lattice low-poly modelling
click here to download the rhino files
 start by drawing few lines |
 F10 for points on, select the points and Copy & V for vertical |
 Delete the flat version and copy the wireframe component around to check continuity |
 make a rectangle with its diagonals |
 Transform/Orient/Perpenticular to Curve and pick the rectangle |
 pick the intersection of the diagonals and remember to click on “copy=yes” at the command line |
 place the rectangle at the ends of the lines |
 draw a line from corner to corner |
 extrudeCrvAlongCrv |
 select the rectangle |
 and then the line we just made which connects the corners (not the centroids) |
 similar with the other corner, draw the line |
 and extrude crv along crv |
 draw the polyline from the corners to the intersection of the two extrusions |
 and delete the polysrfs |
 draw the little triangle shown in the picture |
 mirror those curves by clicking at two points at the right view |
 it should match with the bottom rectangles |
 draw two lines from corner to corner |
 & two more for the opposite corners, make sure these lines intersect |
 left click on mesh will reveal a window, click on “single mesh face” |
 & make the triangle shown on the image |
 similar two more |
 same command to make 4 more quads |
 select the lines shown in the image and group them |
 copy |
 to the opposite corners of the rectangle |
 should look like this (notice the ends dont match) |
 go to single mesh face again |
 and draw the face shown in the image |
 continue with the rest of the legs, is everything is right, you might be able to mirror some faces to save time |
 time for the center section, copy the rectangle to the opposite end |
 and use single mesh face to draw the core |
 type “selmesh” at the command line |
 de-select the core: hold control and click on the quads of the core |
 type mirror and use the middle point of the core to copy the legs on the other side |
 component ready! |
 select all the lines (SelCrv command) and delete them. Select all the meshes (SelMesh) and join them |
 copy the mesh componentfrom end point to end point |
 and make a lattice of components |
 select all the components and go to file/export selected |
 as 3ds |
 start 3ds max and import the file |
 merge objects with current scene (or not…) |
 make sure you’re only looking at rectangles (no triangular meshes) |
 have your lattice selected, right-click and convert to:/convert to editable poly |
 click on “editable poly” on the right side of your screen so that it becomes yellow, then click on the points button |
 select all the points and right click, go to the little rectangle next to “weld” |
 at the new window make sure the number of vertices decrises dramatically from before to after |
 welding should also change how your lattice looks at the screen, without of course destroying your geometry |
 click on the drop-down menu on the right side of the screen and find the “relax” modifier |
 increase the iterations. If your model looks broken, something went wrong at the welding or even before that at the exporting/importing |
 differantiate the lattice. From the modifiers menu, select bend |
 play with the parameters till satisfaction. |
 apply the twist modifier |
 and tweak the parameters without “breaking” the geometry |
 once you’re happy with the result,right click on the lattice and convert to editable poly again to flatten the modifiers. |
 and repeat the relax modifier |
 this time it probably didn’t affect the lattice so much… |
 apply the meshSmooth modifier |
 and increase the itterations to 2 (dont go nuts here, it will crash your computer |
 export the result |
 as 3ds |
 and import it in rhino |
 make sure you have Files of type: All |
 if you want a drawing of the wireframe of this mesh |
 unfortunately you need to un-weld the meshes |
 and ungroup them |
 and then use the dupborder command |
 selmesh to select all the individual mesh-triangles |
 and join them back together |
 meshoutline will create the outline of your model |
 from the point of view of the viewport |
 make a new layer to place the outline |
 go to vray/options |
 then file / load |
 select gi_irmap_medium |
 and hit render |
 computing… |
 the result is a bit too white, but it will probably do for a background of a drawing |
 click on the little arrow on the bottom right corner of this window and then on the little red frame to loose the time-stamp of vray |
 save the image as jpg (if you’re not interested in the alpha chanel) |
 while at the same view, selcrv to select all the curves |
 and export selected |
 as adobe illustator .ai |
 no options on this window this time… Now combine the render with the .ai drawing in illustrator |
start by drawing few lines
F10 for points on, select the points and Copy & V for vertical
Delete the flat version and copy the wireframe component around to check continuity
make a rectangle with its diagonals
Transform/Orient/Perpenticular to Curve and pick the rectangle
pick the intersection of the diagonals and remember to click on “copy=yes” at the command line
place the rectangle at the ends of the lines
draw a line from corner to corner
extrudeCrvAlongCrv
select the rectangle
and then the line we just made which connects the corners (not the centroids)
similar with the other corner, draw the line
and extrude crv along crv
draw the polyline from the corners to the intersection of the two extrusions
and delete the polysrfs
draw the little triangle shown in the picture
mirror those curves by clicking at two points at the right view
it should match with the bottom rectangles
draw two lines from corner to corner
& two more for the opposite corners, make sure these lines intersect
left click on mesh will reveal a window, click on “single mesh face”
& make the triangle shown on the image
similar two more
same command to make 4 more quads
select the lines shown in the image and group them
copy
to the opposite corners of the rectangle
should look like this (notice the ends dont match)
go to single mesh face again
and draw the face shown in the image
continue with the rest of the legs, is everything is right, you might be able to mirror some faces to save time
time for the center section, copy the rectangle to the opposite end
and use single mesh face to draw the core
type “selmesh” at the command line
de-select the core: hold control and click on the quads of the core
type mirror and use the middle point of the core to copy the legs on the other side
component ready!
select all the lines (SelCrv command) and delete them. Select all the meshes (SelMesh) and join them
copy the mesh componentfrom end point to end point
and make a lattice of components
select all the components and go to file/export selected
as 3ds
start 3ds max and import the file
merge objects with current scene (or not…)
make sure you’re only looking at rectangles (no triangular meshes)
have your lattice selected, right-click and convert to:/convert to editable poly
click on “editable poly” on the right side of your screen so that it becomes yellow, then click on the points button
select all the points and right click, go to the little rectangle next to “weld”
at the new window make sure the number of vertices decrises dramatically from before to after
welding should also change how your lattice looks at the screen, without of course destroying your geometry
click on the drop-down menu on the right side of the screen and find the “relax” modifier
increase the iterations. If your model looks broken, something went wrong at the welding or even before that at the exporting/importing
differantiate the lattice. From the modifiers menu, select bend
play with the parameters till satisfaction.
apply the twist modifier
and tweak the parameters without “breaking” the geometry
once you’re happy with the result,right click on the lattice and convert to editable poly again to flatten the modifiers.
and repeat the relax modifier
this time it probably didn’t affect the lattice so much…
apply the meshSmooth modifier
and increase the itterations to 2 (dont go nuts here, it will crash your computer
export the result
as 3ds
and import it in rhino
make sure you have Files of type: All 
if you want a drawing of the wireframe of this mesh
unfortunately you need to un-weld the meshes
and ungroup them
and then use the dupborder command
selmesh to select all the individual mesh-triangles
and join them back together
meshoutline will create the outline of your model
from the point of view of the viewport
make a new layer to place the outline
go to vray/options
then file / load
select gi_irmap_medium
and hit render
computing…
the result is a bit too white, but it will probably do for a background of a drawing
click on the little arrow on the bottom right corner of this window and then on the little red frame to loose the time-stamp of vray
save the image as jpg (if you’re not interested in the alpha chanel)
while at the same view, selcrv to select all the curves
and export selected
as adobe illustator .ai
no options on this window this time… Now combine the render with the .ai drawing in illustrator