Method for circular or radial railing- help please.

pbacot

In the sample video the curve of the steps is many segments, not just one per step. Probably not an even layout--considering riser points-- in plan (though that would be good way to start, to appease SU which is little help in this case). So Shyamscols question is a good one.

Shyamscool

i was too impatient for y'all to reply... found my own redneckish way to do it...

~i made the usual spiral stair boxes and put them in their places,
~just like the youtube video, i made the lower face using curviloft
~exploded the lower face
~now curvilofted' the sides for every single step.. and finally
~a bunch of smoothin

next time i will do it the easy way

Shyamscool

@pbacot said:

In the sample video the curve of the steps is many segments, not just one per step.

exactly!!!!

some other guy has commented on the video asking how the sides were made, a year ago!

Shyamscool

@unknownuser said:

@unknownuser said:

Before using "follow me" to make the hand rail, how to I draw that "follow me" line that is bent in x, y and z axis?

Its just the lines (so a curve) that you have previous drawn under the steps! (as shown on my images)
Copy move it in Z!

but since i unnecessarily made my circle of 500! segments, that line you talking about is a buncha segments, is there a way to make it one nice smooth curve?

pbacot

@shyamscool said:

@unknownuser said:

@unknownuser said:

Before using "follow me" to make the hand rail, how to I draw that "follow me" line that is bent in x, y and z axis?

Its just the lines (so a curve) that you have previous drawn under the steps! (as shown on my images)
Copy move it in Z!

but since i unnecessarily made my circle of 500! segments, that line you talking about is a buncha segments, is there a way to make it one nice smooth curve?

You can select the curve and weld it with weld rb. or recurve plugins. But how did you draw it? It would be nice to just pull up the (welded) arc from the floor to a relative height based on the nosings, but that distorts the curve out of the circle. There's some good ways but I can't rememeber....

I think it is possible with Fredoscale "Planar Shearing (Free)" take the plan curve and group a copy, raise it up to the first nosing, draw a rectangle down from start point to end point, Use the rectangle to set the plane of shear. Shear it up to the end nosing. drop it down for the thickness of your structure. Smooth any existing vertical lines and if you weld the resulting sheared curve BEFORE exploding the group, all should be well.

pilou

More practical
For Weld: Recurve by Diggsey

And there an existing one other by Fredo 6 (some excellent tool in the same place)
Inside Curvizard (Make curve)

@unknownuser said:

that line you talking about is a buncha segments, is there a way to make it one nice smooth curve?

It's yet a nice curve! ; For select it just a double click is sufficient then use the tools above

Shyamscool

follow me and keep" like he meant follow me and STAY! ( how i want you to stay!)

nice plugin any way.. works fine on win7+skp13+vray1.6

Awesome help folks!

thanks yall CO guys and all extension developers!

Happy 4tha July Fire works time... oh wait there is a fire ban

Shyamscool

still all choppy and sketchupish, how do i make that rail smoother?

i pulled up the 100+ segment circle line for the railing from the plan

next used it for follow me and KEEP... = choppy railing

pbacot

It looks like only 8 or so segments judging by the edges and endpoints. You would need more. What happened to the 100 segments?

Perhaps you do know as well: Endpoints style will make the image look rougher. Output of image AA quality depends on resolution, will also look better in a render, etc.

You will also get a more realistic smooth look if you add rounded edges to the rail profile. Weld (recurve) them prior to FMAK--they should be smooth for curved profiles. Even if you are looking for a chamfered appearance, all the corners look more realistic if rounded to some extent. They don't need too many facets, but should be softened/smoothed edges.

Shyamscool

@pbacot said:

It looks like only 8 or so segments judging by the edges and endpoints. You would need more. What happened to the 100 segments?

Perhaps you do know as well: Endpoints style will make the image look rougher. depends on resolution, will also look better in a render, etc.

"Output of image AA quality".maybe that's what it is? how do i mess with that? what IS that?:D

so i am saying ~no matter how many segments you made your plan for railing, it turned out choppy/ first try was 25 segments.. second was 500 segments... same result... but thats a rough render there..( idk why my carpets fup like that)

Shyamscool

@pbacot said:

You will also get a more realistic smooth look if you add rounded edges to the rail profile. Weld (recurve) them prior to FMAK--they should be smooth for curved profiles. Even if you are looking for a chamfered appearance, all the corners look more realistic if rounded to some extent. They don't need too many facets, but should be softened/smoothed edges.

and i Weld (recurve) them prior to FMAK by.....using which plugin?

weld?

pbacot

If you are rendering then the SU AA output doesn't matter. I was referring to if you are looking for a better image direct from SU.

You can use Weld.rb or Recurve.rb