12-18-2012, 09:35 PM
*looks over the info line*.. No problem, I got this..
*goes through selecting 5 reference points*..
"Configuration doesn't result in Bending"... O_o
I did a Chandelier, and a 'wire/cord' a few days back, and to be honest I hopped over to 3dsmax to use splines>geometry and OBJ exported those back to wings to edit rather than trying to figure out the more complex clamped Bend types. And I hate trying to model in max
Ok I feel bad now, I gave it a shot just now and played around with it for a few minutes.. I think I finally figured out how to bend a rod in multiple spots
I think the biggest problem with Bend/Clamped Bend might be the completely arbitrary names, like rod "top","bottom" and "center" (according to whom? what if the rod is laying horizontally and there is no top or bottom?
) Whenever it asked for 'rod center' for example I would.. well.. selected the center of the section I wanted to bend.. :} but that would always result in both ends of the section bending out and away from the rest of the mesh, making it useless. I thought I just 'clamped' the bottom dammit, why is it moving away from the mesh? I would think.. Rod "center" actually = Rod 'bend around/from point'??? with that in mind things started to behave more as I'd expect.
I'd also change Bend normal to always be bend axis I think.. if I'm gonna bend a pipe to the Left or Right, I'm obviously gonna look at it from the Front.. so selecting a point in the center of the rod (facing me, an axis to bend around) seems much more logical than having to rotate the view, and selecting a point on the side.. facing left/right.. but that's a separate issue I guess
So... I just said a lot and I'm not sure what my point was..
Ahh yes, play around with it, and see if thinking of 'rod center' as 'rod point to bend around/from' instead does what you're after.
All that being said, I gotta agree with PzPaul, I'm not sure I see where bend would be used to make the seat.. A lot of face inset/extrude etc, but bending?

"Configuration doesn't result in Bending"... O_o
I did a Chandelier, and a 'wire/cord' a few days back, and to be honest I hopped over to 3dsmax to use splines>geometry and OBJ exported those back to wings to edit rather than trying to figure out the more complex clamped Bend types. And I hate trying to model in max

Ok I feel bad now, I gave it a shot just now and played around with it for a few minutes.. I think I finally figured out how to bend a rod in multiple spots

I think the biggest problem with Bend/Clamped Bend might be the completely arbitrary names, like rod "top","bottom" and "center" (according to whom? what if the rod is laying horizontally and there is no top or bottom?

I'd also change Bend normal to always be bend axis I think.. if I'm gonna bend a pipe to the Left or Right, I'm obviously gonna look at it from the Front.. so selecting a point in the center of the rod (facing me, an axis to bend around) seems much more logical than having to rotate the view, and selecting a point on the side.. facing left/right.. but that's a separate issue I guess
So... I just said a lot and I'm not sure what my point was..

Ahh yes, play around with it, and see if thinking of 'rod center' as 'rod point to bend around/from' instead does what you're after.
All that being said, I gotta agree with PzPaul, I'm not sure I see where bend would be used to make the seat.. A lot of face inset/extrude etc, but bending?