Drap canvas covering

[J. Wallace]

Hi

I'm sure this is an easy task for a few of you. I have a landscape structure which I'm going to place some canvas on as a temp. roof during the summer months. Having this bow in the middle slightly would be a nice touch.. so any tips on what I should do beyond making a 3d polygon?

Thanks very much in advance.

Edited November 29, 2013 by J. Wallace

[J. Wallace]

Here is the .vwx file

[Monadnoc]

Use Drape Surface

Model > 3D Power Pack > Create Drape Surface

here's a video:

http://kbase.vectorworks.net/questions/975/Drape+Surface

Although I just gave it a try (in VW 2011) and couldn't get it to work right. Buggy as heck, or I'm doing something wrong ...

Just tried up-ing the U and V points to 200 and it seemed to work much better, but still very buggy. Ignored some geometry and it doesn't work well at all for "air space", so it doesn't look like you can get that sagging canvas cover look you want (and what they describe in the Help). A bit of false advertising there for this one. Maybe a better name would be "Shrink Wrap", as that's what it seems to do.

Maybe someone else has a better tool, technique, or suggestion...

Edited November 30, 2013 by Monadnoc

[J. Wallace]

Thanks Monadnoc

I found this in my travels and it did help me to this point-see attached.

The tricky part seems to be not only the number of vertices you create but the edit mode you select. Not perfect but moving forward.

ps I left the canvas top highlighted to help point out the dip created...

Edited November 30, 2013 by J. Wallace

[Monadnoc]

Good video. I went back and tried it again and Drape Surface is behaving much better today, but still far from perfect. My problem is that it is draping "inside" the geometry, or "under" the geometry for more complicated structures. I tried it with a post and beam frame and it draped about two feet below the beams. The only way I could get it to stay on top of the beams is increase the vertices to where it shrink wrapped the object. Which wasn't the look wanted. When using simple objects it does create nice organic shapes, but nothing you could use as a dust cover, as the objects poke through.

Edited November 30, 2013 by Monadnoc

[Benson Shaw]

This isn't perfect, either, but it should get the canvas started with NURBS and Lofts (I'm a broken record on this stuff). Depends on level of detail required.

The basic trick is to make a NURBS for each edge and loft in pairs. eg the tops of the arms are a separate lofts from the big cover. The skirts are separate lofts, too.

The loft surfaces tend to stay right on the trellis structure, so do not render. I raised up the lofts as a group, .25 inch.

J Wallace, apologies for messing with your drawing. The arms were not at same z, to I lowered the tall one and cut them so they don't penetrate the big beams all to make the modeling simpler

I added Loft and NURBS layers and classes to keep things isolated.

-B

Edited December 1, 2013 by Benson Shaw

[Phil hunt]

Hi

Although this seems such a simple shape to create, it's not in vectorworks.... There are many things that I wish to create but I am sure vectorworks can do it. It's not easy. Look at form z for instance so so easy to create such shapes......vectorworks is a great program but is it really a true 3d modelling program.......for organic surfaces I think not....... A big part of design these days I know I have diversified from the original question but I to get frustrated when tasked with a drape over a timber frame

[Benson Shaw]

Right, Phil. This is much more difficult than it should be.

Wish for improvements in the Wish LIst Forum. Make a new wish or add to the one I started here:

http://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=192679Post192679

[J. Wallace]

Thank you all and thanks Benson for that.

Yes it seems like such a simple thing, (applying canvas to a structure) which turns out to be rather onerous.

The file looks great and I appreciate all the help. This is an amazing forum with many talented and willing participants.

Jamie

[Phil hunt]

i agree this forum has taken over from match of the day (a soccer programme in the uk)

i seem to be reading the forum and its many talented contributors and not so talented like myself but i keep on trying and learning everyday i find something new on the forum that helps, and speeds thing up

many thanks to you all