›

Greetings!

Welcome to Scifi-Meshes.com! Click one of these buttons to join in on the fun.

Sign In Register

Quick Links

Bevel lines in LW to create panels??

JeffrySGJeffrySG321 Posts: 477Member
edited June 2007 in Technical Questions and Answers #1
Hi all... fractalsponge did a quick panel modeling job and asked everyone how he thought he did it - HERE

I know how I would do this in Silo, but I was trying to do the same thing in LW but could not figure it out. What I'm trying to do is this:
Create a box.
Stencil different rectangles all over it.
Select some of the edges. (I can do it up to this point lol),'Bevel' those edges to double them up. (not sure what you'd call it in LW),Extrude the new faces down to create panels.

1. The first pic is my LW test model, with the edges I want to 'bevel' selected.
2. The next pic is a similar model in Silo.
3. A pic of the edges after I bevel them in Silo.
4. A pic after I took the new faces in Silo and extruded them down to create the 'panels'.

I know there has to be a way to do this in LW but I'm just not sure how to go about it. Thanks for any help. And I'm not trying to compare Silo to LW in any way I just know Silo pretty well and I'm trying to learn LW.

Cheers!
Jeff

beveloq5.jpg
Post edited by JeffrySG on

Posts

  • IRMLIRML253 Posts: 1,993Member
    #2
    there is a tool to do this in LW, but I can't remember what it is because I hardly ever use edges, I've learnt to live without them over the years, check the LW9 feature videos on newtek.com and it'll be there somewhere

    I'd normally just do this by bevelling the polys inwards and hiding them, then selecting what's left over and doing your downwards bevel on that
  • MadKoiFishMadKoiFish9834 Posts: 5,333Member
    #3
    IRML wrote: »
    there is a tool to do this in LW, but I can't remember what it is because I hardly ever use edges, I've learnt to live without them over the years, check the LW9 feature videos on newtek.com and it'll be there somewhere

    I'd normally just do this by bevelling the polys inwards and hiding them, then selecting what's left over and doing your downwards bevel on that

    Yup and what would avoid that odd corner seen on image 4.
    Each day we draw closer to the end.
  • JeffrySGJeffrySG321 Posts: 477Member
    #4
    IRML wrote: »
    there is a tool to do this in LW, but I can't remember what it is because I hardly ever use edges, I've learnt to live without them over the years, check the LW9 feature videos on newtek.com and it'll be there somewhere

    I'd normally just do this by bevelling the polys inwards and hiding them, then selecting what's left over and doing your downwards bevel on that
    MadKoiFish wrote: »
    Yup and what would avoid that odd corner seen on image 4.

    Yesss..... my masters..... I will.... comply......

    That does seem to be much much easier!!! And that's just why I keep you both around here! hahahah ;)

    But seriously, thanks for your help.... and that way the corners are nice and sharp/accurate.

    I'm not used to hiding elements. Got to remember to do that more often.

    cheers!!!!
  • mattcmattc181 Perth, AuPosts: 322Member
    #5
    VERTIBEVEL! *hahahahahahah*

    M
  • JeffrySGJeffrySG321 Posts: 477Member
    #6
    mattc wrote: »
    VERTIBEVEL! *hahahahahahah*

    M

    dammit! I know!!!
    Must
    Get
    VertiBevel!

    hahahahah
  • IRMLIRML253 Posts: 1,993Member
    #7
    vertibevel isn't needed on your example because it's flat so each panel is one poly, but if you'd cut those lines into a curved mesh you wouldn't be able to work without it
  • JeffrySGJeffrySG321 Posts: 477Member
    #8
    hmm... so I couldn't do the same thing on a surface of a sphere or cylinder for example? LW wouldn't let you bevel those regions the same way on a curved surface?

    maybe I will be getting VB sooner than I thought... lol
  • IRMLIRML253 Posts: 1,993Member
    #9
    LWs bevel does single polys only, so on a curved surface you'd have denser mesh and it'd just bevel all those polys individually, LW now has a tool called multishift or something like that, it can bevel groups of polys as one, but I've never used it because I have vertibevel and it's better
  • JeffrySGJeffrySG321 Posts: 477Member
    #10
    Well, just to see what would happen, I tried the panel exercise again but this time on a capsule to see how it would work. I used Multishift tool to create one panel, and then I used the quick store to save the extrude and micro bevel settings as one operation and then I was able to quickly select other polygroup regions and apply the same 'profile'. Here's what I got and the settings I used! I just wanted to thank you all again for your help and advice!

    picture2gq6.jpg

    picture1sr8.jpg
  • Charles OinesCharles Oines331 Posts: 0Member
    #11
    Yep. Multishift is a godsend. Vertibevel's good for when you want to get fancy.
  • JeffrySGJeffrySG321 Posts: 477Member
    #12
    ^hey Charles! nice to see you here. I almost didn't know who you were without seeing your usual avatar!
  • Charles OinesCharles Oines331 Posts: 0Member
    #13
    Heh.. that guy's from one of my shirt designs.
  • tobiantobian226 Posts: 1,600Member
    #14
    I was half thinking of doing a tut about how I do my panels on the station, but in reality, it's just lots of mind numbing work - and dealing with all the overlapping polygons caused by inseting corner-rounded planes :) It'd be easy to show an example, where there aren't going to be difficult bits, but that's never how it works! :)

    For some things Multishift is superior, as it's inset and shift contouring options can allow for some cool stuff, or topology deformation issues. But largely yes, Vertibevel is handy, and I have dozens of pre-sets for my bevelling options, which I use a lot!

    The way you've done that there, will result in a lot of unneccessary polygons. I find some of the tools in the edge pack indensible, such as disolve loop, and the 'disolve' tool they added to disolve edges, since 9, in LW - I use that SO much these days, I can hardly imagine not having it haha :) True fillet is also amazingly handy, if you want to round (or chamfer) those corners a little :)
  • IRMLIRML253 Posts: 1,993Member
    #15
    JeffrySG wrote: »
    Well, just to see what would happen, I tried the panel exercise again but this time on a capsule to see how it would work. I used Multishift tool to create one panel, and then I used the quick store to save the extrude and micro bevel settings as one operation and then I was able to quickly select other polygroup regions and apply the same 'profile'. Here's what I got and the settings I used! I just wanted to thank you all again for your help and advice!
    yeah you'll get along fine with that, but once you try vertibevel you'll never go back :p
  • tobiantobian226 Posts: 1,600Member
    #16
    Nah I use both.. they both have their uses, and I do crazy things with bevels that vertibevel doesn't always work :D
  • mattcmattc181 Perth, AuPosts: 322Member
    #17
    James's edgetools pack is indeed very very handy..
  • tobiantobian226 Posts: 1,600Member
    #18
    It's almost pointless having edges without it.. with the exception of dissolve :D
  • JeffrySGJeffrySG321 Posts: 477Member
    #19
    OK, tobian and IRML! now you've done it... I think you both need to post at least a few screen shots of some examples of what you'd call good panel creation in LW? maybe using VB (for IRML) and using MS (for tobian)! lol

    Seriously... this really is helping a lot. I've downloaded those plugins and will install them (never installed any plugins yet, doh). If you really did have the time to post a few wireframe examples to go with what you're saying it would be wonderful. It could even be a close up screen grab of something you've created already on an existing model? No pressure though. ;)

    @tobian: in my last example you said that that way would create a lot of necessary edges. Can you point out where on that model? I know I have a lot of extra loop areas which can be cleaned up easily, but are there any extra parts in the corners? in the bevel areas?

    cheers guys!
  • JeffrySGJeffrySG321 Posts: 477Member
    #20
    tobian wrote: »
    Nah I use both.. they both have their uses, and I do crazy things with bevels that vertibevel doesn't always work :D

    could you point out what type of case would be better for you with MS over VB?
  • JeffrySGJeffrySG321 Posts: 477Member
    #21
    I was trying to install some plugins on the UB MAc beta 9.2 and most of them would not install. I'm pretty sure they were all Mac versions of the plugins. All of the plugins ending with a ".ls" loaded and the plugins ending with a ".p" would not install.

    I know this is a very noob questions, so sorry in advanced.... :(

    Do mac plugins need to be written specifically for the UB version? which types will and won't work on the UB? I've posted this question on the beta forum as well but figured I'd post it here in case anyone has any info on this.

    thanks all!
    Jeff

    example of error I get:
    picture1wz4.jpg
  • tobiantobian226 Posts: 1,600Member
    #22
    If it's a .p plug-in then it will likely need to be using the original mac processor because it's being compiled for that, not the Universal Binary, which works with both intel and PPC chips I believe (Gah, mac, stop changing your CPU's! :D) It's the same as why you cant use the 32 bit version of plug ins on the 64 bit Windows Lightwave. Because the UB version is new and experimental, it will take a while for the UB versions of plug-ins to arrive, unfortunately!

    With regards to the unnecessary edges, the extra loops are exactly to what I'm referring too, and yes, of course they can be cleaned up.. it's just doing it.. cleaning can take just as long as actual modelling! :D One trick is to copy the section of panelling you want to make to another layer - inset it (using your plug-in of choice) press - (to hide the result) then delete, and then un-hide it again. switch back to your model, with the inset panel into he background, and use stencil to cut it onto your hull, then run your bevelling pre-set to raise and fillet the edge. It's six and two threes sometimes though :)

    Vertibevel lets you 'draw' your bevel, so for some things it saves so much time, because you don't have to input each step numerically. However unless you have the new version, you can't see what it's going to do till you press 'ok' - so sometimes I like to see the recess/shift interactively so i can see what it's doing live. With regards to the reasons I sometimes prefer MS is because if you cut a panel in a diagonal with respect to the fold between two polygons, such as on a curved or segmented hull, then when you 'panel' it, the mesh can deform a little, creating unsightly non-planar polygons. Multishift has alternate inset and shift parameters which can help to mitigate this (if not always). It's really difficult to explain and show, but I can try and do some examples for you when I have the time :)
  • IRMLIRML253 Posts: 1,993Member
    #23
    JeffrySG wrote: »
    OK, tobian and IRML! now you've done it... I think you both need to post at least a few screen shots of some examples of what you'd call good panel creation in LW? maybe using VB (for IRML) and using MS (for tobian)! lol
    99% of the details you'll see here I made with vertibevel
  • mattcmattc181 Perth, AuPosts: 322Member
    #24
    VERTIBEVEL! RESPOND!

    *falls over laughing*

    M
  • JeffrySGJeffrySG321 Posts: 477Member
    #25
    mattc wrote: »
    VERTIBEVEL! RESPOND!
    *falls over laughing*
    M
    ^laughing at your laughing... :lol:

    AT-AT is looking friggin' cool, IRML! Never saw that one? Do you have a gallery online of your stuff?

    Just wanted to post a quick little test I did tonight using multishift and the pen tool and the solid drill functions (for anyone that's been following here). I've been pretty happy so far with the way it's been handling these type of panels. I know that VB will give me many more options but this will def. work for me for now. I'm not even sure if VB works on the IntelMacs with the UB version.

    picture1yh7.png
  • mattcmattc181 Perth, AuPosts: 322Member
    #26
    JeffrySG wrote: »
    I'm not even sure if VB works on the IntelMacs with the UB version.

    No, it won't. VB is only available for Win32, Win64 and Mac CFM currently. I don't know when Jason is intending to release the UB version. Probably after the UB is out of beta.

    M.

    PS: Excuse the joke. It was directed at IRML. ;)
  • JeffrySGJeffrySG321 Posts: 477Member
    #27
    mattc wrote: »
    No, it won't. VB is only available for Win32, Win64 and Mac CFM currently. I don't know when Jason is intending to release the UB version. Probably after the UB is out of beta.

    I emailed Jason and he did say that he's planning on doing a UB version but there's no info on when it will be just yet... You're prob. right on waiting until it's out of beta though... I'll hold tight...
Sign In or Register to comment.