[Tutorial > Modeling] Another Curve That's Got Me Stumped

Cyberdactyl

Here's a another with a generic electrical cord cross section. I made the plastic a bit too shiny.

(Cyberdactyl)

Charlie__V

@unknownuser said:

Charlie, that is great. I never knew you could add grips to a welded curve. Good tip.

Thanks Eric..........But as the saying goes,every now and then a blind squirrel finds a nut.
:~)

C

bellwells

Charlie,

What a great tip! I didn't know this, either. Thanks.

Ron

(bellwells)

gata

Also explode same curve and use the Smoove tool on it. A 20' radius worked well on the example.

Charlie__V

@gata said:

Also explode same curve and use the Smoove tool on it. A 20' radius worked well on the example.

Gata,
Clever use of the smoove tool,never occured to me to try it,Thanks :~)
This is great collaboration,gotta love it.

modelhead,
Can't wait to see the coaster,i want a front seat 8O .

C

Bernard Hagan

Thanks to everyone who helped solve this problem - one that has been bothering me for some time.

As I suspected, it now seems embarrassingly simple. As Gaieus said, my problem was drawing the single line curve through 3D space.

Eric [Boofredlay] - a simple, clear and efficient method that I will now be able to use on other models. Very much appreciated. Shouldn't this go on the Tutorial Forum?

Jim - yours is another simple method that would work because you could vary the size and shape of the two curves to avoid other objects that might be in the way. Many thanks.

Shaun - I appreciate your efforts. You got a lot further than I did. You actually had curves which is more than I could manage.

Howard - I intended to use this ruby plug-in or one like it but had to draw the curve first. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

Charlie - Your "Grips" seem as if they would make a job that I would hesitate at doing in the first place, a lot easier.

This is what makes this forum so great - one problem and so many members willing to help find a solution. Again, many thanks to everyone who helped.

(Bernard Hagan)

sorgesu

Ah, that is interesting. the "grips" work by actually breaking up the welded curves into segments again, but the segment endpoints are at key positions with welded bits left in between. Neat!

boofredlay

@bernard hagan said:

Shouldn't this go on the Tutorial Forum?

Good idea Bernard. I will move it and leave a shadow copy in the Pro Users Forum for a few days.

Bernard Hagan

Here is a tutorial [a bit heavy] showing how I created the electrical cord.

I'd be still struggling with it if it weren't for the help I received here. Again - much appreciated. The radio, shelf, plug and socket I built in Lightwave using nurbs so it looks a bit primitive in SU. Still some work to do on it. The cord could be a lot smoother if I spent more time on it - though these old fabric covered cords had a tendency to retain their kinks.

I'll leave it to the powers that be to move it to the appropriate forum.

(Bernard Hagan)

Electrical Cord Tutorial.skp