Form modeling : smoothing areas, joining 2 parts

[ruben_van_lerberghe]

Hello,

I have a model for a table that I quite urgently need to present. My 3d model is still very flawed but the smoothing function does not work as i want it. 

The 2 legs that sweep and twist underneath should look the same from a side view (looking at the twist) but from a front view I want the 2 sweeps to come together and then separate again. 

I attached how i want it with some veneer strips to give an idea. And also the flawed model where the connection is not yet made.

Since i need to model it urgently, all help is very welcome.

Thanks in advance.

[ruben_van_lerberghe]

Ok 

I understand. 

The model from which I made the top and descending part of the legs was modeled 4 times smaller so I tried scaling it up with the edit form mode. But i think you'll notice that the idea is for it to be less delicate/elegant and more beefy. As in the 3th message of this thread ( but without the obviously faulty zones)

Thank you for looking in any case.

[TrippyLighting]

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@ruben_van_lerberghe wrote:

.... Just trying to figure out the best strategy to get all 4 corners symmetrical and close to the model that i put in yellow. Is there a strategy that can make this faster and consistent along all 4 corners ? 

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I think that in the video, I explain all the techniques that are needed to make the edits you described:

[ruben_van_lerberghe]

@TrippyLighting Thank you. yes the use of symmetry is making the proces easier. thank you for the video.

In the meanwhile however I changed the design playing with veneer. And I am trying to get the wave/twist that you can see from the side view, now also in the front view. Meaning that the legs all split with one part joining the twist along the length of the table. And one part forming the one in the width. I started modeling this but not sure if I should start with one form and split it up or rather thicken multiple forms ( but then they will be intersecting) Or even going into parametric mode for this ? 

I attached the model and also some photos as illustration. 

Any advice for the way forward?

[ruben_van_lerberghe]

Maybe I'm better closing this thread and asking in a new one ? 

[TrippyLighting]

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@ruben_van_lerberghe wrote:

Maybe I'm better closing this thread and asking in a new one ? 

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I am not sure that would help much. There are only a handful of folks who help, and IMHO, there are only I and @laughingcreek  who have enough experience with the form environment to help with modeling something like this.

@davebYYPCU's approach with surface modeling can also work, but I would not mix modeling techniques for this project. Either model everything with surfaces or everything in From.

Give me a few days to respond to this with a modeling approach.

[ruben_van_lerberghe]

Ok, because the top looks great done with Form, I'm hesitant to go back to parametric. But I can see that using lofts could be a more controled approach maybe 

Thanks in advance 

[ruben_van_lerberghe]

I went ahead and tried with several sweeps in form mode to create already the idea.

Problem is now that they need to start together from the base of the leg and then split in 2 parts, one going the length, one going the width. And then fusion back together.

Also from the side view the idea is still to just have this one twist visible. So the other parts should be in the same "plane"

[ruben_van_lerberghe]

Hello,

Did you find any time to look at this ? I started with the model attached underneath but unsure if the best approach

[ruben_van_lerberghe]

( i forgot to add the model)

[TrippyLighting]

I had looked at the model, but I hadn't had the time to look at it until now. I've been very busy at work and also had to make progress on one of my personal projects.

You've made good progress, and with a good bit of detail work, you might get there on your own after a while. I'll see what I can do over the weekend. Now that I've seen this latest model, I have a much better understanding of what you are trying to do.

For future projects, you are much better off learning Blender for several reasons. For polygon modeling, it is not only magnitudes faster, but it has many powerful tools that are not available in Fusion and unlikely ever will be. If you learn to model with quads only, you can still export that mesh to Fusion, turn it into a T-Spline, and then BRep and use that in the CAM workspace.

[TrippyLighting]

Is what you are looking for in terms of the structure below the tabletop?

If so, I'm unsure how to proceed, as several hours of modeling are required to clean this up. 

Currently, there are four individual "bands" in this model. Are those to be joined where they connect to the legs?

You are still modeling with too many geometry/edge loops. 

If we were to join these bands in those areas where they are joined, they would need to have the same number of edge loops. 

[ruben_van_lerberghe]

Hello and thanks again for your time.

I will definitely look to move to Blender. I think for this project I need to stick with Fusion because I know a bit by now and this will go faster then learning Blender to the point of being able to model this, I imagine. 

Yes those 4 bands are doing what they should be doing, looking at the screenshot. The only thing is that they need to merge up until the point where one goes the long way, and one the short way.

So having four legs going downwards, after they touch the floor, all 4 split into 2. ( 8 bands). The short side joins back at the base of the legs. The 4 bands on the long side all merge into one in the middle of the table. 

And from a sideview the only thing that needs to be happening is this twist along the length. So all of the bands should move in the same curve..( not sure if this is clear)

Is the method of starting with sweeps to create the individual bands, and then trying to join them together with weld vertices or merge edges not the best one then ? 

[TrippyLighting]

Very strange! I made a post a little while ago. Now it's gone!

I did more modeling work and have exported the base mesh to Fusion.
Due to the infinitely sharp creases, this does not convert into a surface model in Fusion. However, it should be good enough for you to inspect and provide feedback.

The model is attached.

[ruben_van_lerberghe]

Hello,

Yeah this is looking really close ! The movement of the 4 bands is exactly that. 

In the middle the 2 bands would also shortly merge. as indicated on the screenshot. And then the sections are more rounded off, but still "blocky" , a bit like on the second screenshot. 

So the modelling you did until now was in Blender ? 

[TrippyLighting]

OK, I'll see how I can best join the center. This is more tricky as the edge flow has to be changed to allow this.

Yes, I modeled this in Blender. 

As the work week has started, my responses might become a bit more delayed.

[ruben_van_lerberghe]

Ok much appreciated 

[TrippyLighting]

Here is an update:

[ruben_van_lerberghe]

Yes this is great. The connections are exactly as I wanted !

There are now areas where I would like to introduce slight concave or convex, thicken a bit at other areas. But that is so in detail that it is not practical to communicate I think 🙂

So this small adjustments should they happen now or after attaching the base to the legs going up? Should I remove as many edge loops as possible and do that part in Fusion ? 

[TrippyLighting]

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@ruben_van_lerberghe wrote:

Yes this is great. The connections are exactly as I wanted !

That is good to hear, as I wasn't sure this is what you wanted.

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@ruben_van_lerberghe wrote:

There are now areas where I would like to introduce slight concave or convex, thicken a bit at other areas. But that is so in detail that it is not practical to communicate I think 🙂

So this small adjustments should they happen now or after attaching the base to the legs going up? Should I remove as many edge loops as possible and do that part in Fusion ? 

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The model I shared is not meant for editing in Fusion; it has a subdivision surface modifier applied in Blender, so it looks more like the end product, rather than the low-poly, sharp-edged model I have shared previously.   
I would make these edits before joining them to the table base. 

[ruben_van_lerberghe]

Ok and continuing on with the latest model in Blender then ?