Simple solution to fill in empty space?

[Michael Gillis]

Wondering how I can easily extrude the base 18"x18" square so that the spots with red arrows and box will be solid filled and not empty space. If I simply extrude the backing it just overlaps the bent pieces on top.

[Jeff Prince]

You could draw a poly of the plan view shape of these two conditions and extrude those new shapes and Add the resulting solids.

or

You could push/pull the background shape forward and curved pieces backwards.  Then, grab the resulting geometry and use Intersect to create geometry where the two occupy the same space.

 

The latter should work, depending on how you created the geometry, but I think the former is a better method.

[Michael Gillis]

Thanks I will give that a shot!

[Benson Shaw]

What @jeff prince said,

 

Or, Loft the volume:

 

Use the Extract tool in Edge mode.  Extract the forward edges of the flat piece and the back edges of the curved bit. Creates a group containing the 8 NURBS curves - looks like a rectangle and a curved rectangle.  Ungroup, then compose. This "joins" them into a single NURBS curve.  Extract the back edges of the curved piece and Compose same way.  Select both NURBS curves. OIP, Show direction. If not same direction, Select either one and reverse via the OIP  Reverse Direction button.  When both are same direction, Loft Surface > No rail mode.  In the Loft dialog, choose options for Ruled and Create Solid, then click the green checkmark.  Result is a volume matching the void that needs filling.  Lots of words to describe this, but easy and takes about as much time to complete as reading this.  Technique is especially useful when Extrude and PushPull are not viable, eg  edges are not planar, faces are not flat, etc.

 

-B

[Benson Shaw]

Oops, mashed up two versions of this.  Should read thusly:

 

. . . Creates a group containing the 8 NURBS curves - looks like a rectangle and a curved rectangle.  Edit the Group, Select All, then Compose. This "joins" them into two NURBS curves (the flat rectangle and the curved rectangle).  Extract the back edges of the curved piece and Compose same way.  Select both . . .

 

Loft can be done in the Group, or Ungroup, then Loft.

-B

[Michael Gillis]

Accurate Moddim Bend Panel VWX Symbol.zip

 

For anyone following and since this is my first dip into using the 3D tools to build something from scratch I will post what finally made me happy after lots of trial and error. It's wild how there seems to be many ways to achieve roughly the same object. To round the curves and give it the lip around the edges I used the create drape surface tool in the 3D Power Pack, point density set to 150 with a depth of 1/2 inch took all the sharp edges away and left me. Since the concave and convex parts are cut out from one solid rectangle I didn't venture down the NURBS path although I will keep that in mind if I'm dealing with more complex surfaces.  

 

For how often I get requests to add these Moddim tiles in as scenic it's a shame there's not symbols for all 8 of them. Quest Drape (Quest Events) is the sole distributor and reseller, if you ask them for CAD or shape files they say sorry we don't have anything we don't manufacture them. The "manufacturer" website hasn't been updated in 5 years and they still list a 2017 new designs pdf as the latest thing to download. Contact them and get no reply still to this day. 

 

If anyone has a complete set of all the styles that would be wonderful. I know you can do the cheap trick of mapping a picture as a texture but to accurately render different led fixtures and what placement gives what effect, the 3d model is the only way to achieve that detail in renders. 

Moddim Bend.vwx