Better way to join bezier curve to bezier (half) circle? Conceptually, I am trying to achieve what Merge can do with a mesh: select an end vertex from each of two bezier paths and merge them together with only one vertex as the result.

This is the only way I've come close to acceptable results, but there are still imperfections, so I'm wondering if more experienced modelers have techniques to share.


Add a Bezier Circle
Select all the vertices
Change the handle types to Free (in essence, lock in the vertex control point parameters)
Select two adjacent vertices, hit X, choosing to delete Segment (giving you a hemisphere)
Add a Bezier Curve
Position the curve so one vertex is near an end vertex in the hemisphere curve
Select the two vertices that you positioned close to one another
Press F to Make Segment


When I do that, no matter what my normals are doing, I get a loop as a segment between the two vertices.  To minimize this, before step 8 I have tried changing the handle type at the end of the bezier curve to be free and then scaled down to near zero its control point on the side towards the hemisphere, and doing the same to the corresponding control point on the vertex of the hemisphere that I'll be joining.  But I still get an additional segment (to be expected given the method, but not what I want).

This is in Blender 2.6, if that matters.
After step 8, click LMB once or twice to select the useless point, then X > Vertex to delete it.

Actually, it's recommended to enable Snapping so that the two vertex can be overlapped, that brings the new segment with zero length.

You can also use a nice addon called Curve Tools (by Mackraken). I recommend to use the modified version Curve Tools 2 (by Mackraken and guy lateur), which can handle this perfectly while keeping curvatures.

Added a short demo video (01:35).



Here is the lastest version, in case you cannot access Blendernation.com. (File > Download)