Heeeelp! I'm really struggling and need some advice.

[RedSquare]

Believe it or not I'm still trying to finish my wheel. It didn't help that my operating system became corrupted during a download. Anyways apart from a few prog's I'm almost back to normal. The problem I'm having apart from continuous internal errors is as follows:-

I have almost completed inserting the spokes. Excluding the two currently in position (Lower two green points) and ready to weld, only four remain to be inserted. (See jpeg 50 and 52)

So my problem is this, once I have welded these two spokes I can't smooth the object. I've tried in effect for the past week to accomplish this to no avail, either I get the dreaded internal error and half my object disappears - reboot - or even worse I get (see jpeg 51) I do my normals before I attempt to weld always supposing that I'm doing that correctly.

Correct me if I doing it incorrectly. 1. I select normalise then 2. the all faces button. The elements all go red, 3. I tap the space bar that which were red goes yellow, 4. I select unify and then 5. validate and 6. save as, the file.

Welding, I checkout my normals by repeating the above then reselect group 8 and both 15s then I weld. Which results in groups 10 (rim,spokes and chain guard) & 4 (Tyre, hubs & gears).

My problem is that whilst group 4 still smooths, the new group 10 doesn't.

As far as I can see, there is no point carrying on inserting the remaining four spokes if I can't get the rim et al smooth. (see jpeg 49)

Can anybody offer any assistance please.

Cheers.

[Piem]

The polygon count is insane for a simple wheel !

Go back to level 0 for each part, weld them, if it's your wish (if the material will be the same..why not). With such a polygon count, at the welding time, the computing, to see the connected points, is too heavy.
then try to smooth again. but 3.5 Millions polys for only 2 groups at level 1 !! My god .
The internal error may occur when your system spec. can't handle anything you want.

When you weld parts , if you want to keep the smoothing level, all the part must be set at the same SubD level. (example : I weld a level2 object with an other one wich is also at level2, the the resulting form will keep the level2). But it doesn't concern your case, since all the parts seem to be set at level 1.

[RedSquare]

Piem -

but 3.5 Millions polys for only 2 groups at level 1 !! My god .

Thanks for your suggestions, 3.5 million gulp!

I'm not sure how that happen, unless it is the spokes, so I guess this looks like it is doomed not to be finished. I had noticed that the file is somewhat large 31.6Mb Still all down to experience I will plug on and see if I can complete, so near yet so far.

[Pete Exxtreme]

Dump it and restart from scratch. It does happen quite often in 3D

[juanmanuel]

Agreed. It is not a very complicated or complex object where restarting would mean too much work lost.

[Thomas]

(please, check where you post your messages, thanks

[Rowan]

3.5 million... sounds like something I'd do in my mad quest for perfection. It looks good though :D But as said, there's no harm in dumping and restarting. I often mess around and try and create what I want, then start again and re-make it in a less complex manner. For example, say I had made on object by forming a basic shape, then cutting bits out of it etc etc, I would then go back and try and make the base object without needing cuts etc etc. It just keeps things simple. Another point, incremental saves are really useful. You can go back to a previous version and try things, which if they don't work, you can just load the save and try again.

[RedSquare]

Rowan -

Another point, incremental saves are really useful. You can go back to a previous version and try things, which if they don't work, you can just load the save and try again.

Oh! I do, I do already. Terragen TG2 does that to you. I'm pretty sure the culprit (apart from me that is,) for the high poly count are the spokes. See fig 54. I made it out of a cylinder closed at one end, bent and shaped and then thinned. How should I have made it?

PS Anywhere near Burgess Hill?

[RedSquare]

Thanks to all your comments especially Piem, he pointed me in hopefully the right direction.

Reduce the poly count.

Although it has produced some distortion to the wheel rim in particular, I can live with that, (In retrospect, no I can't) for the end result I'm aiming at. At least I can smooth the object and I should be able to insert the remaining 4 spokes.

So in a word Decimate Now to get rid of a few triangles on the rim.

[Couerl]

Well, on the outside, decimate looks like a sensible solution. Truth is though Pete is right and you should just delete it and start over.. You might be able to salvage the hub if it's not too high poly as well. For the spokes you can just snap a polyline between each post and the hub and add thickness. If you plan on shooting closeups you can make the little ends, but they're typically not needed for your everyday render because you'll never really see them anyway.

[bwtr]

I may be thought naieve but, as an idea, if you make a practice of starting off with plenty of facets you end up, often, not needing to apply smoothing?

[RedSquare]

Thanks for that useful advice Couerl the hubs and gears are not very high so I will try snapping a polyline, I just knew there must be an easier way to put the spokes in than the way I have done it. Cheers

[laughingnome]

actualty i agree with brian, peim and pete.

start over make a higher poly low model and smooth less for the final result.

you have to know when to dump a model and start over.

stu

[laughingnome]

as an aside i see you are from Norfolk UK, same here whereabouts if you dont mind me asking, im in Norwich myself carrot crunching country

stu

[RedSquare]

Cromer Hair horizontal country

[laughingnome]

Ahhh Cromer Crab, cant beat them , can boil them though


stu

[RedSquare]

Hmm! Crabs! Never eaten one in my life and don't intend to