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Deformations (Max) - inside out with logic behind:

It's very important to understand how the computer/ software is doing the job we asiign it. And that's also what I would cover here, not just the process.

So lets start!

I start with lofting a circle on a straight path.By default the path has 5 steps
this means that the software would place the circle at the top and bottom
of the path and also at 5 levels in b/w and join the vertices of circles to form a cylinder.

Along with it is important to introduce the concept of first vertex. Every shape
has a "first vertex" (which can be altered with edit spline -- sub object vertex-- make first).
This vertex defines which vertex of those 7 circles placed over the path. Yes! the first vertex
of each circle would join to each other, next vertex to next one and so on.

(The main crux I have already told, rest all is even simpler)
Lets go thru all deformations.

Select the lofted object and go to modifiers,
the last drop down is of deformations.

Scale: When we provide this, lets say like this: Grab for scaling (13KB)

Here the software again has placed the circles as described above and in addition has scaled them depending on graph we draw. Then again it joins the vertices and we get the above shape.

This branches into another factor, the axis of the shape. Every shape, object has it's own axis, the deformations happen on this axis. thus with the same shape as above if I move the axis of the circle (before lofting) to the edge of the circle instead of center, and then scale the loft, I get following result: Grab for scaling with different axis (14KB)

Grab for scaling with different axis (14KB)

See, the same scaling has different result. To know how to change axis click here.

Bevel: This works similar to scale, Mainly to bevel the edges. Bevel 15KB

Twist: Here is where first vertex plays a role. When we provide twist deformation the software rotates the circle perpendicular to path (value depending on the curve we draw). As a result the first vertex is not vertically aligned for all circles and we get a twist.
Grab - for twist (23KB)

The object on left has been applied twist, while one on the right is a simple loft (it's not a circle lofted in this case) Note the lines in wireframe of the two objects.

Teeter: Teeter also rotates an object but in the other axis.

Fit: This probably is the most useful one.
Here you can create all 3 profiles of an object and put them togather to form one object. This is also very parallel to scale, but gives a greater control in the following way: I cannot scale like this:
This is not possible with scaling but is with fit (1KB)

This is not possible with scaling but is with fit (1KB)

But I can do this with fit as follows.

Lets say I want to scale the circle like this over a straight path, with no scaling happening in the other profile.
To get such an object, loft the circle on a straight path (as before), draw a shape like above, and a rectangle.

Now go to deformations, select fit, switch off the symmetry button Symmetry button, off stage (1KB)

- default is on.
Click on Get shape button Get Shape icon 1KB

and click shape (either rectangle or the other one).
Now click on the other axis axis icon 1KB

,and again click on Get shape button JPEG 1KB

and get the other shape.
Now click on the gen path button Get Shape icon 1KB

. This will generate a path best suited for these profiles.

Two precautions need to be take here.

1. The path is generated based on the shapes in the fit deformations, thus to have a start and end point of this new path, the shapes also MUST have a vertex at the top and the bottom most point.

2.A shape like this
Fit not possible with this shape(1KB)

cannot be brought to fit because at level 1 the software would need to do three scalings --a,b and c, which it cannot. And we'll get some unwanted results.

Such a picture can be used rotating Rotate shape icons (1KB)

90 deg.

but the shape lofted on the path (in our case - circle) would change then.

I have tried to keep this tut as simple as possible. Please send in your feedback if you find it helpful or not.

alokjain

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