Hi folks. I'm trying to get a 3DM file to open in Moi v2. I can readily view it in Rhino 6, but exporting seems to be an issue. Even when I export as an earlier version of Rhino such as 3/4/5, it still gives me a blank screen within Moi. I tried to export as an IGES, but you can see the error screen below.

This is my only copy of a file that was deleted quite some time ago, and there are no time machine or cloud backups available.

Suggestions? I also have Solidworks 2018 and Fusion 360 available if that helps.

Thanks

Chris

Hi Chris, so from your screenshot it looks like you have polygon mesh type objects and not NURBS curves and surfaces.

Rhino can work with a variety of different kinds of objects but MoI is focused only on working with NURBS objects. So the type of object data you have there will not transfer into MoI. You can export that type of faceted polygon mesh data out from MoI but not import it into MoI except in some special cases.

- Michael

Hi Michael, thanks for the reply.

Is there any conversion process you can suggest to get this model back into Moi?

Thanks

Chris

Hi Chris, well you'll probably need to reconstruct it to get a proper model in MoI - in its current form it's all made up of a bunch of triangle facets instead of having any curved surfaces in it at all. The areas that sort of look curved are not really, they just have a bunch more little flat facets there.

You could use the MeshToNurb command in Rhino to convert each triangle into a trimmed NURBS surface, which would then import into MoI but that will make a very low quality model so there isn't much you'll be able to do with it other than kind of use it as a guide.

- Michael

I can suggest my workflow, just discovered some day ago, export from Rhino to DXF mesh or use Blender 3D to export your mesh into DXF format with default exporter setup, and then import into gCAD3d and export your file to Step.

There is an other method I know but is with FreeCAD but for that there are some tutorial in the WEB

http://gcad3d.org/
https://www.blender.org/

Maybe another one will be DXF --> OBJ above Blender method --> OBJ --> Instantmesh(free)more easy than Blender so quadmesh -->export OBJ -->
import OBJ inside MOi 4 beta by Max Smirnov function or Subdivision from a file by the native function of moi v4 beta


https://github.com/wjakob/instant-meshes
http://moi.maxsm.net/files/scripts/ImportObj.v.1.5.2015.09.10.zip

And how do you apply this? - https://github.com/wjakob/instant-meshes

From Rhino?

Hi mk, that looks like a standalone program that can load .obj or .ply polygon mesh files. So to use it from Rhino you would export out to a polygon mesh .obj file and then use "Open mesh" in that program to load it in.

- Michael

But, is there another way to use it as a standalone program without Rhino?
That SubD --> Create from .obj file command in MoI 4.0 Beta is somehow working but the .obj file imported directly from for instance ArchiCad like in my case, contains partly triangulated mesh and some parts as solids.

So, I thought that hopefully there is a brilliant idea to prepare that .obj mesh before bringing it to MoI by SubD --> Create procedure, as it doesn't require Rhino.

Marek

Hi Marek,

re:
> But, is there another way to use it as a standalone program without Rhino?

Yes, I'd think that it should work with .obj files generated by any program, not just ones exported from Rhino.

What happens when you try to open your .obj file from ArchiCad into it?

- Michael

Hi Michael,


"..What happens when you try to open your .obj file from ArchiCad into it?"

- As attached.
3D window in ArchiCAD with the original file and then after Max' .obj import and then SubD as well.

One may wonder, why bother if it is OK in ArchiCAD?
- _CVolume2 add-on for weight calculation which I found to be a brilliant thing.

- Marek

Too bad as I own ArchiCAD v.19, but I think there is native .3dm Open / Export possibility starting from AC v.20.
Well, for that pleasure you have to spend another few thousand euros to upgrade ...

Hi Marek, the type of mesh geometry you show there isn't suitable for sub-d smoothing. A mesh designed for sub-d smoothing should be made up primarily of quads and structured as described at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckOTl2GcS-E .

What you have there is non-subd triangle mesh geometry, so it's not going to work right for using it as a sub-d control cage.

MoI is not designed to work with triangle mesh geometry like that.

If you can export from ArchiCad to .stl format you might try using an STL viewer type program such as https://www.materialise.com/en/software/minimagics , those are likely to have a weight calculator function.

- Michael

Hi Michael,

Thank you, as again your willingness to help is the most valuable add-on for MoI.
Yes, that software nicely imports the .stl model but that's it.
Now, it looks to me that the most efficient idea for this is simply to use Excel.

Thanks again,
Marek

There is another way to create a mesh with quads, from one made by triangles, using Blender, import your file in Blender and use the remesh modifier, and raise the level to nine and apply and then export a perfect mesh with quad topology.
below a try done now for this topic. but is bit heavy model, maybe reduce the subdivision with decimate modifier using option unsubdivide but with pair value multiply.

Tried that, but Blender (2.8) got inoperable after using Remesh modifier.
Nevertheless, there is a clever add-on in Blender - 3D Print Toolbox giving a Volume and an Area of solids, but I'm not sure about the accuracy of it in regards of real profiles thickness and so on.

Thank you, anyway