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diakonas
09-05-2003, 07:04 PM
HI there!

I have a sphere and want to cut a specific shape from it (for exaple something like text mapped on it and transparent backgroud - than you can see only text a bit spherical shaped... ).
Hope you understand.

Idea:
Create NURBS sphere. "Wrap" it to flat plane. Project imported drawing (text for example) on it. "Disable" wrap to sphere (in this stage only rest of sphere) go back to its initial shape.

How to do it?

THanks, diak
monica_green_22
09-05-2003, 07:29 PM
If I understand correctly, its quite simple:

1. Create a NURBS sphere
2. Import your text as curves
3. Project curves on surface
4. Delete the sphere, thats its.

Monica
diakonas
09-05-2003, 07:56 PM
Ok - you understand well, but I not explained well.

I forgot I need the final shape will not be distorted in ay way.
When you project curve - text, for example - letters in center will be almost undistorted (projected almost directly on front of the sphere), but letter on the begining and on the end will be distorted due to projection on more curvature surface (side of the sphere).

So, I need normal projection. The final shape will fill almost whole surface - around the whole sphere...

ok, I hope I clear it up a bit.
Thanks.

Sorry for my English

- diak
Houkah
09-05-2003, 09:05 PM
Why go through all that trouble? Couldn't you just texture the text onto the sphere w/ an alpha so that only the text is visible?
Electrofirma
09-06-2003, 06:30 AM
Project the curves onto a NURBS plane, then blendshape it to a NURBS sphere with with the same UV values.

I got wonky results if I didn't delete history on the plane before blendshaping it.

I hope that is what you were looking for, and I hope that my description of what I did was enough to get you rolling.

If you need more details, just ask :)
brunner
09-06-2003, 03:30 PM
Why not a simple project curve on surface? there is an option to project it along the surface normal..
diakonas
09-07-2003, 08:42 PM
ok, what Im going to do is a Earth model - only continents - and then render it with Maya Vector render.

When I use alpha map, vector render doesnt render it and I cantachieve good result with vector render - map (continents) are pixelate. I everythig set up to highest quality, model to high mesh, but the result is still bad.

With software render is everything good.
So, I want to trim continents from sphere...

Blend shape doesnt seem to work well and normal projection as well. It maybe work in some cases, but with drawing around whole sphere, there are still strong distortions.

Any other help? Im without any idea :(
Or maybe free-downloadable model, Im talked about...

Final animation should be flash animation for web...

Thanks
MikeRhone
09-08-2003, 03:11 AM
I'm still unclear with what you are trying to do. Is this what you want?

http://www.wingman.ca/CIA/WorldTest.jpg

Mike R
Houkah
09-08-2003, 03:21 PM
Ok here's another idea. Make your sphere and make a duplicate of it. Texture the duplicate w/ a texture of the earth (for guides). Make the original live and just draw the continents yourself w/ the curve tool.
diakonas
09-08-2003, 06:37 PM
Ohh... sorry for my messy description...

Houkah > I was the same idea, but Im scare of many details on the continents I want to have there...

Rhonedog > Thats exactly what I want - but with more details! How you did it?

- diak
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