modeling Stratocaster guitar

[Michaeld]

Ok, all you guitar heads out there, what am I doing wrong here? I'm trying to model a Fender Strat but I can't get the rounded edge on the body right. It's almost seems like the top polygon is separate from the side polygons. I used spline draw to get the basic outline and I then stenciled this into a single poly which I then extruded and beveled. I also tried extruding the outline shape and then drilling the shape into a single polygon. I've tried several different things to no avail, tripling polygons, a combination of smooth-shifting and beveling, etc., but I still wind up with this...not enough rounding.

Thanks,
Michael Murray

[prospector]

just a quick thought that happens to me once in a while...

when smooth shifting or beveling--sometimes I will accidently hit the mouse button twice in a row and meke an extra bevel or shift that is exactly where another is and it ends up looking like yours.

the poly panel won't show it as they will be point polys :(

so I highlight the polys in the offending area and then deselect by the mouse all the ones I can see clearly without touchng the offending line and see if a thin poly line is left.

Usually merge points also get rid of them and leave 2 point polys which do show in poly panel.

[colkai]

How many bevels are you using?
I tend to bevel 3 times or so. My normal method is to pick a close up of a natural edge and then bevel once say, shift: 800um inset: 0
then
s: 600um I: 400um
s: 300um i: 600um
s: 0 I: 300um

this normally gives a pretty smooth curve. Of course, with vertibevel, or similar, it's much easier to see the curve result. (Try rail bevel if you don't have vertibevel).

[Michaeld]

Thanks for the replies.
I don't think I'm hitting the mouse button twice but I'll try it again just to make sure. I'm beveling about three or four times but not in increments that small. I also tried smooth shifting once before beveling but that didn't help either. Here are two more screen captures showing the wire frame. I think the problem is connected with what is shown in the image with the gap. For some reason I'm getting gaps between the top poly and the side polys and I don't know why.
By the way, I've got the book "LightWave Applied Version 6.5 & 7 and there is a strat model included on the cd. I've looked at it and it's rounded about the way it's supposed to be but I don't know how it was done. It does appear the polygons along the sides were tripled (tried that).
I thought about using the body from that model as a start but it's not shaped quite accurately enough. I've got the real thing to model by so I want to be as accurate as possible.

Thanks,
Michael

[peder]

I see what your problem is...
I'm also working on modelling my strat and your top polygons also needs to be quads if you are going to subpatch the model.

See my post in tread My Ibanez... (http://vbulletin.newtek.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2802)

Peder

[prospector]

Yep.. with this closer pic it is easier to see
you do need to quad those polys on the top

[Michaeld]

Ok. here's where I show my ignorance...how do I quad the top poly?

Michael

[Michaeld]

Well, like everything else in LW there's usually more than one way to skin the cat. I think I've got it licked. I used spline draw to get the curve I needed and then used rail extrude to get the shape....voila! Of course, mine is a newer model with those sexy bevels where your arm and body fit the instrument. I may have to dispense with those.

Thanks for the help,
Michael