3d shape extrusion along path

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1

I want to create an extrusion effect of an arc in 3d space. I figured I could make an object (cube) and use the path to extrude it but it doesn’t seem to work that way. I can obviously attached an object to a path and offset but that’s not what I am trying to do. Super easy to do in any true 3d software, but can it be done in flame? I suppose I could always export from maya but i’d like to stay in flame for this simple effect. Any help is always appreciated.

2

This is 2025.2.1.
Archive.zip (29.8 KB)

3

Thanks Tim, I’ll take a look. On another note I was visiting with Kirsten Andersen this past Saturday. We live in the same town

4

No shit. I grew up a few miles away in Newton. I still have family in the area.

5

My office is in Newton. That’s crazy

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6

I think I may have misunderstood. You don’t want an arc that has extrusion, you want the extrusion to form an arc. Duh.

7

That’s correct

8

I could do it with particles but was looking for geometry.

9

I think there was a time you could do it with the deform mesh, but that seems do have died a slow death

10

I was going to suggest 3DShape extruded and then the arc created by using Deform Mesh. I have no idea how well the geometry would hold up. There may be some other options using 3DShape too, but I think I would need a better visual of what your are trying to achieve. Also… are you trying to animate the extrusion?

11

Hey Quinn,

Yes the goal would be to animated the extrusion. Think of a golf ball arc showing where the ball starts and ends.

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12

So many ways to skin that cat:

  • particles, will work, but unnecessarily tedious
  • a looooong line of “.” characters in 3D text on a 3D path with kerning set to minus values
  • an extruded, open gmask with a diffuse map to animated the drawing
  • a 2D animation of the line drawn in paint and displaced in action with the same media as displacement to give the 3D look
  • a cylinder, subdivided and bent with the deform node
13

replica - sort of…

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So, it’s not fully extruded, but it does give the illusion of a drawn line in 3-space. I have a second gmask in there to use as your wipe/reveal to give the illusion or impression of the stroke being animated.
Basically, I used an open gmask spline on a 3d shape with some softness. Orbit the camera a touch and you get the perspective

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15

Interesting ideas! I’ll look into some of them tomorrow!