tools, (in the way that I felt from one point and on, how I would do in SDS to get the result I wanted...)   I sometimes though, use on some parts of my models, the Nurbs to SDS workflow.., since some shapes are really much easier to "Draw" with a curve than moving points/edges/faces around... But I never use it in big parts of a model.. I also at times 'Lattice Map' points of a SDS model to Curves or Nurbs Meshes, and then I modify them.. this is a sort of a workaround, to get easier control over handling more points/edges/faces in one go... (This is pretty good, since if you dont like your changes, just set the 'Weight' to 0, of the chor that is attatched to the SDS object)   I try to use all the types of objects and methods... the most important thing is to get the best feel for YOU and what gives the best results in the end of the day...! (its very personal what types and what workflows that each of us "feels" best...and give best results)   I use Analytics, Nurbs and SDS where I see it fit, and different workflows for different situations within each prj I fiddle with...!   So in the end, its very hard to say what is best, since its very personal, and for some it can be a problem if they since a long time been working in one way, to later start using new methods... For it to be a good transition, one really need a aha moment..then it usually seems obvious to change workflow to the newer and better way of doing things... For all that havent yet got that "aha" "Wow" feeling when SDS modelling, I really hope they get to experience it.. its an awesome feeling..!   This is a good topic to discuss around, since we all have so many ways of doing things, and sharing, will at least gives us all, new ideas of how things Can be done.. Some of it we can snap up and use, other things wont suit me, but other will find very useful...   I would really want to see more Videos..where RS users share some of their workflows... Since seeing ppl in action really can let you "get it" !!! (which is very hard to see in text and still images only...)   Take Care Best Regards Stefan Gustafsson ( Beg-inner ) A Proud Owner and User of Real3D and Realsoft3D.. Hi Stefan,   Thanks for your info on this so far.   Off the topic but if you are modelling a human face is the Nurbs to SDS method the one you would use? The manual suggests many systems but usually in the text states that "this is ot the best way" ... what's the best way is the question.   I have had only one human faced commissioned and used SDS but the job only went to rough ideas so it was done in a hurry.   Neil Cooke ----- Original Message ----- From: Beg-inner To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, October 09, 2005 10:11 PM Subject: Re: Spline Modelling question Hi Daniel n all...   Yep you are correct in that you cant delete points (well you can in the curves, but when converting to SDS, the SDS has an evenly spread Number of points...so delete points dont affect the SDS..) So yes.. if you do too complicated Nurbs, then this will be a factor that isnt good.... But if you just use it for the basic, since its easy to get smooth organic feel when using the Curves.. and as RS SDS implementation is using Nurbs in full.. your SDS gets that smooth shape.. even when using only 3 points in the curves..   So for creating the ground for some more organic parts of a model, using the Nurb Tools, can really be helpful... Using Nurbs to premodel the shape of the area around the mouth, can be a good way to use it.. to get a nice flow around the Mouth area, to get the Edgeloops right and nice flowing, like the muscles in that area.. and using low number of points in the curves you still gets to see the shape of it, and it will also keep that smooth shape when converting to SDS..!!! (So you get a Get What You See type of modeling..)   And since you also can do as many of these Nurbs Parts as you want/need... that you later can convert into SDS models, and then Merge these into one Single SDS object if you like, you can have Control over Mesh density, and have higher resolution on areas where you want it.. This single SDS, can you then continue to build on...connecting the parts in any way you choose..   This workflow differs from those older Nurbs Tuts, and shouldnt be used to build a complete model.. SDS modelilng really rock,  but can be complemented and made easier in some parts if using Nurbs where is useful...   Maybe the SDS Tools should in future versions of RS, include some of the best parts of the Nurbs Modelling part integrated...   Yep those rocked that could do amazing stuff back then.. I then instead used a feature in RS, the ShrinkWrap one...  where I placed Analytic Spheres and so on  and then Had a Mesh Sphere or such, that I ShrinkWrapped around the Analytics..  it worked pretty well.. =)... (alot more intuitive workflow, at least for me.., than fiddle with build it up completly curve by curve.. =)   Take Care Best Regards Stefan Gustafsson ( Beg-inner ) A Proud Owner and User of Real3D and Realsoft3D.. Hey Stefan n all,   that is some good advice, I'll definitely give that a try for my next model. What I still think, though, is that in order to use splines in RS you have to be quite organized about what you're building.. there is no deleting points and reconnecting them elsewhere.. sure, I can insert a new curve, but that thing is going to cruise through the whole model and create more density and detail where I don't need it, making the whole thing harder and harder to handle. I never understood those guys who could model heads and stuff in Real3d. I could build a vase back then, that was it :)   Daniel   On 10/8/05, Beg-inner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Hi Daniel n all..   You could do as I do some times.. 1. Use a nurbs curve to draw the organic outline of what you need, for example an ear.... 2. Now in the 'Controlbar' click the 'Parallel' Curve Tool, In 'View' Win click near the curve, to Create the second curve 3. Multiselect Select both of the curves and click 'X-Sect' Tool, now you have a NurbsMesh Level, with those curves inside it 4. Point edit and/or just move the curves in depth... 5. Do Step 2 again, to create more curves to shape the basic shape of the ear...  (the curves are placed in NurbsMesh Level, If needed you have to move some of them above other curves)   When pleased with the basic shape of it, make a Copy of the NurbsMesh Level and delete its Curves (You only need a copy if you like to have the original to go back and edit the curves and so on...) Now in the 'SDS' Tab of the 'Tabbed' Toolsbar, click 'To SDS' Tool... to convert your Nurbsmesh to a SDS object..   Do the same for other parts of a face, for instance the mouth area....   After you have your wanted areas of your (in this case head model), then Multiselect the SDS versions of them, and in the 'Controlbar' use the 'Merge Object' Tool (Now you have it as a whole model, and you can Merge Points, or Add faces between an Edge of for instance the Mouth area to an edge of of the Ear area... and so on..)   This was just a fast example... I also at times, use Nurbs to do Tentacles, horns and such.., convert them into SDS, merge them to main SDS object...   You can find more tips on converting Nurbs into SDS.. in the manual in 'SDS Modelling' part.. in the 'Converting Objects to Subdivision form'   If something or all is unclear... just ask..! (Hope I havent made any errors..=)   Take Care Best Regards Stefan Gustafsson ( Beg-inner ) A Proud Owner and User of Real3D and Realsoft3D..   Thanks, guys, for clearing up that confusion so quickly. Now Boxmodelling I know and love, but this other approach seems to be so much smoother for organics, that's why I ask.. AND I have never managed to build anything out of nurbs in Realsoft unless it is a curtain or a flag. Maybe that's just me, but I've only started modelling since SDS came on board.   Again, thanks for the help and have a nice weekend everybody.   Daniel   On 10/7/05, Aidan O Driscoll <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > wrote: Hi Daniel, as I thought . after posting. Yes a nice feature for RS V6 me thinks. Building a surface with splines like so and / or a single poly drawn and another can be added to it etc. An alternayive is the Box Modelling method for a head like this: http://www.secondreality.ch/tutorials/modelling/head/headhtml Also look at the rest here: http://www.secondreality.ch/tutorials/tutorials.html Lots of other tutes like this online re Box Modelling, Cheers Aidan. At 17:47 07/10/2005, you wrote: >Hi Daniel, > > > >         Hey everybody, >         just a quick question about something that's starting to confuse me, >         lately I've been running into a lot of tutorial about spline >modelling, such as this one >         http://demented3d.com/tutorial/toontutorial/modeling/headhtml for >example, >         and I wonder how to do that in realsoft... is that even possible? >         I mean, the techniques applied look same as cage modelling, but with >splines...? >         Maybe I'm missing something :/ > >         Thanks for any insight on this. >         Daniel > > >I think what happens in this tutorial is that the areas between the splines >are filled with polygons. >This is not (yet?) the case in Realsoft3D. Splines in Realsoft3D need to be >skinned; a totally different approach. > >Best regards, >Robert > > >