create a "cube tree" from a "round tree"?

[gwasner]

Hi Forum,

I have some nice trees as 3D model.
Once I read of a simple way of a plugin, to create easy from a "round tree" a "cube tree". Please see the sample "Buchs_Wuerfel_2.jpg" what i need.
Has anyone heard of it?

Thanks
George

[Svetlozar Draganov]

I don't know such plugin - but for such transformations I very often use standard Max - Skin Wrap modifier.
I could remember that at the beginning this workflow was very uncomfortable but once I got used to it saves me many times.
So here is how it works - first create a help-cube objects with few subdivisions and add Spherify modifier with Percent: 100 - this will turn the cube into sphere.
Then align this objects to the main-object you would like to turn from sphere to cube.
Next select your main-object and add Skin Wrap modifier to it - and add help objects into Parameters rollout.
Now the help objects will drive the main-objects vertexes and once you change Spherify Percent to 0 - your main objects will be turned into cube.

This technique could be used in a lot more complicated situations - and it works really well.

Scene >>sphere_to_cube.zip

[Neilg]

That's awesome, thanks!