Blender 3D: Noob to Pro/Pipe joints

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This tutorial was created with Blender v2.46

How to model pipe joints.

Contents

[edit] T joint

Figure 1: Modeling a simple T joint.
  • Add a cylinder object (Add->Mesh->Cylinder)
    • 16 Vertices
    • No Caps
    • Depth 4
  • Switch to front view (View->Front).

The X axis now points to the right. We will work along the X axis from now on.

  • Change to Edit mode.
  • Create a Loop Cut in the middle of the cylinder (Ctrl-R).

Make sure that the 3D cursor is placed in the middle of the cylinder.

  • Pivot-Point->Cursor
  • Select the seven vertices at the front.
  • Scale with constraint Y axis (S->Shift-Y), about 1.4142 (square root of 2)
  • Rip the mesh with V. Rotate by 45 degrees.
  • Rotate the other side by 45 degrees also.
  • Select the vertices of the gap and extrude them.
  • Pivot Point->Median.
  • To flatten the front: scale at the X axis by factor 0. (S-X, 0).
  • Use the Subsurf modifier in combination with Set Smooth and use LoopCuts to get a nice transition.


[edit] 6 cylinder joint

Figure 2: 6 cylinder joint
  • Add a cube.
  • Subdivide the cube once (1).
  • Select the 12 vertices in the middle of the cube's edges.
  • Scale by factor 1.4142 (press S key and type in the factor with the keypad) (2).
  • Select all vertices. Extrude->Individual Faces (3).
  • Hide the now selected vertices (H) (4).
  • Select the original vertices in the middle of the faces and delete them (5).
  • Unhide the vertices (Alt-H) (6).
  • Select all vertices.
  • Remove Doubles.

Clean your mesh as described above.


[edit] 3 cylinder joint

Figure 3: 3 cylinder joint

This is very similar to above, only the selection for scaling is different.

  • Select the middle vertices at the edges where the cylinders shall come from. Additionally select the middle vertices at the faces that shall be kept free. You have to select 12 vertices.
  • Scale your selection by 1.4142.
  • Select the faces that shall be extruded.
  • Extrude->Individual Faces
  • Remove Doubles.
  • Delete the inner vertices.

Clean your mesh as described above.


[edit] T joint with smaller diameter

Figure 4a: Basic structure for a T joint with a smaller diameter
Figure 4b: The result

We're going to create a structure like in Fig. 4a and extrude the inner circle. To do that we place a circle with Retopo (Manual) on the cylinder and join both objects afterwards.

  • Add->Mesh->Cylinder
    • 8 vertices (of course you can use more vertices if you like)
    • No Caps
    • Depth 4
  • Add->Mesh->Circle
    • 8 vertices
    • No fill
  • Rotate the circle by 90° at the Y axis (R->Y->90).
  • Move the circle in front of the cylinder(G-->X->2).
  • Switch to side view (Num-3).
  • Scale the circle to the diameter of the smaller cylinder.
  • Switch to edit mode, select all vertices of the circle.

Make sure that you don't work in Wireframe view.

  • Click on Retopo->Retopo All in the Mesh panel of the Editing buttons.

If the vertices of the circle are not adjacent to the cylinder but have jumped to wrong places undo the last step (Ctrl-Z), deselect and reselect all vertices and try again. This doe's help (strangely). Retopo works with limited accuracy, if the vertices don't fit perfectly you have to move them by hand.

  • Change to object mode, select additionally the cylinder and join both objects (Ctrl-J).

Now you work best in Wireframe view.

  • Add three loop cuts (Ctrl-R->3)
  • Delete the middle vertex.
  • Connect the free vertices (F).
  • Select the circle.
  • Extrude and clean up.



[edit] Links

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