Birail tool
 

I'm trying to use the birail tool and it should be so simple, but I'm not getting good results. Maybe I'm using the wrong tool but I have a closed shape, with 2 paths that emminate from the shape. What I get is only half a sweep. How do I get the whole shape to sweep along those paths?

What I'm doing is selecting the source shape, activating >Surfaces > Birail > Birail 1 Tool. With the default settings (and many other experiments) I then select the 2 paths but the result is always the same... an incomplete sweep.

Very odd.

you would need to do the top and bottom halves seperately. Then attach them together. Might be eaiser to do a loft or extrude.

I tried the separately thing many times, many different ways and could not get a clean object when trying to attach. Is this another one of those craxzy Maya work arounds?

How could I use extrude or loft here? Can they follow 2 paths?

you'd have to look in your attach options. You can blend the two together or you can have them connect as-is. Also a few other options in there. After attaching one side. Delete it history and instead of attaching the other side, you'll have to do what's called "Open/Close Surface." Because once you've attached it at one end, it is no longer 2 seperate objects, and you cannot attach an object to itself. So, you'd have to "close" it. Again, look in the options and choose Connect or Blend, depending on what you want.

You can duplicate your profile curve however many times you want and loft a surface between them.

Extrude has been explained in other threads many times. I'm sure you should be able to find one.

Good luck.

I know you can "do" everything here, but this really is a pretty crappy modeller. Every basic function takes 5 steps instead of 2.

I´ve been following your posts throughout these days .. and I trully wish I could find an ignore function on you. As far as I know, almost everybody around this place asks because they need help on something, and try to take it in with humility if they do get answers.

You do get them, but instead you prefer to bash whatever function YOU CAN´T operate correctly by saying "it´s crappy". Remember dude ... You don´t know even the 2% of it .. stop pretending you do.

Sorry.

I do apologize for annoying you. It's just that I've been a 3D artist for a dozen years or so, and now I'm having to learn Maya. I just find that everything I try to do, that I could do in 10 minutes in Max, takes me hours to figure out in Maya.

It's just very frustrating, but you are right. I will be more respectful or this board, and more thankful to those that are just trying to help.

Again, I'm sorry.

No harm done. Welcome to SimplyMaya mate. :cool: