Create freeform blends in Alias

Any referenced datasets can be downloaded from "Module downloads" in the module overview.

Transcript

00:02

So I'll double-click or shift-click on Freeform Blend to open the Control window.

00:06

And this works in the same way as Skin in that it jumps across a gap between two inputs.

00:13

The difference is we can set the Continuity value for each side.

00:17

So I'll just try Curvature

00:18

here

00:19

and update

00:20

and I can turn Auto Update on

00:23

so that I don't have to click that Build button each time.

00:26

And I've got the same Flow Control options that I have with Skin.

00:31

And I have an option here to just modify that

00:34

shape by nudging those CVs closer to the center

00:37

or pulling them back

00:39

to flatten off the shape.

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So what that gives us is a very smooth, quick blend between those two input surfaces.

00:49

So I use, Query Edit

00:50

it to activate the control window again.

00:52

I also have this Modify Parameter value here that allows me to pull that

00:56

back along the surface away from the edge.

01:00

I tend not to use that so much, and instead I'll use the Object Edit Extend

01:05

on the input surface to explore where I want

01:09

the blend to start.

01:14

We can also use Freeform Blend on detail areas.

01:17

So here I've created a cut out for a handle recess.

01:22

So if I use Freeform Blend here,

01:24

I've got two surfaces here.

01:26

So if I select both, because they're tangent, they'll be treated as one edge

01:30

and then I have my second edge

01:32

and it creates my surface.

01:36

And the power of the Freeform Blend is its flexibility.

01:40

So I can choose the amount of offset of the two surfaces.

01:46

If I turn on my curves that I use to trim

01:50

that area,

01:51

I can modify those.

01:54

And the freeform blend

01:55

just updates as I make changes.

01:60

I can also

02:01

change the way I want the blend to work.

02:03

So let's just have Position only on the outside

02:06

and take a look at that.

02:11

So the file provided has got lots of examples

02:13

where you can experiment with Freeform Blend.

Video transcript