Would like some help with paths.

Support Modeling
1

I’m making a crossguard for a sword, and its shaped like a flowing tube.

This is what I’ve done so far, but I have a few questions.
http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/2193/somehelpwithcrossguards.th.jpg

  • I want to cap each end of the paths with a dome, kind of like the the handle end of a broomstick.

  • I also would like to know how to remove the bezier circles I’m using as the extrusion objects for the paths.

Can you help me?

2

you’ll need to convert it to a mesh. ( alt C ). once you do that you can make a UV sphere and chop it in half and join it to the hilt.

3

Huh. Thats kind of a strange shape for a sword quillion.

OK first things first delete the circles they are not needed in this case (yes I know the beziers will be reduced to the thickness of a hair)

Next navigate to the object data tab for the beziers

  1. in the drop down under “Fill” select “Full”
  2. under Geometry up the “bevel depth” untill your bezier looks the way you want it to.
  3. then you probably want a “Bevel Resolution” of 1
  4. back under “Shape” take the resolution slider down from 12 as this will probably be way more high poly than necessary. In this case I will go out on a limb and say that you want 5.

Next once you are satisfied with these settings duplicate your bezier as the next step is unrevokable, and move it to another layer just in case you want to come back to it. Then use ALT+C and select “Mesh from Curve”. Congratulations your bezier is now a mesh object which can have its ends domed and be UV unwrapped.

4

Okay I’ve done that. But since the circles have been deleted, the curves are now channeled (the middle partition is lower then the sides.)

So can I also do the same steps and keep the tubed look?

5

Wait a tic.

Can I also do it by converting everything, including the Bezier circles used in shaping the paths, to a mesh, and then delete the now normal ring of edges, and then add in some UV spheres like you said?

6

If you follow my directions you will end up with a perfectly tubular and easily edited (domed ends) mesh