Exterior Cornice Issues

[Anonymous]

Hey everyone,

First post here, having taken up max a week ago. Currently building my first model and have run into an issue regarding modelling constraints and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions.

Now, I come from a sketchup background so I'm still learning what can and what cannot be done on max, but I am trying to grasp it.

So the problem; I am trying to build a rather complex string of cornicing to go around the exterior of the building I am making. In sketchup it was complicated enough, but seems **** near impossible in max as far as my improvised solutions are going. (Basically I'm trying to recreate the exact model I made in sketchup from scratch in max.)

Attached is are images of the building itself, the cross section of the cornice and the shape I'm trying to make it follow.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Ash

[Anonymous]

I'd also show this; what it looks like in sketchup

[Daf]

Hi,

My first thought would be using sweep modifier and building in sections but I'm sure there are a few other ways. Cool thing about 3D modeling is that there is usually multiple ways to skin a cornice.

Start here - lots of info: https://www.google.com/search?q=making+cornices+in+3ds+max

If still stuck post back. 🙂

Daf

[Anonymous]

Hey, thanks for fast response!

I tried the sweep modifier and it still wont produce what I'm looking for. I followed the tutorial exactly...even tried to align the object. Normalized the spline too...still nothing. Everything is on the same plane. I tried the shape with a simple right angle spline...same type of result. I tried my path with a simple box and it kinda worked as seen.

I can't find anything wrong with the shape I drew. It's all flat and on the same plane. Tutorials with more complex shapes even work...so I really don't understand the issue.

Any further help greatly appreciated!

[Anonymous]

UPDATE:

Fixed the issue...for some reason redrawing the shape worked wonders? Strange.

Anyway, thanks for your help! Couldn't have done this without those tutorials!

[bob.bernstein]

Ash, let me extend my sympathies.  At one point I made a concerted effort to get experts to explain why sweep was so hard to get right.  The help just says do this and that, and then shows success!  But....like you, no matter how I made my profile, max constantly and (so far) forever misinterprets the axis I wish the profile to sweep.  

Hopefully you will get better suggests than I.  The only way I've been successful is to spend absurd amounts of time experimenting, and finally getting success.  I've made sure to initiate my profile in orthogoal viewports....and then tried every possible axis to no avail....I've relocated the pivot point, no help...nothing.  And then, in the middle of it....sometimes....it WORKS.... 

There has to be an analytical way to assure success occurs on the first try.  A basic set of steps based on an understanding of the real problem (which I haven't heard yet), so that a custom spline shape will ALWAYS produce the desired outcome in a sweep.  

Bob

EDIT:  Our posts crossed...glad it worked when redrawing the spline, that was one of my tricks too...but...the last time I ran into this even that didn't help me.  The bummer is that each time someone gets it to work, the energy for explaining the problem in detail is diffused.  But, glad for you its no longer holding you up.

[bob.bernstein]

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/3ds-max-modeling/sweep-modifier-with-custom-section/m-p/6485805/highl...

This was the old thread I was referring to.  As you note only the final author recognized the problem, and wrote a detailed workflow using xform reset on the splines.  Since you didn't do that to solve your problem, its clear that this solution is not likely the general case workaround.  

This one really should be fixed.  I just searched this forum on the word "sweep", and all the posts that come up on the first page only offer workarounds people have found to help.  But nobody has ever provided a detailed explanation for the anomalies.  People say "only draw in a certain view", or "use a reset xform....but these are all just experimental ideas.  

GRRR