# using curves to make stuff First, learn the art of [[drawing curves]] in Maya. Then come back here to learn how to do cool things to those curves to make interesting objects. ## loft A Loft object is built with two curves acting as the end shapes of the object. The Loft will transform from one curve to the other curve over the distance between the two curves. With soft curves you can create flowing objects that feel like fabrics. With hard straight curves you can create extrusions like eavestroughs or crown-molding. Starting curves: ![[Pasted image 20220913192502.png]] Finished loft: ![[Pasted image 20220913192700.png]] Simply select your two curves and use the pulldown menus for **Surfaces > Loft**. Definitely click the dialog box so you can control the options. Add more subdivisions for a gentler transition. You can Loft as NURBS or polygons (stay away from Bezier). As always, you can make some edits after lofting in the Attribute Editor. Even better, you can get to the marking menu by using **Right-Click** and choosing **Control Vertex** to move individual points and add more refinement to the lofted object. ## revolve Revolve allows you to rotate a curve around an axis to make a rounded object like a vase or table leg. Select the curve you would like to use and go to the pulldown menus for **Surfaces > Revolve**. Click the dialog box so you can control the options. The curve ready for revolving: ![[Pasted image 20220914144422.png]] The completed revolution: ![[Pasted image 20220914144545.png]] In the settings dialog, you can adjust the axis of the revolution (X,Y,Z), sweep angles, number of segments, and whether to create NURBS or Polygon Mesh. After revolving, you can make edits in the Attribute Editor. You can dial back the sweep thing to have only a partial revolution, which is pretty cool. A revolved object with partial sweep: ![[Pasted image 20220914144827.png]] Even better, you can get to the marking menu by using **Right-Click** and choosing **Control Vertex** to move individual points and add more refinement to the lofted object. ## extrude The features of the Extrude tool has been replaced by Sweep Mesh, however the tool still exists. Extrude creates an object by sliding a curve along another curve to create things like flowing tubes. Select the small curve first and then Shift-select the large curve. Go to the pulldown menus for **Surfaces > Extrude**. Click the dialog box so you can control the options. The two curves ready to be extruded. The little shape will be extruded along the path of the big shape: ![[Pasted image 20220914145445.png]] The completed extruded object: ![[Pasted image 20220914145849.png]] As always, you can go back and tweak the settings in the Attribute Editor. There are some interesting options to play around with. This isn’t the greatest tool and the results can be less than stellar. That’s why there is new and improved tool that can do miracles the Extrude tool can only dream of… ## sweep mesh Sweep Mesh is a super-duper awesome version of Extrude. In fact, let’s just pretend Extrude doesn’t exist anymore. To use, simply select the curve you would like and use the pulldown menus for **Create > Sweep Mesh**. Instantly you will get a much better extrusion that follows the curve path. Select the new object and find the **SweepMeshCreator** tab in your **Attributes Editor**. You will find a whole menu full of options to tweak with real time updates to your object. ![[Pasted image 20220914150747.png]] There are default tube shape profiles. You can also define a curve to be the tube shape profile, so you could use the smaller curve from the Extrude example above. You can adjust scale, and add rotations, or twists. You can have your tube taper in and out with an adjustable thickness map to tweak. Under the **SweepProfileConverter** tab, you can adjust the **InObject ArraySetting** for **Curve Precision** to control the number of subdivisions in your object. You want enough to capture the shape without having too many to bog down Maya. ![[Pasted image 20220914151906.png]] Don’t forget that you can use the right-click marking menu to select Control Vertex for NURBS or Face, Edge, Vertex for polygon mesh objects to add target tweaks and adjustments to your object. --- tags: #3d #maya #resources home: [[! 3d modeling- maya]]