Lofted model from contours

[Derrick Salmon]

Hi all

I have what should be a simple problem. I'm about to cut a mold for a friend who has given me 3 profiles (contours) between which I need to loft a body to be cut with my CNC. I have the relative heights of each of the 3 contours, but I cannot figure out how to approach making the lofted model in ASPIRE. If the model were to simply be stepped from one level to the next, the answer is simple, but generating a smooth lofted transition from one level to the next has me stumped. Anyone have guidance ?

cheers


Derrick

[wood400]

Hi Derrick. Good morning. i think you need the 2 rail sweep function as this is the softwares lofting tool.. select your 2 outer rails and select each of the rails and place them at a position on your rails this will give you a smooth transition .check vectrics two rail tutorial this will help. cheers alan

[Derrick Salmon]

Hi wood 400

Thank you - yhat's a great start. I also need to know how to place the contours at different heights so the lofting will be in 3-D - ideas there ?

cheers

Derrick

[adze_cnc]

Derrick,

If necessary I could loft those in Rhinoceros for you and get you the Rhino 3DM file to import into Aspire.

Steven

Sample curves

Lofted surface

[highpockets]

http://support.vectric.com/tutorials/V9 ... ideo_id=54

[TReischl]

Hi all

I have what should be a simple problem. I'm about to cut a mold for a friend who has given me 3 profiles (contours) between which I need to loft a body to be cut with my CNC. I have the relative heights of each of the 3 contours, but I cannot figure out how to approach making the lofted model in ASPIRE. If the model were to simply be stepped from one level to the next, the answer is simple, but generating a smooth lofted transition from one level to the next has me stumped. Anyone have guidance ?

cheers


Derrick

I think we are misreading his challenge. Notice that he says "contours" and that he has the "relative heights" and talks about going from "one level to the next". This sounds more like a contour map than a loft. We need some clarification from the OP.

[Derrick Salmon]

Thanks all for your help and thanks for the offer Steve, but I managed to generate an STL model and then imported that - worked great. I'll still read further to learn how to do it all in ASPIRE

cheers


Derrick

[adze_cnc]

the 2 rail sweep function as this is the softwares lofting tool.. select your 2 outer rails and select each of the rails and place them at a position on your rails this will give you a smooth transition

Ah. But lofts and sweeps are not the same. Lofting needs no drive rails. they can be considered as morphing one curve into another.

Three cross-section lofted surface.

For that matter a 2-rail sweep can differ between using 3D drive rails (which Rhino can do) and using 2D drive rails (only supported by Aspire).

Three cross-section 2-rail sweep using 3D rails extracted from the sides of the previously lofted surface.

Three cross-section 2-rail sweep using 2D rails extracted from the sides of the previously lofted surface and projected to the XY plane (blue lines).