Extrusions Questions

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 From:  Gregarious2 (GREGGARRISS)
2612.1 
While waiting for my CNC router to come in, I have been modeling arrays of hexagons by placing hexagons next to each other ( lots of free time ). When I extrude the array with end caps on, only about half of the array has caps.

My hoped for end result is a panel with a regular array of hexagonal holes. Ideas?
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 From:  Michael Gibson
2612.2 In reply to 2612.1 
Hi Greg - could you please attach a .3dm model file with your hexagons? That would help to see exactly what is going on.

From your description though, it sounds like you may have a set of individual line segments that are all touching each other? That would make for a kind of branching structure where each line was not just touching one other line. If so then that is the problem - MoI's extrude command does not know how to handle open curves that touch each other in a branching way like that, for open curves it is only expecting to have segments that touch only one other segment to form closed loops.

Instead, you'll want to have either each hexgon being a closed curve itself, or you would want to throw out all the "internal" segments and only have just one outline around the outside if you want it to extrude as all one block instead of as many different smaller solids.

But if you can post the file I can see if that was the problem or if it was something else, and maybe try to show you a screen capture to better illustrate what I am talking about above.

Also one quick note on making a hexagonal pattern - the Transform / Array / Dir command can be useful for that - for example here I apply it twice in different directions to get a full pattern:



- Michael
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 From:  Gregarious2 (GREGGARRISS)
2612.3 In reply to 2612.2 
Aloha Michael,

Thanks for your help so far... and the tips on making hex arrays.

Here's the .3dm that I have been playing with. I've tried this with several array sizes with the same result.
Any array seems to always have a few cells capped. I initially make a hex cell using the polygon tool and then cut/paste/move... until
I have an array. Being clones of each other, I wouldn't expect the cells to open. They also have fairly large and reasonably uniform gaps between them since I'm more interested in creating the frame rather than the cells.

Thanks!
Greg
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 From:  DannyT (DANTAS)
2612.4 In reply to 2612.3 
Hi Greg,

The two hexagons highlighted in the picture are not on the same plane as the rest of your curves, 0.03 units out, so they are treated separate in the extrude function
which created 3 solids, that's what your seeing when you say, 2 hexagons are capped.
If you bring those 2 hexagon curves to the same plane as the rest of the curves you will get the result you were after.



Cheers
~Danny~
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 From:  Gregarious2 (GREGGARRISS)
2612.5 In reply to 2612.4 
Thanks Danny!!

I'll check planarity next time... :-)

Greg
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