Hi!
How can I best model/generate a spiral? With a roughly rectangular cross section. With walls that are exactly touching, no gap, no overlap. Kinda like a nautilus shell.
I already got close to that in a rough and dirty way.
But I also need the spiral to go up towards the center, like a ramp. That means the surface has to stay horizontal when seen from the path the spiral takes.
Thanks for any input!
go to the wiki script section and download the threads or bolts script
then you can select a 4 segments and generates your 4 sides helix in 3D
thre is also a post about twisted so you can make a search on it right here if this forum
it was threre this week again i think so ahve a look on it
there are several methods to do it !
Salutations
I would guess either the screw tool:- http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Manual/Basic_Mesh_Tools
or the Array Modifier:- http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Manual/Array_Modifier
but perhaps you could adapt this:- http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?t=95654
I’m sure I saw something else that would be of some use, but I can’t remember exactly what it was or what to search for.
Found it; Shell Factory.
It is in French, but it looks like just what you need:- http://cobalt3d.free.fr/ressources_python/factory_script_90.htm
There is a Nautilus preset - just had a quick play with it - looks nice - lots of vertices though if you convert to mesh.
Oxystele, perhaps ?
I just discovered this is already in the scripts catalogue - under Wizards.
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Scripts/Catalog
It may return errors in 2.45
Having trouble visualizing what you’re after from you’re first post, but I’ve had good results making sprial staircases (essentially bumpy ramps) using a combination of an array mod for the step, a curve mod with a circle as a basis, and another curve mod with a rising curve as a basis. Gives you a lot of control, since you can edit the curves to get what you want, and see the results in real-time. Order of the mods matters - be sure to experiment with the order in the stack a bit if you don’t get what you think you should be getting.
Thanks, you’re great people!
Seems I have a lot to try, which I didn’t get around to today.
Here’s a sketch to show what I’m after (with more turns, of course):
