I am trying to model a spiral staircase by parenting a step to a 3D bezier curve and then using curvepath and dupliframes. This makes the step follow the curve but all the steps are facing the same direction, instead of following the curve. If I use curvefollow, the steps do follow the curve but since the curve is 3D, the steps tilt upwards. I think what I am asking is whether it is possible to do curvefollow, but only on the x- and y-axes.
I have managed to get the desired effect by dupliframing an empty with a slight negative time offset to the same curve, and then making the step and empty dupli’s real and moving each empty to the same z-coord. as the step then making each step track its associated empty. However, this process takes a lot of time and I am desperate for a quicker solution!
Go to the tute links at the top of this section. Go to Ingiebees site. All of the old NAN tutes are there. If I remember correctly, there is a tute on this exact same question. If it is not there, then check out B@rt’s site.
BgDM
If it still won’t work, I have a tute on how to quickly copy meshes in a spiral using the spindup and screw effects. It probably isn’t very good for complex meshes though since one of the steps include alot of copies and it could possibly exceed the vertex max.
You can find it on my tute page: http://w1.185.telia.com/~u18510119/tutorials.html
pofo
These tutorials all model a spiral staircase that is a regular spiral - I want to model an irregular one using a 3D curve/path as the path for the steps to follow!
try this one: http://vrotvrot.com/xoom/tutorials/mineRide/mineride.html
it’s not really about a staircase, but the parts where he does the railway will help you.
Martin
I made a quick example of what you’re looking for. The explination is inside the .blend file in the zip.
You mean this irregular?:
If so, use the curve path and dupliframes as you were, except just before you apply dupliframes, add a rot IPO to the step object. Then it will rotate all the way up the path (make sure you set the IPO curve to extrapolation).
that’s quite a nice solution. I quite like that one!
Heh didn’t see the irregular part. Well hopefully someone will find it usefull.