modeling a bunch of tubes

# 1 19-05-2006 , 04:46 PM

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I´m searching for a method to model a bunch of tubes going from the back of the head/helmet into a backpack. it should look like a wryly twisted bunch of wires like say tied dread locks. material should be plastic/cable like.

I´ve created bout 15 curves and extruded circles along them. aranging the tubes so they don´t intersect each other too much is a heck lot of work and still - it doesn´t look real. just like a bunch of nurbs.

maybe someone has an idea or seen this kind of modeling somewhere. poly/subD/nurbs doesn´t matter as long as it looks fine. in the end it is needed in polygons.

thx for reading!

everything starts and ends in the right place at the right time.

Last edited by Falott; 19-05-2006 at 05:09 PM.

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# 2 19-05-2006 , 06:32 PM

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mebbe if we had an image to look at it would help?
As for the basic creation idea, that's probably how I would have done it. Although I think a lot of your problems might be solved when you texture it (just a possibility).

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# 3 19-05-2006 , 06:55 PM

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That would be how I would do it...

You could always add some little details, like isoparm out some segments and alternate large and small so that it looks like a verigated piece of tubing...so its not just a smooth tube look. Or add some textures.

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# 4 21-05-2006 , 07:50 PM

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thx for your suggestions so far. texturing has to be the last point considered for finishing the cables off only. character, cables included will be animated and therefor as much tangible substance as possible is needed.

here is a pic what I mean. sure - in the end the cable arrangement will look pretty different from that, but I´m still figuring out my basic approach. I´ll try with creating a straight bunch of cables next. for easier modeling and deform it later with lattice or something.

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everything starts and ends in the right place at the right time.

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# 5 22-05-2006 , 02:14 AM

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actually, I was thinking more a picture of what you were getting as results. And though creating straight tubes and then bending them into shape with a deformer might work I think I'd have started with a tube in just about the right posistion to start with (like it sounds like you were doing originally).

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# 6 22-05-2006 , 03:05 AM

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Try this tutorial...it kinda gives you one of the wire looks you are going for...if you make your EP curve varied in both the x and y planes, then you can get a more random extrude. Then you could just random the rotation values to get various shapes...and move the final vertice components to make it not so basic and repeating.

https://www.christerb.com/tutorials/m...ral/index.html

Here is my try at it...

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# 7 23-05-2006 , 05:39 PM

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Fallot

You could follow that tute or select all tubes go to animation Menu set deformers>non linear twist.

That will do it

Cheers
Jay

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# 8 24-05-2006 , 05:46 AM

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thx guys, I´ll try that soon. right now a xylem for documentary prod is keeping me busy. I´ll post updates on the cable thing when I have some time left.

everything starts and ends in the right place at the right time.

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modeling a bunch of tubes

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