hi all im still learning is there a tutoral for using the netwok function

Hi Mike, there isn't really any proper tutorial for that yet. I can give you a description here though.

Basically the Network surface tool takes a sort of grid or "net" of crossing curves that you have drawn and creates a surface that goes through them.

Here is one example - here I drew 5 curves, and used Network Surface to surface it:



There isn't really much to using the command itself - you just pick all the curves in the network, run Construct / Network, and it's done. The effort for this one goes into the curves that you have to create that make up the network.

One nice thing about network surface is that you can use any number of curves in it, you can add more curves to gain more control over the surface. You can have curves crossing each other, like this:



The curves should be arranged in a sort of rectangular grid - notice how above the the curves have a kind of row and column arrangement to them, they can't just be any random assortment of curves, they have to have this kind of grid layout to them.

Let me know if you have any particular questions on it.

- Michael

this is really helpful for me too

thanks!

Hi Michael,

I haven't used the Network feature as yet, so these examples are a great help, Thanks for that.
I'm just curious though, with the 2nd Network "grid-curves" example?
Would you start by making one central curve to the maximum height you require?
Would you then Copy>Paste & Scale this down, to create the curves for the rest of the grid?

regards Colin

Hi Colin, I may have led you slightly astray with that example.

You wouldn't normally need to use so many curves to make a surface like that. Since that surface does not have a lot of variation in it, just 2 central curves would probably be good enough to do the job in that case.

You only really add more curves if you need to add more variation or get more control over the surface.

I was trying mostly to illustrate the type of layout that the curves need to have in order for them to be used for Network surface.


If you did want to create a grid like this, then the method that you described would be a good way. Another way would be to copy the curves (for something like this you may want to use Transform/Copy, since it allows you to place the copy in a different spot directly rather than Copy/Paste which puts it in the same spot), and then use scaling or possibly point manipulation (by Edit/ Show pts).

- Michael

Hi Michael,

Thanks for the clarification.
Yes, I should have written "Copy>Paste>Move & Scale", but your way is quicker.
I'll have a bit of a play & see what happens?

regards Colin