Brian -

All good points.

Ring size charts are not standardized as you noticed. I built my own table years ago by averaging several charts from reference books. There is now an ISO standard for ring sizes. I can edit the .htm file to match the ring size table I use. For now the constants used in the existing script are close enough for development.

The 3D prints will be made from PLA. Your idea for a shrinkage multiplier (scaling) to be applied to each of the 3 ring solids is a good one. As you know the results would be affected by the brand of filament and the print temperature, so I would have to make some test prints to fine tune the scaling factor. A 5% scaling constant in the script is a good place to start.

The three profiles would be drawn in advance and saved in a MoI 3DM which becomes the template for running the script. I assume the three profiles can be named (via Styles) in the template file for use by the script.

If possible, a nice final feature would be to find a simple way to identify each of the three rings as nominal size, 1/4 size smaller, and 1/4 side larger. I'm thinking each of the three profiles could be supplemented with two additional profiles, so I would have profile A1, A2, A3 and profile B1, B2, B3, and profile C1, C2, C3. I could modify the outside of the profiles so, for example, A1 produces one groove in the ring OD, A2 produces two grooves in the OD, and A3 produces 3 grooves in the OD.

Ed

Hi Ed, can you post an example .3dm template file with the A, B, C profiles in it so that all the inputs are available to test with?

- Michael

Sure Michael - see attached 3DM.

- Ed

There seem to be two versions of the RingCircle2 script, which caused me some confusion.

I made two rudimentary changes, shown in (deleted).
1. Changed the Frame so that the circle is visible in the Top View.
(The profiles then show up in the Front View.)

2. Added input field for Width, (without any code to use it.)

3. Moved US to the first choice.

I was thinking that each profile would have two points, ("Line") associated with it, on the inner side, so that Sweep would be
on the Exterior of the inner diameter. "Orient Line Line" could place the profile on the circle, using the Width to
locate the 2 placement points ("Line") which would accomplish Scaling as well as exterior placement.

This is a busy time of year, so I have not done much :-)

- Brian

Hi Ed, thanks for posting the profile file. Another question, do you need the ring to definitely be created by sweep, or would a revolve of the profile work ok?

Also is the diameter always measured from the left most point of the profile? I mean would getting the bounding box around the profile and using the bounding box's minimum x value be he correct thing that defines the diameter?

- Michael

Hi Ed, re:

> Sure Michael - see attached 3DM.

I just took a look at it and I noticed there weren't any object names set in it, were you expecting the script to identify profiles A B and C just by their left to right arrangement as in that file or should they have names assigned to them?

Are profiles always to be specified as planar curves in the Front view, in the X/Z plane?

- Michael

Michael & Brian - Thanks for attempting this script!

1. Sorry, I forgot to name the 3 profiles. They need names assigned - call them anything as long as they can be selected by the menu.

2. Yes - Profiles to be planar curves in the Front view, in the X/Z plane. That way the ring imports into the printer's slicer program in the correct orientation.

3. A ring solid created via Revolve is fine.

4. Using the standard ring diameters from the existing script, the left side of the profile should rest on the circle (rail). In other words, when the ring is printed, the inside diameter should measure the same as the circle diameter that is associated with the selected ring size in the .htm.

5. The ring profile must be scaled in Z only to match the Ring Width selected via the menu. X should remain constant as the ring shank remains a constant thickness, regardless of ring size.

6. As a final step, the ring solid should be scaled larger overall by 5% to compensate for shrinkage when it prints. A single scaling variable would be easier to match to a specific printer/ filament combination, rather than individually adjusting the ring size constants in the .htm.

- Ed

The leftmost point of the left side of a profile will correspond to the inner surface of the ring.

After doing a few tests:
Using Bounding Box looks very useful.
Bounding Box center, adjusted by subtracting BB xLength/2 from x coordinate, gives Orient Line Line base line start point.
BB center, adjusted by adding BB zLength/ to z coordinate, gives Orient Line Line base line end point.
The start point of the ring circle, on the + x axis, will be the Orient Line Line target start point.
The start point of the ring circle, with ringWidth/2 added to the z coordinate, will be the Orient Line Line target end point.
Orient to be in the Stretch mode.
(The above math is off the cuff, and might not be perfect.)

Then do revolve.

A concave inner profile seems doubtful ...

The coding seems relatively easy, (which would mean many hours for myself :-)
Not sure about how to do .2mm width increments, except with slider...

- Brian

Hi Ed, one other question - for the STL export part do you want the "Mesh options" dialog with meshing controls to pop up or would you rather it not show and instead some fixed meshing parameters used instead and if so what parameters.

- Michael

Michael -

I'd like to use fixed meshing options and avoid the pop-up.

Because these are small models I use:

More Polygons slider = Maximum

Display: Shaded + edges

Angle = 3

Divide larger than: 1 ALL

Avoid smaller than: Blank
Aspect ratio limit: blank

- Ed

Hi Ed, please try the attached MakeRing plugin (instructions for installing plug-ins here).

I hope it does what you wanted! If the person using it will not know how to zoom and pan around it may be a good idea to save the template file with the profiles in it with the views set up so that they can easily see the generated rings without needing to zoom around.

- Michael

Cool, elegant and professional!

Note, the 3 profiles need to be named A, B, and C, in the preloaded .3dm file.

- Brian

And what is the last ring.3dm or maybe 3 curves (?) to draw and select for run this script ?

Hi Pilou, to run the script get the 3DM file from here: http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=8370.5 and also set object names on each profile, first one named A, second one named B and third one named C.

- Michael

Ok !
But why solids are losted and just saved as STL ?
It's not possible to keep them on the screen as normal 3dm volumes for make any functions?
It's very frustrating! :)

here C : I have tested with any forms of profiles :)
Error messages when profils are not vertical!

Hi Pilou,

> But why solids are losted and just saved as STL ?

Because that's what was requested for the plug-in to do, to just generate an STL file. It is to help someone who only wants to generate an STL file and not do any other kinds of modeling.

But if you want it's easy to modify it to keep the objects and not generate an STL file automatically. To do that, edit the MakeRing.js file in a text editor. Near the end of the file are 2 lines that have this:

	SaveSTLFile();
	
	RemoveObjects();

If you delete or comment out these 2 lines then the objects will be kept. Commenting out means to put // at the front of the line like this:

	//SaveSTLFile();
	
	//RemoveObjects();

> here C : I have tested with any forms of profiles :)
> Error messages when profils are not vertical!

Ed specified earlier in this thread that the profiles were to be planar in the Front view, see here: http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=8370.9

So the plug-in is only designed to work with those kinds of profiles, it's normal to get an error if your profiles do not match that requirement.

- Michael

Perfect!
+ Flow function :)
and render with the Free SimLab Composer Light! (maxi 1920 * 1080 )
http://www.simlab-soft.com/3d-products/simlab-composer-freelicensee.php#lite

French version
http://moiscript.weebly.com/anneaux.html

Michael - Your script works great! Thank you very much.

I'll make some 3D prints this weekend and get the shrinkage factor dialed in. Photos to follow.

In the meantime I'll send you an email this evening - I'd like to send you a token of appreciation.

- Ed