Simply Maya User Community - View Single Post - How to make DNA strings that form a circle?

Here is a method I developed for creating a helical curve along a path. It has many applications including modeling a rope, cable, twisted wires, and other organic helical shapes. It has advantages over using the built in helix primitive in that you can control the path of the helix precisely.

-Rick

https://youtu.be/4QoQqt4yoXo

For the bars that go between the helix you can use an animation snapshot. I have a tutorial someplace on the site for creating a chain and fence posts that demonstrates that workflow. The idea is you sweep a bar along the same path as the one used for the helix and key it's rotation at each cv along the path.

Cheers

Originally Posted by ctbram

I can just fill in one gap with the lines and then duplicate them in the same shape for each gap, as they're all same size. Once I'll combine them into a single mesh, I just put in a bend deformer and it will be perfect.
Thanks for the tips though, might consider using them for other stuff that doesn't have a pattern.

Now I just have to find the time (although should be less than 5 minutes) to do that. Every time I want to work on something, I figure out there's more to do and it all depends on which team members are on. -.-