Advanced follow me tool?
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Hey guys, I want to be able to select several faces and extrude them all along a path at the same time. I create things in section all the time and it is a pain to extrude each one separately. For instance, as below, I had to create a separate path for each extrusion on a face below it then select each face I wanted to extrude and select the path I wanted to extrude it on (it worked, but I know theres gotta be a faster way)!!! I tried searching for stuff but couldn't find anything about it.
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One could connect all segments and do the follow all at once. And erase connecting surfaces later.
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While I don't know of any plugin, and I am no ruby programmer, I still have a couple of hints based on your description of your workflow and the uploaded image.
On the groundplane you have an outline for each shape you will run follow me on. You only need one of those squares. I would suggest just having the outermost square. Don't draw all the inside ones. That will save some time. Each face can follow the same square and you'll get the exact same shape.
The second tip, which I think will help, is when you use the follow me tool to go around a simple face, like in your example, there is modifier key that helps immensely. Here's the workflow.
Have nothing selected
Activate the follow me tool
Then click the profile face first
Then hold Alt and click the face that the profile will follow (the groundplane face in your example). By holding alt, follow me will automatcially follow all the edges of that face. I think I made it sound more confusing than it is. Just try it. I've included a test example.Chris
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chris,
just adding my 2cents for mac users: instead of alt hold the command key (apple key). great tip, as usual.
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What would be very nice would be if the Follow Me tool could remember the path in the same way that Push Pull remembers distance. Then you could just click or double click each profile in turn without having to constantly reselect the path.
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Yes, that's true. Though only one click less, during a multiple, repeated operation that adds up considerably.
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cool, that works pretty good for an extrusion if you want it around a perimeter of a face...
@chris fullmer said:While I don't know of any plugin, and I am no ruby programmer, I still have a couple of hints based on your description of your workflow and the uploaded image.
On the groundplane you have an outline for each shape you will run follow me on. You only need one of those squares. I would suggest just having the outermost square. Don't draw all the inside ones. That will save some time. Each face can follow the same square and you'll get the exact same shape.
The second tip, which I think will help, is when you use the follow me tool to go around a simple face, like in your example, there is modifier key that helps immensely. Here's the workflow.
Have nothing selected
Activate the follow me tool
Then click the profile face first
Then hold Alt and click the face that the profile will follow (the groundplane face in your example). By holding alt, follow me will automatcially follow all the edges of that face. I think I made it sound more confusing than it is. Just try it. I've included a test example.Chris
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@galbavy1 said:
if you want it around a perimeter of a face
Unfortunately there are many times when it is not a simple face I want to use the follow me tool on. But when that is the case, this tip does help. Glad it helped, and muito obrigado for the Mac help Edson. I can never remember how the keys correspond.
Chris
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