Where are these curve tools in 2.81?

Support Modeling
1

Currently having a hard time to make an outline from curve for those familiar with 3ds max this was very easy to do with the outline tool in property panel.

I also have tried the curve tools addon that is included in 2.81 but it is only working on very simple shape like square or circle but anything a little more complex is not working.

This is the kind of shape i want to outline ;

cuve_tool_02
cuve_tool_021608Ă—1044 1.04 MB

In blender i start googling and got to a stack exchange thread mentioning these tools were implemented in the Google summer of code 2016 but i cannot find them in recent version of Blender so were they simply ignored and they didn’t make it in 2.8?

Here a picture ;

curve_tools
curve_tools918Ă—782 62.3 KB

2

I think the following did that decently:

3

Hi Lumpengnom,

I have it already install but i am not sure where they are in the menu, i already tried offset curve from the context menu and it’s not working on complex shape.

4

OK i found the cad tool but there is no offset curve tool in their panel, the only offset curve is on top contextual menu but it doesn’t seem to be related to cad tool since they are organize all together.

The offset curve in top menu don’t work at all if curve a little complex.

Here a picture ;

cuve_tool_03
cuve_tool_031608Ă—1044 952 KB

5

Yes, it is a bit weird. You have to go to Add -> Toolpath -> Offset.

edit: Ah, nevermind. I just tried and it probably doesn’t do what you want. The offset line that is created is consists of subdivided curves which do not keep their bezier handles.

6

It seem i am out of luck but i just ask Nasser from the bsmax addon if it would be possible to port it.

I know complex math are involved in such a tool so it might not be an easy one to do.

7

Actually, it is mathematically impossible to offset a bezier curve and get another bezier curve in most cases (except for straight lines and hermetic curves): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BĂ©zier_curve#Offsets_(a.k.a._stroking)_of_BĂ©zier_curves
Thats, why you will always have some kind of approximation, in this case it is using polygon splines.

If you want, you can send me the file or some part of it and I can look into it and see why the add-on does not produce the desired result.

1 Like
8

Thank lichtso but i manage to get excellent result with Inkscape outset, the only thing that bother me is having to export and scale but at least it is faster than doing it by hand.

Since Inkscape is open source i am surprised no one port that feature to Blender yet or maybe it’s not possible with current curves system in Blender.

9

interesting tools for curves

is the addon bezier-curve-cad-tools

available in 2.8 now ?

thanks
happy bl

10

Hi Ricky,

Already using it for the fillet and chamfer but there is not outline like in 3ds max. I also tried the curve tool create outline addon but it doesn’t work on any complex shape unfortunately.

At least Inkscape outset is doing a really good job at it since doing these by hand when you have hundred of them can quickly become a nightmare.