July Challenge: The four Haskwood Canifers

[Redrobes]

...we really like the spiral staircase...

I make them like a real one. All you have to do is make a single step. Thats a round central column bit with a wedge shape coming off of it. Extrude it by 6 inches and thats one step. Then find the height required and divide that by 6 inches to see how many steps your gonna need. Then take the rotation angle which in my case was 180 and divide that by the number of steps. Right so get out the clone object and ask it for that many clones with 6 inch Y offset and angle rotation per clone. Zap a full set of spiral steps appears. I did the same for another challenge :- http://www.cartographersguild.com/showthread.php?t=1475 Werthers Skull where I put in an iron staircase. Same technique but its tricker there because the hand rail must line up with the next step. Did that by guess, trial and error - second only to a pencil in the box of invaluable tools !

You should check out the free version of Houdini, seems pretty powerful, even runs on this old laptop, I just use it for fun once and a while.

I will but I know Blender is going forward at a considerable rate. Its just the UI thats getting in my way. I really should hit it tho. Torq said he has some knowledge of it and can lend a tip or two. The thing is that I only use 1/10th of the capabilities of all these apps. I don't do bones and inverse kinematics, all the spline patched stuff, lofting etc. I need the app to do about 20 things real well and thats it. Maybe Houdini can provide that - I will definitely have a play.

Oh and I really really should try sketchup sometime too....

oh, did I say we like the Tell also,,,yup, we do.

I believe you did Its your magnificent writing thats prompted me to elaborate on this a little more. I write like a right chav tho.

"...then this geezer came along and got some gear and then it was alright innit."

well thats what it feels like looking at it after reading yours.