Beer glass scene creation
This course contains a little bit of everything with modeling, UVing, texturing and dynamics in Maya, as well as compositing multilayered EXR's in Photoshop.
# 16 27-01-2003 , 04:29 PM
NitroLiq's Avatar
Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: New York
Posts: 2,133
Are you sure you're making the wall and arches all out of one curve?


"Terminat Bora Diem, Terminal Auctor opus."
# 17 27-01-2003 , 04:32 PM
drj's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 47
i believe so...i am starting in the lower left hand corner and working my way up and around until i finish the third arch almost from where i started...then, after hitting Enter on the keyboard, chosing the close curve command.


just trying to pick a few things up
# 18 27-01-2003 , 04:44 PM
NitroLiq's Avatar
Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: New York
Posts: 2,133
Look at this screenshot...is this more-or-less what you're trying to do?


"Terminat Bora Diem, Terminal Auctor opus."
# 19 27-01-2003 , 04:59 PM
drj's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 47
YES!...exactly...except only one point at the top of the arches, but other than that it is. One question: How are you making your CV points? The book that I am taking the turorial through (Maya 4.5 Handbook) has me start in the left-bottom corner and clicking three CV points in every corner except for the top point of each of the arches--where it has me use only one point to make a softer curve--then, when finishing the third arch at ground level hitting Return on the keyboard to finish, then using the Close path command from the menu. Do you see any of these things being a problem?...of course i am a newbie and am a little lost at trouble shooting why something wouldn't work, but when i try to build the one arch-wall it all seems to work for me. Any ideas? thanks for all your help so far.


just trying to pick a few things up
# 20 27-01-2003 , 05:22 PM
NitroLiq's Avatar
Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: New York
Posts: 2,133
If you look at the screenshot i posted you can see the outline. I used the EP tool (I just repeated this with the CV tool and it works as well) starting at the left side in the front view and outlining the entire wall. Start at the left, and work your way across to the right building your arches. Then I go up the right side the height of how tall i want the wall, then straight across to the left so it ends in the y-axis above the starting point, making sure to click 3 or 4 times so i have sharp angles for the wall's corners. This is especially important on the first and last one if you're going to "Close Curve," because it won't be stright when it closes if you don't click the 3 or 4 times on the start and end points.

It sounds more confusing than it is. In a nutshell, I just worked my way around the whole arches/wall shape counterclockwise.

If you keep the X key depressed while you're clicking, it'll snap to grid points which might make things a bit easier. When they tell you to triple click on points, it's making a hard point so the curve is an angle. Play around with single, double, annd triple or quadruple clicking on a point and see what happens when you place the next point. It just takes practice.


"Terminat Bora Diem, Terminal Auctor opus."
# 21 27-01-2003 , 11:13 PM
drj's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 47

good deal

This is all good because the way you describe above is exactly how i built it so there must be something else that is causing it to jump forward...someone in the CGTalk forum suggested getting rid of history after the duplication...so i guess i'll try that when i get home...i greatly appreciate your help. Thanks!


just trying to pick a few things up
# 22 28-01-2003 , 06:40 AM
drj's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 47

closing in on problem

Well, I went home and started trying some of the suggestions and was still having the problem. One thing did work for me....as you can see in one of the screenshots that i attached above in this tutorial it had us build a placeholder wall in the middle of this room. When making the curves i've hidden everything else and went to FRONT view and held down V when clicking to snap the vertices to the placeholder vertices and then when laying down the arch points i've held X to snap to the grid. When i didn't use the placeholder wall and just used the grid to snap to, finished off the wall, duplicated and lofted with no problem. Why would that be? Shouldn't I be able to use vertices of another wall to snap my CV Curve Tool vertices to when drawing a new wall?


just trying to pick a few things up
# 23 28-01-2003 , 05:57 PM
NitroLiq's Avatar
Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: New York
Posts: 2,133
Just curious: how was the placement wall (the one you're drawing curves and snapping to) built so I can re-create the scenario?


"Terminat Bora Diem, Terminal Auctor opus."
# 24 28-01-2003 , 06:08 PM
drj's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 47
By duplicating a primitive polygonal cube that is used for one of the other walls...then scaled and moved to its desired position. I don't want to hope you run into the same problem i did, but then again i just want to figure this out...thanks for your effort!


just trying to pick a few things up
# 25 28-01-2003 , 08:21 PM
NitroLiq's Avatar
Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: New York
Posts: 2,133
I just did it with no problems. Make sure you trace the entire wall. The only time you need to keep the V key depressed is when you're going to each of the four corners of the wall. Make sure you're clicking 3-4 times on the start point and the last point before closing the curve. I don't know what else to tell you.


"Terminat Bora Diem, Terminal Auctor opus."
Posting Rules Forum Rules
You may not post new threads | You may not post replies | You may not post attachments | You may not edit your posts | BB code is On | Smilies are On | [IMG] code is On | HTML code is Off

Similar Threads