Hi OSTexo, I never realized that ViaCAD only generated polyline output.

So yeah for generating curve output Rhino can do that, or also one other possibility is Alibre, I just tested it and it seems to create curve output. It does not save to AI files directly but it can make DWG or DXF file which you can probably use with your illustration program.

- Michael

Hello,

Thanks for the recommendations. Rhino created decent curves but some of the detail was highly distorted. Spaceclaim makes some nice 3D PDF's but I'm not sure if I can do a 2D one. I think I just need to slog through it and be patient for MoI3 :)

Hi OSTexo, by the way if you can gather up a few example files that have both the 3D model and also show the 2D output that you'd like to get from them, please send them to me at moi@moi3d.com so I'll have some good test cases to focus on when the time comes to work on this area in MoI v3.

- Michael

Hello,

I don't have version 7 of ViaCAD, so I can't say if they've improved the 2D export. I'll send you some files in ZIP. Thanks.

Can you explain me the problem, I don't good understand it!

Hi Pilou, OSTexo is looking for a method that will take the solid model and generate a 2D drawing from it, with hidden lines removed.

Currently MoI's AI export does produce a 2D drawing, but it does not yet do the processing to split curves up into different pieces and hide the pieces that are not visible.

This kind of output generates vector curves as the output which you can then bring in to a 2D illustration program and assign different colors or linestyles to or also do further editing on the curves - it's a different kind of drawing generation than doing a pixel-based bitmap one like a rendering or a screenshot would be.

- Michael

I have ViaCAD Pro and Precise output is excluded when using the Model to Sheet function but the others in the list are supported.

However, I believe ViaCAD's bigger brother (Shark), does export with the functionality you're looking for.

This is taken from the documentation I have and applies to the Model to Sheet feature in Shark products:-

Precise
Precisely calculates the visibility of edges in a draw view. This method calculates visibility between edges and either the NURB or analytic definition of the body. Resultant edges are lines, arcs, circles, ellipses, and splines. Precise also accurately calculate the visibility of silhouette edges.

Polyline
The polyline method quickly calculates the visible and hidden edges by simplifying the edges into polylines and comparing its visibility with a facet representation of the body. These edges are less precise and difficult to dimension. Polyline calculate the visibility of silhouette edges as polyline segments.

Flat
The image that appears in the draw view is generated as an OpenGL shaded image using a flat lighting model. Because there is no vertex smoothing, you will see facet boundaries.

Gouraud

The image that appears in the draw view is generated as an OpenGL shaded image using a Gouraud lighting model. The Gouraud lighting model interpolates color across each facet and produces a smoother image than Flat.

Phong

The image that appears in the draw view is generated as an OpenGL shaded image using a Phong lighting model. The Phong lighting model interpolates the vertex normal across each facet and produces a smoother image than Gouraud.

 

Martin.

Hello,

I have attached a PDF that will explain my process as it stands now. The top image is the output from MoI of a plug I modeled. I have to clean up all the lines by hand. I then have to extract an outline and run some further tweaks on it to get it watertight. I then can apply a color to the image if required, and layer the outline and combine. It would be great to have Moi get me to step 2, step 3 outline would be icing on the cake. The AI output is not perfect even when I trim surfaces in MoI, but it's close, and the MoI output is the frontrunner in quality IMO.

Hi OSTexo, thanks for posting that clear description!

Getting a seamlessly joined outer outline may be pretty difficult to do automatically, but I'll try to think about some ways to do it.

Can you also please send the 3D model file for that object in the PDF to me at moi@moi3d.com ?

Also if you have a few other examples that you could easily gather where you've just got an image of the final end result and also the 3D model file it came from that you could send for me to use for testing, that would be helpful. No step-by-step needed for those additional ones, just final result image and 3D model would be helpful.

I guess that it is not common for existing CAD programs to generate that outside thick silhouette since I don't think that is usually part of a dimensioned mechanical diagram?

- Michael

you dont use the call render to the clip board with a tickness of line? with only the outline
http://moi3d.com/forum/messages.php?webtag=MOI&msg=1049.1

And why not make a snapshot of the Moi object without hidden lines and add the contour in any prod 2D?

Hello MG,

The seamless joined outline is just gravy, it's not a big deal to fuse those together. I wouldn't do any sort of line thickening or line types within MoI, I can do that with two clicks in a vector image editing program. Not having to remove hidden lines gets me over 90% of the way. I sent a 3dm file to you, hope it helps.

Hi Pilou,

> And why not make a snapshot of the Moi object without
> hidden lines and add the contour in any prod 2D?

That would produce bitmap output, which could be fine for some kinds of cases but it's not what OSTexo is looking for in this instance.

Vector output is more easily edited since it is made up of objects that can have properties edited instead of only a large set of colored dots like a bitmap, and also vector output will make a higher quality print because it is not fixed to just one resolution like a bitmap.

- Michael

Hello,

The other advantage of creating vector assets is that they can be resized and reused without having to worry about the limitations of raster images. I can also get a clearer image in a smaller file size as opposed to something like a raster PDF. It is also very easy to modify guides and move items around the page without having to worry about things like masks.

Hi
Shark will output curves, but it cost a lot more than Viacad

thx for precicisons!

you can try with Google sketchup, but EPS and PDF export format are not in the Free version!

This can be interest you for free Google sketchup ;)
http://flightsofideas.net/

Hi Pilou,

> you can try with Google sketchup, but EPS and PDF
> export format are not in the Free version!

Since SketchUp doesn't have real curves in it, most likely the EPS and PDF export from the SketchUp Pro version will only contain vectors made up of line segments and not smooth curves.

That might work fine for many other kinds of uses, but if you read some of the messages earlier in this thread, he was looking for smooth curve output.

- Michael

ok :)

Hello,

SU generates a bunch of line segments to make up curves. Before I was told about MoI I used SU Pro, and it was virtually impossible to reuse any image, especially if wanting to zoom in on a part to show detail.