Lofting = Confusing

Hello,

I am really struggling with lofting again - and I can't see why. This should be a really elegant method, yet it seems too complex in MAX. I have aligned the "First Vertex" of the shape and path splines - no good. I have moved my pivot point to the first vertex of the shape - no good.

I have attached three images.

1) The first is of my loft shape - which is an open spline in the shape of door moulding set wrapped from one side of the door casing around to the other (this one spline would encompass both the case mouldings and the jamb moulding)

2) The second image is of the loft path, which is quite simple. Four vertices following around the hole for the doorway. The first vertex of the path is located at the point immediately adjacent and above the shape's first vertex.

3) The last image shows that when I select the path and choose "Get Shape" the loft turns 180 degrees, ending up inside out and slightly offset.

I'm sure this has something to do with world and local coordinates, but I don't get it.

Is help possible for me?

Also, another question ... why do the joining polys of Object A and Object B in my Booleans remain as holes after subtraction?

Thank you.

I AM spardacus.

Just wanted to add for anyone's interest ... have just discovered the "Sweep" modifier and it certainly seems to work more reliably and more easily.

Don't know the limitations yet, but so far for simple crown moudlings it works fine.

I AM spardacus.

don't know much about the coordinate mismatch problems...I tried the above and it worked out fine.
Try resetting Max and doing the loft again from scratch.

Well, I have finally figured it out ... LOFT doesn't work!

I have attached three images.

1 - Shows two shapes with identical axes configurations, and the path I used to illustrate the loft dilemma

** The path runs away from the camera and curls back under itself at the far end toward the camera, as if we are looking down the curved wooden arm of a chair from underneath and behind.

2 - Shows the first loft with the elliptical shape. Notice the cross section, the ellipse's flatter edge is positioned upward giving the arm a nice sensible wide girth as it moves down the path.

3 - Shows the final loft with the more complex shape. I included the point as a reference to inspect the loft. Notice how the point is actually turned on the side of the loft. Considering the axes, this should be on the top as with the previous loft shape.

I have tried creating both the shape and the path in other viewports, I have rotated the pivot point in all kinds of directions ... NOTHING WORKS!

I am fed up with this tactic. This should be one of the most powerful tools in 3d, yet this is the most outrageously complicated maneuver I have ever seen ... and now I am convinced it doesn't work.

This is extrenely disappointing.

BTW - there IS NOT a frame by frame tutorial out there that identifies and clearly explains how to address these issues. I've looked. Yes, there are tutes with successful execution of lofts - I've tried 'em, and my results are always different.

It's me you say? Well I'm willing to accept that, but what am I doing wrong specifically?

Somebody please take this on.