An important aspect of generating geometry from shapes is the Interpolation value of the shape. Interpolation is similar to subdivision. In 3D, a curve is really a composite of straight segments, and the more you have the rounder your curve will look. A 16-sided cylinder, for example, looks quite chunky, but is still recognizably round. If you subdivide it once, you get a better idea of its roundness, yet the model is still only made of straight lines. Each Spline has an Interpolation parameter, which defaults to 6. In most cases the value is too high, especially if you are making a low-poly model that will be subdivided later. In the following example, we'll cover construction of shapes in more depth and also see how a change in interpolation affects the final model result. We'll use the Sweep modifier, which uses a path Spline and a profile Spline to generate a rail.
Open the scene
\Packt3dsMax\Chapter 04\SweepDemoStart.max
. The vehicle we've been working...