Repeating a mesh on a path

MetKiller Joe

I've got an oval-ish tube mesh with some stuff like bolts, bevels, and insets, so, I can't just use Loft with a spline (or could it? I don't have much experience with Loft). I was wondering if there was any method I could use that would repeat the mesh on a path as long as needed as well as bending it to and fro?

Ark

You could attach it to a motion path, then snapshot it.

DEElekgolo

What app?
For max you can press shift+i. It is pretty strait forward from there.

MoP

If you want to deform the mesh in Max then use the Path Deform (WSM) modifier.

It always helps to specify which application you're asking for help with since otherwise people can't answer appropriately.

Ark

I presume its max with him mentioning 'splines'.

Rhinokey

the subject makes it seem like you have a small piece you want to repeat aliong a splline, but your description makes it sound like you have a large piece that you want to warp to follow the spline.

for the first select the object got to animation constraints and constrain it to the path you want it to follow, mess with the settings in the command panel and move your time slider to watch it follow, fo to frame 1 an tweak the posistion of the piece till you get it about wher eyou want it to be.

when you get it following decently enough got to... tools >snapshot and you can tell it how many copys you want along the spline. some of them sometimes get twisted around but you can rotate them in the proper place after snapshoting.

thats the method i use most because of the ability to make all the snapshots an instance helps preformance and the ability to modivy the piece,


for the second as mop posted the wsm path deform.

MetKiller Joe

@MoP: My bad, this is 3DS Max.

I'll go try Path Deform and the other method mentioned by Rhinokey and DEE, but yes, this is a small modular piece that needs to be repeated (not stretched) on a path and bent as the path bends and twists.

MoP

Yeah, first use Path Deform (WSM) to put the object on the path and deforming on it, then Instance the object (use the Snapshot or Array tool) as many times as you need with a fixed X/Y/Z translation offset. The instances should move along the spline and deform with it.

Kinda what Rhinokey said plus what I originally said.