basic 3d modeling questions from a beginner

[MattG]

So I am trying to do some 3d modeling for a project I am working on. I am trying to just use the loft and fillet tools and whatever I draw wont allow that? Can someone give me a real quick breakdown or example of how to use those. The vectorworks help section on this wasn't much help because I just guess mine wasn't working like theirs...

thanks,

Matt

[Guest]

Do you have a sketch of the object you are trying to create?

[MattG]

I found an example in the vectorworks help one for the loft where there were 3 planes in a cross section and they were lofted together and I was just simply trying to fillet a cube that was an extruded square. No luck. The fillet tool in the model-3d power pack is grayed out.

[Guest]

When you select the cube, what does the top of the Obj Info Palette read as the object type? (Mesh, Solid Addition, Solid Subtraction, Generic Solid, 3D poly, Extrude ... )

[MattG]

EXTRUDE

[Guest]

So, if you select the Extrude, the "Fillet Edge Tool" in the 3D Modeling toolset is grayed out?

That's probably related to something haywire with your plugins.

Have you recently changed the type of VW you are using (Go from Arch to fundamentals) or installed custom plugins, or moved the VW folder?

Have you tried restarting the computer?

What OS are you using?

[propstuff at MJLA]

Matt,

The Fillet in the 3D power-pack is a Command for filetting NURBS surfaces.

What you want is the Fillet Edge Tool in the 3D Tool Pallett.

N.

Edited May 24, 2007 by propstuff at MJLA

[MattG]

Cool, so the fillet tool in the 3d modeling worked. Now my question is still on how to use the 3d powerpack fillet? I created a nurbs surface and still nothing. Also the loft. Any help on that? I have some time and am trying to learn to use these tools, but the help menu in vectorworks isn't too helpful.

I am currently running spotlight and have only run spotlight on this machine. It is 12.5. I have not messed with plugins

WinXP SP2

[Guest]

You need TWO nurbs surfaces. You may want to take a look at the section in the User's Guide or online help about using the Fillet menu.

Where are you having problems w/ lofting?

What types of objects do you have set up to loft together?

When posting, please be as specific as possible to the problem you are having, including any pertinent object information, to resolve the issues quickly.

Saying something like " I'm using a tool and it's not working" doesn't help us understand where the problem is or even where to start to look.

[MattG]

Sorry I explained it more clearly in the first post. It was simple. In the vectorworks help menu it goes into how to perform a loft and before doing it on my specific use I tried to use it in the scenario in the help menu. One where there are three planes at different elevations that are all different sizes and lofting them together. I create three planes and then when I select the loft tool it will not let me select the planes as described in the help menu. Am I not creating the proper type of plane?

Please help.

[Cris with no H]

What kinds of planes are you making? Extrudes? 3D polys? Nurbs curve? Nurbs Surfaces? Meshes?

[MattG]

I have this figured out