I have what is a rare request, to create some animal shapes that will be used for a thermoformed mold. This is probably a job for a program that is more inclined for organic modeling, and done in mesh modeling. I took a stab at an elephant using MoI (the one on the right side of the image), which I didn't think was too bad. Our CAD department was able to bring into SolidWorks without any problem (which, by the way, they are very happy that they're not the ones who have to model these). Unfortunately, specific shapes were wanted and an image was supplied to provide the desired outline and then they wanted any additional detail added to it. I know that there are some MoI guru's here and I'd be interested in knowing how others would attempt to take the supplied elephant shape (on the left side of the image) and add some dimension to it. I'm not concerned about adding much in the way of detail, I'd be happy with some general shape and dimension. If you have any input, how would you do this in MoI? I'll attach the file in case that someone wants to play with it.

Thank-you,

Michael Cramblet
Packaging Design
mcramblet@displaypack.com
Phone: 616-574-6271
Display Pack, Inc.

Hi Michael, yes these kinds of organic bubbly type shapes are usually better dealt with in a polygon mesh based modeler which is focused on organic shape creation. These kinds of things are difficult to create with CAD toolsets.

You could try using ZSurf - that's a program that takes a bitmap in and uses the grayscale level of a pixel as a height value, so it makes a kind of heightfield surface over the bitmap and you set up gradients and shading on the bitmap to shape the surface. Check out here for a thread on that: http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=3825.2

There's also a program called ArtCAM which is heavily focused on building these kinds of 2.5D relief type shapes.

There's also a category of displacement brush stroke based sculpting programs like ZBrush, Scluptris, and 3D-Coat which are good tools for making raised organic patterns.

- Michael

Hi Michael

I just started to play with moi also so I can´t help you there but I did some projects like this in the past for some customers Toolmakers also.
The diference is that I had a sculpted real toy and I asked a small shop to scan it.

you can look here this is a perfect case: http://www.behance.net/gallery/Kraft-Foods-(Jello-Santa)/455326

I have another project with some more animals but I don´t show much of the process in that one, this above link is better to show you a bit.
The modelling was done with patches of surfaces.

Sorry for my English.

Thanks for the input, Michael. I'm going to give ZSurf a shot. I'll take the shape, bring it into PhotoShop and create a look of dimension with shading and see what ZSurf is able to do with that.

Paulo, that's exactly the type of thing I need to do. If good physical samples could have been provided, we would've had them scanned and been done with it. I really wish that was the case. Nothing is more frustrating than having a project that you just don't know how to accomplish (with the tools and knowledge that you have at your disposal).

.

Yes I totally understand, I had situation like yours also.

Just for information I saw that rhino for example has some add-ons that automatic fill in patches of surfaces from mesh data.

Don´t know how they work because I used some other tool for that but...

I did a quick test using ZSurf, and it looks like there is some possibility there. I guess I need to do a search and see if I can find any previous posts regard the best way to incorporate the igs file from ZSurf with the MoI base.

Hmm, I'm not having any luck with joining the surface model to the solid base, and I didn't find anything regarding this specific in previous posts. Are there any tips for doing this?

Hello,

If you use Rhino you might be able to use the height field option. Another possibility which might work out nicely for your application is using Clayoo along with Rhino. They have a pretty nifty height field option from rails that might be just what you need and you'll probably end up with a much cleaner solid file than the height field option.

Hi mcramblet,

>> Hmm, I'm not having any luck with joining the surface model to the solid base, and I didn't find anything regarding this specific in previous posts. Are there any tips for doing this? <<

You wont be able to Join the Solid & the Surface together unless you first delete the Solids top surface, which makes it into a "Joined Surface".
If they wont Join that way & form a Solid, then it could be the tolerance between them is too great.

Your next option is to select all those bottom edges of the IGES surface, Copy> Paste > Join, then Extrude them.

HTH, Colin

Thanks for the tips, I'll try that!

Hi Michael,

> Hmm, I'm not having any luck with joining the surface model to the solid base, and I didn't
> find anything regarding this specific in previous posts. Are there any tips for doing this?

You'll probably need to reverse the process a little bit - build the bubbly surface piece first, then trim that how you want it and use the resulting edge around the outside of the bubbly surface to construct a base piece.

It's unlikely that ZSurf is going to generate something that matches a predefined fixed base within enough tolerance to join it.

- Michael

it's like the principle of modeling subdivision surfaces, but the model output nurbs, kotoroya can easily finish in moi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2qDjS5bOpw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5fOsZ83pac
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhxnNt6BJeo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtA5v7OrUO8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iJWNtXwc7c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfOKbxfbGC0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk0u7f137PU

Wow, this is funny. I came across this old post of mine, while doing a Google search. This was at the beginning of my journey to find a method to model organic shapes and characters in CAD. From this point of the original post, I ended up using T-Splines to create the attached mold cavities. Now, even that isn't good enough. Instead of relativity simple objects like these with either profiles or symmetrical shapes, I'm researching methods to take it up a notch or two. Star Wars, the Avengers and other similar projects are in the works. It looks like I've come full circle, only to start my way around it once again.

Mike,
These alone are pretty impressive - it would take me forever to try and do them.
What new packages are you considering?? (If you wish to say...)
Ron

Oh crap!!! It's the 'new' Seminole logo. :-/

I've been looking into all of the subD and sculpting software. Many of them could provide much more detail than what I can get out of the relatively simple subD like tools of T-Splines. The issue is getting them out of those programs and spanning the great divide into CAD. Plug-ins for Modo make it fairly easy to convert to NURBS, but that doesn't really have the tools I'd like to see to handle drafts and other components of making a mold. We also need to be able to work with supplied mesh animation files and convert those to CAD data/molds. Right now, we are seriously looking at Geomagic Freeform Plus. It's really expensive, but seems to be the only thing out there that is capable of bridging the gap between the visual 3D world and the CAD world and can create complex organic shapes/characters that can easily manufactured.

Mike-

Find this at the team store or other Florida retail outlets:

Neat! I know a certain child of mine that likes Jello and FSU. :-)

Hey mac,

I see a fluid choice on all of those. A unique approach for each. So questions need answered for each throughout the process.

So for something like the red screaming face, model it with all hard edges, and a 3d toolpath with a ball mill can "smooth it"...
Limitations are ALL smoothing is same rad. Also, looks like vacuum moulds. Would work for that, but, not for 2 part moulds. Some of the others are different methods, but, maintaining something precise to a sample kindof falls out the window...

Why the need to remain cad?

"You're going geomagic"? Start the tutes NOW!!!! Lol

Anything trying to convert mesh to nurbs is either heavy, sacrifice, or problematic in the mould side... (unless you go geomagic and do the learning curve....

2 cents