Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
...
That wasn't so hard, was it? There are
many applications where using spline
patches can be pretty nifty.
The hardest part about spline modeling
in LightWave is juggling the settings in
your mind so your patches end up seaming
properly. (It's a little like that children's
game of memory — but it's not cheating if
you want to use pencil and paper.) Just
know that it may take a couple of tries to
get things to line up.
Also, remember that you've got to watch
the distribution of your knots. You can do
some pretty fancy tricks through creative
placement of those little things. Be sure to
weld all your endpoints. (This is a simple
thing, but it still slips by me from time to
time.)
There you go. To quote Obi Wan Kenobi,
“You've taken your first step into a larger
world.” At the time of publication, only an
estimated 4% of LightWave users said that
they understood spline patch modeling. You
can take pride in knowing that you're actu-
ally
ahead
of the pack! And to solidify your
position there, we're going to exercise your
knowledge of splines by using them to
model a human head. Flip the page and let's
begin!
