Alias Studio - Curve on Surface...

I have used Alias since V7 and Quite a bit since V10

I have interviewed many hi-end users and all said they do not sketch curves on Surface. The curve on Surface is beneficial over making a curve thru points and project curves in some cases. Like the image.

Question is … Has anyone used ‘Curve On Surface’ even though a user can’t make tangency on ends of the curve? Or how do I make a ‘Curve On Surface’ curve’s end point Surface tangency?

Image from Alias Studio v13

Notice the outer curve is a curve on surface. The inside curve is projected the standard way. Use a curve in alias forcing tangent on the ends and projected normal to a diagonal plane that you can see in the image. ‘infinite plane’.

I want to sketch curve on surface and be able to force it’s end points tangency or implied tangent to the mirror plane.

What about Rhino users? How do you go about this in Rhino?

I would try making a small curve like you have on the projected curve and align to it after you draw the curve on surface.

With the thing you’re doing. (Chair?)I’ve used 2 projected curves before. One from the top, one from the front.

I might be able to help, but I got a bit lost in your description. If you can simplify your wording a bit I think I can lend a hand. The image has a lot going on as well, perhaps you could simplify that too…

Before getting into specifics though, here’s my basic workflow with regard to “curves on surface” (COS):

As a rule, I only project curves to create COS

To get the COS to be tangent to various surfaces and planes, I make temporary/dummy curves and temporary/dummy COS that I “align” and “snap” to…

I am just looking for basic structure. Trying to make use of the COS function by drawing on a surface as opposed to projecting onto a surface. Sketching onto the COS seams mostly useless if a user can not make a COS ends tangent then what good is that tool? Also useless if one can’t modify internal CV’s?

Basically, I am looking for a good reason to use a sketched COS. I thought this would be a good model for it’s use however users can not control it’s tangencies.

If I am not mistaken, the curve manipulator tool that would have allowed one to set tangencies on endpoints of a COS was essentially dropped a few releases ago. I think it technically still exists in some form (found it once), but it doesn’t seem as useful as it was in the past. I’m not sure what the new “correct” workflow would be for what you are trying to accomplish.

If it were me, I’d try snapping a blend curve to the ends of the COS you have now. You can sent the endpoints normal to the XY plane with the blend curve manipulator. Then manipulate the blend curve to approximate the COS and project the blend curve normal to the surface. Should provide a COS with fewer points than you have now, but it might be challenging to get the blend curve to do what you want. You might have to add points along the interior and snap them to the existing COS.

This would be an interesting post for the alias forums. There are some trans modelers over there that could probably offer additional advice.

Thanks Dustin,

I will mess with the curve manipulator tool and see if that works.