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I want to have a "picket fence" go along a slope, like this picture kind of: enter image description here

I have a pre-made mesh for the ground (a.k.a., I don't want to remake it / automatically make the fence follow some kind of path, my actual mesh is an ANT terrain).

I can easily make the fence mesh from any number of tutorials (and duplicate it using the array modifier), but I'm not sure how to make it go around a mountain mesh / keep the same height etc. My mesh looks a like this: enter image description here

I want the fence to run in a complete circle all the way around the mountain on it's slope.

Any ideas?

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2 Answers 2

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You can use Animation Node to create a spline that follow the surface of the terrain and then deform the mesh on it just as you described.

First, create a curve that define the path of the wall, sample some points on it, ray cast them on the terrain, create a new spline from those projected points:

Node Tree

The same applies for the any spline, a circle for instance:

Circle

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  • $\begingroup$ Thanks for the technique but I'm kind of a beginner and trying to do it now, but how do you get to that first node setup? After first creating the curve, nothing shows up under the basic node editor and it won't allow me to add any (probably because material is selected, but what else do I select for the node editor?) $\endgroup$
    – B''H Bi'ezras -- Boruch Hashem
    Commented Mar 29, 2018 at 20:52
  • $\begingroup$ Also just searching in the available nodes I can't find any of those, are they from some kind of external file or an addon? I'm using blender version 2.79 $\endgroup$
    – B''H Bi'ezras -- Boruch Hashem
    Commented Mar 29, 2018 at 20:57
  • $\begingroup$ nvm I didn't realize the first sentence where you mentioned Animation Node (found here btw for others: github.com/JacquesLucke/animation_nodes/releases/tag/v2.0) thanks! $\endgroup$
    – B''H Bi'ezras -- Boruch Hashem
    Commented Mar 29, 2018 at 22:12
  • $\begingroup$ Actually I'm kind of at a loss I have the plugin with the exact node setup in the picture but I don't see the black outline ? $\endgroup$
    – B''H Bi'ezras -- Boruch Hashem
    Commented Mar 30, 2018 at 1:16
  • $\begingroup$ @Yaakov5777 Can you show me your node tree? maybe provide the blend file so that I try and identify the problem. $\endgroup$
    – Omar Emara
    Commented Mar 30, 2018 at 16:13
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You could do something similiar to the image you showed with a bezier curve and a "bevel object" like so.

Fence Idea

- Start by making the cross section of your fence

For this step I created the T shape you see above, then converted it from a mesh into a curve.

- Create a Bezier curve as the "Path" for the fence

As you can see here I made a curve, then added some points. I put all the control points flat like that to make sure the "top" of the fence didnt bend a ton but you can do it however you like

- Select the cross section as your Bevel object.

"Plane" was the name of my cross section so i just changed that. When I edit its shape, it automatically applies to the fence.

Caveats

If you want to texture the "head" of the T and the body of the T Independantly you may have to duplicate / split up the bevel object because you have to apply the material to the curve object and not the bevel object.

If you want to do that you could make two seperate curves that occupy the same space, and split your cross section object into two pieces, assigning one cross section to each curve to allow them to have different shaders.

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  • $\begingroup$ Thanks but using this technique do I have to manually adjust the bezier curve for every part of the mountain? I would prefer the fence to follow every height point exactly and that would take forever to do this way if the mountain has tons of rigdes $\endgroup$
    – B''H Bi'ezras -- Boruch Hashem
    Commented Mar 29, 2018 at 20:55
  • $\begingroup$ you could select a "line" of vertices then duplicate it (shift + d) then make a seperate object (p) then convert to mesh with the little menu on the window. I dont know if you want to do that since you have an answer you accepted already. $\endgroup$
    – VampyreSix
    Commented Apr 2, 2018 at 15:37

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