Hi Shane, the 30-day trial version is still for v2 currently, or v2.52 on the Mac which does actually have Flow in it there.

I won't have a 30-day trial version of v3 until v3 is all finalized and released.

- Michael

Thanks, I'll certainly use that file. I did Jesse's tutorial but that was ages ago so I'll revisit it as well. I've downloaded V3 and am now tying to conquer flow!

Suzanne

Since my PD on the UP printer I've been playing around with the free offerings on AutoDesk that were recommended for teachers. I actually didn't find much of use and really can't see how someone who hasn't had much experience with CAD, like a Visual Arts or Vis Com teacher could navigate through it. Having said that, I bet the students could!
I did mention MOI and it was only a Visual Communication teacher who picked up on it. Mind you, word of mouth is a powerful thing. On that note, if you go to: thelaundrycollection.blogspot.com I've written a post about MOI.

Suzanne

Hi Suzanne
Flow can be frustrating, If the text flows sideways or in reverse, you may have to rotate the text planar surface 90-180 deg or even end to end or pick opposite ends for the flow surface and target surface.

I use it all the time and it still only goes perfect 1/2 the time

If you don't know already, to form your planar surface the unwrapcurve command is great for generating a line thats the length of a curve off your ring surface or edge (also off the curve on the outer ring surface)

shayne

Hi shayne, see here for a description of where you need to pick on each surface to control the placement and rotation from one surface to the other:
http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=5853.2

You may be doing something like clicking right at the corner point where it becomes ambiguous which side you are actually aligning with. You don't want to pick directly on the corner, you want to be a little ways inwards from it so that there is one distinct edge that your pick is closest to.

- Michael

Hi Shayne,

I'm really feeling that Novice description of me at the moment! I've checked all the links and seen the screencast but what appears to be straight forward really has me stumped! Feeling how little I now at the moment! I now have V3 Beta but I just can't figure out what I'm doing wrong with the flow command. I feel like I've missed something really obvious? Some examples of my attempts:

Hi Suzanne, can you please post the 3DM model file for any one of those screenshots that you are showing? Then I'll do a screencast using your specific file showing what you need to do.

One thing is that when you start out you want to have only the things being deformed to be selected, so only your letters should be selected to start with, not the base plane yet. Then when you start Flow you will pick the base plane under the next as the base surface (the base plane should not be selected before this stage or else it will be taken as an object to be deformed), and then you'll do a pick on the target surface. The location of these picks is important for controlling how one surface maps to the other, I will show you for your particular case where you would want to click on each one.

Also one other tip is that maybe you're running into some problems where some construction geometry like some curves used to build things are getting picked instead of the surfaces getting picked. If you have a bunch of curves in those same general areas you may need to hide those so they don't get in your way when you go to pick the surfaces.

Anyway, if you can please post any 3DM model files of those things, then I will be able to answer your question by showing you what to do using your particular model.

- Michael

:) see I told you it can be frustrating

Some of your flow surfaces are too short

you need to draw your ring, a flat one is easiest put the profile at the bottom and sweep so the ends are there

select an outside edge and use unwrapcurve this gives you the exact length of the surface you need to make, take that line and offset with cap ends ticked, the width of the band say 6mm

then use planar to create a surface and delete the edge, this is your flow surface that is the same surface area as the outside of the ring.

create your text onto the centre of the planar surface

to flow select the text , then select just under it on the surface, finally select the corresponding spot on the ring

if the text flows inside the ring surface hit flip on the flow command before done

If you lower the text so it sits 1/2 way through the surface it sits on it will flow 1/2 in 1/2 out of the ring

Good luck

shayne

Hi Michael and Shayne,

I'm too embarrassed to attach my original working files as they are all over the place! However the epiphany has been to select my name first before starting the flow operation. The other area that puzzled me was the unwrapcurve which I found in an earlier post and promptly downloaded and copied to my command file (I think). Anyway, the combination of clarifying those two points has got me on the road to a ring...I think! Thank you so much for your patience, I am learning more than I anticipated in this one exercise:

Looks like you've got it working well now Suzanne!

- Michael

Good going Suzanne
I use moi every day , its brilliant

This mornings job (using flow :) )

Another great resource for jewellery is the ringcircle2 script for inside ring diameters


Should come out like this

cheers
shayne

Hi Shayne,

Those rings are something I can only aspire to at this stage, but I'll search ringcircle2, load it in and have a play. Thanks again for all the help!

Suzanne

Hi Suzanne
A pleasure to be of assistance
Other's in the forum have helped me over the years , so I'm just returning the favour.

Here are some basic gemstones , you can import them into your drawing and rescale them to whichever size you need, array them around a curve etc


http://moi3d.com/forum/messages.php?webtag=MOI&msg=4423.4&highlight=yes

regards
shayne

Thanks again!