Hi guys,

Trying to do a sweep of multiple circular profiles on a single curving rail...I get "calculation failed". The sweep works fine doing them one by one...but time consuming.

Is there a way to sweep a group of profiles?

Thx.

Make an Extude ? ;)

His rail is not straight Pilou... ;-)

Does not work here either.

Regards
Stefan

Hi Pilou,

Extrude doesn't seem to evenly follow the center sweep rail. You can see the extrusions dip into the main surface. Although it does all for multiple profiles to be selected.

Thx.

Hello Mat,

the problem of the standard sweep is the autoplacement of the profile to the rail. So you have to create iso curves of the big pipe. If you want to make them you can do it manually or use the nodeeditor. for 12 pipes it is better doing it manually for 20 or more the nodeeditor is a good choice.




It's up to you!

Have a nice day
Karsten

Hi Karsten,

Ahhh the Node Editor....very high on my list of things to learn! Just recently set up NE 0.98 for Mac with Max's help. Played with it a bit, elementary stuff. To be honest...I have no idea how to really use it yet. Looking for some tutorials on the basics to get a solid foundation to actually use it effectively.

I don't seem to have a few nods that you're using...the "isoCrvs" node, and "getCrvSFrame"...not in my "Curve" drop down menu.

With the Nod file you sent...should I be seeing the 3D file you created from your screen shot? Or the Nod file is just a layout of how-to create what you did?

I noticed from your screen shot...there's also no more drop down menu on the top left of the tool bar in 0.99 NE version.

I am dying to get up and running with NE! So many questions...

Thx!

Hi mat10x,

since Karsten mentioned Iso curves, which works nicely, you don't have to use the Node Editor yet
to archive the same task.

In case you have not done yet, you can try the following:

Use the "Show pts" command on the first profile of the big pipe and then use the "Construct/Curve/Iso/U"
command and snap the Iso curves to the 12 points (or more/less points if you use the "rebuild" command,
typed in the bottom coordinates box).

(Thanks Karsten for the Iso curves tip!)

Regards
Stefan

Hello Mat,

you have to install the extensions. You will find a complete setup here: http://moi3d.com/forum/index.php?webtag=MOI&msg=7777.762

After install, means copy the containing folder under ui ans set up a short key, start the nodeeditor and load the node file. You can also only use one of the extensions.zip in the thread and copy the containing files under the extensions folder. Make a sweep of your main/big circle without cap ends. After that select it and go to the nodeeditor. Now select the selected node with the right mouse button and choose update. The node should show a "1". Then press run. Adjust the radius of the circles and the number. That's it.

Good luck!
Karsten

Hi Mat, it sounds like you may have this figured out already, but just in case:

> Trying to do a sweep of multiple circular profiles on a single curving rail...I get "calculation failed". The sweep
> works fine doing them one by one...but time consuming.
>
> Is there a way to sweep a group of profiles?

You can use multiple profiles in sweep, but it's for making a sweep that changes its profile as it moves along the sweep rail, so it's expecting the profiles to be at different stations along a single rail not a lot of them stacked up all on the same position on the rail.

You can sweep a single profile along multiple rails though, to do that draw your circle flat on the cplane off to the side outside the bounding box of the rail, that's so you'll get "autoplace" mode enabled for the sweep. Then you can select just that one profile, run Sweep and select all your rails and it should generate sweeps along each one.

- Michael

Hi mat10x.


...I had some fun in MoiV3 with your idea ;)

I have used these main Moi's standard commands :

- Sweep
- Iso
- Project
- Orient
- Trim
- Chamfer
- Fillet

And a couple of custom commands/scripts

Here's the final 3dM file : http://take.ms/e5Ool

Here's a video capture of the final result : http://take.ms/LwlzX

And those are some screenshots :

1) From this...(the beginning, after I trimmed the initial Sweep surface)




2) ...to this (intermediate stage)



3) to this!! (final stage)



...some details






Total time from scratch to finish about 2 hours.

Moi is a fun!!

Ciao!

Hello Mat,

another way - not so precise, but fast. Draw the big and small circle somewhere. Extrude them both. Draw a straight line from the center of the bottom to the top. Array the small cylinder. Flow all bodies from the straight line to your curve.

Have a nice day
Karsten

@mkdm
Cool use of the steps 1,2,3, ...show!
Does the uploading in this cloud is unlimited and free ?

Hello Pilou!

@You : "...Cool use of..."

Thanks :) Yes! I think it's a funny way to engage the readers ;)
(It's clear that the "content" of the post must be interesting and useful for the reader)

@You : "...Does the uploading in this cloud is unlimited and free ?..."

Oh no....It's free and it's limited. It's the MonoSnap service, and in fact, from time to time I must delete old things.

I could also use my OnDrive account but I prefer to spread this things on a "spare" repository.

Ciao!

Marco (mkdm)

Wow, thanks for all the responses guys! Some interesting possible solutions for sure.

I will try these and report back as I go.

Hi Michael,

Tried you suggestion first this morning...seemed to be the most simple and direct to my original intent.

>You can use multiple profiles in sweep, but it's for making a sweep that changes its profile as it moves along the sweep rail, so it's expecting the profiles to be at different stations along a single rail not a lot of them stacked up all on the same position on the rail.

Yup, familiar with that. No issue there.

>You can sweep a single profile along multiple rails though, to do that draw your circle flat on the cplane off to the side outside the bounding box of the rail, that's so you'll get "autoplace" mode enabled for the sweep. Then you can select just that one profile, run Sweep and select all your rails and it should generate sweeps along each one.

...now with this one, unless I'm doing something incorrectly, is that the two individual rails become the diameter for the single profile. I'm not getting 2 separate tubes...I get one large tube from the profile (which is set of to the side on the flat cplane as you suggested). If I select just one rail...I get one tube of that profile, no issue. Just not 2 separate tubes of that one profile, in one command operation. Setting was "autoplace". Tried playing with the other options, no go.

Might be me...not sure...

Thx.

Hi Stefan,

Familiar with Isos from Rhino. Tried that in fact. Works great individually...but not as a group as a time saving measure. Still have to go one by one, profile/curve, profile/curve...

Thx.

Hello Mat,

first you have to create the individual rails with the isocurves - curves-> isocurves. Select the outer face of the big sweep and select your small circle centers to place the isocurves. Then select one small circle and click sweep. Select all isocurves as rails - thats all:-)
Karsten

Hi Karsten,

"Flow along Surface"...yup, that worked nicely. That might be better way to go than "sweep" in this case with multiple rails. Can't seem to sweep one profile with multiple rails for some reason.

Thx!

Hello Mat,

you can also use line to curve;-)

Hey Karsten,

Ok, if it's working for you...then I must be doing something wrong here. Ha.

>Select the outer face of the big sweep and select your small circle centers to place the isocurves. Then select one small circle and click sweep. Select all isocurves as rails - thats all:-)

Made the Iso curves in relation to the circle profiles, no issue.

Multiple isos are still highlighted/selected from the last operation as you suggested...I add/select one small circle...click "Sweep"...and the selection window says "select rails"...so MOI thinks the Isos and the small circle are the "profiles" and now wants the rail information.

In the "Sweep" function button process...select "profile" (my circle) first, then "rails". So if I'm selecting all the Isos first...then the small circle...I don't see how that can work. Maybe I'm missing something?

Thx.