building a wing in 3D Cuts, input needed
- BradyWatson
- Vectric Craftsman
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other software (sorry to say) will also take 2D points and join them in a logical order - at the very least it will let you use a polyline tool to close it yourself, playing 'connect the dots'.
On a side note, I didn't recommend Moment of Inspiration (some modeling software) because it is free at the moment, always changing, and who knows how much it will be if it is ever released...My time is valuable, and I imagine yours is too, so I didn't want to suggest something that may not be free in the future after you invested all your time into learning it...Not to take away from some modeling software, as it is a fun program to work with.
-B
On a side note, I didn't recommend Moment of Inspiration (some modeling software) because it is free at the moment, always changing, and who knows how much it will be if it is ever released...My time is valuable, and I imagine yours is too, so I didn't want to suggest something that may not be free in the future after you invested all your time into learning it...Not to take away from some modeling software, as it is a fun program to work with.
-B
High Definition 3D Laser Scanning www.IBILD.com
- DavidCousins
- Vectric Wizard
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- Location: Huntsville, Alabama
Yohudi, et-al:
Here is an airfoil file. It's a unit airfoil, one inch long. So the user would scale it to suit their needs. In my case, for a RC model, I'd be looking at a 8 to 10 inch airfoil.
Here is a sampling of the data in this file:
MH 45 9.85%
1.00000000 0.00000000
0.99669413 -0.00009724
0.98669781 -0.00019095
0.97014283 0.00019409
0.94748143 0.00135847
0.91919309 0.00340462
0.88577724 0.00640631
0.84779269 0.01043465
There is a header "MH45 9.85%" which must be ignored. As that suggests, this is an MH45 airfoil. The 9.85% is a ratio of thickness to length.
I sure do appreciate you guys taking an interest in my project. I'm learning a ton.
The idea of an organic editor is intriguing. I've always worked in the structures world. Very rigid in terms of modeling.
Here is an airfoil file. It's a unit airfoil, one inch long. So the user would scale it to suit their needs. In my case, for a RC model, I'd be looking at a 8 to 10 inch airfoil.
Here is a sampling of the data in this file:
MH 45 9.85%
1.00000000 0.00000000
0.99669413 -0.00009724
0.98669781 -0.00019095
0.97014283 0.00019409
0.94748143 0.00135847
0.91919309 0.00340462
0.88577724 0.00640631
0.84779269 0.01043465
There is a header "MH45 9.85%" which must be ignored. As that suggests, this is an MH45 airfoil. The 9.85% is a ratio of thickness to length.
I sure do appreciate you guys taking an interest in my project. I'm learning a ton.
The idea of an organic editor is intriguing. I've always worked in the structures world. Very rigid in terms of modeling.
- Attachments
-
- mh45.zip
- Unzip and open the file with any text editor.
- (790 Bytes) Downloaded 208 times
Yep... knew it could be done !!
Hi there David
Well happy to say it's doable.. with a bit of editing to the original file...
basically you turn the file into GCode.. using notepad.. then import into Gmax using CNC_Toolkit..
I've posted an image.. and a copy of the edited file...
took about 2 or 3 mins to manually edit the file using the replace function in notepad
Well happy to say it's doable.. with a bit of editing to the original file...
basically you turn the file into GCode.. using notepad.. then import into Gmax using CNC_Toolkit..
I've posted an image.. and a copy of the edited file...
took about 2 or 3 mins to manually edit the file using the replace function in notepad
- Attachments
-
- mh45edit.zip
- The Edited version of your file
- (885 Bytes) Downloaded 221 times
- DavidCousins
- Vectric Wizard
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- Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2007 2:56 pm
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Yohudi,
I tried a couple dxf files and got this one to import. And this is where I got stuck. I couldn't figure out how to extrude this wireframe. This nurb based modeler has so many different terms, I see a learning curve ahead.
So, I'm pretty sure there's a tutorial on your CNC-4-free web site but I don't know which to download. Can you help?
I need to know how to take a wireframe boundary and create a surface. Then I want to extrude that surface along a curve. Thus obtaining a solid.
Can you point me toward a tutorial that would get me going?
Thanks,
Dave
I tried a couple dxf files and got this one to import. And this is where I got stuck. I couldn't figure out how to extrude this wireframe. This nurb based modeler has so many different terms, I see a learning curve ahead.
So, I'm pretty sure there's a tutorial on your CNC-4-free web site but I don't know which to download. Can you help?
I need to know how to take a wireframe boundary and create a surface. Then I want to extrude that surface along a curve. Thus obtaining a solid.
Can you point me toward a tutorial that would get me going?
Thanks,
Dave
- Attachments
-
- Jon Stone series 8 winner.zip
- This is a gmax scene file
- (35.02 KiB) Downloaded 204 times
Lofting is the area of Interest for you..
Hi there Dave..
What your looking to do is "loft" the object...
this needs just a shape.. and a path at it's simplest.. and can use multiple shapes and transforms at it's most complex..
It will be in my Ebook.. but for the time being it's pretty easy to get an idea of how it works.. then a read of the GMax help.. downloadable from turbosquid.. should get you the rest of the way...
your shape would be the imported cross-section.. but the file you sent wouldn't have worked without an edit.. It's related to your DXF import.. GMax seems to have imported the DXF as a Flat set of faces rather than a series of vertices and lines..
This makes a difference.. as the imported object is seen as a mesh,, rather than a shape.. and you can't loft a mesh into 3D.. as it's already a 3D object.. even if it's flat.
You can tell if this is a problem in an import because if you select the object and then look in the white panel to the upper right of the screen, the "modifier stack" it will list the object as "editable mesh"... this is NOT what you want....
you need the shape as an outline.. or "editable spline"... you can get the shape from the mesh by using a MAX function on the editable mesh panel... in "edge mode".. select all the edges the use a function on the panel called.. "Get shape from Edges"...
once you have the shape as an editable spline.. then just draw the line you want to loft it along... using the Create panel in Shape mode
next select the imported shape .use the create panel in geometry mode. in the dropdown below the tabs select "Compound objects".. and choose the loft option on the panel below the label.
a few buttons will appear.. but the one you want is called "get path".. click that and pick the path shape you created... your shape will be lofted along the path into a 3D surface. See the pic
This is a pretty compressed description of what can be a very complex subject.. the GMax help is what you want.. and lofted objects are the area of interest.. if you search the net or the free tutorial links at my group there will probably be a tut dedicated to aircraft modeling using this method....
best I can do until I finish the Ebook
hope this helps
Yohudi
What your looking to do is "loft" the object...
this needs just a shape.. and a path at it's simplest.. and can use multiple shapes and transforms at it's most complex..
It will be in my Ebook.. but for the time being it's pretty easy to get an idea of how it works.. then a read of the GMax help.. downloadable from turbosquid.. should get you the rest of the way...
your shape would be the imported cross-section.. but the file you sent wouldn't have worked without an edit.. It's related to your DXF import.. GMax seems to have imported the DXF as a Flat set of faces rather than a series of vertices and lines..
This makes a difference.. as the imported object is seen as a mesh,, rather than a shape.. and you can't loft a mesh into 3D.. as it's already a 3D object.. even if it's flat.
You can tell if this is a problem in an import because if you select the object and then look in the white panel to the upper right of the screen, the "modifier stack" it will list the object as "editable mesh"... this is NOT what you want....
you need the shape as an outline.. or "editable spline"... you can get the shape from the mesh by using a MAX function on the editable mesh panel... in "edge mode".. select all the edges the use a function on the panel called.. "Get shape from Edges"...
once you have the shape as an editable spline.. then just draw the line you want to loft it along... using the Create panel in Shape mode
next select the imported shape .use the create panel in geometry mode. in the dropdown below the tabs select "Compound objects".. and choose the loft option on the panel below the label.
a few buttons will appear.. but the one you want is called "get path".. click that and pick the path shape you created... your shape will be lofted along the path into a 3D surface. See the pic
This is a pretty compressed description of what can be a very complex subject.. the GMax help is what you want.. and lofted objects are the area of interest.. if you search the net or the free tutorial links at my group there will probably be a tut dedicated to aircraft modeling using this method....
best I can do until I finish the Ebook
hope this helps
Yohudi
- DavidCousins
- Vectric Wizard
- Posts: 359
- Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2007 2:56 pm
- Location: Huntsville, Alabama
Yohudi,
I was successfully converted the mesh to polylines and extruded them using the RMB. Your description was helpful, thanks. The menus on the side panel continue to puzzle me. The help pulldown, does nothing. I can't figure that out. So I couldn't get any contextual help.
I know there is a webpage, and that's a resource I need to explore further.
Paco: I tried some modeling software using the VCP *.AI exporter. That worked pretty good. I left that job running this morning as I had it doing a loft of a very complicated structure. I wish I had used some simpler shapes for the initial test. Anyway, I hope when I get home from work, that job is complete. Either that, or the machine will crash.
So, I got some good experimenting done last night and this morning.
Hopefully I'll have a picture to post later this evening.
Dave
I was successfully converted the mesh to polylines and extruded them using the RMB. Your description was helpful, thanks. The menus on the side panel continue to puzzle me. The help pulldown, does nothing. I can't figure that out. So I couldn't get any contextual help.
I know there is a webpage, and that's a resource I need to explore further.
Paco: I tried some modeling software using the VCP *.AI exporter. That worked pretty good. I left that job running this morning as I had it doing a loft of a very complicated structure. I wish I had used some simpler shapes for the initial test. Anyway, I hope when I get home from work, that job is complete. Either that, or the machine will crash.
So, I got some good experimenting done last night and this morning.
Hopefully I'll have a picture to post later this evening.
Dave
-
- Posts: 20
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- Location: Switzerland
Hi Dave..DavidCousins wrote:Yohudi,
I was successfully converted the mesh to polylines and extruded them using the RMB. Your description was helpful, thanks. The menus on the side panel continue to puzzle me. The help pulldown, does nothing. I can't figure that out. So I couldn't get any contextual help.
I know there is a webpage, and that's a resource I need to explore further.
Dave
The helpfile is a separate download at turbosquid..
that's why nothing is happening when you access help.. you havent got the required file in the "help" directory...
hope this helps (no pun intended)
Yohudi
- DavidCousins
- Vectric Wizard
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- Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2007 2:56 pm
- Location: Huntsville, Alabama
- DavidCousins
- Vectric Wizard
- Posts: 359
- Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2007 2:56 pm
- Location: Huntsville, Alabama
- Paco
- Vectric Wizard
- Posts: 480
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- Location: Valcourt, Québec, Canada
- Contact:
Dave,
my guess is that you used (select) all those curves at the same time (see attached) to loft in some modeling software. That would have got my PC (and many other) pretty busy for a moment. Nothing wrong with either some modeling software or your PC if you ask me... and if my assumptions are correct.
my guess is that you used (select) all those curves at the same time (see attached) to loft in some modeling software. That would have got my PC (and many other) pretty busy for a moment. Nothing wrong with either some modeling software or your PC if you ask me... and if my assumptions are correct.
- DavidCousins
- Vectric Wizard
- Posts: 359
- Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2007 2:56 pm
- Location: Huntsville, Alabama
Paco,
I'm spoiled by the cad machines at work. I realize there's no fault with the software. My computer at home is slow period, but like I said I'm spoiled.
My method of lofting was to select the leading edge and trailing edge separately and lofting an airfoil using two rails. (that's the some modeling software term for this function, two rails). I watched a neat little video on the some modeling software forum and it explained a lot of the functions.
The red line is the method by which I trimmed the boundary into two separate elements. I'm very pleased by this first attempt.
Dave
I'm spoiled by the cad machines at work. I realize there's no fault with the software. My computer at home is slow period, but like I said I'm spoiled.
My method of lofting was to select the leading edge and trailing edge separately and lofting an airfoil using two rails. (that's the some modeling software term for this function, two rails). I watched a neat little video on the some modeling software forum and it explained a lot of the functions.
The red line is the method by which I trimmed the boundary into two separate elements. I'm very pleased by this first attempt.
Dave
- Paco
- Vectric Wizard
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- Location: Valcourt, Québec, Canada
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Two rail sweep; I see.
Still, if the tools are used properly (and I'm not suggesting you didn't) they usually work very fast.
some modeling software is cool but if you can afford and believe you need all of it's tool, Rhino is my number one choice for NURBS modeling (and many other thing too). I stumble across some modeling software on a forum and gave it a try. I remember once I founded a bug which I reported and Micheal contacted me within hours and had a fix few days later. I think some modeling software will be a nice and cheaper alternative to Rhino when it'll come out (should be soon). If you decide to get Rhino, check out Novedge for great deals (I got that one from Brady ).
I don't know anything about Gmax so I can't tell much about it.
I believe this can be done in Blender too but I think you didn't like it, right?
Keep us post.
Still, if the tools are used properly (and I'm not suggesting you didn't) they usually work very fast.
some modeling software is cool but if you can afford and believe you need all of it's tool, Rhino is my number one choice for NURBS modeling (and many other thing too). I stumble across some modeling software on a forum and gave it a try. I remember once I founded a bug which I reported and Micheal contacted me within hours and had a fix few days later. I think some modeling software will be a nice and cheaper alternative to Rhino when it'll come out (should be soon). If you decide to get Rhino, check out Novedge for great deals (I got that one from Brady ).
I don't know anything about Gmax so I can't tell much about it.
I believe this can be done in Blender too but I think you didn't like it, right?
Keep us post.