Sweep on curve with multiple rails

Hello All,

Back to posting doubts on the forum since I always get quick helpful responses :smile:

Anyways, I am trying to make an antler, I drew the outline as a closed planar curve. The first thought that popped into my head was to see if I could revolve the object 360 around itself to create a closed solid with the grooves and curves made by the outline itself (if that makes sense). Tried revolve, rail revolve, etc.

Next I made various little cross-section curves so I could do a sweep 2 rails, and split up the antler outline according to the location of the cross-section curves.

My question is, at the end/point of the antler, with just one cross-section curve and one rail, it comes out all funky. I would like it to taper. I know I could just draw another smaller cross-section curve, then cap the end and fillet, but I didn’t know if there’s some command I’m missing to do the job for me (that might also have served at the beginning with building a surface from just the outline and no curves…?).

Also, I have blended the surfaces at the in-between spots of the sweep and they are not nicely blended. I know there are posts on this topic I’ve looked at, but perhaps there’s a setting I’m missing?

Will look at other posts in the meantime, but am attaching my file in case anyone has a quick fix or sees something I did terribly wrong.

As always, thanks! antler 3.3dm (451.9 KB)

Hi CMo - For the tips, split the rail at the tip-point and Sweep2 the profile in those two curves. But the branching-blending will take some work - do you need surfaces here or will a mesh do?

-Pascal

Thanks Pascal,

Just split the curve and did sweep 2, came out great!

I guess a mesh will do, i don’t see why not…

In that case you may be able to use WeaverBird for this - it’s nice for branchy objects - see the attached very simple example - you can take it much further of course.

http://www.giuliopiacentino.com/weaverbird/

antler WeaverBird.3dm (145.9 KB)

-Pascal

thanks again…i’ve downloaded weaverbird but i’m not familiar with it at all and i can’t find much information on how to use it…are the steps pretty easy?