I know you folks don't like comparing different modelling apps - it's horses for courses, I know that, but I have a particular course in mind and I'd like to know what horses will run on it. ;) One thing that I often wish was easier to do, but isn't: extruding a shape along the edge of a mesh, to give it apparent thickness, beading, piping or whatever you want to call it. I'd like to select the raw edges of some polygons, define a cross-sectional shape of some sort, and tell the modeller to extrude the shape along the edge. The free programs I use at the moment don't do that directly, although there are manual methods which are tedious and don't give very consistent results. Any suggestions? Doesn't have to be free, although that would be nice of course. :)

don't know if it is exactly what you mean, but sketchup free has that possibility. i can draw a line or shape and i can put e.g. a circle on the line to make it a pipe or so. (i use the free version)

"The light at the end of the tunnel may be an oncoming train"

  If I'm not mistaken, Blender can do that... in fact, I think it was in one of their original tutorials... well, about three versions ago... and it's free.... Wings can do that, but needs a bit of "fiddling with". Lou.

"..... and that was when things got interestiing."

One word answer.... Hexagon!!!!

it does extrudes, sweeps and double sweeps. If I understood what you're descibing correctly. I actually like the way hex does it better then Max.   HTH

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  You're absolutely right, Conniekat8..... hides face in embarassment.... and I have Hexagon, too..... looks under chair for missing brain...  Lou.

"..... and that was when things got interestiing."

yea, but... Blender is free, and hexagon is what, 6 or 9 bucks when on sale, so your suggestion is better anyway ;)
as for brain, I'm glad I'm not the only one this happens to!

Believe it or not, my Hexagon crashes less then Max - Go figure!

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English Bob,

Max is not free but if you select an edge loop you can create a shape from that loop (a spline), and then do a loft to that shape.
I was unaware of this function for the longest time and always created my own line and then painstakingly formed it around something I had already modeled. Now of course I just model once and use what's already there!

Comitted to excellence through art.

Silo has edge extrusion and wis a good overall app. I know blender can also. wings well nto that is not the meathod you use when you use it. Marble clay the free app there is a link ot it here has it but it is a dodgy.(accuracy has a little to be desired)  AC3D does it but there are too many steps. Probably the best bet i see for price performance is Silo lots of top pros use it.

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Attached Link: anim8or

[Anim8or   http:www.anim8or.com has this capability to.

](http://anim8or.com)

Thanks folks. I haven't had an ebot in days, so I have to remember to check the forums manually. :( I have Hexagon, I bought it when it was $1.99 but haven't got around to learning it yet. Now, at last I have a reason! I use Anim8or at the moment, KeeCoyote - it can extrude along a drawn path, but not along the edges of an existing mesh. Not unless I've been missing something big all this time, in which case I shall kick myself. And then look under the chair for my brain. :)

As long as edge is on a opening it can extrude on a edge. In edit mode its the bottom most button on the right side .  At least in the latest version.