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3D ’fill’ function...

ThinkDesign

New member
In some of my work, the only way I can achieve some desired shapesis throughusing surfaces. If a surface could be filled;like you fill a shape in a paint package, it would make things so much easier!
 
Can you not use a "boundary blend" feature or "n-sided" surface feature similar to that in Pro/Engineer?

Sam


Edited by: SW
 
there is a tool in sw that does this. I don't have SW installed so can't get to the feature but I know its there. Simular to the fill command in Pro/SURFACE... But it would be a 2d fill not a 3d fill.

And as for the nagon type of function... it would be much more 'pro gear' to build your 3d form or 3d boundary then project the desiired shape onto that to then trim back.




Edited by: design-engine
 
you can fill a surface -Insert-Surface-Fill .

You just have to have a complete boundary and not too akward of a shape, more complex shapes require a nice guide curve or point to keep teh mesh acceptable.
 
Oh thank you!


That will make life much easier on some tasks I undertake!


Cheers,


Richard


UPDATE... Actually, I think you've misunderstood what I meant - what I need, in essence what I need is the opposite of the 'shell' function. Cheers anyway!
Edited by: ThinkDesign
 
you can thicken a surface using insert-boss/base-thicken to thicken surfaces and make them solid bodies, use the insert - surface - knit, to join surfaces into a solid model as long as there are no gaps. Using "Knit" if the surfaces completly enclose a volume you can check the "try to make solid" box and you get a solid out of your surfaces. If you join a bunch of surfaces togeather and still have a gap just use the "Fill" to close the boundary.

Does that help?
 
I think it's my fault, I've not explained properly... I've been modelling boat hulls - the only way to do the kind of hulls I've been doing is through surface modelling (using all the techniques you guys have kindly suggested).


Where we fall down is that the model isn't a great deal of use - only the outside surface data is useful. If, however, we could take this hollow 'shell' of a surface, and '3D fill' it to create a solid body, we'd have one hell of a function on our hands - it would be so useful!


Anyway, maybe it's possible and I simply don't know how to do it??


Richard
 
Ok so if all the surfaces are edge to edge with no gaps you use the insert - surface- knit, and select every surface that you want to enclose this volume and the surfaces have to actually entirely enclose the volume for this to work. and you have to check the box "try to form solid" it shoudl work.

If you have gaps in your surfaces Use the insert - surface- fill to create surfaces from the open boundaries of other surfaces al long as it is a complete loop you get a fill.

Check the box marked try to make feature solid and all your surface shoud turn into one solid body that can then be measure for volume and is solid.

Take a 10 x 10 cube solid part, 6 sides and delete one surface you now have 5 surfaces and no volume is enclosed
It is like a jack in the box with no lid. If you use the fill command and select the 4 edges that the deleted surface used to touch it it fills that area in fully enclosing the volume you can then check the "try to make solid" option and you go from 5 surfaces to one solid body again with 6 surfaces enclosing a volume (sqaure)

You are doing this on a much larger and complicated scale though I fully believe that it is possible.



Edited by: skateboardkid
 

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