How to create this angled spiral shape?

[suz]

Hi guys,

 

I desperately need to create this ribbon shape and I have no idea how. Cannot find any decent tutorials. I managed to extrude a nurb curve but it's flat and not angled as show. 

Can anyone help please?

 

Many many thanks in advance.

 

Su

 

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/kk5rwqmli5gb4v34cvobc/Screenshot-2023-07-26-at-10.35.24.png?rlkey=nh4rn8obvailz2ar67953euu3&dl=0

[suz]

Hi guys,

 

I desperately need to create this ribbon shape and I have no idea how. Cannot find any decent tutorials. I managed to extrude a nurb curve but it's flat and not angled as shown below.

Can anyone help please?

 

Many many thanks in advance.

 

Su

 

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/kk5rwqmli5gb4v34cvobc/Screenshot-2023-07-26-at-10.35.24.png?rlkey=nh4rn8obvailz2ar67953euu3&dl=0

[Kevin Allen]

use the 3D PowerPack>create helix spiral command. Duplicate the spiral. IIRC, you may have to unground and rebuild the nurbs.  Select the spirals and use the Loft Surface Tool then the shell Solids tool

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

16 minutes ago, Kevin Allen said:

use the Loft Surface Tool

Kevin's method is spot on. If I can add something which may or may not affect what you are doing.  When you loft the curves, have "ruled" selected.  I have noticed that you can get a slightly undesired bend if "Ruled" is not selected when lofting spiral curves.

[Kevin Allen]

19 minutes ago, VIRTUALENVIRONS said:

Kevin's method is spot on

If very broad stroke. 

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

I took another look at the image.  It appears to taper and is not vertical in the loft.  Is this something like what you want to do.

Edited July 26, 2023 by VIRTUALENVIRONS

[Kevin K]

Yeah, that example image was a bit difficult to really understand that curve.  Seems likes like it is 'meandering' a bit ??

Not exactly what @suz was after.

Another way....much simpler, if @suz just wanted more of a 'candy cane' look, is to create a spiral helix object, like Kev mentioned, and create a rectangle (or whatever shape) and do an extrude along path.

The spiral helix object can then be tweaked with as many turns as one wanted, etc.

 

[Benson Shaw]

Looks like one edge starts at floor, close to column and ends well below ceiling and away from column.  Other edge starts away from column and ends at ceiling close to column.  So NURBS to track the ribbon edges, Loft (Ruled). Adjust the edge NURBS if needed, Loft again.  When satisfied, Shell.

 

-B

 

Ribbon.vwx

Edited July 26, 2023 by Benson Shaw
Shell game

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

I came to the same conclusion as Benson, but I did it with Loft Nurbs Surface instead.  I use Duplicate along a path, Loft surface, shell, etc.  If I was doing it for real I would attach a "Local Coordinate System" to each curve to tweak the curve as required.

 

Many ways to accomplish the same goal.

[Jeff Prince]

1 hour ago, Benson Shaw said:

Looks like one edge starts at floor, close to column and ends well below ceiling and away from column.  Other edge starts away from column and ends at ceiling close to column.  So NURBS to track the ribbon edges, Loft (Ruled). Adjust the edge NURBS if needed, Loft again.  When satisfied, Shell.

 

-B

 

You beat me to it today 🙂

It's reminiscent of the Möbius strip, but actually possible within VWX.

 

Now, does anyone know how to turn geometry into...

a light fixture that will do lit fog...

within Vectorworks?

 

I know the glow trick with materials and the fog trick with environmental lighting and fixtures.

I just don't know how to set geometry to do the job instead of a light fixture, or if it is even possible.

Seems it is not, but I could be wrong.

 

 

[Kevin K]

You guys realize it may be that when Suz reads and processes all this her /his head could explode 🙂

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

 

 

8 hours ago, Kevin K said:

her /his head could explode

Yes, as we have yet to hear from the afore mentioned "Suz", they may have gone another route, even though It is a very simplistic shape.

 

I don't think this will ever change though.  So much of 3D is available in libraries or created by the program itself (walls, roofs, site model, etc) that basic modelling seems to be a  dying art, in the VW community anyway.

 

If you look at the Rhino Forum, there is seldom a question that is not about the fundamentals of using 3D tools.  In VW's the subject comes up once or twice a week and most questions are "how does VW's do this for me".

 

 

Edited July 27, 2023 by VIRTUALENVIRONS

[Kevin K]

Paul

Yeah, you have a point. I imagine for many VW users they just want to get a job done with as few clicks as necessary 🙂

Day to day for most architects and residential designers, like myself even, more complex 3d tool usage really isn't needed for designing a home.

That said...it is so damn much fun to delve into the world of nurbs and lofts!! 🙂

 

 

[Kevin Allen]

15 hours ago, jeff prince said:

Now, does anyone know how to turn geometry into...

a light fixture that will do lit fog...

within Vectorworks?

I would try, no promises, extracting the surface, nudging the new object in 3D space, and using the Modify>Convert>Convert to Area Light Command. That hasn't seen any love in way too long and the shape might be too complex, but worth a shot.

[Kevin Allen]

30 minutes ago, Kevin K said:

Day to day for most architects and residential designers, like myself even, more complex 3d tool usage really isn't needed for designing a home.

 

but for those of us in show business, we need these tools.

[Kevin K]

Kev, no disrespect...of course you need those tools 🙂 

[Mark Aceto]

15 hours ago, jeff prince said:

Now, does anyone know how to turn geometry into...

a light fixture that will do lit fog...

within Vectorworks?

 

I know the glow trick with materials and the fog trick with environmental lighting and fixtures.

I just don't know how to set geometry to do the job instead of a light fixture, or if it is even possible.

Seems it is not, but I could be wrong.

 

I think the question about emissive materials answered itself. Would you mind sharing your file, so I can test something?

[Kevin Allen]

1 minute ago, Mark Aceto said:

I think the question about emissive materials answered itself. Would you mind sharing your file, so I can test something?

How did the question answer itself?

[Jeff Prince]

49 minutes ago, Mark Aceto said:

 

I think the question about emissive materials answered itself. Would you mind sharing your file, so I can test something?

 

Thanks for looking into it.

Note, I tried turning a portion of the ribbon into a light fixture and made the other portions glow materials.

I would like to learn more about lighting within Vectorworks, solving this lit fog effect would be really useful.

 

spiral final-to forum.vwx

[suz]

Guys! I am SO grateful for the above!

thanks so much! Unfortunately my notifications were off and I missed all of this! (school girl error) I am practicing the above now and will get back to you if any issues!

 

LOVE THIS COMMUNITY 🙂

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

Hi Suz,

Enclosed is a NURBS geometry file and on the second layer the geometry.

It will be different than the other methods, but all are good.  Select loft surfaces, No Rail Mode, and pick off each line at their top.  This will create a ribbon.  Use Shell tool to get the thickness.

 

I use this method more often for its greater control.

 

H_1.vwx

[Benson Shaw]

Still thinking about this.  My example above is cupped/bowed between the edge NURBS curves.  Here is an alternate version to prevent the cupping.

@VIRTUALENVIRONS That Dupe Along Path is useful for loft setup in many situations, but here, the edges cross (in plan). I guess one could sequentially rotate the dupes.

 

-B

 

 

 

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

Hi Benson,

Beautiful. As I often mention, I don't understand the Language of Architecture.  What does cupping mean?

 

regards....Paul

[Benson Shaw]

@VIRTUALENVIRONS  Cupping is more of a carpentry/woodworking term.  The effect of the surface of a board raised at the edges or if you flip it over, the center is raised.  Wood/lumber often cups after it gets wet, or even from uneven drying between milling and sales point.  My original loft between the two edges suffered from this. See it in the side view of my loft and shell. In my tests, no amount of "matched" point edge redux (thanks again for that tip!), degree adjustment, extending shorter one (cut back the loft after), etc pulled the cup to flat.

 

-B

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

HI Benson,

Yes, I think I know what you mean.....but maybe not.  I used a "ladder" method I suppose.  I lofted cross sections.

I don't know if you remember the Lattice thread.  I created a lattice work for a fellow, but someone noticed that the Lattices did not intersect exactly, they cupped in an odd way.  I did not notice at first as it was minimal.  Then I realized that lofting to NURBS curves together brought the NURBS math with it, which would create a bend, bow or cup.  

I fixed this by just lofting two curves together with Ruled selected.   Does this sound like what you are doing?

 

Kind regards.....Paul