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3D Modeling for Newbies Lesson 7 Turn and Spin

The Turn and Spin tool in Aspire V12 lets you create lathe-style components such as columns and bases from a single profile vector, avoiding the complex setup required by older two-rail sweep workflows. This lesson covers creating columns, custom shapes, and fixing rough surfaces caused by vector node density.

  1. Draw a single profile representing one side of the column, including any legs or details at the edge.
  2. Select the profile vector.
  3. Choose the Turn option from the Turn and Spin tool.
  4. Click Apply to generate the component.

Spin a Profile into a Symmetrical Component

Section titled “Spin a Profile into a Symmetrical Component”
  1. Turn off any reference picture/layer so only the profile is visible.
  2. Position the profile correctly in the workspace before applying the tool.
  3. Select the profile vector.
  4. Choose the Spin option.
  5. Click Apply.
  6. If the shape is mirrored incorrectly, mirror the profile vector to the opposite side so the intended face is at the center.
  1. With the profile vector selected, press End to enter node editing mode.
  2. Inspect the number of nodes used to create the vector.
  3. Use Fit Curves to Vector to reduce the number of nodes and smooth the curve.
  4. Re-apply the Turn or Spin tool.
  • The Turn and Spin tool is the fourth icon from the left, or the center icon in the top row.
  • Older workflows required two-rail sweeps, with left/right vectors as rails and an arc/profile — vector order, direction, and start points all affected the result.
  • In two-rail sweeps, choose Span Between Vectors to avoid flat spots on components.
  • For circular two-rail sweeps, start points often needed to be opposite each other; selecting rails in the wrong order produced odd results.
  • Profile start point and workspace position affect the spin result.
  • To place the small side of a profile at the component center, mirror the profile vector before applying Spin.
  • Spin is generally more reliable than a two-rail sweep and eliminates the need to fill center holes.
  • Rough output is usually caused by too many nodes on the profile vector; use the fewest nodes necessary and apply Fit Curves to Vector to smooth.