Building a looping

# 1 23-02-2012 , 11:52 AM

Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2012

Posts: 2

Hey everyone,

First let me explain what i'm trying to do,
I've been a huge coaster fan for some years now and i have recently gotten access to a 3D printer.

My idea is to build a looping in maya and then let it print.

But i'm already running into major problems, my experience with maya is near to zero so i'm here for help!

Where do i start and what can i do to build a looping in maya?
Some hints or tips would be very nice!

I' ve tried to manually make a line on which 2 rods can follow, but then just isn' t accurate enough..
Is there a way to make a mathematical value for the line in which the 2 rods can follow so it will be extremely smooth?
And where do i go on from there?

Thanks in advance,
Michiel

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# 2 23-02-2012 , 12:04 PM

The thin red line
Join Date: Aug 2009

Location: England

Posts: 4,472

Try create polygon helix.............dave

Avatar Challenge Winner 2010

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# 3 23-02-2012 , 06:40 PM

Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2004

Location: Michigan, USA

Posts: 2,998

1. create a cv or ep curve representing the path of the roller coaster tracks
2. create a planar strip two polygons wide
3. create a flowpath and flow the polystrip onto the curve
4. select the three edges of the polystrip the two outer edges and the center edge (optional)
5. select modify convert edge to curve and bingo you have three curves that all follow the original main curve

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Isaac Newton, 1675

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# 4 28-02-2012 , 06:58 PM

Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2012

Posts: 2

Thanks for the replies!

@daverave:
That sounds like a new idea, I'll look up on how to do that!

@ctbram:
That would be what I have tried to do and failed, I just can seem to get the first CV curve to get as smooth as I would want by hand...

Forthurmore, sorry for the late response, I'm very sick (flu), so i'll probably won't try again untill next week..!

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