Introduction to Maya - Rendering in Arnold
This course will look at the fundamentals of rendering in Arnold. We'll go through the different light types available, cameras, shaders, Arnold's render settings and finally how to split an image into render passes (AOV's), before we then reassemble it i
# 1 18-02-2007 , 10:18 AM
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Posts: 16

How do you give lofted polygonal planes thickness?

Yet another weird question from the architecture student...

I've lofted some curves together, with the loft tool set to triangular polygons. Now I'm trying to give those planes thickness. I assume that it would involve some kind of extrude command, but I can't figure it out for the life of me. The only info I could find was for extruding individual faces, and since the geometry i fairly complex, that would be annoying. It's also problematic since I plan on building this thing on an RP machine and I need nice smooth planes, no weird gaps between extruded faces.

I will be very, very grateful to whoever solves the plane thickening mystery, it's driving me crazy!

# 2 18-02-2007 , 10:20 AM
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Posts: 16
I forgot to add the pictures!

Attached Thumbnails
# 3 18-02-2007 , 10:22 AM
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Posts: 16
And a wireframe view of why I don't really want to extrude every face individually unless I really, really have to...

Attached Images
# 4 18-02-2007 , 11:43 AM
wasatch5_sparticus's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: my house!!
Posts: 261

Originally posted by evelyne
And a wireframe view of why I don't really want to extrude every face individually unless I really, really have to...

You don't have to do it individually... you can select all planes and make sure that the extrusion options say to "keep faces together", "extrude", and things should work for you pretty nicely!

Sparticus


Expect to excell...
# 5 18-02-2007 , 10:48 PM
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Posts: 16
Thanks, Sparticus. I tried what you suggested, and got results, but it's still not quite what I'm looking for. I got some thickness, but the edges are still sharp, presumably because of the triangulation. What I'm looking for is more along the lines of every triangulated plane becoming a triangular prism with even thickness and then those triangular prisms being joined smoothly where they intersect one another. Any suggestions?

Attached Images
# 6 19-02-2007 , 10:50 AM
NeoStrider's Avatar
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
Posts: 1,541
i think instead you could duplicate your 'across' curves, move them down, and do a loft between the 'across' curves, then do a loft for the 'up-and-down' curves on each side...


Accept no substitutions.
# 7 20-02-2007 , 04:04 PM
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Posts: 16
Heeeeey, that sounds pretty smart, NeoStrider. Makes sense... I'll have to combine the four planes for the RP machine to read it as a solid, but it should work out. Thanks!

Posting Rules Forum Rules
You may not post new threads | You may not post replies | You may not post attachments | You may not edit your posts | BB code is On | Smilies are On | [IMG] code is On | HTML code is Off

Similar Threads