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| Step 1: Create
the Profile Splines |
| Choose Shape>Cylinder, and create a cylinder with 9 U steps, and 1 Vstep called 'Profile'. |  |
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Duplicate the Profile (Cmd + D)
In the Object Info Palette, set the Z Position of Profile_1 to -50.000. Click the 'Locked' Checkbox. ** I've selected both profile splines in this image to show the position of the original. Select only the newer 'Profile_1' spline.** |
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| Select the original Profile. |  |
| Enable Tag mode in the Constraints Palette. |  |
| In Tag Mode, select every third CV of the Profile. |  |
| Choose Control>Scale, and slow drag downward in the Front view until the profile looks something like this: |  |
| Step 2: Create
the 'Ribs' of the Bit |
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From the Edit Menu, choose Step & Repeat. Enter a step of 40, Z Offset of 5, and a 10 degree Z Rotation. Step & Repeat duplicates an object, applies the offsets, scales, and rotations specified, then duplicates that object and continues the cycle for the number of steps set. Click OK. |
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| Great! Now, all we have to do is loft these splines to create the bit. |  |
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In the Object Info Palette, Select Profile_1, and unlock it.
And now, the fun part! |
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| Step 3: The
Loft |
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To make this step easier, we'll expand the right view to use two panes. Option+Click the expand box in the Right View. |
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Starting with the Spline on the left, select each spline in succession, one at a time. The splines will be lofted in the order they were selected. Carefully select them in order. |
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Choose Shape>Loft or press the '9' key. |
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| Step 4: Get
Rid of Excess Splines |
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Once the loft is complete, the 42 splines are added to the Construction Curves Layer. Open the Layer Manager ( Cmd + J ). Command+Click the Construction_Curves layer to select all objects belonging to the layer. |
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Press the delete key. Click OK in the confirmation dialog. |
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| Step 5: Finish
the Bit |
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Enable V Col & Z Axis in the constraints palette. |
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Choose Reshape>Insert, and insert a V Column at 0.1. |
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Select the new V Column. |
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In the Right View, drag it closer to the right. |
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Insert another V Column, this time at 0.000. This duplicates the column, and keeps the circular shape until the twisting of the bit starts. |
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Choose Reshape>Close Ends, and use the default settings to seal the ends of the bit. |
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| Step 4: Get
Ready to Render |
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In the Object Info Palette, set the U Subdivisions to 4. Do a Quick Render. The bit is a little 'soft'. This is because of the low CV count in the profile. By using a more complex, 'sharper' spline or Adobe Illustrator™ import, it is possible to create much more realistic bits & screw threads.
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| Homework |
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Experiment with various profile shapes, and Step& Repeat settings to create your own drill bits, screw threads, or abstract art. Have fun!
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