Need help softening pointy edges

Rhino Rhino for Windows
1

Hey everyone!

I’m currently working on a sculpture project in Rhino + Grasshopper. I managed to parametrize the overall structure, however I’m not satisfied with the very pointy vertices…

I would like the top transitions and vertices to feel much more organic and sculptural, while still keeping clean geometry for later fabrication.

I managed to sketch the kind of effect I’m after with a very rough 3D sketch, but I’m struggling to translate this into proper clean geometry.

This is what I currently have straight from Grasshopper:

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image514×642 66.7 KB

I would like to have sth like that:

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image548×636 32.7 KB

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image434×501 7.1 KB

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image968×920 94.1 KB

I’m not super advanced in either Grasshopper or Rhino so I’d appreciate a “stupidexplanation” workflow if possible :slight_smile:

Thanks!!!

2

The easiest way is to transform it into a mesh and then apply a smoothing like the Catmull-clark.

Doing it with nurbs it involves a lot of good modeling skills and changes in the shapes.

Sharing the file and the Grasshopper script, if possible, would improve a lot the way we can help you.

3

Of course! Here comes the model

pointy edges.3dm (4.6 MB)

and here is the script

pointy edges.gh (38.3 KB)

4

You can give a try to this:
pointy edges.gh (7.1 KB)
pointy edges.3dm (464.7 KB)

I converted your surface into Mesh, then smoothed using the Catmull-Clark in Grasshopper.
( If you don’t find it install the Weaverbird plugin from packagemanager)

Let us to kwon.

5

AMAZING!!! :folded_hands: :folded_hands: :folded_hands:
Thank you so much @skysurfer

One more question - is it possible to apply it only to the top vertices? And make them even more rounded at the top? I’d like to keep the base pointy

6

Uhm… that’s a harder thing.
You can change the CC component to respect the edges but this would make both, the tips and the sides, sharp.

You should make the mesh and keep the “edges” unwelded so the CC would not smooth them.

7

the quick/dirty version… hack it closed with some caps and lofting and then just shrinkwrap with some heavy smoothing

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image1000×713 114 KB

8

that’s looking cool as well! more than enough for this conception phase.
could you please explain more? so i cap the pinnacles - and then loft them? im lost a little…

and also is shrinkwrap avalaible in rhino 7?

9

shrink wrap is rhino 8 and newer-

just has to be closed-ish…

file attached

pointy edges_kfix.3dm (9.2 MB)

10

Thank you! Got the idea! Ill probably separate each top, cap it, and shrink wrap it. Then connect to the rest of the structure keeping the straight angles at the bottom (and hoping for the best ;))

Or maybe i can dissect the the shrinkwapped tops, making several sections for each top and then reloft them again

11

But i still wonder if there’s a cleaner way keeping everything as nurbs, not getting into meshes…To have more control on how pointy is the top. I’d like to have even more curvy top, so it doesnt appear pointy

12

A simple solution is to use a Patch but then you may get continuity problems: the two part wouldn’t connect smoothly.