Spline Modeling / Nurbs

#1

Hello Community,

I am a 3ds max user and my favorite way of modeling is spline modeling. However the splines this time, are a little to complex for the surface modifier to translate accurately this time.
I tried modeling it in nurbs under alias and I had no problems creating the surfaces, but I end up with really bad surface matching, the light just doesn’t have any continuity from one surface to another. I used the bi-rail and the square tool.
I then asked for help on a forum dedicated to Alias and they advised me to use Maya. I have no experience what so ever of Maya, so the little I knew it was from Alias, and I ended up with similar problems when trying to modeling in nurbs. The biggest problem was a radical surface connection.

Any suggestion under maya or could it simply be fixed under 3ds max, with a normal map ?

I hope these pictures will help you understand what I am talking about.

http://postimg.org/image/cs0nkd415/e1e2f639/

http://postimg.org/image/69t19j8xr/feb5f852/

http://postimg.org/image/tmfgd6r4t/5e894528/

#2

In 3Ds Max, have you tried adding a smooth modifier to the top of the stack and playing with the threshold?

#3

Sadly smoothing is totally useless :frowning:

#4

If the smoothing is having no effect, it may mean that you have some un-welded vertices along the problem edges. (essentially holes in the mesh)

Try putting an edit poly modifier just below the smooth modifier.
In vertex mode drag a box around one visible vertex to select it.
In the Edit poly modifier panel on the right, near the top, it should update to show how many vertices are currently selected. If more than one vertex is selected click “collapse” (lower down in the edit poly UI)
Repeat this for all vertices along problem edges, then, come out of sub-object mode and select the smooth modifier above the edit poly to see if it now smooths correctly.

#5

I think I have already tried something like that. Right now my computer is going nuts so I am going to reformat it in 5mins.
An extra piece of information I can give you, is that if I simply take one of the main splines and extrude it, then I still get the sharp surface, with no smooth light. so I really do think its something to do with the bezier curve being a little radical. But yeah, just ends up being un-smootherble in the end, which is why I tried other software.
Its a pain :frowning:

Thank you for paying attention to my problem. I will do what you said and keep you posted :slight_smile:

#6

Actually seeing as its a surface modifier there are no vertices to weld. I am having burnout so it wasn’t easy for me to understand at the time.
That solution does not work indeed. I think the most efficient way would be to do it with Maya but there seems to be this radical separation among the surfaces. Its something I do not get in Alias and well 3Ds max nurbs is, well its just to be expected :stuck_out_tongue:
I basically love patch modeling and the bezier just seems to be to much for it :frowning: