Make a tube around a line drawn with the mouse?

[jersmi]

Is there a way to draw a line with the mouse and have it be the center of a 3D tube?

I started by wondering if this would be possible using parametric equations with Make Parametric Grid Mesh.

In my googling, I’ve found related “bent tube” things like sweeping a spline, extruding, torus knots, or making a tunnel in a game.

Regarding proper bends, I guess this means having some way to calculate the tangent from point to point? I can’t quite imagine doing bends with parametric equations in Make Parametric Grid Mesh, but this is where I am now. (I also want the radius to be dynamic for “blobby” or “liquid” like drawing, later).

It would be cool if Make Tube (with its walls and caps) could somehow draw along a curve like this. Extrusion tools would also be cool (probably already a FR?). Also, I know @khenkel has the Make Mesh with Values node, but that’s a couple more degrees away from my current skill set.

ParametricTube.vuo (5.65 KB)

[alexmitchellmus]

If you want a bent tube then yes, @khenkel’s node would be the way to do it currently.

Otherwise in the future, if Vuo gets 3D rigging with bones then you could simply draw the line- then use that as a bone list. (Mind you you would have to then also subdivide the line into the correct amount of bones the object needs- which wouldn’t be hard).

But currently for each point on the line you could calculate the tangent- then apply a circular function that draws say 8 points in a circle around that point. The mesh should theoretically just work.

But you may need to do that in a custom node - lots of maths and lists going on which would be easier to grasp in c, than cables.

[marioepsley (mle)]

I’d also love to find a way to do this if anyone can manage ;-)

Skillz