best way to make a curved beam

[Anonymous]

I want to make a curved beam ( glu-lam ) for use in a ceiling ( structure )
I have played around with the roof tool, and adjusted the segment density. however it seems cumbersome and not as friendly.

Can I make one out of a slab and save it as a beam ??

or does anyone here have a better idea ?

thanks !

[Anonymous]

Archi wrote:

Ralph wrote:

web_wallace wrote:
I want to make a curved beam ( glu-lam ) for use in a ceiling ( structure )
or does anyone here have a better idea ?

OBJECTiVE would be ideal for your purposes - you can either use the existing objects or draw a cross-section through the beam, and use the bend tool to shape it to the curve you require. Take a look at the example movie for the bending tools at http://www.encina.co.uk/objective.html

Exactly with this way you can use roof tool. That is very classical and good way. It has advantage:
You receive 2D drw. from your engineer, and you can copy it and use it with roof tool.

How do you use the Roof Tool with Objective? Or you mean roof accessory?

[Anonymous]

Profiled beam is impossible to make with roof tool.
Objective tool must be good (if already chased!).
In this case I prefer to use truss maker.

[Anonymous]

Archi wrote:
Profiled beam is impossible to make with roof tool.
Objective tool must be good (if already chased!).
........................

Do not get it

[Thomas Holm]

I assume chased = purchased, meaning it's good if you have it. If not, not.

[Pete]

Neat trick Dwight. Let's say Web wants to render these arches so they look like glulams (the stripes following the curve). It's a brain teaser I can't get my mind around. Any ideas?

[Dwight]

1: Make an analytical side elevation of your curved beam. use woody line color.

2: draw the laminations with a woody line color.

3: Save image as Tiff or other quality file format.

4: In Photoshop, add color and noise to the image to simulate woodgrain seen at a distance. If you do the linework, I'll do the photoshop, but send it today because I am off to the Excited States all next week.
4: Make two material textures - one flipped for the opposite side - reload library for new texture image, etc.
5: Apply to beam sides as necessary
6: Use Align 3D tool to position.


If you'll be using the complex profile method, you'll be assigning the main material - this will appear on the "sides" of the cross-extrusion.

It is also important to place the complex profile shape on the origin to simplify texture alignment.

[Pete]

I was hoping for something that changes with the profile so one can make a variety of laminated arches and not have to make specific textures for each. Would layering the profile create the lamination lines? I'll try it and get back.

[Dwight]

Sure. You could leave a tiny gap between the planks - that would do it, but at the cost of many more polygons.

However, even though the photo method initially seems like a lot of work, if you ganged the job, it would get pretty quick.

[Anonymous]

Pete wrote:
Would layering the profile create the lamination lines? I'll try it and get back.

AFAIK, if you make the profile out of separate fills it works as long as the two adjacent fills are always different - call one wood1 and the next wood2 for example and layer them like a dobos torte (layered cake - see image linked).

Then no need for gaps, just a uniform surface but with lines separating where necessary. Different materials too can be applied to the different fills in the profile manager so when editing the profile no reapplication of textures required.

[Anonymous]

web_wallace wrote:
I want to make a curved beam ( glu-lam ) for use in a ceiling ( structure )
I have played around with the roof tool, and adjusted the segment density. however it seems cumbersome and not as friendly.

Can I make one out of a slab and save it as a beam ??

or does anyone here have a better idea ?

thanks !

For your simple beam,
you can use roof tool (for your roof) and Profil manager (for your Beam)