> Is there a way to view the model as shaded only, ie...no
> wireframe/goasted parts, just smooth object?

If you're using the v2 beta, go under the View tab on the side pane and uncheck "Display hidden edges" to turn off the dashed hidden line display.

Then if you want to temporarily get rid of the non-hidden edge display as well, you can do that with a keyboard shortcut. There are 2 different ways you can do it, you can use the script on Petr's page here:
http://kyticka.webzdarma.cz/3d/moi/#ShadedDisplayMode

which will hide all edges (it's the same as selecting them manually and using Edit/Hide to hide them), or another way which I actually use is to set up a keyboard shortcut to save to a polygon file format, and on the meshing dialog there you can choose the option for Display: Shaded there.

To do that, set up a shortcut key with this command:
SaveAs c:\test.obj


That can be a handy shortcut for checking what the meshing looks like at various times when you are modeling as well. Just hit escape or push the cancel button to bail out instead of actually writing the "test.obj" file out.


At some point I'm going to have more display options listed under that View tab.


- Michael

Just aquick, rough, play.
Not done the side bulge yet--but should be simple.
(I see better/accurate ways are explained by others.)

Brian

And heres a bit more fiddling

And, now, it's grown into a Train!
(I am having fun!)
Brian

and even MORE!

Cheers all for your help!

Iv got another question. today Im just experamenting with the software, trying to remember how I used to do this stuff with patch modeling in maya.

Anyway.. what I now want to try is getting this working.

I have made the side section, bolean out the shape and now I want ot patch the face of it. But...no matter how I try this Im not able to make it a smooth object, even though the curves are all snapped correctly (to tangent etc) and Im using the "tangent" option within "sweep" I just cant get it working :(

If any knows something I dont please let me know!

Hi...

Try this :

Hi Anis

cheers for that, but I actualy want to keep the shape inside/on the 3 curves (going down the middle) Iv drawn. So the tightness of the shape changes from top to bottom.

How about this...
Create using Network, offset curve, project curve, trim, blend then mirror.

ahhhh....thats an intresting way of doing it. Ill try it!

Cheers again!

Post your end result, good luck ;)

heres an update, thanks all for your help. In the end I did something similar to what Anis surgested...

Between red and blue I blended the shape together.






I am a little disaponted that getting the basic shape took me so long, all of my problems were getting the curve between red and blue the way it was on the real train. It would have been great if there was some controls to handle the amount of tangancy/buldge at the start and end of the blend shape. I found that because the amout of blend was tight at the top and more loose at the bottom that getting it working correctly was a real pain

Hi mushroomgod - the "tangent" mode for sweep is for a special setup where you have all cross-sections being planar slices all arranged to be on parallel planes, some details on that here:
http://moi3d.com/1.0/docs/moi_command_reference7.htm#sweep
It doesn't look like your profile curves are all on parallel planes, so that option won't do anything for your case.

Right now MoI only has some limited tools to ensure smoothness - you generally need to use the Fillet or Blend tool for that, commands such as Sweep or Network do not right now have the functions inside of them to adapt the surface to maintain smoothness to an already existing one.

So generally the method is that you don't actually try to make them smooth yourself directly when your surfaces are first created - make them intentionally creased and then put a fillet in between them to make a smooth connection automatically. If you check out those steps I was using previously in this thread here:
http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=2164.2 that i the method that I was using there.

In the example that you show, you're basically trying to do the fillet's job all built into the sweep at one time - that is not going to work in MoI currently.

In the future I do want to add some more options into sweep and network to ensure smoothness with adjacent surfaces, but those are some fairly advanced surfacing techniques, it will be a while before those are added into MoI.

- Michael

Hi mushroomgod - here is an example with the file you posted:

Using your same side surfaces, but build a sweep that is a flat piece instead of trying to make it rounded at the corners:



Then use Fillet to produce the final rounded areas:




You may want to use the Shape: G2 Blend option in fillet to put a more flexible blend in there instead of a circular arc.

- Michael

Hi Michael,

Yeah I figured as much, no problem though, the shape I have now is pretty much spot on, I think the client will be happy :)


I think MOI does boolians and fillets so well the only thing its really lacking (for my style of modeling atleast) is like you say some good tools to maintain smoothness over a number of different patches/networks.

But for everything else the software is worth its weight in gold!

for example, this (cant remember if I posted this)..very simple and super quick - 90% moi

Beautiful work, both geom and render.
David

Hi mushroomgod - that is a fantastic guitar!

I do expect to add more functions for maintaining smoothness in the future, but there are still some kind of more "basic" areas than that which I am still working on first.

- Michael

Crazy model!

cheers guys, the guitar is a CD single cover for a uk band, I also did the album and a few other singles for them, MOI was used thoughout

Attached is another update of the train, looking a million times better than the subd model, much cleaner and tighter

Hi mushroomgod, it is coming together nicely!

Yeah with subd sometimes the "everything totally melted" type mechanism behind it can be not quite right for things that should have more structured details in them.

The full melting effect is great for things that should have very melded features like a human face, but the more kinds of distinct cutouts and sort of "panelized" type features tends to go along with NURBS modeling more...

- Michael