could you pleas mark the lines you mean.

Hello Jopo,

Please show me how you draw these highlighted (yellow) lines so that you end up with a rounded surface - when I try it leaves a crease.

Thanks

Hi Neil,

re:
> when I try it leaves a crease.

If you can please post the 3DM model file with your creased result in it, that could make it easier for someone to figure out what went wrong when you tried it.

- Michael

Been working on neck transitions since March and really in general still am below novice at this program. Lol. Have received a generous (and gracious) amount of world class help and can't express how much it is sincerely appreciated. I continue to make the most basic mistakes. Maybe should hire someone to make the neck models? As I'm improving very slowly. Jopos are nice and round - I can't seem to duplicate that with this neck shape.

Hi Neil, thanks for posting the file.

So it looks like you're using a different command than what Jopo used for this piece here:



Note how this area here swoops upwards? :



Looks like that was probably made using Network? The steps said to use Blend (between 2 edges) to make it, that would look more like this:





- Michael

Hi Neil,
Michael is right. You have to use the blend command. It works only on edges if you like to model surfaces not on curves. I recommend you to hide curves under the "Types" browser. The lines you mean are edges of the surface which is the result oft the blend command. So you don't have to draw the lines. I hope I could help.

Thank you for the help. The reason I used network - because being a novice - that's what it looked like in the pictures. My only experience with blend is trim and blend - which seems different. Can you show how to blend this within the outlines of the neck profile - you can see here where the blend is behind the neck profile line in this file? Perhaps use network for that side maybe?

This one uses blend for the left side and sweep for the right side and middle sections - the middle looks very good - but the right side has an edge.

Hi Neil, the edge comes from using Sweep instead of Blend, when I review jopo's post here:
http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=8883.105

that was using all Blends. So you're getting a different result since you're doing different things.

There is a problem with the all Blends method though which is in this area here:


That's going to be generated as a "side wall" of the blend and it won't be guaranteed to be close enough to join in that spot, although it may be close enough if you're lucky.

One way to ensure that spot will join is to make the blend:


Then use Construct > Curve > Iso to extract several curves from the blend surface like this:


Also duplicate the top edge of the blend by selecting it and using Copy/Paste. Then you can do a Network like this:


That will then be guaranteed to join. The downside is that it's no longer guaranteed to be smooth. But it will be very very close to smooth since most of its shape is coming from the blend.

So you could try that if there are joining problems in that spot.

- Michael

Thank you very much Michael & Jopo - tried all blends first but found (as you pointed out) the right side didn't fit the way it needed to. Good to know how to use the Iso curve command (in this context). The one attached uses two blends and one network - as I couldn't get the blend on the right side within the profile of the neck. Still working on this but pretty happy with it so far. After blending the middle changed the shape of the back of the neck and used the planer command.

Starting to get it (famous last words) - after blending everything - on this one - deleted the original headstock back and created a new back based on the edge of the middle blend then used the planar command - looks pretty good. :) Next after learning to blend consistently - then the trick will be getting the entire neck solid. Many thanks again to Michael and Jopo for all the help with this method. This is a good method for a beginner - not too complicated.

Looking good Neil!

- Michael

Looks good !

That's it. Very nice!

Looks great! I'd like to see a photo of that area as it comes straight off the CNC router (before sanding). Looks like you'll have minimal sanding to do.

Ed Ferguson

Would like to thank the folks here for the support with learning to do this - everyone contributed their ideas, expertise, experience and honesty. This neck was made entirely in the stock MoI version 3 program using basic commands and only one script (naked edges). The neck model is good enough for milling - so after adding the tuning key holes - that is next - woo hoo! Again, sincere thanks for suggestions, guidance and hanging in there when I was discouraged.
This neck (for those interested) has no fretboard - spent years setting up jigs in the shop to slot, radius, install markers and even bend very quickly and efficiently so there is no point in drawing or modeling one. Most likely will add a truss rod channel in the future - but also currently have a jig for that that is used with the overarm router - also very fast.

What this training provides is a foundation for milling consistent, reliable neck profiles - that's what I'm talkin about! So this is just a starting point for further learning in sculpting neck profiles in MoI. Went back to Fusion a few times and found that I'm addicted to MoI. BTW, This is by far the highest quality forum around. Onward! :)

Excellent result!

Maybe there's still a little bit of extra work to do here, but I don't know if it's only a screen capture glitch.





Anyway...good job!

Bravo!

Marco (mkdm)

Bravo VG !

Here is another closeup of the section Marco pointed out as a possible problem - it looks good from this angle.

Do models need to be as perfect for woodworking as they do for rendering? It may even be counterproductive - guitar necks (and bodies) have to be scraped and or sanded and then finished - the finish will have to be wet sanded and buffed - so a few tiny creases or bumps should not be a problem if the model is essentially correct. That said, will continue to strive for the best surfaces possible.

Hi Neil,

> Do models need to be as perfect for woodworking as they do for rendering?

No I don't think so. You'd also want to generate a higher density mesh to really know what the surface is doing there. The realtime display mesh is more oriented towards generating stuff quickly. You can use it to get an idea of where to look closer but there are going to be various things that are just display artifacts.

One way you can do a high density view for more detailed checking is to export to an .obj file and slide the polygon density slider all the way to the right and then see what that shows, you can then cancel the export after you're done looking. If you like you can set up a shortcut key to do that so you can bypass the file name dialog. To do that set a shortcut like this where it's giving a file name as part of the shortcut:
SaveAs c:\bugs\test.obj

Make sure there's a space between the SaveAs and the filename.

I'd doubt that such a small nuance would come through any milling work though.

- Michael