Modo - Curve Extrude Issue

mickeyvpn

Hi guys,

I'm trying Modo for a couple of days, and I've stumbled on very simple task that I can't reproduce.
I have problem with curve extrusion in Modo. I want result like Sweep in 3ds Max, I've found that in Modo you can do this with help of Curve Extrude tool. The issue shows up when I enable options Align to Path - Align to Normal - Start at Source all together. The mesh didn't follow rail curve, it have offset towards the end of a rail. If I turn off option Start at Source mesh follow rail properly but Profile curve didn't align in a way I need.
Initial objects:
For rail I use Curve made from mesh edges
For profile I use Polyline made from mesh as well
Summing up I need that profile curve need to be extrude along the rail as I placed it without any offset from rail and profile need to be lined up as it placed. Hope you guys can help me figuring out how to get what I need, thanks.

Screenshots:

Align to Path - Align to Normal - Start at Source all together option - mesh didn't follow rail curve


Without Start at Source option - mesh have unwanted offset along the rail curve

wilson66

Curves do not work so well with extrusions in Modo, its difficult sometimes to have them align the way you want.

What you could do is use procedural modeling, which works pretty well with this kind of task. You need to create your profile with polygons (or just 1 n-gon with as many vertices as you need), and then use procedural modeling operations to create the shape you want. This way, you can also alter the shape of the original profile afterwards while the curve extrusion updates.

There is a good tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CIR60oDRQY
Small scene for you to test if you want: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0l7cfnhxk4yQ2R5RTlIaE90TUU/view?usp=sharing (you can even switch the extrusion to another curve in the path generator operator)

WilliamVaughan

For those kind of shapes I use Radial Sweep.

http://www.pixelfondue.com/blog/2016/12/21/modo-modeling-a-paperclip?rq=Paperclip

mickeyvpn

@wilson66 @WilliamVaughan
Thank you guys!

I used both ways and decided to use procedural approach that's what I need. Radial sweep is good but for another tasks.

Here is the result(no weird offset and all aligned as need to be, sweet):


And I have another question considering pivots, centers and procedural modeling. When I use Curve Extrude in a procedural manner if I move my original mesh(Profile polygon) in Item mode it's moving procedural output too how to prevent it? I've tried to Freeze and Zero location of the profile but it doesn't help.
I need it because sometimes I make changes to profile and navigate them(rail and profile) in the viewport when they are not close to each other is annoying, it's easier when they're in one place.

Here is gif:

igi

zeroing the mesh transformations before the task could work. select item(s) go to mesh properties and zero all.

mickeyvpn

@igi
Tried it, doesn't help. Move my profile - then Zero-All - apply Curve Extrude - same thing, procedural output moving too.