Got a little problem that I could do with a bit of help. I’ve been trying for ages to try and model round, or part round to be more accurate, ridge tiles on a roof with a hip. I’ve tried every way I can think of and have searched high and low on the usual sources but I can’t seem to find the answer. The crux of the problem is the point at which the tiles coming up the hips meet with the horizontal tiles along the top of the roof. I just can’t get the junction to look right. Clearly I can’t use follow me along 2 lines so my latest attempt has been to do follow me along the horizontal and down 1 hip and then either rotate a copy around to create the other hip or to repeat the follow me again using the other hip. Neither of which prevent the little sticky up bits at the junction. It also creates additional geometry in the ‘pipe’. I have tried doing an intersection and then deleting out the unwanted geometry but it doesn’t seem to work very well.
I know that in the real world this junction is a dark art and the last horizontal tile, as it approaches the junction is actually raised slightly at one end. Not sure how that might help but I thought I’d mention it.
So you’re just talking about the miters at the peak? I would make each cylinder a group or component and make sure it is solid (see the Entity Info panel) and then use the Solid Tools to trim one against the other. I expect for something like this you could get by with circles of 12 or maybe even 8 sides on these ridges which will help to reduce the file size and make it easier to work with the geometry.
How will you use the model once you’ve created it, though? Will you need to show how the tiles get cut or is this just representational?
I have tried that but found it awkward to get the cylinders in the right place. If they extend too far beyond each other you don’t get the right mitre. Then you have to try and P/P them to a better position. Which I haven’t been able to do. Hope I’m explaining this ok?
They are just going to have a plain colour applied to give the impression of a ridge. No fancy textures or further modelling. Cheers
Thanks for the reply and vid mihai.s Took me a while to actually workout how you were using the pie tool there and how to select just the edges to be able to change values in the Entity info, but I got there. Didn’t realise that the pie tool was so powerful or useful. Many thanks. I’ve managed to get the ‘tubes’ created but no matter what I try I can’t get the mitre right. It’s certainly getting there between the hips but the roof topline is stumping me still. No matter what Solid Tools operation I use I can’t get the smooth joint I am looking for. The horizontal seems to still be too high. Shortening the horizontal doesn’t work nor does lowering it as you then get the hips standing too high. I’ll attach a couple of screen grabs to hopefully show what I mean. Cheers
mihai, I have dowloaded your model and that is exactly what I am after. However, I am clearly missing something here as I Still cannot see how you have got the top line to smoothly join the hips? I also have done it with Intersection but cannot see how that helps. Sorry if I’m being a dork!
Thanks mihai. I’ve had a quick go at doing it. I am still getting the little peaks of geometry that I was before, as is your example, but I think I’ve realised that where I am lacking is in my knowledge of how to put back repair geometry when removing what you don’t need.
I didn’t see the second part of your vid mihai, many thanks. Still looks a bit fiddly but I’ll stick at it.
I have seen that YouTube before but it’s way beyond the level of detail I need.
Thanks again for all your help
Hi Again Guys, Just thought I would share how I’ve managed to get the results I was looking for. Your suggestions definitely got me looking in a different direction and I’m really pleased with what I’ve ended up with. Hopefully I’ll be able to upload a GIF of what I’ve done but in brief:
I created a tube using just 2 legs of the ridge with the Follow Me Tool. Then using a rectangular block, trimmed it in half through the vertical. I then copied this, flipped it then placed it against the original. Exploded it, cut it then pasted in place within the group. Got exactly what I was after without having to do any fiddly trimming and rebuilding, just softened a line along the top. Really pleased.
Hope someone else can make use of this technique. Cheers.
Hope you are well. A while ago you kindly gave me a solution to creating ridge tiles. I have reason to revisit now but I cannot for the life of me remember how to draw the pie on the angle of the ridge as per your GIF. I’ve tried everything and it’s driving me nuts! Can you help. Thanks
