3D Modeling for Newbies Lesson 7 Turn and Spin
Overview
Section titled “Overview”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.
Turn a Profile into a Column
Section titled “Turn a Profile into a Column”- Draw a single profile representing one side of the column, including any legs or details at the edge.
- Select the profile vector.
- Choose the Turn option from the Turn and Spin tool.
- Click Apply to generate the component.
Spin a Profile into a Symmetrical Component
Section titled “Spin a Profile into a Symmetrical Component”- Turn off any reference picture/layer so only the profile is visible.
- Position the profile correctly in the workspace before applying the tool.
- Select the profile vector.
- Choose the Spin option.
- Click Apply.
- If the shape is mirrored incorrectly, mirror the profile vector to the opposite side so the intended face is at the center.
Fix Rough Surfaces
Section titled “Fix Rough Surfaces”- With the profile vector selected, press End to enter node editing mode.
- Inspect the number of nodes used to create the vector.
- Use Fit Curves to Vector to reduce the number of nodes and smooth the curve.
- Re-apply the Turn or Spin tool.
Key Points / Warnings
Section titled “Key Points / Warnings”- 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.
