Hi Heiner,

> At 01:00 or so, they demonstrate the patch/spline functionality. MOI
> already rocks, but if you could add functionality like that,
> and make it possible that the results are solids, you will surpasss
> T-Splines by far!

In the future I'd like to experiment in that direction, but point cage manipulation and sub-d type tools use a much different toolset than NURBS modeling, and there is still quite a bit of work that I have left to do to improve things just in the area of NURBS modeling alone...

There are already a lot of tools out there for doing sub-d modeling and so that also means that it kind of makes more sense for me to focus in somewhat different areas rather than just trying to do the same as sub-d modeling, if MoI just gave you the same tools that you already have, it wouldn't really be giving the same kind of value- it's more when a tool does something that was very difficult to do in your other tools that it becomes more valuable.

It looks like Mike's approach focusing more on building the body and the arms separately and using more 2D curve techniques for cutting the body is a good way to go.

Basically NURBS modeling is strongest in the area of using 2D curves to build your model - if you're finding yourself doing all swoopy 3D curves all over the place usually that's a sign that you're trying to use polygon modeling techniques instead of really driving things by 2D profile curves which is where NURBS is best at.

Sometimes it takes a while to get used to using 2D curves in your workflow also as cutting profiles, a lot of polygon modelers are so used to forming everything directly by points, but instead in NURBS modeling you often want to build a base shape that is initially extended larger than your final one but then form some of the final areas by cutting that shape with 2D profiles, rather than trying to draw in all 3D profile curves all over the place.

- Michael

Hi Heiner,

** Your mentioning of T-Splines is interesting, because i am monitoring these for quite some time, but was not able to raise the funds
to get them (Besides they are Autodesk now, which is a company i am not too fond of). **

Clayoo is supposed to be very similar to how T-Splines works, but without the Autodesk association.

http://www.clayoo.com/


HTH, Colin

Hi Mike,

i was working on the model yesterday, trying to apply your workflow.
Basicly it works fin, but i can not figure out, how you get the slope applied
to the top surface?
Can you explain that a bit more in detail?
Thanks
Heiner

Hi Heiner,

Moi3D makes curved surfaces easy!

One way is to draw a curve in one of the side views, then use the Extrude tool make the curved surface.



You can of course add or move the control points during this process.




Now if you want to get really fancy, you can make a surface that has a more complicated curviness to it in all directions.

You'll need a simple set of curves, roughly placed together to form a framework.

You can draw them in multiple views, and then adjust the control points of each curve to represent the form in any particular area you wish.

The number of points can vary just as the curviness.



Use the Network command to make a new surface that has a curving form in all dimensions.



And now you can go further and actually manipulate the control point grid within your new network surface to add protuberances!


In my example earlier, I simply used a basic surface Extruded from one curve, but the process can be scaled.