This mesh can then be controlled by pushing or pulling polygons – more can be added, and they can also sub-divided (or split up). Triangles (3-sided polygons) and quads (4-sided polygons) form together to create a mesh. Surfaces in a polygon model are controlled by the vertices that make up the polygons. You’ll recognize this type of modelling in programs like Maya, modo and Blender. Thousands, even millions, of them are formed together to create very smooth, detailed models. Polygonal modelling uses exactly what you’d expect to represent surfaces – polygons. Now, with all that said and with all the capabilities Rhino has to generate smooth surfaces, T-Splines brings a little more… polygonal modelling. Close off a group of patches and you have yourself a solid. Every single surface has four sides, called a four-sided patch. The mesh you see between the control points are isoparametric curves, or isocurves, which help visualise the shape of the surface and give you control over where the surface goes. In most product design scenarios a degree 3 curve is acceptable to maintain a smooth, continuous curve. For each degree you move out from a control point, your level of curvature increases, from 2, a very abrupt change in curvature to 11, a very smooth transition in curvature. In Rhino, each control point on a curve represents a degree. Move that into the third dimension and you have a surface made up of control points. The more control points, the more detailed a curve. Rhino NURBS use control points to define the shape of a curve. Some just give you more control over these shapes, such as products like Maya and Rhino. NURBS, or Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines, are what most 3D modelling applications use to produce free-form shapes. Each has its strengths, but also its weaknesses and this is where T-Splines fits in. It is the mathematical calculations of how curves are represented. There’s been an unseen battle in 3D modelling, one that separates the mechanical from the organic, defining methodical workflows and how surfaces are created and viewed. To understand why T-Splines is so special, we’ll focus on Rhino, explore where the different modelling methods are merging, take a closer look at how T-Splines can be used and then dive into the workflows that are redefining the limits of traditional modelling. How is this happening? T-Splines is making it happen.Ī simple plug-in available for Rhino and Maya, T-Splines bridges the gap between two styles of modelling and makes it easier for designers to explore ideas while maintaining the control they need to design products for manufacturing. Solids can be surfaces, surfaces can be sub-divided, and every edge and vertex can be shaped without sketching a single line. Suddenly, while you ponder the steps to achieve surface smoothing perfection, a shift in the fractal nature of your modelling environment occurs.
But at the same time you admire the creation of creatures, planets, and vehicles in 3D modelling programs that seem to disregard parametric design and the whole concept of manufacturing. The very thought of not having to manipulate a sub-feature of geometry to improve top-level surfaces may seem odd if you’re coming from a feature or constraint-based modelling system. The seal of this mask was adjusted slightly to fit better against the the face T-splines can work between Rhino NURBS and T-Splines surfaces to make small adjustments.
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