Blender 3D: Noob to Pro/Deforming Meshes using the Curve Modifier - ...

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Blender 3D: Noob to Pro/Deforming Meshes using

the Curve Modifier
Contents
1 Understanding the Curve Modifier
1.1 A Simple Example
2 Another Example
2.1 Setting up your Mesh
2.2 Extruding the Cone
2.3 Making a Curve
2.4 Applying the Curve to the Mesh

Understanding the Curve Modifier

The curve modifier lets you use a curve shape to deform a mesh. The mesh will follow every twist and turn of
the curve as far as it can bend, depending on how many vertices it hasclearly, the more vertices there are, the
more faithfully it can follow the curve.
The curve modifier is also very easy to confuse yourself with if youre not careful in how you set it up. A
common situation is you try to move the deformed object in one direction, but it ends up moving in a completely
different direction! This happens when you choose a deformation axis that doesnt correspond to the
predominant orientation of the points in the curve.
There are in fact some predictable rules that govern the behaviour of the curve modifier. Once you understand
these rules, you shouldnt need to keep trying different things at random to try to achieve the effect you want,
you should be able to go straight for it.

A Simple Example
Lets do an illustrative example to clarify things. Start a new Blender
document; delete the default cube, and add a grid object instead, with
the default 1010 subdivision to give it plenty of vertices that can be
deformed. Also add a path curve on top of itthis will give you a
NURBS curve with 5 points, initially in a straight line. The result should
look like at right.
Grid plus path objects, ready for action

Now RMB on the grid, go to the Modifiers Context

in the Properties window, and add a new Curve
modifier. (In version 2.63, you need to select object in modifier settings, or the grid will not move, so select
object as your new path that we just created.)
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The grid object should immediately jump a little way in the direction of
the negative X-axis. Why?

Grid deformed by path, default settings

Rule One: The offset of the first point on the curve in its local coordinate system is also used to offset
the origin of the deformed shape.

If you select the curve and TAB into Edit mode, you should see that, while the origin of the curves local
coordinate system (the fat orange dot) is in the middle of the curve, the first point (the one at the end of curve in
the same direction that the centipede legs are pointing) has a negative X-coordinate. Select just that point, and
from the Snap menu SHIFT + S , do Cursor to Selected. Now TAB back into Object mode, and from
ObjectTransform do Origin to 3D Cursor. This will adjust the origin of the curves local coordinate system
to that first point (keeping the curve itself in the same place), whereupon the grid object should jump back to its
original location.
Corollary to Rule One: You will make things a lot simpler for yourself if you change the origin of the
deforming curve to coincide with its start point.

You can of course freely move around, add and delete the other points. Just be sure to keep that first point
always at the origin of the curve.
Now look at the settings for the Curve modifier. Notice those six buttons under
Deformation Axis:?

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Rule Two: The Deformation Axis is interpreted according to the local coordinate system of the
deforming curve.

When a path curve is created, all its points initially lie along its local X-axis. Since the default for the
Deformation Axis is X, all works pretty much as you expect. If the two do not coincide, then weird things
happen when you try moving things around.
If you really want to mess around, you could go into Edit mode on the curve, select all its points, rotate them to,
say, orient them along the local Y-axis, then get out of Edit mode, select the deformed mesh, and change the
Deformation Axis on its modifier to Y, and things should still work consistently. But why bother?

Corollary to Rule Two: For simplicity, ensure that the Deformation Axis corresponds to the primary
orientation of the points of the deforming curve in its local coordinate system. Otherwise, the deformed
mesh will be rotated from its undeformed orientation, and will go off at a completely different angle
when you try to move it.

So long as you obey the above rules, you can move, rotate and scale the deforming curve in object mode only as
much as you like, and the deformation will still behave in a reasonable fashion. Of course, you can do what you
like to the deformed mesh in object or edit modes, and this will still be true.

Rule Three: The effect of the deformation corresponds to the relative positions of deforming curve and
deformed mesh in world coordinates.

Select the curve, TAB into Edit mode, select the middle point, and
move it a little to one side, as at right. You should see the grid mesh
immediately bend in a corresponding way.
Now TAB into Object mode, select the mesh, and move G it around:
notice how it tries to follow the shape of whatever part of the curve lies
nearest to it. What shape does it take when you move it off an end of the
curve? How about to one side?

Fiddling with the deforming path

Alternatively, you can similarly drag the curve instead of the mesh, and
the same thing will happen: it is only their relative positions that governs the actual deformation.
Also try changing the scaling radius ALT + S and tilt angle CTRL + T on particular curve points: note how
the former causes the deformed mesh to get wider and narrow at those points, while the latter makes it tilt from
side to side.

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Another Example
Setting up your Mesh
While this example will be done with a cone primitive, you can use the default cube or another shape of your
choosing so long as it can be loop subdivided along the axis you wish to curve. Delete the default cube if you're
not going to use it as your base mesh, and add your chosen primitive. In this example, we'll be using a Cone.
Set your view to the X-Y Axis (Top View) by pressing NUM7, the 7 on
the keypad.
Press SPACE > Add > Mesh > Cone
A smaller number of vertices are needed, since this cone will become
just the tip of the finished shape.
Left Click and drag to reduce the number of vertices to 12, then click the
Ok button. (Note: On newer versions of Blender you will have to hit F6
to get to this option.)
Press TAB to enter Edit Mode, or choose Edit Mode from the bottom of
the 3D viewport.
A basic cone in Edit Mode
Switch views to the Z-X Axis by pressing NUM1 (1 on the keypad).
Your screen should now look something like the picture at left.
If your cone is selected (one or more faces are pink, one or more vertices are yellow) press AKEY
(Select/Deselect All) until they are deselected.
Select the point of your Cone with the RMB and drag it upwards with the blue arrow. You can hold down
the CONTROL key if you want to contstrain the scaling to set units. For this example, 5 squares of
height were added to the cone.

Extruding the Cone

Still in Edit Mode, press the NUM8 repeatedly to rotate your view to the underside
of your cone. Select the center vertex of the circle, and hold down CONTROL, then
press the +KEY on the keypad. This will select all of the adjacent vertices of the
base. (You could also select the whole cone AKEY and deselect the top point by
holding down SHIFT and selecting it with the RMB to achieve the same effect.)
Go to front view by pressing NUM1
Extrude the base of the cone by pressing the EKEY and choosing Region.
Pull the new vertices away from the cone a distance and click the LMB to set them
in place.
Press the SKEY and widen the new base of the cone a bit.
Continue extruding the cone, widening the base after each extrusion until you have at
least 5 segments. The more segments you have, the smoother your curved cone will
be.
Another way of adding segments is with the Loop Subdivide tool. CONTROL +
RKEY to bring up the purple placement ring, then LMB twice to add a subdivision.
On Blender 2.6, the best way to do it is by selecting the side edges and subdivide
Extruded cone
them by pressing WKEY then clicking on Subdivide, after that you can select the
number of cuts you want.
You may find that your cone is quite large indeed now, so switch back to Object Mode (TAB) and resize it
with the scale tool. While you're in Object Mode, try stretching the cone out a bit to make a nice long
needle.

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Making a Curve
In Object Mode, Z-X orientation (NUM1), make sure you have nothing selected and press
SPACE > Add > Curve > Bezier Curve
Rotate your curve 90 (holding down the CONTROL key to make it rotate in 5 intervals)
Note- or just R-KEY and then type 90, so that it lines up with your cone. Move it off to one
side so that its not hidden by your cone.
Grab the center vertex of each end and adjust its rotation (RKEY) until you have a nice
shallow dome shape.
Scale the curve in size (SKEY) until it is larger than your cone.
Look at the panel below the 3D space, you should see the Editing panel is selected
(F9KEY) Just below the panel buttons will be a window called Link and Materials. If your
curve is selected, you will see a box with OB:Curve in it. This means the name of the curve
is "Curve". This is important because that exact name is needed to deform the cone.

Noob Note:
I could not find what this section talks about. However, the name of the curve is in at least two other places:
Press NKEY and in the Item panel is the name of the curve. OR in the Outline panel (usually top right) you can
see which item is highlighted and read the name. Mine was named BezierCurve.

Applying the Curve to the Mesh

Select the cone in Object Mode. In the Editing panel window (F9KEY), the
rightmost panel has two tabs, Modifiers and Shapes. Choose the Modifiers tab if it
is not already selected.
Click the Add Modifier button and choose Curve from the popup list.
In the OB: box, type the exact name of your Bzier Curve (it will be "Curve"
without the quotations if you left it as the default.)
Notice the six buttons underneath the OB: and VGroup: boxes (in the Modifier
Panel). They are X, Y, Z, -X, -Y, -Z. They affect which plane the curve deforms.
For this example, you'll need to select the Y button.
Move your Cone so that it overlays the curve in the 3D space screen, and notice
how it follows the Bzier Curve.
Modified cone
You can modify the Bzier Curve as well as the cone repeatedly until you are
happy with the design.
If you switch to Edit Mode, notice that the cone returns to its straight orientation.
To apply the deformation to the mesh permanently, in the Modifiers panel, click the Apply button next to
your Curve modifier.
Noob Note: In more recent versions (I am using 2.69) the Modifier panel is found in the Properties Window
(usually the one on the right) with a little wrench icon in the row of icons
. Click this and choose curve and
then enter the name of your curve in the Object: box. I then had to select the X button, not the Y button as it
says above. I don't know why.

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