Warp object with a curve

[canison]

Ive been driving myself mad trying to find a way to warp/scale a complex object, but in a non linear, or curved fashion.
For example, if i scale down the top surface of a cube, the sides will scale in a straight line, but i want them curved. I also need to be able to do it to a component or group as a whole since i already drew a complex object that i need to add a curve to.
In this pic, imagine the cube is a complex detailed component, i want to be able to select the entire component, and warp or scale it to get a result like the second shape.

I’m sure theres an extension to do it, but i cant find anything.

Thanks

[jimhami42]

Is the curve merely aesthetic? Or does it follow some sort of mathematical equation?

[canison]

Just aesthetic. The object i drew was meant to have a bit of a curve to it, which i neglected to account for before adding all the detailing in.

[TIG]

It looks like the end facing the camera is flat ?
If so simply draw the curve on the cube’s flat end - right-side.
Repeat for the left-side of that end.
Two approx triangular faces will be formed on that end.
Now use the PushPull tool twice - to push those unwanted parts back until they are deleted.
Now you should have the form you showed.

If you want to curve all faces of the cube, draw one arc as above, select the top face [to set its edges as the path], now activate the FollowMe tool and pick the approx triangular face formed by the arc, the unwanted part will be deleted, leaving the desired form behind…

[Box]

Depending on the shape you are talking about, vertex tools will probably fix it for you.

[jimhami42]

@TIG

If so simply draw the curve on the cube’s flat end

As TIG indicated:

[canison]

The square was simply a basic example to get across what i was after. The actual shape is more complex, i need to add the curve to 3 seperate components.

[TIG]

Now you tell us !
OK, looks like a job for FollowMe, or even Fredo’s Corner tool.
It’s still unclear from your image which edges you want rounding…
It is easy enough to round edges within components - just edit them… if using FollowMe you can copy the profile ‘arc’ between them beforehand…

[canison]

I did say the square was an example, and my object was more complex.

[Box]

I think you are missing it Tig, he wants to select all three already created components and Taper them but with a curve rather than a straight taper.

[canison]

Taper, thats the word! Yes, because those 3 objects are connected, i need the taper to apply to all 3. The bottom should be pretty much as is, but the top should taper in along a curve. Look at the sides of this apache helicopter cockpit for what i mean

[Box]

I understand, you want to do this but curved.

[canison]

Box, yes exactly that. If possible, otherwise i have to go back and re-draw a bunch of things.

[TIG]

So Fredo’s Scale will ‘taper’ for you…
But the taper-and-curve is something more complex.
I suspect you’ll need to remake at least some of the parts…

[CAUL]

I think the plugin Flowify may be of help here.

Attached is an example with a custom warp scale. The important thing to rember here is that the heights of the divisions on the projection surface should match those on the target surface, thus, create the target surface first and then create a matching projection surface.

Flowify setup. Projection surface is green and target surface is pink

Source geometry and flowified geometry

Make sure the divisions on the green surface matches those on the pink surface along the blue axis

Example file
flowify.scaling(skp8).skp (377.6 KB)

[splatcreativeau]

FFD would do the job.