18: Curviloft

One of the standout features introduced around the v1.8 lifecycle was the robust Preset System.

This is the bread and butter. You select multiple profile curves (circles, rectangles, custom splines) in sequence, and CurviLoft creates a skin that flows through all of them.

Let’s walk through a simple project to demonstrate the power of CurviLoft 18. We will create a "Twisted Torus" or a wavy column. curviloft 18

Step 1: Install and Access After purchasing from the official marketplace, ensure CurviLoft 18 appears in your Extensions menu. You will likely see a toolbar with icons for "Draw Bezier," "Draw Spline," and "Loft."

Step 2: Draw Profiles Switch to the "Top" view. Using the "Bezier" tool (CurviLoft 18 version), draw a circle (4 handles). Move up 10 feet in the Z-axis. Draw a square. Move up another 10 feet. Draw a circle again, but rotated 45 degrees. You now have three distinct profiles. One of the standout features introduced around the v1

Step 3: Select and Loft Select all three curves. Click the "Loft" icon (it usually looks like a stretched grid). CurviLoft 18 will open a dialog box.

Step 4: Adjust Click "Generate." You should now see a solid geometry that morphs from a circle to a square to a twisted circle. If it looks pinched, double-click the original square, move a vertex, and watch the loft update in real-time. Step 4: Adjust Click "Generate

Hulls and fuselages are essentially lofts. CurviLoft 18 is frequently used by hobbyists to design RC boat hulls or drone bodies because of its precise control over "Tangency" (how sharp or smooth the edge of the surface is).