Dupliframe modelling error??

Support Basics & Interface
1

Hello folks!

I have bit of trouble trying to model a tyre using dupliframes. I followed several tutorials but at a certain point it always messes up.

Here’s what I do:

At first i create the crossection shape of the tyre as a 2D curve, using a bezier circle as starting point. Then I use “Center New”.

Next, I create a bezier circle for the path. I make it a 3D path and then select “CurvePath” and “CurveFollow”.

Then I make the circle a normal parent to the shape curve and adjust the track and up axis. Using ALT-O I clear the origin as well, so I have the shape where I want it.

So far so good. When I use ALT-A now, it shows exactly the shapes I want to see. And when I select “Dupliframes” all the shapes in the right place as well.

CTRL-SHIFT-A to make them real, is also no problem.

But now, when I press CTRL-J to join them, all shapes jump away from their postions to an arrangement that looks like they had been pressed against an invisible plain that runs through the bezier circle path.

Hard to describe…

Anyone got an idea what goes wrong here? I’m using Blender 2.34 on Linux, by the way.

Thanks in advance!

See ya.

2

do you have 3d turned on in your beizure curve? If not, joining them makes em all 2d as one object.

3

Enzoblue has the correct answer I think.

Other things to try:

Make sure you are using a “nurbs surface” for the circle you are dupliframing so the you can skin them later.

Do a ctrl-a (apply size and rotation) to both the path and the object to be dupliframed before parenting.

Try alt-p (clear parent and keep transformation) before joining with ctrl-j

If the above doesn’t work post the blend file.

GreyBeard

4

forget dupliframes. make a bezier circle, and a second, smaller one. select the larger, go to edit buttons, search the field “BevOb” and type in the name of the smaller circle. instant tyre. you can go and tweak the shape of the smaller circle to achieve a more realistic tyre.

5

First of all… thanks a lot! It really solved that problem. But… sigh after that the next problem arises.

Now the bezier crossections stay in place once I joined them. Now I enter into the edit mode and select all vertices. When I press F now to skin it I get the error “can’t make segment”. And I can’t imagine why.

Any ideas? I have put the blender file (88k) on my website if anyone could take a look? Thanks a lot!

http://www.jusenkyo.de/radialtyre.blend

See ya!

6

When I press F now to skin it I get the error “can’t make segment”. And I can’t imagine why.

You can only skin (f key) Nurbs surface style curves.
From the menu:

Add -> Surface -> Nurbs Curve

You must create your cross section from this type of curve if you wish to skin. See my post above.
Tip: Just before “making your dupli’s real” save your file in case you get the black surface on the outside instead of the inside. If the black surface is on the wrong side reload your saved file, select your path, in edit mode select all the verts and press w -> switch direction. This switches the direction of your curve. Now continue as before and the black surface will be flipped.

GreyBeard

P.S. If you haven’t watched my tutorial movie on dupliframing download it at: http://www.blender3d.ch/pluschke/dupliframe.avi
It explains all this.

7

Ah yes. Everything ok now.

Thanks for the help folks. I think I now unterstand when to use dupliframes, bevel or spin dup.

Thanks again!

See ya