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Loft Control....

I have always wanted, as an option when lofting, to be able to go "normal to profile" to any of the profiles that I select. Doing it at the start and end of, is nice, but more times than not when I need it to look the way I want I have to set up the GC to get what "normal to profile" could easily do.

Not that I am opposed to GC, but some of the most complex works around I have come across is getting GC when turning and making complex geometry.

Am I crazy for wanting this option or does this make sense? Yes I could loft in sections to get the start and end tangencies as I go, but that would create a segmented surface body. And you could knit them together as one surface, but that just doesn't seem as if it is the same as if it were just one Loft.

Reply to
modelsin3d
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Having that control would be nice, but your guide curves would still need to be in order, or else your surface would be subject to less-than-desirable corrections if it worked at all.

Another option is to use a sweep with lots of guide curves (section constrained to guide curves w/ pierce constraints). The instantaneous section of the sweep is always normal to the main guide curve (a.k.a. "spine" in some programs).

Personally, I prefer to try sweep before loft as the results work better and are more stable with what I model. It usually only takes one or two extra guide curves. Learn to use ellipses in simple sections.

Reply to
That70sTick

If it matters we can use generatrix and directrix for sweep curve and path or spine respectively.

Another choice would be B spline and C spline lofts where one is "best fit" and the other must pass through each sweep section exactly.

Reply to
TOP

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It makes sense to me. But there's a pretty good chance that I am crazy.

This is the work-around that I often use. It's more work, but the part looks better and seems to be more robust.

Jerry Steiger Tripod Data Systems "take the garbage out, dear"

Reply to
Jerry Steiger

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