Hi:

I'm having a hard time resolving two related extrusion issues.

Please see the attached MOI project. I need to extrude all the text outlines. But I need to extrude them perpendicularly from the center lines of the included tube shape. I can't find a way to do something like this. In a 3D animation program, it would be a simple step of extruding along the "normals" or similar. How can I do something like that in MOI?

Secondly, even if I can extrude the text outlines, I don't get any caps. I assume that is because the outlines, themselves, are not flat and planer. But is there another way to get some caps???

Thanks so much!

Hi Sneather,

One method would be to select the surface (sub selection) of the barrel, copy and paste it, then hide the barrel solid not to trim it by mistake.

Trim the surface using the numbers, and use offset/shell command. You may have to flip the normal direction.

Marc

Yes. Thanks! I hadn't thought of using the trim command. I just tried that, and it works - no problem.
However, I'm sorry, but I don't quite understand how to get access to the offset/shell command. What is that, and how do I perform that operation?

Never mind...
I'm an idiot. I found the tool.

Thank you. This is really going to save my behind.

Hi sneather, it sounds like you've got it all figured out now (thanks Marc!) - and yup usually the process for something non-planar is to trim out a surface piece and then use that surface with either extrude or shell since then you will get caps, you will only get caps on a curve extrusion if it's a planar closed outline.

http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=3024.4
http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=4010.4
http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=3318.1


Also here's an example that shows the difference between doing an extrusion versus doing a shell, they produce a different kind of result with the extrusion going straight in one direction while the shell producing an offset surface that moves along the original surface's surface normal at every point:
http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=4791.13

- Michael

Thanks, Michael, for the additional help.

But yes, indeed, Marc hit the nail on the head, right from the start.

I'm slowly getting to a point where I'm able to do more of the prep work on my clients' CAD files, than I had previously been able to accomplish. This has the potential to both increase the quality of my finished renders, and save me hours of trying to do the same thing in my animation system. So, enjoying MOI so far!

Cheers!