How to use the poly line tool

WazmotheWort · 1st April 2007, 04:49 PM

Hi,

can anyone explain what the polyline tool can be used for ? Say, If I draw a square
and snap the fourth vertice to the first, how do I make them one vertice to share the same edge so that I can surface it ?

Thanx. Wazmo

Echo · 5th April 2007, 03:40 PM

Hi, I'm really new at using AC3D but I have made a sword using it. I drew 1 edge of the sword, copied it, placed them so that they were almost perpendicular, mirrored them, added a handle and handguard. There tutorial for it is somewhere on these forums.
Here is a link to the tutorial.
http://www.ac3d.org/forum/showthread.php?t=2653 (Nice work and tutorial bill)

I'm not sure but i think it is used for drawing a 2d shape to extrude it into a 3d shape. If I'm wrong, can someone please tell me what it is for as well.

Echo.

Stiglr · 11th April 2007, 09:43 AM

The Poly Line tool is very simple and straightforward. I'd be very surprised it isn't detailed completely in the User Guide. However, onward....

Hold your cursor over the Poly Line icon, and a small dialog will appear, telling you how to use it and how to "finish" a shape: click the Poly Line icon, then in one of the viewports click at consecutive points which describe the shape you want to draw; after you click to draw the last point, (not ON the last point) click with the center or right mousebutton and that completes the shape. (Even if you do end up with two vertices at the "end" of the shape, you can later select both vertices in Vertice mode, then do a Snap Together, followed by Weld, to be sure that they become one, single vertice)

After you draw your shape, it should be a simple matter to make a surface of it: in Vertice Mode, select all the vertices and either create an Ordered Surface or create Convex Object/Hull. Which one you use probably depends on whether you selected all the vertices in consecutive order, such that the surfaces will draw correctly. Also, if the vertices describe a shape with 3 dimensions instead of 2 (and thus has depth) you may have to use Convex Object/Hull, otherwise you'll get some really problematic surfaces, "black" surfaces, etc.

After you make the surface, you can do anything else you want: extrude, indent, bevel, etc.

jleslie · 6th February 2012, 08:46 PM

ok, I can draw a line, but how can I get it to draw on top of the current surface or at least control where in the depth it draws it? for example I'm in the "left" view of a vehicle, and I want to draw some lines on the surfaces I see. I use the polyfill to draw some vertices, (I ~think~ I'm tracing the frame of the door...) but when I right click, my poly line, is somewhere far away, I have to go find it in the 3d view.

Stiglr · 6th February 2012, 09:41 PM

If you're talking about "cutting a door in the side of a car", then you're trying to cut an existiing shape, not draw a new one.

But, to answer your question anyway:
The poly tool will create the shape at the 0 line of the axis perpendicular to the viewport you draw it in. That's the "depth" if you will. You can then select it and move it wherever you want to put it.

I'm not exactly sure what you're trying to do, but you may want to get more familiar with the basic 3D concepts before you get too far into it. Frustrating answer, I know... I was exactly where you are now, once. But most of my problems were stemming from trying to build something before I had the basic concepts down.

jleslie · 6th February 2012, 10:52 PM

I don't want to cut the door, I want to have a polygon "melt" onto the outside surface of the existing model. The current surface is a mish-mosh of all kinds of polygons, I want to frame a new polygon, not fill it, and just paint the lines on the polygon black and have it just sit on the outside of the existing objects. If the melt analogy doesn't work for you, try this one. I want the polyline tool to put down a bead of toothpaste on the outside of the car. it sticks to the outside surface.

For that matter, is their a way to make the polyline thicker/wider? In lieu of these options what is the best way to to get lines onto the vehicle? I mean look at this car:

http://military.discovery.com/techno...er-625x450.jpg

the edge of the door is black, and the body is almost uniform. I'd like to be able to also "paint" the support X's on the door. but the model I have (a conversion from sketchup--> DAE--->FBX-->3DS--> ac3d) it really good, but the polygons that make up the door aren't even close to framing the door. As a result the texture with the texture mapper is all over the place. I can get a nice sand colored texture, but there is no way I'm gonna get the edges for the door.

TIA

- jleslie

1st April 2007, 04:49 PM	#1
WazmotheWort Junior Member Junior member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 2	How to use the poly line tool Hi, can anyone explain what the polyline tool can be used for ? Say, If I draw a square and snap the fourth vertice to the first, how do I make them one vertice to share the same edge so that I can surface it ? Thanx. Wazmo

5th April 2007, 03:40 PM	#2
Echo Junior Member Junior member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 5	Re: How to use the poly line tool Hi, I'm really new at using AC3D but I have made a sword using it. I drew 1 edge of the sword, copied it, placed them so that they were almost perpendicular, mirrored them, added a handle and handguard. There tutorial for it is somewhere on these forums. Here is a link to the tutorial. http://www.ac3d.org/forum/showthread.php?t=2653 (Nice work and tutorial bill) I'm not sure but i think it is used for drawing a 2d shape to extrude it into a 3d shape. If I'm wrong, can someone please tell me what it is for as well. Echo. Last edited by Echo; 5th April 2007 at 03:44 PM.

11th April 2007, 09:43 AM	#3
Stiglr Senior Member Professional user Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 604	Re: How to use the poly line tool The Poly Line tool is very simple and straightforward. I'd be very surprised it isn't detailed completely in the User Guide. However, onward.... Hold your cursor over the Poly Line icon, and a small dialog will appear, telling you how to use it and how to "finish" a shape: click the Poly Line icon, then in one of the viewports click at consecutive points which describe the shape you want to draw; after you click to draw the last point, (not ON the last point) click with the center or right mousebutton and that completes the shape. (Even if you do end up with two vertices at the "end" of the shape, you can later select both vertices in Vertice mode, then do a Snap Together, followed by Weld, to be sure that they become one, single vertice) After you draw your shape, it should be a simple matter to make a surface of it: in Vertice Mode, select all the vertices and either create an Ordered Surface or create Convex Object/Hull. Which one you use probably depends on whether you selected all the vertices in consecutive order, such that the surfaces will draw correctly. Also, if the vertices describe a shape with 3 dimensions instead of 2 (and thus has depth) you may have to use Convex Object/Hull, otherwise you'll get some really problematic surfaces, "black" surfaces, etc. After you make the surface, you can do anything else you want: extrude, indent, bevel, etc. __________________ Flight Sim Project Contributor My Gaming Rig: i5 2500K Quad-Core CPU at 3.3GHz MSI P67A-C43 mobo 4GB of PC12800 DDR3 memory Windows 7 1GB Galaxy GeForce GTX550 Ti video card GeForce 270.61 drivers (4/2011) Cougar joystick/throttle combo CH Pedals Last edited by Stiglr; 11th April 2007 at 02:46 PM.

6th February 2012, 08:46 PM	#4
jleslie Member Expert member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 58	Re: How to use the poly line tool ok, I can draw a line, but how can I get it to draw on top of the current surface or at least control where in the depth it draws it? for example I'm in the "left" view of a vehicle, and I want to draw some lines on the surfaces I see. I use the polyfill to draw some vertices, (I ~think~ I'm tracing the frame of the door...) but when I right click, my poly line, is somewhere far away, I have to go find it in the 3d view.

6th February 2012, 09:41 PM	#5
Stiglr Senior Member Professional user Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 604	Re: How to use the poly line tool If you're talking about "cutting a door in the side of a car", then you're trying to cut an existiing shape, not draw a new one. But, to answer your question anyway: The poly tool will create the shape at the 0 line of the axis perpendicular to the viewport you draw it in. That's the "depth" if you will. You can then select it and move it wherever you want to put it. I'm not exactly sure what you're trying to do, but you may want to get more familiar with the basic 3D concepts before you get too far into it. Frustrating answer, I know... I was exactly where you are now, once. But most of my problems were stemming from trying to build something before I had the basic concepts down. __________________ Flight Sim Project Contributor My Gaming Rig: i5 2500K Quad-Core CPU at 3.3GHz MSI P67A-C43 mobo 4GB of PC12800 DDR3 memory Windows 7 1GB Galaxy GeForce GTX550 Ti video card GeForce 270.61 drivers (4/2011) Cougar joystick/throttle combo CH Pedals

6th February 2012, 10:52 PM	#6
jleslie Member Expert member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 58	Re: How to use the poly line tool I don't want to cut the door, I want to have a polygon "melt" onto the outside surface of the existing model. The current surface is a mish-mosh of all kinds of polygons, I want to frame a new polygon, not fill it, and just paint the lines on the polygon black and have it just sit on the outside of the existing objects. If the melt analogy doesn't work for you, try this one. I want the polyline tool to put down a bead of toothpaste on the outside of the car. it sticks to the outside surface. For that matter, is their a way to make the polyline thicker/wider? In lieu of these options what is the best way to to get lines onto the vehicle? I mean look at this car: http://military.discovery.com/techno...er-625x450.jpg the edge of the door is black, and the body is almost uniform. I'd like to be able to also "paint" the support X's on the door. but the model I have (a conversion from sketchup--> DAE--->FBX-->3DS--> ac3d) it really good, but the polygons that make up the door aren't even close to framing the door. As a result the texture with the texture mapper is all over the place. I can get a nice sand colored texture, but there is no way I'm gonna get the edges for the door. TIA - jleslie