Using a Nurbs Curve´s Min/Max Sliders to update a Mesh !

CONTENTS

Part 1: Creation of the Basic Template Tube
Part 2: Reconnect to your own 'Path Curve'
Part 3: Using an own 'Profile Curve'
Part 4: Mapping a 'Tube Tool' ´s Construction Spheres to an own Min/Max working Path Curve, via a copy of "Lattice" Curve
Part 5: A Copy of "Template"´s mesh + a Copy of it´s "Lattice" Curve + a 'Curve Manager' = Cool Curve Handling
Part 6: Rotational Mesh using Min/Max
Part 7: Applying workflow to X-Section made meshes
Part 8: Turn a bunch of X-Sectioned in a straight line"Glass Profiles" into a "Glass Mesh" in a fun way
End Part: Some Afterthoughts
Credits and Final Words

EXAMPLE ANIMATIONS (Div-X 5.03)

Click thumbnails to download)

Download MinMax Tutorial Part Projects zip file(96 kb)
(Its just some basic samples prjs of all Parts, Use/Animate the Min/Max Slider)

Part 1: Creation of the Basic Template Tube

1. Take a 'Front View',
   ('Front View' and reset 'View Window', for a good startpoint, can be done in one simple way, Click in 'View Window' and Press 'Home Key')

2. In the 'Property Window' Click on the 'Grids Tab', Drag n Drop Any of the grids into the 'View Window' (I used 0.1 m)
   Click Right Mouse Button (RMB), in the 'View Window', and go down to 'Input Plane' in the PopUp Menu and see to it that both 'Grid Snap'
   and 'Grid Draw' has a mark before them, If not, just Click Left Mouse Button (LMB) on them ! ( Use Same Grid from start to finish )
   

3. Create a Nurbs Circle in Middle of View
   

4. Switch to 'Top View'

5. Now create to a tube, make sure the 'Nurbs Circle' is selected. 
   Create a Nurbs Curve using 10 evenly spaced points using the Grid and set PEN --> Sweep. (Point 1, in middle of Nurbs Circle)
   
   

6. When finished, accept the tool. The Select window now shows the new created mesh, with a + sign in front of it.

7. Click on the + sign in the 'Select Window'. The 'Select Window' now shows the hierarchy of your mesh. It  containins two 'Construction Curves': the original circle and the path curve to create the tube. Select the second (lower) one of the two 'Construction Curves' inside your mesh:  (this is the path curve).

8. Press 'Ctrl + c Keys' to make a copy of that selected curve and after that use 'Ctrl + v Keys' to paste the copy back into the hierarchy. This to get a copy of the Path Curve, to use as an Lattice later on. Notice that the curve is pasted back in the hierarchy at the same level as the mesh.
   

9. Select Mesh + the newly copied curve, and press 'd Key' to drop them to a new 'Level'.

10. DoubleClick Slowly the new 'Level' and rename it as "Template", Click its +,  Also rename the newly copied curve to "Lattice". Rename can also be done using the PopUp Menu which you get by Clicking your Right Mouse Button (RMB).

11. Select Both 'Construction Curves' inside the Mesh + "Lattice" Curve ( in this order! )
    

12. Use 'Map Tool' which is located in  the 'Lattice Mapping Tab' of the Toolbar. Set the  Mapping Mode --> Pointwise.  Weight can remain at value 1,00. Click Accept.
    
    ( This lets you now to control the Tube Mesh in a number of ways, like using the "Lattice"  curve's  Min/Max sliders in its Property window -> 'Spec Tab'. )

13. In the Select window DoubleClick on "Lattice" to open its 'Property Window', Click 'Spec Tab' and drag the Min/Max Sliders and see the how Tube Mesh smoothly follows !
    
    (After testing Min/Max reset it to Min = 0, Max = 1. Now we have a working template Min/Max Level that we can use to create many types of Tubes )

Part 2: Reconnect to your own 'Path Curve'

1. Now duplicate  the "Template" Level (press Ctrl + d Keys) and rename the new copy as "Tube"

2. Now select the "Template" Level and hide it temporarily by setting the  RT and WF (Click the relevant icons in the control bar). Another way to do this is to open the Property window (via double click on the name in the Select window) and go to the 'Gen Tab'. There check the 'Invisible in real time rendering' and  the 'Invisible in photo realistic rendering' boxes.

3. Select "Tube" Level, and Press 'Tab Key' to make the  "Tube" the 'Current Level'. You can check this because an orange arrow shows up to the left of "Tube" Level in the Select window. So the next curve we will create will end up into "Tube" Level!

4. Create a new Nurbs Curve, in any shape that you want to, and rename it as "New Path"
   (You can create whatever curve you like, and where ever you want in RS3D universe = ) )
   (For the best results keep points evenly spread.)
   (Also make sure that the 2nd 'Construction Curve', in this case "nurbs40",  has at least as many points as your new curve, in this case "New Path", before you map it)
   (You can check out the Point Count, in the 'Property Window'´s 'Spec Tab')
   

5. Now select both 'Construction Curves' inside the Mesh + "New Path" ( Press SHIFT to MultiSelect ). It is important that "New Path" is selected last !
   In the 'Lattice Mapping' tab select the 'Reconnect Tool' and click Accept. This maps the selected construction curves to the New Path curve.Now you can use "New Path"´s Min/Max or edit it in any way.
   Note: that at this stage, you can if you like, put many different "Path" curves into a "Paths" Level inside "Tube" Level to have fast and easy access to many predefined Path Curves, and use this Reconnect as described above. Have a look at the following images: down to right, it has been Reconnected to "20 Points Path". This curve has at least as many knot points as "nurbs40"´s. In this case 20 ( check this in the Property Windows at the 'Spec Tab' ). You can experiment with different point count for special purposes and styles and/or change both Construction Curves´s with Elev n Reduce tools, to get smoother or poly lookin mesh, as (Below and Right).
   If you use 'IK Tool' that shows up in 'Control Bar', When you have a Nurbs Curve selected in 'Edit Mode', you can move and deform curve, and it keeps same distance between its points !
   (Start that, by doing a evenly spread 'Nurbs Curve' with help of the Grids, make as many points as needed, then just Select one end point, and Apply 'IK Tool', and move away.. =) )
   
   

Part 3: Using an own 'Profile Curve'

1. Now if not already, select Root Level, and set it to 'Current Level' by pressing the 'Tab Key'

2. Select "Tube" Level and set it to 'RT and WF invisible', and click on its "-"sign in the Select window  to close that level

3. Select "Template" Level, and duplicate it (Ctrl + d Keys), rename the copy to "New Profile"

4. Reset "New Profile"´s RT and WF so we can see it and (if not yet open) open its structure up by click its "+" sign in the 'Select Window'

5. Take a 'Front View' and Select and Drag n Drop "New Profile" Level into the 'View Window'. This makes the view window zoom into the object you just dropped onto it. Now you see the Circle Profile
   

6. Click the NURBS  tab in the Toolbar, start the "Curve Tool'. Set it´s 'Closed' option, and make the pointy looking Profile like the one showed (Up and Right)
   The closed curve in the above image contains 18 points. To make it look pointy, put the points 1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,17 at the location of the red dot in the image above. Place the other points at the blue dots. When you placed last point 18,  Accept the 'Curve Tool'. Rename this closed curve to "Pointy Profile"

7. Now move the "Pointy Profile" curve into the hierarchy of the Mesh level as it is going to replace the current 'Profile Curve' (In my case "nurbs38"). To do this, just 'Drag and Drop' the Selected "Pointy Profile" and release Left Mouse Button (LMB) when hovering and showing an UpArrow over "nurbs38" Curve. After that you can delete "nurbs38" and the newly inserted curve takes its place!.  Now the Mesh uses the new Profile, but is not yet ready for Min/Max Editing.
   Note: that you can also make a "Profile" Level to keep ready made Profile curves, and simply Hold Down 'Ctrl Key', 'Drag and Drop' one of them, as explained above
   (This makes a copy, and keeping your "Profile" Level untouched !)
   

8. Select "Pointy Profile" + "Lattice", and from the 'Lattice Mapping Tab' select  the 'Map Tool'. Set the 'Mapping Mode' --> Pointwise as shown in image above in the middle.
   Now this New Profile works with any other Min/Max controlled Path Curve. Use previous explained method. Select both 'Construction Curves' + 'Wanted Path'  then use 'Reconnect Tool' !
   Image (Up and to the Right): I made a copy of wanted New Path, and made that renderable. To make a curve visible in rendering, open the properties window -> Gen tab. Then uncheck the 'Invisible in photo realistic rendering' box. To set the illumination color of the curve, go to the Col tab and change the surface properties attribute from 'Color' to 'Illumination'. Next set its Illumination color to Green.

Part 4: Mapping a 'Tube Tool' ´s Construction Spheres to an own Min/Max working Path Curve, via a copy of "Lattice" Curve

1. Make a copy of the "Lattice" Curve from the original "Template" Level !, and place it in the "root" Level, in the End of the list.
   (It will come there automatically, if "root" is 'Current' Level and you use 'Ctrl + c' and then 'Ctrl + v' for the copy and paste)

2. In 'Top View' Drag n Drop the copied "Lattice" curve into the 'View Window' so we see it...

   Create an Analytic Sphere, with its center at "Lattice"´s first point. With the Sphere selected, turn macro recording ON, ('Ctrl + m' or in Menu )
   Then duplicate sphere, 'Ctrl + d'. Next move (use 'm Key') this copied Sphere 1 grid to Lattice´s 2nd point, Now turn Macro recording OFF, by pressing 'Ctrl + m' again. Execute it 8 times , 'Ctrl + g', if you want, use it from Menu instead... or from 'Named Macro Tab' type in 8 and press 'Apply'
   

3. Create a new 'Level', right mouse button (RMB) in the 'Select Window' and choose 'New/Level'. Rename this new level to "Tube Tool" )
4. Create a new 'Tube Tool' Level, RMB as above, Choose 'New/Tube' !
5. Drag n Drop newly created 'Tube Tool' Level into "Tube Tool" Level !
6. Now Select ALL 10 Spheres, and Drag n Drop them into "tube1" ( it should now look something like Below... )
   
7. Select the 10 Spheres again + "Lattice" ( in this order ), Then use 'Map Tool' again, only this time use 'Mapping Mode' --> Object
   Now you can Reconnect these spheres to any wanted new Curve, and use its Min/Max settings and animate it in whatever way. The Tube will follow smoothly and look cool, you can expand on this with alot, animating whatever these spheres are Reconnected to.

Part 5: A Copy of "Template"´s mesh + a Copy of it´s "Lattice" Curve + a 'Curve Manager' = Cool Curve Handling

1. (You can use a copy of the templates mesh, and turn that into curves and map those curves to copy of its "Lattice" curve)
   (If you like you can then mix an animation of rendered curves appear, and go into a Mesh.... )

2. Make a copy of the "Template" Level, reset its RT and WF, so you can see it, and Set RT/WF, to hide some others not needed objects.

3. Select "Template" Level and make it 'Current' ( 'Tab key' ), Open it up in the 'Select Window' , select the "mesh23" and use the 'Curve Tool' from the 'NURBS Tool Tab'.
   

4. Now as you see below, a 'Curve Manager' and its curves are created, with "mesh23" as base
   The Mesh is controlled by its 'Construction Curves', and those are mapped to "Lattice"
   So now everything can be controlled by the "Lattice" curve !!!
   Note: You can now use like previously mentioned, the Reconnect tool to reconnect 'Construction Curves' "nurbs38" "nurbs40" to any desired curve !
   The 'Curve Manager'´s curves will follow nicely.. You can even Edit the 'Curve Manager' to set it to any number of curves and points/curve !
   Just now animate it with "Lattice"´s Min/Max slider ( or another Curve that you have Reconnected to.. of your own choice.. ! )
   
   Note: Sometimes using the 'Curve Manager' this way, it might need a refresh of the animation system, (it updates when playing the anim or moving Frameslider)
   The Created Curves are set to render as default !
   When edited or animated, the 'Curve Manager' "Makes" new curves !, so you should Not set their colors in their own 'Color Tab'
   Instead, drop a material inside the "Template" level, or set the 'Color/Illumination' in "Template"´s 'Color Tab' !

5. A little example:  Curves Mapped to an own Path, and a Mesh to another, and the first Path´s Min Slider is animated 0 to 1
   and the other one´s Max Slider 0 to 1 so they follow...One goes away and the other seems to be created..
   
   Note: One thing I didnt have strenght to fix after I already done the animation is that you can see the Tube is altered ( its shape is changed )
   But if you follow my guidelines in previous parts of this Tutorial and just adjust point count, even spread your point and/or use Elevate Tool it should be alot better !
   Remember though .. this is only a workaround.. so in some parts its not perfect.. and some projects.. its not maybe usable
   But its cool for many stuff anyway.. and who needs to have EXACT results everytime.. if not a must in a WORK that is sold..

Part 6: Rotational Mesh using Min/Max

1. Take a 'Front View'
2. Create a 2 point 'Nurbs Curve', rename it as "Axis", and have "Axis" Curve selected, When Creating a 5 point 'Profile Curve' (PEN set to 'Rotate')
   Place the first of the 5 points at "Axis" Lowest Point, after Accepting the Tool, Rename it to "Profile" (Below and Left)
   A flat mesh renamed to "Rotational Mesh" is created ( Seen Below and Right )
   
3. Make a copy of "Profile", Rename it as "Lattice" and Map as in previous parts of tutorial, "Profile" to "Lattice" as seen selected (Up and Right)
4. Create an own Glass/Vase/Cup 'Profile Curve' and Reconnect the "Profile" to "Glass Profile"
   (As usual, Dont forget to adjust the Point Count on the 'Construction Curve' "Profile", that is inside the Mesh, before Reconnect.)
   
   
   

Part 7: Applying workflow to X-Section made meshes

1. You can Map the 'Construction Curves' of a X-Section made tube, to a simple 'Lattice' curve ( 2 points )
   Then just use the 'Reconnect Tool' as on the other examples....to Reconnect to other 'Path Curves' !
   For easy to edit the 'Construction Curves', Reconnect them back to the simple straight 'Lattice' Curve, Edit them, and Reconnect to Previous Curve...
   Note: Here its important to make sure you have enough 'Construction Curves' to match the 'Path Curve' you 'Reconnect' to !
   ( Longer and more "Snaky wriggling" 'Path Curve' = More 'Construction Curves' Needed ! )
   For an intresting Rope like mesh, Create an 8 shaped 'Construction Curve', then record a Macro, that Duplicates, Move 1 grid and Rotates(36 degrees)
   Then run this macro 9 times, to get lap..

Part 8: Turn a bunch of X-Sectioned in a straight line"Glass Profiles" into a "Glass Mesh" in a fun way

1. In 'Front View' create a 'Glass Profile' (Below and Left), In 'Top View' make 7 copies (8 in total) using Macro or other way (Below Middle)
   Note: (I just made grid invisible for better showing the Copied curves for middle image)
   If not reset, you can reuse the Macro created in 'Tube Tool' Part....! ( Try 'Ctrl + g')
   Select all of the 8 curves, and use the 'X-Sect Tool' in the 'Control Bar' Set the 'Order --> Cubic', (Below and Right show the Mesh)
   Rename the Mesh as "Glass Mesh"
   
   

2. In 'Top View', Create a 2 point Nurbs Curve and rename it as "Lattice", and Map the 8 'Construction Curves' of the "Glass Mesh" to "Lattice"
   

3. Still in 'Top View', Create a Nurbs Cirle , with (radius=1 Grid), Rename it as "Glass Path", 'Reconnect' the 8 'Construction Curves' of "Glass Mesh" to "Glass Path" (Below and Left)
   Note: (I have put the small "Glass Path" in 'Edit Mode', just to make it more visible !)
   You will most certainly get the Mesh now look like something weird as (Below and Right) =) ( Dont worry we will make it right again.. I hope.. =)
   

4. Select all 8 'Construction Curves' and open the 'Property Window', Click 'Gen Tab', go down to 'Lattice Space' part of that Tab
   and put 90 into the 'Rotation'´s Second 'Input Field' (Below and Left), Now you can see an almost good "Glass Mesh" (Below and Right)
   It needs alitte bit of fixing more =)
   
   Note: 'Rotation'´s 1 and 3rd 'Input Field' changes by RS3D itself, but dont worry about that !
   If Glass is upside down, just Select "Glass Path" and Rotate it (Use 'SHIFT Key' and Rotation Handles to fix it)

5. Note: See to that you have the 'Numeric Window' Open in RS, IF opened, it should be visible in lower edge of RS3D
   IF NOT --> Go to 3rd Menu called 'View' and Click (LMB) on 'NumericWindow'
   Take a 'Top View', Select "Glass Path" (Below and Left), (Be in 'Object Mode' and NOT 'Edit Mode' as I am Below just for more visibility reasons)
   Start 'Scale Tool' ('s Key') and Click 1. in Middle of "Glass Path" and Click Second time at 2.(Second Below)
   After Click at 2. Press 'n Key', Enter something similar small values as I have (3rd Below), Now "Glass Mesh" looks more like expected (Below and Right)
   

6. Now you can animate the Min/Max of "Glass Path"
   Note: "Glass Mesh" Renders abit odd, it might be due to that it is an 'Open' mesh..or something else =) or bug or just me doing something wrong again =)
   It dont show much if using materials.. ( maybe use a camouflage material to cover it up hehe =) (If you guys know, plz enlighten me hehe
   This type of mesh seem to have some problems when Min/Max are at their outer limits... close to 0 and close to 1.
   So you might need to test some NON 0 or 1 values for Min/Max for this one, since it seems to Render some even if set to exactly 0 or some other)
   Lets say you want to animate Max from 0-1, you might need to set it to, 0.0002-0.9999, or so instead, you have to test this, if needed !

End Part: Some Afterthoughts

1. So most can be 'Worked Around', one just need to try to understand some of how things are connected, and after that Create the right 'Lattices' and so on... It sometimes dont give expected/wanted results, but hehe.. some can be fun anyway so Test and use this workflow on whatever you can think of =)
   It actually can be used as a Modeling Tool.. or Shape inventor, just animate the Min/Max of the Curve(s) you Reconnected to, and you can find a shape in one or so of the Animation Frames due to the Morph that you like and are cool.... !!! ( Then Copy the Mesh and Save it off to Harddrive ! )
   
   You can for example get Crazy shapes if mapping Both 'Construction Curves' of a 'Rotational Mesh' to the same Lattice and then to a Wanted Glass Vase 'Profile Curve'. Then animate your new Glass 'Profile Curve'´s Min/Max, and you will see some hard to imagine shapes the Glass Mesh will take.. =)
   
   You can also add on other objects and/or lights ( Map them to already mapped stuff.. ) and combine several copies of same and animated them differently for cool effects.
   
   A discovery I made during this fiddling with this tutorial, was that Nurbs Curves has a bug, over a certain 'Point Count' ( it is different on different types of curves ). To keep it simple, the lowest bug trigged 'Point Count' I found was 47-48 ( 0-47 = OK ) ( 48- UP = NOT OK ) (This is for a Open Cubic Nurbs Curve). The bug, or whatever it is.. =) are visible when Editing a Curve with 48 or more points, certain ways.. Mostly when using Min/Max Slider, then curves can really get messed up badly !
   hehe I had been happy if I found this out many moons ago =) when I Did my old "Pencil Animation" ( someone might remember this pencil flying through space... its now dusty hehe )
   I had in mind also for that one to add some curves created by the 'Font Tool', to have the pencil follow it and "Paint" ! =), but this bug screwed up the curves.(yeah many of them use 100+ points). Now I can use them, I just set those font curves that has 48 or more points to 47 =) ( it mostly dont change their shape that much or at all hehe )
   Note: Some Fonts produce lower degree curves that dont seem to update the curve, but that is only in Edit, it shows up normally When Rendered ! so its ok. Some other Fonts produce curves that still mess up with Min/Max, for them try select them and use the 'Curve Tool' in the 'Nurbs Tab', set it as (Below and Left). Even at this lowest setting, it produce 4 curves for each, but just delete the 3 not needed copies of each Letter... =) (Set all having 48 or more to 47 points, if needed). Now delete the 'Curve Manager', If you dont, and modify it, then your curve changes gets lost (Due to that 'Curve Manager' CREATES new curves when modified)
   
   This discovery might help some of you guys out, I hope !
   
   (Below and Left a Closed 47 Points Cubic Curve Rendered, Below and Middle with Max Slider set to 0.6, Below and Right, Same as middle but with 48 Points =) )
   
   
   Note: A Late finding/bug, RS dont seem to always update a mapped objects placement as it should, when animating the Min/Max, (It needs 2 times in same frame to update) This make it look like the Curve is one frame ahead, and the object is placed one frame behind... =) (Anyone with ideas about this if its fixable, plz let me know) (That explains some of my headache I have had with odd renderings, when not knowing whats been wrong hehe...)
   

Credits and Final words

What is this?

A workaround for using Min/Max Sliders of Curves to control Update of Meshes
and also some tips around this and some other areas worth knowing.. I hope

Why did I do this?

I saw someone on the list ask something about this.. long time ago..
Since I had fiddle alot with this even ages ago, I got abit inspired by his post on the list.
So I come up with a kind of workaround for it.. that works pretty well in many situations, and can also be used for many other stuff...

RS3D version?

I used RS3D Version 4.5 SP1. But most should be working in older too, at least some..

Files included?

Anims directory< --> Some sample anims... 1.2 mb in total (Using DivX 5.03 codec)
Some Simple Part Project files (Load them in with Sections, and just OBJECTS checked and also RESET the 'replace' box, just on the safeside =))

Credits

Many thanks goes to Robert den Broeder, for his invaluable input, testing and comments !
and also to Frank "The Rookie" Dodd, for him always being an inspiration...to me and the list...
Of course goes my thoughts also to Vesa and Juha and all of the RS Team for their Great efforts making the, in many parts, Lovely Realsoft3D possible !!!

When?

June, 2003

Final thoughts and Done By?

I hope this can be of some use to some of you, and/or let you get some own ideas in how to use this or other workflows..
That is one of my main goals, when trying to explain my findings, to get others to start thinking, how many things can be used for stuff that one dont directly think of..

Take Care,
Best Regards
Stefan Gustafsson ( Beg-inner )
A Proud Owner and User of Real3D and Realsoft3D..

PS.
Please feel free to comment, come with suggestions or just ask if something is unclear
Send it to quakedude@mail.bip.net or you might find me on IRC ( Quakenet #Realsoft3D )