topic Re: curve length in Maya Modeling Forum

curve length

raptoreagle — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 23:43:55 GMT

i'm trying to create an oval shaped nurbs circle with a length or perimeter of 804cm. Getting the shape is not hard but i cant mesure the length of the oval.

please is there a way to do that? Thanks

Re: curve length

damaggio — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 00:17:36 GMT

A Maya unit is equal 1 centimeter, each little square in the default grid is one centimeter, just scale your object to 804 units...you can use the measure tool under "Create>Measure tool...to guide you to 804 centimeters.

Re: curve length

raptoreagle — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 07:01:36 GMT

i replied by email but it didn't turn up here... i'm doing so here just incase

What i want is the oval to be of 804cm in length just the same way an olympic running track is 400m. i tried using the arc mesure tool but i didn't get any results.

thanks

Re: curve length

damaggio — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 07:15:46 GMT

use the distance tool not the arc....drag one locator until you reack 804 units and then scale your model to match it

Re: curve length

raptoreagle — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 07:42:01 GMT

the distance tool only mesures along a stright line. i need to mesure along a curve.

i'll upload an image... i need the curve to be 804cm in "length"

Re: curve length

_sebastian_f — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 16:24:30 GMT

arc length should be the tool you are looking for! just create it, click on the curve and set it to the maximum u value of your curve. scale the curve to the desired length - the tool should update in realtime.

Re: curve length

raptoreagle — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 18:38:10 GMT

ok!

i'll try that.

Re: curve length

raptoreagle — Fri, 05 Dec 2014 08:06:05 GMT

Thanks

but i need the shape itself to have a length of 804cm. the same way an
olympic running track is 400m. that's why i said "perimeter"

ok lets say i wanted to build an olympic running track, how would i go
about that? i tried using the arc length tool but it doesn't give me what i
want.

thanks again.

Re: curve length

_sebastian_f — Fri, 05 Dec 2014 08:37:02 GMT

i understood that and when i use the arc length tool it´s exactly what it tells me. because it´s easier to check i did two circles. r=1 and r=2. when i create an arc length tool and put it on the end of the curve it works. so i don´t get what´s going wrong on your side!?

Re: curve length

raptoreagle — Sat, 06 Dec 2014 00:06:04 GMT

ignore the last reply! that was the reply i sent by mail to the first person who replied me. guess the reply by email system doesn't work lol!

i already accepted your advice as the solution. Thanks again.

Re: curve length

_sebastian_f — Sat, 06 Dec 2014 11:32:24 GMT

haha, ok seems that there was a "little" delay then.

was a bit confused but thought that maybe you accepted to fast and got another problem afterwards. anyway good that everything works as expected (but the email reply)!