Hi Tom, you can use the Transform > Deform > Flow command to do stuff like that, but it won't work with the exact configuration you have, you'll need to make the red surface to be a somewhat broader surface which completely covers all rays that shoot out from the base plane.

I'll try to make an example for you.

- Michael

Hi Tom, see the attached 3DM file for an example.

You'll need the red surface to be extended a bit in size more like this:



I did this version by extracting your red surface (select it and run Edit > Separate), then doing an "untrim" by selecting all its edges and pushing delete.

Then start by selecting all the things you want to deform (all the things in yellow shown above), but not the base plane underneath them yet. Then run Transform > Deform > Flow (a new tool in v3), pick the base plane when the prompt says to pick the base object, then before picking the red surface enable the checkbox for "Projective" mode and then pick the red surface to get the projected deformation. I also set "Straight" mode to be on since it looks like you wanted that type of shape.

You may run into some difficulty if you are going to try and do booleans between this piece and other surrounding snugly fitting pieces, it's difficult for intersection processing to deal with things that have a lot of barely skimming overlapping surface area like you will have here.

- Michael

Thank you Michael, I was trying that process with know luck, now I will do it your way.

Hi Tom

I think from your model you will have issues making this into solids , when making jewellery it pays to make simple solid parts and boolean delete any shapes or profiles you need.

If you don't mind me saying I would start with the basic shapes and extrude them as solids

you than then easily delete the curved slot out from the cross



Then use flow to curve the insert into the base, it needs to be .1 or anything wider than the base to boolean delete out cleanly without leaving a messy side wall





cheers
shayne

Thank you shayno for your help.

Cheers Tom

you can do some great stuff with flow drawing it flat (the red profile), cutting your patterns out then flowing to your inside ring curve

This took about an hour and all it needs is a sprue and then off to printing and casting in rose gold, you have to take into account that some stretching of the patterns occurs when using flow




cheers
shayne

That looks nice, I am playing with flow to get the hang of it. Next onto making models water tight for printing I am just starting to use Netfabb and I found a site on Microsoft 3D printing that allows you to submit a STL file mane they will repair it for free,
https://modelrepair.azurewebsites.net/index.php

Thanks for you help.
Best regards
Tom

Hi Tom, I have some new help file material finally available for Flow here:
http://moi3d.com/3.0/docs/moi_command_reference8.htm#flow

- Michael

Hello,

I've found that it's possible to minimize distortions along your outer surface by using a base curve that is above the object to be flowed instead of below the object. You just need to account for your material offset and determine your base curve length using Pi*d which you can type in directly to the length box. Note the minimized outer distortion on the grey flow versus the red flow depending on the base curve position. The thickness is the same, the scaling needs to be changed to account for the base curve positioning, the circles are simply scaled along the X and Y axis and extruded to the proper depth.