Hi Pilou,

> PS With the Browser does it possible to select only open
> curves (after the planar automatic function)

No, not currently. I do have some ideas for making additional kinds
of "filters" to allow for things like that.

But it is possible to select all open curves by use of a keyboard shortcut
script, put the following on a shortcut key for that:

script:var curves = moi.geometryDatabase.getObjects().getCurves(); for ( var i = 0; i < curves.length; ++i ) if ( !curves.item(i).isClosed ) curves.item(i).selected = true;

> And there is not inverse selection inside the Browser? (Because I
> have found how see only the surface :)

It's possible to deselect the objects for a browser item by holding
down Ctrl and clicking on the browser item's text.

Also right-clicking on a browser item's text will do an
"isolate selection", where that item becomes the only selected
item and everything else is deselected. This can be useful if you
want to set one item as the only selected object with a single click.

- Michael

< But I don't believe what you are showing there is related to Angelo's problem though.
If a "multi sweep array"(?) exist it will very easy to have the all quadrangular mesh with the parallel curves given
Then make some intersections after with the Plexi rectangles

But i don't visualize what must be the final result :)

Hi Pilou,

> If a "multi sweep"(?) exist it will very easy to have the all
> quadrangular mesh with the parallel curves given
> Then make some intersections after with the Plexi rectangles

Sorry, I don't understand this one...

If you want to do a "multi-sweep" as a method of creating a surface, you can use the Network command for that kind of thing, it allows for a crossing network of curves and is not limited to only 1 or 2 rails like sweep is.

But if you are talking about replicating curves across an area, I don't think that will help for this particular case. As far as I understand the problem, Angelo is trying to create holes similar to this:




But instead of straight holes, the hole should actually follow the contour and angle of the wire. So to do that surfaces must be created to intersect with the slabs.

- Michael

I was wondering if you had considered this type of plane layout?



since you know the spacing, you could put a temporary grid on the plexy then use MoI to cut your curves down the middle and place each side seperatly. It didnt sound like you were going to automate the task of drilling?

There would be a couple smaller inner horizontal planes to accomodate the upper and lower pieces but seems like it would work. Trying to visualize though.

Hi Angelo, it's always fun for me to see interesting things being done with MoI!


> About distribute: I was doing exactly what you suggested
> but sometimes (when you have a big bunch of objects) a
> distribute command could be easier. I think this is uncommon
> in the CAD area, more related to 2D vector drawing apps.

Yeah, this is not commonly found in CAD programs.

But I do like to have elements from 2D vector apps combined into MoI as well, and I have been gradually adding some things from that area into MoI over time.

One pretty big one for MoI v2 was the inclusion of a bounding edit frame so that you could quickly scale or rotate objects by grabbing grips on the bounding box around the selected objects, similar to how 2D vector drawing apps work.

Some kinds of 2D vector operations can be more difficult to fit in to function with 3D objects though, and also it can be difficult to add in the element of accurate placement which is usually a focus for MoI.

Were you looking for a distribute function as way to arrange parallel planar objects?

- Michael

Ok I see :)
You can easily have the result but with "box hole" against "cylinder hole" ;)

Replace Rectangular "Plexiglass box" by rectangular Plan

Close all curves

Select all curves lines closed, Extrude them on the longitudinal side by the measure that you want hole (so a little measure)

Select all volumes result and make a Copie /Size

Make boolean Diff between them

Make Boolean Diff Plexi Glass with result above

Extrude Plexi Glass = you have your result wanted : just Fillet if you want a more smooth result ;)

Hi Pilou, sorry that previous image I showed was simplified to get the idea across.

If I understand correctly, the other problem is that some pieces will be coming in to the slab at an angle, like this for example:



So it is desired to have an angled hole for those cases, like this:



That seems to be what Angelo was looking for.

- Michael

aaaah new difficulties :)

All depend in what material are the links!
If it's rope it's not necessary to have your forms :)
And my method works

if not my method don't works :)
Some infos are necessary :)

PS My method above works also just don't replace at the beginning the Plexiglass by a plan but keep it :)
Of course holes wille be as the Boolean Diff will give the result so maybe little complex holes :)

Hi Michael.

>Were you looking for a distribute function as way to arrange parallel planar objects?

Yes, if I have around 15-20 objects this could be achieved with Array plus some snap to object
but with more then hundred objects a distribute function could be a must.

Angelo

Also it seems as though all the curves are slightly rotated about the Z axis. It makes many things difficult. I wonder if a cplane could work for this?

Hi Pilou, thank you for all the strugle.

I attached some photos from old pieces only to show how I've been working with "slices".

This skull from 1996 was made with iron wire glued over glass slices, the MOI piece will be constructed also with wire but with 160 planes and not 11 as this one. If I use glass planes as support the transparency disappears, 160 slices would be a green opaque block of glass. So... I think of "sew" the wires trough plexiglass planes, these planes will be drilled on a router with the drawing that I'm trying to produce with the help of MOI. (this was the worst English phrase of the day!)
Another piece uses glass panels with salt stain (actually crystalized salted water).
And there is a self-portrait made of MDF cuts.

Thank you for now (time to sleep).

In fact this is a kind of error, I think the model inherited some misplacement when the MRI was done.
How do you think the cplane could help?

Hi Angelo, re: distribute to arrange parallel planar objects

Do you also mean having a initial starting position with all those objects in one single plane?

If so, then I don't really know how I could accomplish that very easily, since there would not be any really straightforward method for a piece of code to automatically recognize how to assign an ordering to all those pieces.

It would probably take some kind of sophisticated artificial intelligence or pattern recognition or something along those lines...

- Michael

>>>In fact this is a kind of error, I think the model inherited some misplacement when the MRI was done.
How do you think the cplane could help?

Well, the misalignment was giving the things I was trying problems which is why I started suggesting other methods.

It appears that the misalignment may be "Uniform" or universal. (As you said from the original model.

If the "rotation" could be determined then you could add a new Cplane that would make all the geometry "perpendicular" and methods like extrude would work better.

I tried to do some trims of the curves to follow up with my thought, but MoI balked. I WAS on my wifes lessor power computer at the time and I could try to do smaller sections at a time.

I like what your doing and will follow up more to see if my solution could be viable. For me it would be, "What takes longer?" redoing the geometry you have to accomplish your setup, or breaking the curves with a couple horizontal planes and using those pieces to identify the points, then a second set of full wires to assemble.

Can you make the MRI available here?

@ Angelo
If your material is metal cord my method above will work !
(no need to have perfect orientation inside Plexiglass rectangular, cylindric as shown by Michael or any forms )
filled rectangular holes for example

I am just curious how you can place these wires without deformation inside the plexiglass :)

Ps Your original on top view is not exactly fit to the grid, (// & Perpendicular) is that normal?

Another method more easy and keeping the orientation of wires inside the plexiglass!

Seems that is a valid solution ;)
And you can move all lines in one one move!

Hi Pilou,

>>without deformation inside the plexiglass

A possible solution would be to wind Pianowire(Springwire)
around a Pianowire and then shape it the way you want.

Hi Michael,

>Do you also mean having a initial starting position with all those objects in one single plane?.

Not exactly, I mean objects in different parallel planes uneven spaced.
And then you could distribute by center or entering some value for spacing.

Angelo

Hi folks,

Project a little bit suspended. I'm doing some physical work by now...
Cutting and assembling wood.
I think that I will rework the proposition, not by the problems found when drawing but because there are some bad formulated esthetical questions (bad English...)

Angelo

Hi Angelo,

> Not exactly, I mean objects in different parallel planes uneven spaced.
> And then you could distribute by center or entering some value for spacing.

In that case, for the situation where you were concerned about possibly having hundreds of objects, you would still need to ensure that each one of those objects was placed at a unique location separate from all the others.

Since you have to move each object anyway, you can create some point markers beforehand at the proper distances, and just place each object in its correct position right when you first move it. I think that would actually help to ensure that you've got each slice in a unique location too.

Here's the way that would work - say you have these slices:



Create a point object (Draw curve / More / Point) in that plane:



Replicate the point object using Transform / Array / Dir, for the second point you can enter in a distance constraint by clicking in the "d" field in the bottom toolbar (beneath the XYZ input and to the right of the view tabs) to control the distance between each of the points:



Then to place a slice, select it:



And then run Transform/Move. For the base point, pick the original point, or if it is located at 0,0,0 you can type in 0 <enter> for the first point:



For the offset point, pick the target marker:



That will help to ensure each slice is separate, and also place it into its correct position all at the same time. To repeat, you adjust the selection after you finish one Move, and then use Right-click inside of a viewport to repeat the Move command.

Also it may not be a bad idea to delete the target point you just used, so that you know that the last one is always the new target.

Later on if you want to adjust the spacing, that is possible using the Transform / Scale / Scale1D command.

Go to a side view, and pick the base point of the scale to be at the base point location, pick the first reference point of the scale to be on the first section, and then the final reference point of the scale will adjust the spacing for you, like this:



That works because Scale1D only alters things along one direction. If that direction is normal to a planar object's plane then it will have this effect of moving the object by a scale factor towards or away from the scale origin.


I hope that helps!

- Michael