Bevel Profile Modifier

This new shape modifier is a variation on the Bevel modifier. It extrudes a shape using another shape path as the “beveling profile.”

Reference

Bevel Profile Area

Path: Displays the name of the selected path shape.

Pick Path: Click this, and then click a shape or NURBS to be used for the profile path.

Note: The orientation of the path relative to the shape is used for the profile. If you subsequently rotate the path shape, the bevel is changed as well. Thus, you can animate the bevel by animating the path.

Generate UV Coords: Check this to assign UV coordinates.

Capping Area

Start: Check this to cap the bottom of the extruded shape.

End: Check this to cap the top of the extruded shape.

Cap Type Area

Morph: Choose this for a deterministic method of capping that will provide the same number of vertices for morphing between objects.

Grid: Choose this to create gridded caps that are better for cap deformations.

Intersections Area

Keep Lines From Crossing: Check this to prevent beveled surfaces from self-intersecting. Note that this requires more processor calculation and can be time consuming in complex geometry.

Separation: This sets the distance that sides should be kept apart to prevent intersections.

Note: Although this modifier might seem similar to a loft object with varying scale, it’s actually different because different outline values are used as distances between line segments rather than as scale values. This more complex method of resizing a shape results in some levels having either more or less vertices than others, and generally works better with text, for example.

How To

Generally, you use the Bevel Profile modifier in this way:

1. Create the shape you want to bevel (preferably in the Top viewport).
2. In the Front (XZ) viewport, create a shape to be used as the beveling profile.
3. Select the first shape, and apply the Bevel Profile modifier.
4. Click the Pick Path button in the Bevel Profile modifier, and then click the profile shape.