Itoo Software Forum

RailClone => RailClone Pro (*) => Topic started by: George on April 10, 2014, 06:54:09 AM

Title: Tapered Fence?
Post by: George on April 10, 2014, 06:54:09 AM

I'm trying to recreate one of the attached fences (the taper would occur on a particular ID). The bottom height stays constant, and the top tapers down. How would I do this?

If there's no current solution, could I suggest adding the ability to set a morph amount on a per segment basis? That way I could have a morph on the left and right top corners of the wood paling, and set it according to distance along segment in an expression, etc.

(http://www.withamtimber.co.uk/library/fencing/wooden-fence-feather-edge-board-2.jpg)

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0UZzF1d94iI/TsbfjmtLuHI/AAAAAAAAC-0/LmiOLtEGaig/s1600/IMG_3217+%2528Medium%2529.JPG)

Title: Re: Tapered Fence?
Post by: Paul Roberts on April 10, 2014, 10:25:16 AM

Hi George,

You could achieve that effect by using a spline to define the top of the fence instead of the bottom. The using the equation (XSplineCoords.z/currentFenceSegmentHeight)*100 you calculate a scale value that will fit the fence segments between the spline and the RailClone object's position on the z axis as defined by it's pivot point. Using this technique it's possible to create not only fences with slopes but undulating curves and other shapes too  :)

Please see the attached file and screenshot for an example.

Hope that helps,

Paul

Title: Re: Tapered Fence?
Post by: George on April 11, 2014, 01:49:46 AM

Brilliant! Although just to confirm, this wouldn't work if you wanted a non-constant height bottom, right?

Title: Re: Tapered Fence?
Post by: Paul Roberts on April 11, 2014, 10:18:46 AM

Hi George,

You're correct, this would only work if the bottom of the fence is a constant height.

Thanks,

Paul