Virgil Johnson Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 Anyone have any ideas how to "write" with a spline? I want to make some neon signs and need a text with flowing connected letters. Thanks. Virgil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STRAT Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 tried plain old drawing with smooth or bezier lines? it's quite a flowing method. great for tracing over things. then just make the spline renderable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virgil Johnson Posted August 30, 2007 Author Share Posted August 30, 2007 Yes, I have tried that STRAT. The technique I used seemed very cumbersome and I ended up with jerky letters. Sort of like making one's own text. Perhaps something in Photoshop now that I think of it. Virgil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneis Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 What about creating the curves in Illustrator (or other vector app), then bringing the file into your app (assumung Max?). Create the neon tubes profile (assumung Circular) and extrude along the imported curve. DISCLAIMER: I use Maya, and am assuming the workflow is the same in Max. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virgil Johnson Posted August 30, 2007 Author Share Posted August 30, 2007 What about creating the curves in Illustrator (or other vector app), then bringing the file into your app (assumung Max?). Create the neon tubes profile (assumung Circular) and extrude along the imported curve. DISCLAIMER: I use Maya, and am assuming the workflow is the same in Max. I was afraid someone was going to say that. I have not had nor used Illustrator in more than ten years. I guess I will have to bite the bullet and upgrade the CS2 Photoshop to the CS3 Suite. Extended of course. hmmm expensive neon lights thanks v Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STRAT Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 yep, damn expensive just for neon lights when max is more than capable of doing the job! if you ended up with jerky letters drawing lines in bezier/smooth mode you couldn't have been doing it right. try it again, and try upping the interpolation setting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneis Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 "I guess I will have to bite the bullet and upgrade the CS2 Photoshop to the CS3 Suite. Extended of course. hmmm expensive neon lights" Not sure you have to go that far, maybe a friend/ colleague/ garphic designer/ etc would do it for you. Draw it up in any graphics app, email it to them and have them trace the curve in Illustrator, save it and email the AI file back to you. Even if you have to pay them, it'll be cheaper than the other option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virgil Johnson Posted August 30, 2007 Author Share Posted August 30, 2007 yep, damn expensive just for neon lights when max is more than capable of doing the job! if you ended up with jerky letters drawing lines in bezier/smooth mode you couldn't have been doing it right. try it again, and try upping the interpolation setting. great tip I have not spent enough time on this I guess. Like everything else I just have to really focus on the problem. Now I am encouraged - at least I know the problem is me. thanks v Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virgil Johnson Posted August 30, 2007 Author Share Posted August 30, 2007 "I guess I will have to bite the bullet and upgrade the CS2 Photoshop to the CS3 Suite. Extended of course. hmmm expensive neon lights" Not sure you have to go that far, maybe a friend/ colleague/ garphic designer/ etc would do it for you. Draw it up in any graphics app, email it to them and have them trace the curve in Illustrator, save it and email the AI file back to you. Even if you have to pay them, it'll be cheaper than the other option. Alas this won't work. My PS person got wind of the problem is lobbying for the CS3 suite along with a new computer. I guess I gotta do it. v Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STRAT Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 well, if it's for your firm then i retract my tips - go for new software. no skin off your nose, thats what i'd do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virgil Johnson Posted August 30, 2007 Author Share Posted August 30, 2007 well, if it's for your firm then i retract my tips - go for new software. no skin off your nose, thats what i'd do chuckle actually it is my nose that is being skinned. This is a 3 person operation and I am the chief cook and bottle washer and bill payer. --which is why I am online at 4 AM NY time trying to find answers. The joys of a small business... virgil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaneis Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 V, have a look at these links. I know you're probably going to go with CS3 eventually, but for the meantime (or just to get the job finished) you could try these. Not sure if they'll be exactly what you need, but they are FREE I tell you...FREE! (Lights incense stick at open source altar) http://www.inkscape.org/ - create/edit vector graphics http://autotrace.sourceforge.net/ and http://potrace.sourceforge.net/ - convert bitmaps to vector. Oh, and go and get some sleep! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virgil Johnson Posted August 30, 2007 Author Share Posted August 30, 2007 V, have a look at these links. I know you're probably going to go with CS3 eventually, but for the meantime (or just to get the job finished) you could try these. Not sure if they'll be exactly what you need, but they are FREE I tell you...FREE! (Lights incense stick at open source altar) http://www.inkscape.org/ - create/edit vector graphics http://autotrace.sourceforge.net/ and http://potrace.sourceforge.net/ - convert bitmaps to vector. Oh, and go and get some sleep! sleep? not for the wicked it is 8:30 AM here and the noble crew will be in soon and you know who has to chase the donuts and make the coffee. it those are not ready when they come in the door they beat me i will try out the links later today first we have to get a wood floor right in my next life i am taking on an easier job something like pyramid building thanks for the links v Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Park Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 I have to agree with STRAT, Max is more than capable of doing this with splines, using the bezier and smooth for your vertices. draw your text as corner vertices then convert them to smooth and if you need to tweak, move them about or convert to bezier or bezier corner. I did an animation ages ago based on a laser cutting a cursive word into marble, used the above procedure to get my letters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arnold Grove Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 Id have to agree with the draw it in max thinking. Drawing the lines are the same (more or less) in any program that lets you do lines ans splines. Drawing is drawing. Why not do it in Max. Ive found over the years Virgil that when I tried to do what I know I can do in a progam by taking short cuts ...using other progrmas...because I had problems...other will eventually pop up. I had the same thing starting out...wanting to make neon...(IN LW and EI) so I do everthing in AI and import. But extra steps out of the way always lead to other problems. I feel your pain about the small biz up till 4 am. Easy to say I know,,,,but the best way is to just tak a few hours and focus on that one issue in max...you can get your lines the way you want to there. Maybe some of the other lads here can correct me but Id say the drawing in Max is the same as in AI...points..and lines...you just control them in slightly different ways. This issue will pop up again in your work..attacking the proplem now will save you time down the road. I can draw your letters for you in either if you need help. one other idea...type it in the font you need in max with the text tool..and delete the lines you dont want. good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arnold Grove Posted September 4, 2007 Share Posted September 4, 2007 by the way...17 years in the sign biz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Virgil Johnson Posted September 4, 2007 Author Share Posted September 4, 2007 Id have to agree with the draw it in max thinking. Drawing the lines are the same (more or less) in any program that lets you do lines ans splines. Drawing is drawing. Why not do it in Max. Ive found over the years Virgil that when I tried to do what I know I can do in a progam by taking short cuts ...using other progrmas...because I had problems...other will eventually pop up. I had the same thing starting out...wanting to make neon...(IN LW and EI) so I do everthing in AI and import. But extra steps out of the way always lead to other problems. I feel your pain about the small biz up till 4 am. Easy to say I know,,,,but the best way is to just tak a few hours and focus on that one issue in max...you can get your lines the way you want to there. Maybe some of the other lads here can correct me but Id say the drawing in Max is the same as in AI...points..and lines...you just control them in slightly different ways. This issue will pop up again in your work..attacking the proplem now will save you time down the road. I can draw your letters for you in either if you need help. one other idea...type it in the font you need in max with the text tool..and delete the lines you dont want. good luck In the end that is the way we went. Took Max fonts and put a map in the background and wiggled things about. Tried it in AI (a pal's copy) but found it was more work then it was worth. I am not totally happy with the result but the client says it is fine so I guess it is fine. To make things more complicated in the middle of this was the total failure of a hardrive in a new computer about noon Friday. The only good thing was everything was backed up on this project across the network an hour before. Losing the new quad core was a bit of setback though. Tampa. My brother wants me to come back. Perhaps I will. At least part time. I would miss the Catskill Mountains though. Virgil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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