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At its simplest it's like twirling a napkin or piece of paper from the center where alternate edges rise.

If a picture's worth 1000 words, this kind of effect:

enter image description here

There's already a flat spiral example here:

How can I make a flat, spiralled surface?

As I'm envisioning it, for example, the red twirls would be raised.

I've seen comparable examples on cylinders, but not on surfaces (square or circular) - like a pleated dress for example, or a curly cone, but not a flat surface.

Is that enough info?

Tried simple deform and proportional editing, but I keep missing the mark. Maybe they're key to the result or not.

Robin Betts
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unkerjay
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2 Answers2

8

At its simplest, this is a selection problem.

  • Create mesh Circle, 'Triangle-Fan', with an even number of segments, in XY.
  • Select the central vertex, and CtrlShiftB - drag Bevel it, to make all faces quads.
  • CtrlR cut in some subdivisions of the radial edges, as below.

enter image description here

  • Using O, Proportional Editing, select the central face, and RZ rotate it, which should drag all the other vertices in the radius of your prop. edit into a spiral.
  • Select 2 sections of radial edges, in the same ring, 1 edge apart, as just visible in the central image, below.
  • CtrlShiftNumpad + Select Next Active, to select every other radial edge in 1 ring.
  • Header Menu > Select > Select Loops > Select Edge Loops to select every other radial edge, as show in the last picture, below.

enter image description here

Now you can GZ, RZ.. raise, tuck the pleats.

enter image description here

If you wanted to, using a similar selection method to the one used for the spokes, you could select every other edge-ring, to delete those. Or, think ahead, and delete them before all the twisting, etc.

The finished example, here, has a Solidify and Bevel modifier.

Robin Betts
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  • "Select 2 spoke sections at the same radius, 1 spoke apart" is confusing to me, please clarify. – unkerjay Jul 31 '21 at 15:47
  • This method works with the example, but, doesn't seem to work as well with a less circular shape like a square, polygon, or hexagon. I know that's not what I asked for. – unkerjay Jul 31 '21 at 15:55
  • Ctrl-Shift-B doesn't seem to work for me. I must be doing something wrong. I get a gloopy mess. Doesn't matter whether I choose percent, width, offset, any of the options - same result. – unkerjay Jul 31 '21 at 16:02
  • Found this that helped with "Ctrl-Shift-B: https://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/39512/how-to-divide-a-circle-into-slices-for-each-side – unkerjay Jul 31 '21 at 16:27
  • Under O rotate the central face is also confusing. There's no explicit "rotate the central face" option. – unkerjay Jul 31 '21 at 16:36
  • I got to what you had in mind by selecting the center vertex, extending rotation to the whole object and rotating the z-axis - double tap. Probably useful to remember to turn off proportional editing before G-Z, R-Z the edges. – unkerjay Jul 31 '21 at 16:42
  • What worked for me:

    • Create mesh Circle, ‘Triangle-Fan’, Default 32

    • Ctrl Shift B Instead I used:

    • Circle select all the edges, Esc out of Circle select and W - Subdivide max, (10) twice

    • Use O to turn on proportional editing

    Select the Central Vertex

    R to rotate, scroll (wheel on the mouse) to select the whole cirlce, Double tap Z to rotate

    Select Alternate edges, I used Shift-Alt to select each in turn

    Then G-Z, R-Z to rais and rotate

    (Extra: E, Edge Crease -1, Bevel Edges: .03, 3 segments, then smooth corrective and subdivide)

    Think that's everything.

     – unkerjay Jul 31 '21 at 17:04
  • When I typed that all in it was a lot cleaner. StackExchange limitations - my apologies. – unkerjay Jul 31 '21 at 17:06
  • My Blend file - more legible instructions included: https://pasteall.org/blend/2faf4c58695d4f8ca4f3f3cd20d760bf

    Good for 6 months. (Pasteall rules)

     – unkerjay Jul 31 '21 at 17:30
  • Hi @unkerjay! Phew! Had to be AFK... I'm sorry I'm being so unclear.. do you have editing privileges? If so, feel free.. I can't really answer all this in the comments.. I'll take what I can from your .blend – Robin Betts Jul 31 '21 at 17:48
  • I've tried to improve it, a bit. – Robin Betts Jul 31 '21 at 17:55
  • As with all things Blender, there's more than one way to do it. I'm just applying what I've learned. You provided the template. So, thanks. – unkerjay Jul 31 '21 at 21:19
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I would try it like this: enter image description here

create a circle, use twice as many points you will need and then press F3 and find "checker" use this option, it will deselect every second vert

enter image description here

Then you can use E and S to extrude it to middle

enter image description here

Next you want to subdivide your edges as much as possible

Now use proportional editing , select middle vertices and rotate it around Z axis to make spiral: enter image description here

enter image description here

and now you want to Extrude all vertices you want to be solid like in picture, extrude with E and rotate around Z axis till you get your shape... After that it is only about rotating and moving vertices... I ended up with this and I think it is usable:

enter image description here

MikoCG
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