Now, as you could read toward the bottom of that page, I find the Width parameter quite misbehaved. I haven’t found much use to it and, since this is so unusual for Blender, I suspect that I missed the train on that one.
Could anyone of you guys open my eyes on what good it does that can’t be achieved better otherwise, as I described in the tutorial ?
Theeth explained that the scaling occurs relative to the tangents.
That’s that much gained only I still can’t find much advantage for it, except maybe speed …
I guess that I am after something intelligent to say to the reader, desperately.
The width parameter is just a scaling parameter.
For curve objects it’s just scaling between something around 0 and 2.
For beveled curves it gives the offset of the BevOb ( its pivot point, respectivaly) to the actual curve. 1 means the pivot point of the BevOb is on the actual curve, 0 it is -1 blender unit shiftet and 2 it is +1 blender unit shiftet.
Nothing, what couldn’t be done by regular scaling or moving the pivot point.
But in some cases it my be usefull to fine tune the size (or the gauge (track?) for a roler coaster ) or to avoid artefacts if the curve makes a sharp bending at some point.
Is there more ?
(Oh I forgot to mention that the width parmameter is a wunderfull way to pronounce the knots in 3D curves )
I suspect that the width parameter is just useful to add some thickness to curves… However, I never used it…
While looking at your tutorial and especially to your example file for paths, I just asked myself a question. It’s a problem that I have since a long time, but I never found a solution. Is it possible to make a path that makes a looping without having the bevel or the curve-follow parented objects that totally screw up?? I know that with the T key you can tweak the things around, but it’s never possible to obtain a perfect an beautiful looping that doesn’t screw up by turning around… Is there another solution, or what’s wrong??
That would do for the GameEngine as it has physics but for regular animation path curves are the way of choice as they allow to extrude rails and manage the animation at the same time.
I’m inching toward that goal, really.
Don’t despair : there is a way.
Unfortunately, I really have to go though considerations about curves in general and extrusion by BevOb first as those are the basics of roller coaster.
You might want to keep checking out the Elysiun Chat forum for announcements.
Also check out : http://pages.infinit.net/bobois/curves_3D05_cobra_compresse.zip
It’s not a loop as such but it should get into trouble in the same way and doesn’t ; notice the orientation of the Zaxis since all the secret is in it.
Move one vertice at a time and pay attention to the reaction of the little bars (well, more like plate in that case…).
There a lenghtier explanation of how to interpret the gadget at the start of my last tutorial http://membres.lycos.fr/bobois/Tuts/Extrusion_par_bev_ob/Ext1_Ext2/Ext1_Ext2_en.html
Thank you pamtango, you’re right sometimes the screw technique may help!
And thank you iaminnocent, after having read your first tutorial everything is much more clear. Afterwards I was able to create a looping perfectly beveled. Your tutorials are really great since they are very precise and really explain the detail the features that most of the other tutorials only use without explaining further.
And what are you telling about your work done by the end of the month? You’re implementing something related to that?
Good if it helped you.
I try to make tutorials like I would like to find myself : this may not agree with everybody but it seems to be good enough for a number of people and that’s what’s counting.
I intend to make a complete cycle on curves by the end of the month.
Then I’ll finish with the extrusions (of surfaces, procedural, modelling, spin, screw and the rest.)
Hopefully, I’ll also reorganize and finish my serie on UVmapping.
Past that I guess that I’ll retire ; just kidding.
But I’d like to take some time to learn to code properly, at the very least in Python.
Your tutorials are really great since they are very precise and really explain the detail the features that most of the other tutorials only use without explaining further.