Create a quadra circle like a shell with visuells in VW

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

As often, there are a dozen ways to do this.  Responding to your question was my first thought, but you could simply extrude a non tapered version of this and use the cut tool.

[grant_PD]

@Pat Stanford@VIRTUALENVIRONS  This time around I used the deform/bend option so I could get the right profile in elevation. 

My issue with building all of the profile curves to do a simple loft is that whenever I try to duplicate along a path to get all of the profiles aligned VW rotates them in like the worst possible way.  I can't figure out the secret sauce to getting them line up nicely PERPINDICULAR to the path?

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

Couple of things.  Look at Keep Original Orientation in the DAP palette.  Also, 2D curves respond differently than 3D curves.  If the 3D curve has Z values, the profiles will rotate as you are seeing.  This is actually desirable for many applications.

 

There is more, but trial and error is the best learning curve.

Edited August 19 by VIRTUALENVIRONS

[grant_PD]

@Jeff Prince I did that method with great success.  I avoid using that tool as it is a dead end process, ie. there is no backing out of it and changing it once you are done.  And it worked great, then my client asked for the path to be based off an ellipse rather than a curve, so that killed the deform tool option.  I ended up making half the curve, placing extruded rectangles evenly along the path (per @VIRTUALENVIRONS), extracting the faces of the curves, then lofting them.  After that, mirror to the other side. 

 

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

Good stuff.  What can we morph this thread into next?  

[bcd]

Another approach,

 

 

(hmm I'll have to ponder whether this creates a true ellipse or not)

 

Edited August 20 by bcd

[VIRTUALENVIRONS]

54 minutes ago, bcd said:

Another approach

Nice approach, but why did you extract a surface and shell. it appears the same as step three.

 

I never use these tools so I am probably missing something.

[grant_PD]

@bcd the taper face makes the run from high to low go at a straight line.  In my version, a flattened elevation would also look like a section of an ellipse.

 

[bcd]

5 minutes ago, VIRTUALENVIRONS said:

Nice approach, but why did you extract a surface and shell. it appears the same as step three.

So the top is flat

[bcd]

4 minutes ago, grant_PD said:

@bcd the taper face makes the run from high to low go at a straight line.  In my version, a flattened elevation would also look like a section of an ellipse.

gottcha - then maybe a spiral>an arc>loft>rescale on y>shell