Tube_from_curve?

[3__]

Hi all, just a simple question:

how to render a curve as a tapered tube,

without renderman, vex-hair shaders or

polywire... I just need a simple tube

from a nurbs curve (tapered with a point

attribute), to which I can apply any shader.

thanks!

-cpb

[Mcronin]

Does it need to be a real tube? I mean do you need to see an open end? If not you can add a width point attribute to the curve to taper it ( making it a ribbon) and fake the appearance of a tube by manipulating the color over the width (s) of the ribbon.

This example sets $PT*0.2 as a width attribute and has s converted to a vector feeding into the shader color output. You could use P and/or N and probably get better results and make it take your scene lights into account....

If you need a real tube... I don't know I guess a procedural DSO is probably the answer.

[edward]

Can't you just use the Skin SOP with a Circle?

[DaJuice]

Hey cpb, here's an example using the Sweep SOP. Basically using the point function in the sweep to grab the curve's per-point attrib.

-Edit: If this is for a hair solution or something with lots and lots of curves then this is not efficient of course.

tube.zip

[TheUsualAlex]

I think you can look into the Hair VOP shader to see how they render a curve to look somewhat like tube. I won't be looking as nice as a full-blown hair shader tho. But I think it should meet some very basic needs.

[3__]

thanks all. a modified hair shader will do for

volume, sweep for close-up... although point()

seems a bit fussy, will try to isolate an example

later.

-cpb