Creating a curved wall or extrude from a 2d elevation

[Jim Dougherty]

For a scenic design, we're trying to take a 2D skyline and map it to a cylinder, creating a 3D shape so that the shape of the final set piece and the 2d representation could be available for use in presenting as well as construction.  Modifying wall peaks or doing a solid subtraction from an extruded cylinder seems to be good for the first part, but not the second.  Having just the skyline profile isn't useful in seeing how the final piece will look in the space.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Jim Dougherty

[Benson Shaw]

Try the Deform tool in Bend mode:

Draw your skyline, eg on the layer plane.

Then work on a duplicate of the skyline.

Change the view away from Top, eg via flyover, or use iso.

Select the duplicate . . .

Rotate 3d 90° to stand it up on the x axis. (it's still a 2d object)

Extrude it. Use negative value (extrudes away from view), or can be 0.

Engage the Deform tool, set to Bend Solid > Symmetric mode

 

Control bend amount visually, with guide objects on layer plane, or numeric by pressing tab for cursor fields.

     Make sure the protractor is on the layer plane.

Some advantage to 0 extrusion for planning construction.  Vertical frame posts and studs can be inserted, and will not have curved faces.

 

-B

 

 

 

Edited March 30 by Benson Shaw
you can't get good from evil

[Jim Dougherty]

Deform tool is the ticket; not too hard to figure out how to work it and it did just what I was looking to do. Thanks so much!