Editing

Owned by thomas (Unlicensed)
Last updated: 06 Sept, 2016

RealFlow can read splines that have been saved in SVG format (“Scalable Vector Graphics”) - a XML-based file format. Furthermore, splines can also be drawn inside RealFlow directly. SVG splines are exported from popular illustration and image-processing applications. The spline-based tools and nodes are located here:

Spline shelf

In order to make a spline editable (this also applies to → “ESpline", → “DSpline”, and Dyverso → "Spline" nodes), select the node and click on

  • Spline node > Node Params > Options > EDIT
  • or the pencil icon in the icon bar.
  • A yellow frame appears around the viewport (see first image above)

 

 

By default, the spline's intermediate points are added by RealFlow automatically with “Adaptive” method. To change this go to:

Spline node > Node Params > Options > Intermediate points type > Uniform

With this option you will get an even distribution of subdivision points, and their number is controlled with “Points”. The more points, the smoother the curve. In “Adaptive” mode, the number of intermediate points is controlled with “Angle”. Smaller values create more subdivision. With higher settings, the spline becomes more and more edgy.

The mentioned intermediate points are made visible with

Spline node > Node Params > Display > Show intermediate points

 

 

This panel provides many more options for enabling or disabling a spline's viewport elements:

 

Green: original spline | Orange: hull curve | Yellow: control point indices

 

Control points can only be moved, but not scaled or rotated. To reposition a point, press W and click on a control point or a tangent handle. You will see an axes cross: 

  • Drag one of the axis to perform a locked motion along the X, Y, or Z direction.
  • Drag one of the small coloured rectangles for a free motion.
  • When a tangent handle is positioned both tangents are affect. If you want to move the tangents individually please select the associated control point, and choose Spline node > Node Params > Options > CP handle smoothness > Broken
  • Multi-selections of control points and tangent handles are possible with Shift-click.
  • Spline nodes can only be deleted when the “EDIT” mode is off.