Newbie question. How to understand groups.

[akus]

Hello, I coming from Cinema 4D and I wanted to model something simple in Houdini. 

 

Here what I want and where I've stuck: 

 

I have done it in houdini with group selection: 

 

 

 

but after that I want to create a group of points and then make extrusion and sweep. something like this:

 

 

My idea was, to create a group of points (what I did) and then extrude them with PolyExtrude with group selected, but it doesnot work. Then I've tried to create something like Sweep where I have profile and spline (what I actually did in Cinema 4D), but I don't know how to do it and I'm not sure about is it good way to do it or not. 

 

Since I have Point-Group, whenever I use PolyExtrude or PolyBevel, it's doesn't do what I want. My idea is take this point group and connect them together and create something like Spline and then use this spline as a path for extrusion. 

 

 

Please explain me how can I do it, I've watched many tutorials, but when I started to do something mine, I've stuck on fifth node I still digging inside, but as a newbie I have no confidence in my steps. Please thank you

 

 

[akus]

I have made some progress  but still some issues with normals and alignment...

 

 

and then I use Skin:

 

 

something like this, I hope you got the idea. 

 

I working like blind without knowing what am I doing, it's hard without advice  

[Skybar]

Not quite sure where you are going or trying to achieve in your second example. Are you trying to do something simple like this? No need to overcomplicate stuff.

polyHat_dv.hip

[akus]

Thank you Skybar,

Yes I'm trying to make what you did but I've tried to do it on procedural way. Including selecting points and tryint to replicate it with procedural nodes (group, copy ...). 

 

I'm actually trying to create simple model: 

 

 

But to use it on procedural way of modeling. 

 

My idea is to create this satellite and rigg is, like make it opening and showing inside microchemes. 

 

Even though it's a simple model, if you look closely you will see many small details. 

What do you think I should do with this model and how can I do it proceduraly? Maybe I overthinking too much and regular nodes such as PolyExtrude, Edit can do the job, but I've watched too many tutorials where people doing everything procedurally... 

[akus]

I have made some progress with the Sphere, but I've got another problem with the placing small elements along Line. 

 

 

 

How can I align this connector along Line and copy it to every copy and orient this copies to the center, to make them look to the center as connectors. 

 

I'm attaching my working file. Please take a look. 

 

 

 

ussr_sputnik1.hipnc

[dszs]

Hi, hope I am not too late to reply

 

Not too sure what if this is what you wanted

ussr_sputnik1_1.hipnc