Twisted Extrude Along Path - Challenging Columns

[James Russell]

Hi All,

 

I'm currently drawing a lovely old theatre in Melbourne called the Palais Theatre.

 

A picture below shows the rather extravagant proscenium which in particular is framed by a set of rotated columns which arc into the ceiling.

 

 

Drawing these as Extrude Along Path as basic circular geometry and a cute texture applied is fairly straight forward, and fine for this project's context, however it does beg the question;

 

How would we do this as an actual solid?

 

Find the attached example file for discussion.

 

Save views are included to look at the individual components however as an overview;

 

• Extrude Along Path (shown in two examples) is the overall end goal however EAP doesn't have a 'Twist' component.
• Twisted Columns could be created, as shown in the two examples, by Deforming an existing shape or using a Pitched Sweep function.

 

• Notably there are probably further thoughts on a loft between two twisted rails, or a Duplicate Along Path with No Rails Loft Objects following.

 

I'm interested if anyone has any super creative and/or obvious easy ways I've overlooked.

 

Hope you're all well.

 

J

 

 

231212 - Twist Along Path Challange.vwx

[Tom W.]

You could try Create Helix-Spiral command along a path then Extrude Along Path.

See this video at 4:17:

 

[James Russell]

Hi @Tom W.,

 

What an excellent suggestion as I'd never considered the Helix Spiral beyond a straight vector before!

 

I'll leave this post open for a little longer incase there's other crafty critters out there with alternatives... in the name of science that is!

 

Cheers,

 

J

 

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

 

 

7 hours ago, James Russell said:

n the name of science that is!

I was playing with this last night for a bit, but was getting strange results using VW 2022, so I did not post.  Wondering if you found the same.

 

Went back at it this morning.

1. I could not get the number of spirals I wanted in the main dialogue box.  It seemed to top out at 20, but I was able to get what I wanted after in the Object Info Palette.

2. When doing the EAP, the dialogue box would not fix the profile so the flat edge of the spiral was parallel to the post. It wanted to look more like a thread, pointy.  Again, I was able to fix this after by using the Edit Group features.

 

Was eventually able to get what I wanted though.

 

 

[James Russell]

@VIRTUALENVIRONS,

 

I did encounter the same two issues you mentioned;

1. Both the Dialog at creation and the Object Info Panel seemed to max out the number of turns / pitch (both around the same relative value). Ideally, as shown in the reference image, I would have liked a pitch of around 70º but could only achieve something closer to 50º with my variables. I ended up having to duplicate my path to create a second helix 180º out of phase - but would still like to know why I couldn't get the pitch/turns much much tighter.
2. I found great issues trying to do the EAP with a Locked Profile Plane, which in your example would have the flat of the Profile Object maintained perpendicular to the Cylinder. I opted for an octagon for my extrusion (compromising for roundness vs polygon count) but would still like to know why the square I originally tried both failed multiple times and/or took incredibly long to generate.

Very nice result though in your example image - well done!

Edited December 12, 2023 by James Russell
Typos

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

16 hours ago, James Russell said:

but would still like to know why the square I originally tried both failed

The mysteries of VW's.  Took a closer look at the Helix-spiral.  Great tool, but not a normal one.  It appears to be a hybrid 2D/3D, like Terrain.  Too modify the curve with other tools you have to "convert to group" first.  I think this is why I was able to get the profile plane correct in edit mode, where VW's saw it as a NURBS curve, but I am guessing.