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Can I modify a 2 Rail Sweep after the fact?

Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2016 5:17 am
by wdwkr53
I am trying to modify my Maloof seat. I used 4 different vectors along the rail paths. Is there a way to mark where they are placed along the rails so that I can adjust them after making the profile and sitting in the seat? The vectors seem to disappear once the mold is made - kind of like "baking" the part. I would like to slide a particular vector forward or aft, or replace it with a slightly modified vector in the same spot. I thought of making a grid and recording the coordinates of each vector, but what a pain.

Re: Can I modify a 2 Rail Sweep after the fact?

Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2016 6:01 am
by mtylerfl
It would be a nice feature addition to be able to re-do a sweep with the original rail profile locations intact and visible for alteration later. At the moment, this is not possible. I try to be careful to watch the 3D preview whilst still in the sweep menu before finalizing the sweep and exiting the menu. Even so, there have been a few occasions when I wanted to tweak a sweep after-the-fact, but able to view the original rail profile locations so I don't have to start all over again.

Re: Can I modify a 2 Rail Sweep after the fact?

Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2016 6:01 am
by mike.davison
The rails don't go away unless you deleted them so you could delete the model created via the 2 rail sweeps and create new models.

Or... .you could resize the model(s) created with 2 rails sweeps. Change the base height or model height. Use the resize tool to, well, resize the model. Some options there.

Re: Can I modify a 2 Rail Sweep after the fact?

Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2016 12:47 pm
by zeeway
As Mike said, none of the vectors/rails used in a two rail sweep go away unless you delete them. Sometimes they are obscured by the 3D model, you have created. So you may need to move the model to a different layer and turn off the visibility for that layer.

If you want to slightly modify your two rail sweep, you can copy your rails and sweep vectors to a new layer, modify the vectors or rails, and make a new model. Then make both models visible, and then click on one of the models. In the 3D view, you will be able to see the difference of the two models. Hope this makes sense.

Angie

Re: Can I modify a 2 Rail Sweep after the fact?

Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2016 6:01 pm
by Leo
I don't have experience with adjusting 2 rail sweeps so much but I have use CAD a long time.

I would place your original on a layer called ORIGINAL - don't change it.

THEN - I would copy the whole thing onto another layer - call it REV2

You can do that as many times as you like.

You can turn the layer on and off at will to compare what you are doing to the revisions.

Re: Can I modify a 2 Rail Sweep after the fact?

Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2016 9:21 pm
by mtylerfl
Hi Angie and Leo,

What we are wanting here is a way for the original sweep model to retain the positioning of the vector profile locations on the sweep rails. Picture having several profiles that you carefully placed in specific locations on the two rails, then exiting the menu, thus finalizing the sweep model. Then you notice, "Gee, I wish I would have placed one of the profiles differently."

So, you re-select the two sweep rails to get back into the sweep menu. You will see that the profile placement locations are gone (in fact no profiles are placed on the sweep rails at all now). The rails do not remember the profiles' original locations, so you have to start all over again, instead of being able to tweak/move the original profile(s) vector locations a bit.

The suggested/desired feature is to have the sweep rail vectors remember the original profile placements if the user wants to tweak their locations at a later time.

Re: Can I modify a 2 Rail Sweep after the fact?

Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2016 1:50 pm
by zeeway
Okay, I understand a bit more about the problem...thanks, Michael.

Here is perhaps an overkill method to establish the position of the sweep vector after the fact. In trying to optimize the chair shape for a Maloof rocker, I have taken the rails and "cut" them to establish the exact positions for several sweep vectors. I thought this would be a way to establish the shape in sections so I could decide section by section if it was ideal. Cutting the side rails places start and stop nodes that are still there after the sweep. Not for the faint of heart, for sure. And sometimes even using the same sweep vector on the stop nodes and then adjacent start nodes does not give matching shapes because of the effect of the different sweep vector used in the same section...at least, that's what I think happens.

Angie

Re: Can I modify a 2 Rail Sweep after the fact?

Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2016 1:55 pm
by mezalick
Angie,
You can also use guidelines instead of nodes...
Or vectors....
Just a thought

Michael

Re: Can I modify a 2 Rail Sweep after the fact?

Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2016 6:54 pm
by cac67
When I'm doing a sweep with multiple profiles I usually lay it out before I go into the sweep menu by positioning the profile vectors almost on the rails at the spot I want them, then selecting that profile for that location. That way if I have to go back and re-do it I know how I've already done it.

It sure would be nice if the profile placement could be remembered though.

Re: Can I modify a 2 Rail Sweep after the fact?

Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2016 9:22 pm
by rscrawford
That would be a nice feature. I will take a screen shot so I can remember where my vectors are placed, because in some of my more complex shapes (like my rocking chair arms) I have 12+ vectors in my two rail sweep. It does get to be a pain going back and reselecting all the vectors and placing them again, just to make a little change.

Re: Can I modify a 2 Rail Sweep after the fact?

Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2016 4:50 pm
by mtylerfl
I'll bet the programmers have considered adding this type of feature long before it was brought up here.

Re: Can I modify a 2 Rail Sweep after the fact?

Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 10:54 pm
by Geeman
This subject is near and dear to my heart as a lot of my work over the last few years has been with the two rail sweep feature. I discussed this issue with the Vectric team at Jim McGrew's event in 2015 and they said that they would bring it back to the shop for consideration. For now, I have resorted to adding arrows from the available Fonts as exact markers of the cross members in my work. I then take a screen shot of the rail and cross members so I can clearly see the placement and color of each. Not ideal .....but it works. Hopefully, this improvement is still on the Vectric team's "to do" list. :D

Geeman