the ability to edit a surface by adding xy amount of point or curves on xy direction.

(I'm aware of the network an array of curves trick) But...

What is this prog?

Hi Neo,

Draw a straight line.
Add a controlpoint in the middle.
Then array option: dir
Enable history for the lineobjects.
Loft a surface.
Push/Pull the lineobjects in the z-direction.

Paolo thanks for taking the time but as I said above (I'm aware of the network an array of curves trick).

I have seen something similar from integrityware so the code it must be there...I just hope that Michael would like to implement something like that in MoI...

Hi neo - currently probably the best tool for doing that in MoI is actually to use Extrude with the "set path" option, where you set up 2 curve at 90 degrees to one another with each curve having the number of control points you want in that grid direction.

See here for an example:
http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=1313.2

That lets you more exactly control the number of control points in the resulting surface, since that will generate a surface that is an exact combination of the 2 input curves.

The result of a Network will possibly have a different number of control points in it than the input curves have, because it goes through a fitting process. Also using Network requires setting up numerous curves instead of 2 curves so it is not quite as good for this particular purpose.

In the future I do want to add some functions for adding or removing points from an existing surface. Hopefully I should be able to include some things for that in version 3.

Right now surface control point editing is not really a fully developed area yet.

- Michael

It is amazing what one can achieve with this little trick already !

Michael thanks for you reply, thats a good work around for now...I'm looking forwards for more advance surface control point editing/Creation of Surface Grids.

Ill also use this tread to post my wishes (it helps me if they are in one place...)

.my 2nd wish.

# Lattice Rig_ where you can quickly manipulate your model, at any stage of the design process, exploring variations without rebuilding geometry,(similar to what we have now)...

# Bend—Bend geometry using a curve to control deformation.
# Twist—Twist geometry around a single axis curve.
# Conform—Conform geometry to the shape of another surface
#
#
#

Hi neo, I'd like to add some of those kinds of deformation tools in the future, but it will probably be a while before they happen.

Unfortunately it tends to be a difficult area of work to deform a solid and keep joined edges to stay together instead of opening up gaps.

- Michael

Hi Michael I totally understand is difficult area of work but I think with tools like that MoI could really bypass the limitations modelers have in some Nurbs environments...
Also if you don't mind me asking when you say (I'd like to add some of those kinds of deformation tools) do you mean the Bend, Twist or the Lattice Rig. Just to get an idea of what it may be possible...
.
.
.
While I was experimenting I stumble upon a bug, I think.

Hi neo,

> Hi Michael I totally understand is difficult area of work but
> I think with tools like that MoI could really bypass the
> limitations modelers have in some Nurbs environments...

Yes, I definitely agree that it would be a great thing to have, no doubt about that.

But things that are difficult take a lot of time to make happen.

I wish that just because it would be good to have it, that it would also make it easier for it to happen... But unfortunately that's just not the way things work. Difficult things remain difficult even if they are desirable.


> Also if you don't mind me asking when you say (I'd like to add
> some of those kinds of deformation tools) do you mean the Bend,
> Twist or the Lattice Rig.

I mean all of them would be good to have.

But they are also all related to the same difficult area of deforming a solid while keeping it "watertight" at trimmed edges. So they will all also probably take quite a while before they will show up in MoI. It is hard to guess at a time frame.


> While I was experimenting I stumble upon a bug, I think.

Yeah it looks like a bug where those small "seam" edges are not being handled right. I'll see if I can find out what is happening there.

- Michael

Hi neo, yeah that offset problem is definitely a bug.

Unfortunately it does not look like an easy one to fix, it will probably need to wait until the authors of the geometry library that I use are able to improve it. That may take a while.

In the meantime as workarounds you can either offset the original surface before trimming it, or you can split the surface into 2 pieces, and then each individual piece is able to be offset and then joined afterwards.

I've attached the split up version which you can use to finish the part.

- Michael

Hi Neo,

I have done this in T-Splines for Rhino:

>>>Unfortunately it does not look like an easy one to fix, it will probably need to wait until the authors of the geometry library that I use are able to improve it. That may take a while.

Is a pity really an old product (Solid++) to carry Bugs like that...Perhaps on of the reasons why their main client VectorWorks moved to Parasolid. I hope they sort it out soon.

Paolo all the wishes above are supported in most Nurbs software, also Rhino has most of them, so no need of T-Splines for something like That.