Columns, ducts & lampshades

Project workflows beyond wings: square-to-round transition ducts, twisted and tapered columns, lampshade forms, and multi-sided shapes via indexed rotation.

Once you are comfortable with wings, the same morph and rotation tools open up a lot of other shapes.

Square-to-round ducts

A transition duct is the textbook morph: a square (or rectangular) profile on one end, a circle on the other. Load a two-part morph with a square Profile A and a round Profile B (the AI generator has a square-to-round duct option). The wire blends the corners into the curve along the length. Watch the perimeter mismatch — a square and a circle of similar size are usually fine.

Twisted & tapered columns

  • Tapered column — the same profile scaled smaller at one end (unlink the Object-bar scale).
  • Twisted column — add a constant Rotate UV twist so the section spirals along the length. A star or polygon profile with twist makes a striking helical column.
  • Fluted column — a many-pointed star or scalloped profile gives classical flutes in one pass.

Lampshade & vase forms

Smooth tapering forms (lampshades, vases, cones) are morphs between two ellipses or circles of different size, optionally with a twist for a flared/spiral look. Because they are ruled surfaces, even a "curvy" lampshade is cut in a single pass as long as every point lies on a straight line between the two end profiles.

Multi-sided & rotationally-built shapes

For shapes that are not a single ruled surface — a hexagonal column, a multi-face finial, a turned-looking spindle — use indexed rotation. Build a multi-stage cut that shaves one face, rotates the foam, and cuts the next. A square profile shaved six times at 60° becomes a hexagon; repeat with different profiles for richer turned forms. See Rotation axis & indexed cuts.

For anything rotationally symmetric, position the cut shape off the rotation axis so each pass removes a flat or flute, and centre the foam on the axis so it spins in place.