Lightwave Community at SimplyLightwave - View Single Post - How can I model pipes, wires, or cables in lightwave

Mark · 14-09-2010, 05:37 PM

In modo (LW shouldn't be too different) you can model simple pipework using the Disc, Bevel, Loop Slice (Bandsaw in LW) and Bend tools.

Simply begin with a disc of roughly the correct proportions and extrude it until your first bend in the pipe. Bandsaw around 6-8 cuts in the end you want to bend, using enough of the pipe so far to get a good, smooth bend, and then simply bend those end sections until you have the orientation you want. Then simply rinse and repeat ... To add pipe joints, proper elbows, etc then knife through the pipe where you want to add them, select the relevant polygons and extrude outwards.

For wires, then you can be a little more freeform and simply make a spline curve, shaping it to how you want. then, create a small disc at one end of the spline and use the rail extrude tools to extrude the disc along the spline - you'll need to play with the settings a little to get the right look and not overweight the mesh - also, to get a smoother look you might want to convert any poly mesh to subd's and then freeze the resulting smoothed wire back to polys.

Also, one of the old Worley plugin packs (can't remember which one - either Taft or Polk) had a plugin called 'Hoser' which would also do what you want (although they were'nt cheap back in the day - don't know what they're priced at now).

14-09-2010, 05:37 PM	#2
Mark Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Sunbury, UK Posts: 2,339	In modo (LW shouldn't be too different) you can model simple pipework using the Disc, Bevel, Loop Slice (Bandsaw in LW) and Bend tools. Simply begin with a disc of roughly the correct proportions and extrude it until your first bend in the pipe. Bandsaw around 6-8 cuts in the end you want to bend, using enough of the pipe so far to get a good, smooth bend, and then simply bend those end sections until you have the orientation you want. Then simply rinse and repeat ... To add pipe joints, proper elbows, etc then knife through the pipe where you want to add them, select the relevant polygons and extrude outwards. For wires, then you can be a little more freeform and simply make a spline curve, shaping it to how you want. then, create a small disc at one end of the spline and use the rail extrude tools to extrude the disc along the spline - you'll need to play with the settings a little to get the right look and not overweight the mesh - also, to get a smoother look you might want to convert any poly mesh to subd's and then freeze the resulting smoothed wire back to polys. Also, one of the old Worley plugin packs (can't remember which one - either Taft or Polk) had a plugin called 'Hoser' which would also do what you want (although they were'nt cheap back in the day - don't know what they're priced at now).