How do I create a circular slide (similar to a water park slide)?

Question

I have been trying to use a combination of bevel object and the screw modifier and I keep getting all kinds of interesting shapes but none are what I need. I'm sure there is an easier way than just randomly adjusting parameters. Below is the best I've been able to do and that's after 45 minutes of fiddling about.

Answer 1

Creating a slide is a rather simple process. You can easily create a slide using two modifiers. Here is how its done.

1. Create a curve to use as your path:

• add a bezier curve and modify it

2. Create a cross-sectional of the slide:

• Use a polygon mesh instead of a curve object:
  • curves when converted to polygons are messy and you will need to do some manual clean up
  • you have easy control over the polygon count
• Make sure the cross-sectional has some depth to it, it should be a 3d mesh not a 2d outline or plane.

3. Add Array and Curve modifiers:

• Select the cross sectional mesh and add an Array and Curve modifier

• Array modifier settings:

  • Fit Type: Fit Curve, this will fill the path out for us automatically

  • Merge: True, erases inside polygons

    

• Curve modifier settings:

  • Object: select the curve

    

4. Fix the slide:

• Based the curve the slide can oriented in the wrong way.

  

• Select the curve and go into edit mode.

• Select the points of the curve that are messed up.

• Adjust the tilt using Ctrl+T