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Date: Thu, 25 Apr 1996 12:52:18 -0700
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From: pthorn@erinet.com (Phil Thorn)
To: Multiple recipients of list <lightwave@garcia.com>
Subject: Re: Importing 3ds "loft" paths into LWM-- how??
X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas
Status: RO
X-Status:
Here's what I've done in the past.....
This is related to Lightwave so bear with me...:-)
In 3DS' 2D shaper make a very small 3 point triangle. The smaller the better.
Go to the lofter and set up your path.
Import the triangle and center it on the path.
Loft the shape making sure to select "Tween" in the pop-up so all of the path
steps are used...also use a high detail setting. Save the 3DS object.
OK...here's the LW part...
Import the object into modeler. "k"ill the polys leaving only the points
of the triangles. Do a ""m"erge points with an absolute setting the
size of the tiny triangle shape. (which is probably huge in LW!) This will
merge all the original shape points into single points in the shape of the
3DS path. The hardest part is selecting the remaining points in order...esp.
with a helix or overlapping path. After selecting the points hit ctrl-p to
convert to a spline and there you go!
If you need to use 3DS' path settings like scale and taper make the original
triangle larger and you can make three rails out of the remaining points to do
a multiple rail extrude that will even approximate the teeter and banking of
the 3DS path.
Hope this helps....I hardly touch 3DS any more so let me know if this isn't
clear enough and I'll try to clarify it.
-Phil
> OK, here's a good one, and a slap at modal interfaces too!
>
> Is there any way to import the points used in a 3ds LOFT path (sorry if
> incorrect terminology) as raw, seething vertices in LWM? Since 3ds is
> very
> (very)
> modal, this does not seem to be possible, since loft points are not
> equivalent
> to LWM vertices, and are seemingly unconvertable into normal 3ds vertices.
