# Blender 3D: Noob to Pro/Pipe joints

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How to model pipe joints.

## T joint

Start in top view, and delete the cube.

!**Figure 1:** Modeling a simple T
joint.{width="150"}

-   Add a cylinder object (*Add-\>Mesh-\>Cylinder*)
-   16 Vertices, Depth 4, Cap Fill Type *Nothing* (For recent versions
    of Blender create the cylinder then press F6 to get these options)
-   Switch to front view (*View-\>Front* or
    ).

The X axis now points to the right. We will work along the X axis from
now on.

-   Change to Edit mode ().
-   Create a Loop Cut in the middle of the cylinder
    ().

Make sure that the 3D cursor is placed in the middle of the cylinder
()

-   Switch to right view ()
-   Box select () the 7 vertices at the
    front

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-   Rip the mesh with .

Tap on *Proportional editing* and set it to *connected*
, and select *Falloff Type* to *inverse
square* .

-   There will be 7 overlapping vertex pairs: 7 vertices linked to the
    top half of the tube, and 7 vertices linked to the bottom half of
    the tube.
-   Either the upper middle vertex or the lower middle vertex should be
    selected. Depending on which set of vertices is now selected you
    will need to grab at the Z-axis by 1 (upper) or -1 (lower)
    
    make the circle that indicates how round your hole will be larger
    \'till you get a beautiful half circle.
-   Once you have grabbed the first, deselect
    (), then select the other middle
    vertex
-   grab at the Z-axis the selected vertex by +/- 1 BU. The pipe should
    now be straight again thanks to the rotations.

Set \"proportional editing\" off

-   Box select  the vertices of the gap
    and extrude \"edges\"  along the X
    axis.

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-   *Pivot -\> Median Point* (**CTRL+,KEY**)
-   To flatten the front: scale at the X axis by factor 0.
    ().

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-   Add the *Subsurf* modifier in combination with *Set Smooth*,
    *LoopCuts*,
-   Use *Edge Crease* to get a nice transition. In *Edge Select Mode*
    select the edges around press
     and move the mouse until
    you\'re done.

## Six-cylinder joint

!**Figure 2:** 6 cylinder
joint{width="200"}
Be in Object mode (have nothing else selected)

Add a cube.

Switch to Edit mode

-   (**1**)

    :   Select all , then Subdivide the
        cube once (,
        ),
    :   Select the 12 vertices in the middle of the cube\'s edges.

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-   (**2**)

    :   Scale by factor 1.4142 (press 
        and type in the factor with the keypad) .

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-   (**3**)

    :   Select all vertices, and Extrude \"Individual Faces\"
        ( -\> individual faces),
    :   Select all vertices,  and
        *Remove Doubles*.

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-   (**4**)

    :   Select the center vertex of each tube, and delete them
        () to open the ends.

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-   (**5**)

    :   Select the original vertices in the middle of the object and
        delete them.

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-   (**6**)

    :   Clean your mesh as described above.

## Three-cylinder joint

!**Figure 3:** 3 cylinder
joint{width="201"}
This is very similar to above, only the selection for scaling is
different.

-   Select the middle vertices at the edges where the cylinders shall
    come from. Additionally select the middle vertices at the faces that
    shall be kept free. You have to select 12+3=15 vertices.
-   Scale your selection by 1.4142.
-   Select the faces that shall be extruded.
-   *Extrude-\>Individual Faces* (**5**)
-   Select all, then *Remove Doubles*.
-   Delete the inner vertices (**6**, **7**).
-   Select 3 vertices (which were middle of faces that were kept free)
    and 1 corner vertex in middle of the free faces (**8**).
-   Make sure your 3D cursor is at the origin (and that you added the
    cube at the origin)

and switch to 3D Cursor Pivot (**.KEY** in v2.49b), then scale
(**SKEY**), and type in 0.7071 (inverse of square root of 2, or Sin(45
degrees) or Cos(45 degrees)) and **ENTER** (**9**).

-   Make sure you switch back to Median Point Pivot (**SHIFT**+**,KEY**)
    to straighten out pipe ends (**10**).

Clean your mesh as described above.

If your joint looks odd, it might be because of some edges in the mesh.
Delete those by selecting it and delete (**XKEY**) edges (not vertices).


## T-joint with smaller diameter

framed\|**Figure 4a:** Basic structure for a T joint with a smaller
diameter
framed\|**Figure 4b:** The
result We\'re
going to create a structure like in **Fig. 4a** and extrude the inner
circle. To do that we place a circle with *Retopo* (\"Snap during
transform\") on the cylinder and join both objects afterwards.

-   *Add-\>Mesh-\>Cylinder*
    -   8 vertices (of course you can use more vertices if you like)
    -   *No Caps*
    -   *Depth 4*
    -   **Noob note:** *More vertices in your cylinder will mean more
        intuitive work and figuring \[more loop cuts, face making,
        etc.\] later on when retopo-ing. First, follow the tutorial,
        then try to do a more advanced model with more faces / vertices
        when you understand the tool. If you have trouble getting really
        nice geometry, do a search for some tutorial videos. There are
        many really helpful ones.*
-   *Add-\>Mesh-\>Circle* (**Noob note:** *To make sure you create these
    as separate objects, be in Object Mode (not Edit Mode).*)
    -   8 vertices
    -   *No fill*
-   Rotate the circle by 90° at the Y axis (**R**-\>**Y**-\>**90**).
-   Move the circle in front of the cylinder(**G**-\>**X**-\>**2**).
-   Switch to side view (**Num-3**).
-   Scale the circle to the diameter of the smaller cylinder.

(**Noob note:** *I felt this was a little unclear. What the author means
is, scale the circle down until it is the size of the diameter of the
smaller cylinder you are going to create from it later by extrusion.
Scale it so it fits (straight backwards from view) inside the two
closest faces of the cylinder as per **Fig. 4a** if you wish to follow
the tutorial.*)

-   Switch to edit mode, select all vertices of the circle.

(**Noob note:** *To recap: you should be in edit mode for the circle,
with the all of it selected, with the cylinder object directly behind it
in from your viewpoint in orthographic mode.)* Make sure that you don\'t
work in *Wireframe* view.

-   Click on *Snap during transform*, that is the icon of the magnet in
    the 3D view header, select \"Face\" and after that a third box will
    appear, select there \"closest\". After that, push: \"num3\" and
    then \"G key\" and reposition it a little. After that you will see
    it lies perfectly around the cylinder.

(**Noob note:** *What \"retopo\" (Snap during transform) does \[in this
case\]; is project the selected topography of an object in edit mode
directly backwards from your selected view point onto the topography of
another \[separate\] object. So you must be lined up view-wise for this
to work. It is necessary to press the **Enter key** for the \"Snap
during transform\" to take effect even if I\'ve selected it with the
**LMB***.)

If the vertices of the circle are not adjacent to the cylinder but have
jumped to wrong places undo the last step (**Ctrl-Z**), deselect and
reselect all vertices and try again. This does help (strangely). *Snap
during transform* works with limited accuracy, if the vertices don\'t
fit perfectly you have to move them by hand.

-   Change to object mode, select additionally the cylinder and join
    both objects (**Ctrl-J**).

Now you work best in *Wireframe* view.

-   Add three loop cuts (**Ctrl-R**-\>**3**)
-   Delete the middle vertex.
-   Connect the free vertices (**F**).
-   Select the circle.
-   Extrude and clean up.

