[Hex 1.x] How works the Dynamic Geometry

[Thomas]

In this video, you will discover how to use the DG of Hexagon, and how powerfull it can be!
You will also discover the Gordon tool, Thickness tool and the Chamfer tool (not filet)
Please, read carrefully wht I wrote below, DG is not easy when you begin with Hexagon

Download the video - QT 1024x768 - 30Mb



Download the Hexagon file
(Right-click>Save as - File which include the setps above)

[Thomas]

Take a close look at the original curves before trying to build the surface: on the screen, two curves are visible, the sections. The scene tree display them as "Section1" and "Section2"

Unhide the three profiles by clicking on the closed eye on the left of the hidden curves name in the Scene tree.

As you can notice, the profiles are all connected to the profile. No extra edges go after the sections (the surfaces tools of Hexagon or not patches as known with LW, Max or AM)

Switch in FullDG mode, in the Dynamic Geometry panel.

Pick a curve (anyone) and take the Gordon tool in the Surface modeling panel.

Select both sections, which should change of color (red) and click Apply button in the Tool property panel (or hit Enter, it's the shortcut)

Select the three profiles as above (switch to green) and press enter key (or validate button): the surface should be generated

In the DG panel, you have a "parent" (formxxx) and 5 "children" (the construction curves). If you click on a control curve name, you should see the curve selected in the 3D workspace.

Pick the parent.

Take the Thickness tool, in the Surface modeling panel: A thickness is applying to the surface. You can increase/decrease the value (click in the value field and use the mouse wheel to change the value) or change the orientation (inner/outer) and validate when done.

In the object properties panel, you can change the name (to "thickness", for example, which is the current level of DG). If you take a closer look, the thickness icon appears near the color section. Remember it, we will go back to it later.

Click the children of the thickness in the DG panel and rename it ("base").

Before applying the Chamfer, the best thing to do first, is to select the edges which will be rounded. Take care, picking the edge selection tool will change the level of DG to a control curve!! Then, once in the selection mode, in the DG panel, select the top level, the Thickness one, and select all the contour of the form. (Use the Loop selection to speed up the job ("L" shortcut).

In the Surface modeling panel, take the Chamfer tool. A chamfer is added on the selection. In the Tool property panel, change the radius (rayon, huh, translation mistake?) and the range. A tip: if you apply after a smoothing, don't enter a high range value. "0" gives you the same result as a bevel, which is a good value because of the futurs smoothing. Validate when the good values are choosen.

Now, double click on the object, to switch to Auto mode. Hexagon automatically select a control curve. You can select a vertex and move it: it will update the surface, the thickness and the chamfer! You can also choose a specific curve in the DG panel (that's why it is important to name them...).

Switch in transparency mode (on the bottom right of the control panel) to have a better view of your curves, which are by default inside the mesh.

Add a smoothing (Page Up once or twice).

Don't forget to rename your DG level: the top is smoothing, first children is the chamfer, the second the thickness and third is the base surface.

Now, the fun part: if you pick a level in the DG, you will have the icon function use in the Object property panel. Example, pick the thickness level, and you will have the Thickness tool icon in the Object property panel (see the 11. description). Click on it: now, you can edit again the thickness value, and change in realtime what you did before. Increase the radius or orientation. It will also keep the parent chamfer! Take care, if your new thickness value is smaller than the chamfer radius, you may have some problems

Try it with the Chamfer level too. You can also change the range value without any problem!

And too see that everything is dynamic, pick the second section ("Section2 (control)") and move some vertices or edges: the entire surface will be generated again with the Gordon tool, the thickness, chamfer and smoothing! Powerfull, no?

But, what to do if you want to edit the final result, and no more the control curves (to tweak the surfaces directly)? Then, you need to "collapse" the DG (like you collapse layers in Photoshop). To do it, select the good level: If you want to keep the chamfer dynamic and no more the control curves and the thickness, then, in the DG panel, on the left of the name of the Thickness, you have a small lightning: click on it, it will collapse all the levels bellow. In the video, the chamfer level is collapse, it means that only the smoothing is dynamic, nothing else.

Tweak as needed.

And now, I want to edit again my control curves... sorry guys, once the level are collapsed, you can edit them anymore... (except using the undo..)

Extra tips & information:

Take care when you work in full DG mode, because picking some tools wil change the current level, then, you will need to manually force the level once in the tool (or selection mode Switching back to Restricted mode won't collapse all objects which already include DG. It's only the creation mode, it means that next objects created will be in restrictied mode. And huh.. what means restricted mode? This mode means that surface tools will create a Dynamic Geometry and only them (extrude line, sweep line, Double Sweep, ruled surfaces, Coons and Gordon). In full mode, most of the tools in surface tool panel will be dynamic: add boolean, filet, thickness, offset; in vertex panel, vertex/edge/face extrusion and sweep; in utilities, the Bend tool

I hope this tutorial/demo will help you to understand a little bit the Dynamical Geometry and what you can do with it. This is only one example and a lot more are possible. For some creation, nothing is better than an "old" box / edge modeling with a lot of tweak and soft selection.. but for some others, damn, it help you a lot!

[bwtr]

Well done again and thanks Thomas. This answers another question I asked---you don't sleep! (ps. 1.The favourite son is called the "white haired boy". 2. The white clothes(shining armour) represents the "Knight in shining armour" who comes to rescue the maiden in distress!)

[Thomas]

I did it on my job time (I didn't understand the second part of your message)

[bwtr]

I was reffering back to that image I did with you in the high desk.

[bwtr]

Thomas this tute helped me understand Hexagon better than any I have tried to date . I feel very pleased with myself.

On page15 "Sorry guys etc----", is there a chance, in later Hex versions, that it will be possible to reinstate the DG?

[Thomas]

No, not at all... sorry...

[Joe52]

the link on the eovia site for the video QT 1024x768, Hexagon_full_DG_creation.mov, is bad. is there a replacement link, if not can it be emailed to be.

[Thomas]

Fixed, sorry

[of_the_animator]

It's very nice to have these simple to follow tutes.
Thanks for the explanation of DG... really helps!

[David Stephenson]

Hi.

I have a couple of problems with this page:
Has the link to the Hexagon file disappeared - all I get is an internal server error. Similarly, none of the images appear on this page - is it just me or have the images really disappeared?

Thanks

David

[0oseven]

Originally Posted by David Stephenson

Hi.

I have a couple of problems with this page:
Has the link to the Hexagon file disappeared - all I get is an internal server error. Similarly, none of the images appear on this page - is it just me or have the images really disappeared?

Thanks

David

Nope ! I cant see any images either - omly place holders. What sort of files are they pdf, jpg ???

[Thomas]

I will try to update the links tomorrow or later this week. Sorry for the troubles!

[Thomas]

Fixed. Sorry for the delay

[David Stephenson]

Thomas - a great tutorial.

PS. You make this look so easy to do.

Thank you!

David

[three3dguy]

Is there problems on the server end i'm not able to view the pictures
regardless on how many times I reload this webpage...

[Pete Exxtreme]

The video file is downloadable nevertheless....

[Thomas]

The pictures and videos of a lot of tutorials are looking for the domain name eovia3d.net which is no more... but these videos are on the server, I just have to edit all the tutorials and it takes time to do that... and I don't have a lot of time these last days...

[three3dguy]

The viddeo is no use to me if there is no sound....

[Thomas]

I can add french audio if you want