Help With Banked Curve

[cmartin]

I know how to make a bank curve using the follow me tool. But I can't flatten the bank curve back out when its finished.
I've attached my sketchup file. It has the bank curve, but the sides are not connected because I don't know how to make the curve go from being turned sideways to going flat.

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banked curve.skp

[TIG]

You need to make the profile[s] and top/bottom rails as complex curves [weld...] and then use a tool like my EEbyRails or Fredo's CurviLoft to make the swept mesh........

PS: your sweep must meet the straight parts 'tangentially' [square], otherwise you'll always get a noticeable crease at the join...

[cmartin]

@tig said:

You need to make the profile[s] and top/bottom rails as complex curves [weld...] and then use a tool like my EEbyRails or Fredo's CurviLoft to make the swept mesh........

PS: your sweep must meet the straight parts 'tangentially' [square], otherwise you'll always get a noticeable crease at the join...

Unfortunately, I don't understand alot of the terminology you used.
When you say weld, what do you mean?

Also, what is a swept mesh?

Sorry for the confusion, I'm just still an infant at this.

[TIG]

There is a free tool called weld.rb available at Smustard.com
It lets you selected connected edges and weld them into a 'curve'.
Arc etc are already curves BUT this lets you combine arcs and other lines into a single 'curve'.
Most of the EEby... tools need you to select 'curves'.
Even if you want one straight side you need to Divide that edge into 2 or more pieces and then make a curve of its parts using weld.

A 'swept mesh' is what you get when you use a tool like EEbyRails - the faceted surface the mesh, and it sweep along the rails...