Working w/Curves & curve handles / autosmoothing, direct selection of handles?/ interpolation type?

Support Modeling
1

  1. Is there a function to automagically reduce kinking in curves? I’m doing the GB Neon tutorial and it seems like a logical function to exist (whether it does or not).

  2. Manipulating curve handles seems laborious, I suspect I’m doing it wrong. EG, it seems you have to select the control point, THEN select a handle, and once the handle is highlighted you can’t use a tool (like MOVE) to move the handle, you must use the Grab function. Just seems clumsy. I’d prefer to just have the MOVE tool on, and move around to control points and handles.

  3. is there a way to know what kind of interpolation is applied to a control point? They don’t seem to change screen representation.

2

Do you know this add-on ?
http://blender-3d.288302.n8.nabble.com/Flexi-Bezier-Tool-td237.html

3

  1. I’m not sure what you mean, it would be nice with an image or animated gif to explain better.

  2. Use the tweak tool.

  3. I think you see it if you press the v key. I’m not at the computer right now so I can’t check.

4

re: 3: yes and no, V gives you dialog to SWITCH “Handle Type” (isn’t there a better name for that? Like “interpolation” or something?) BUT it does not tell you what the current state of the handle is. ::insert predictable “info hiding” rant here:: I think it may have to do with the color of the, uhhhhhh, handle ‘arms’ (ie the handle lines) since they seem to change. IMO, too subtle.

It’s a pity: the dialog is RIGHT THERE, they (the devs) could simply tell you.

re: 1: Spline handle manipulation is never too easy AFAICT, and in 3d it’s even MORE difficult. I do like/prefer programs that change the representation of the control points based on their interpolation settings. Despite my using PShop for decades I still fumble around w/vectors.

In manipulating Curve control points in Blender, it SEEMS that the optimum workflow is:
Have the MOVE tool selected, with SELECT BOX as its Drag operation.
Select the node (which makes the handles visible)
Select the handle
Move the handle

I think yesterday’s point about “laborious” is you seem to have to reselect stuff a lot: you can’t select a bunch of points, LEAVE THEM SELECTED, and manipulate their handles at will, since as soon as you select a handle point all the others are de-Selected. (Note I keep using “seem” because I’m not convinced that I’m not missing some marvelous feature/workflow.) So, it seems excessively ‘clicky’.

In contrast, in Photoshop you can multiselect vector control nodes AND manipulate their handles without reselection . If there’s a tool in Blender that does that, I’d very much like to know which it is.