Smooth splines
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I've downloaded the powerful BezierSpline extension today. I was wondering if it is possible to get smoother curves using spline or Bezier curves. In the curves I created the segments are really evident.
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On the spline extension of fredo, you can chose the number of segment you want and edit them after creation.
But once you had extruded surface and spline with the standard sketchup tool : non way back !
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Draw your spline then just type, for example, "30s" (s is for segments). More segments mean smoother curve. Exacly like in the native SU's "circle" or "arc" tools.
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Thanks for the answers!
I tried to increase the number of segment. But, also in the case of the circle, I cannot see any difference for example in a circle drawn with 30s and another with 300s. Is it normal?
Edit: well, maybe there is a little difference... Ok, I keep trying.
Can I modify the default values for the number of segments of circles, curves, etc.?
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Draw a circle with say 24 segments.
Make two copies of it to one side and select each in turn.
Use Entity Info and change the segments to say 12 for one and 360 fr the other.
One will look very steppy and segmented but the other should look very much smoother.
Keep the number of segments relatively few as any 3D geometry made from such arcs will become very high poly when often it doesn't need to be - e.g. a handrail tube that is never seen close up might only need 8 sides.
When you export as 3D dwg/dxf they become circles but a 2D version reverts to a very segmented set of edges no matter what the original segmentation was...
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Thanks!
I just modified the .rb files related to the splines with customized default values. By the way, why did they set a maximum value of segments for the different curves? I think that if one wants a spline with, let say, 2000s, one should be free to do that!
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Convert to Uniform B spline. Evens things out and shrinks the curve from control points at the original vertices,, typing 100 smoothes.. This is another indirect modeling method kinda like nurbing by adjusting the control points.. So think of it that way. Do it to every single one you want... Make sure you are square and connected. Also mend the last curve like the 1st profile (so click it again on it). If you move the last curve above and out of the way by inferencing, then you can be 'completed' using the original profile-not mended- yet hatched profile section from extruding by edges of the last rail polyline as a section slice extruding it down an intersecting profile. Then Intersect with model. Only deal is you are going to have to select all of the lines (once being an extruded polyline being crossed creates another curved set of broken line segments) that will have been intersected with model, so convert them into a polyline of that section slice by box selecting to show them off. Or just hiding them will do by the shift eraser command cause it is essentially the individual edges of part of the new geometry.. I don't recommend you worry about it unless you plan to rail that 'hatch profile curve.. So Edge Style Selection from Menu Bar-> can give that edge when selecting profiles and display edges.. Other wise you'll see tiny tiny holes. But that is actually at every single line edge in SU.. Amazing how well these plugin's work and how much more can be made considering this as a modeling program... Much respect!!
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And by the way, 2000s sides is not important here because we want to manipulate, snap, interence and all kind of stuff that is not possible efficiently with 2000s.. 2000s sides gave me claustrophobia from constraining 'solids'. Try my procedure and you'll see a slick curved surface.
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Thank you!
Now I've a strange problem with splines. I select, for example, uniform B-spline. Then I click one point in my drawing. It seems that I can move the pointer in each direction except directions with angle less than 15 degrees or so on with respect to x and y axis. I hope you got the point. It's quite unnerving, because if I want to connect a point A with a point B and such a segment forms an angle smaller than nearly 15° with the x-axis, then the pointer is attracted by a point on the x-axis!
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Regarding the angle snaps, either zoom in closer to the point you wish to place your next click, or in Window, Model Info, Units, uncheck enable angle snapping or set it to a smaller angle.
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@sugolini said:
Thank you!
Now I've a strange problem with splines. I select, for example, uniform B-spline. Then I click one point in my drawing. It seems that I can move the pointer in each direction except directions with angle less than 15 degrees or so on with respect to x and y axis. I hope you got the point. It's quite unnerving, because if I want to connect a point A with a point B and such a segment forms an angle smaller than nearly 15° with the x-axis, then the pointer is attracted by a point on the x-axis!
In BezierSpline, I use the default snapping and inferencing of Sketchup.
So the best is to follow the method given by Mitcorb.Fredo
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