modelling a whiteboard

[blackisleboy2]

Hi all,

I'm not able to put an image online at the moment, so hopefully I can explain my dilemma well enough. I'm trying to model a whiteboard for the office I'm working on. It is a rounded rectangle board, with a thin rebated aluminium moulding around it. How do I model this? I've drawn a rounded rectangle and the profile, but extruding along a path doesn't seem to work very well - the problem is I don't understand exactly how it works and so seem to get very unpredictable results.

Ideally I would like to draw a rounded rectangle in front view, extrude it to get the thickness of the whitboard itself, then draw the moulding in top view, then extrude it along the path of the extruded rectangle, but I can't get the result I want, so I'm thinking I don't understand the fundamentals of how it works.

Can anyone please shed some light? I've tried this before with picture frames, but I really don't know what I'm doing, and ended up having to rotate everything in 3d for it to be on the right plane (ie on the wall rather than face down on the floor!)

Many thanks - I know this is simple stuff, but it's driving me crazy!

Graham

Edited April 17, 2009 by blackisleboy2

[mike m oz]

Try this.:

- Switch to a Front Elevation view.

- Draw the rounded rectangle shape of the board part and extrude it to give it the required thickness.

- Draw the rounded rectangle shape for the perimeter using the centreline of the profile. Convert this to a nurbs curve.

- Draw the perimeter profile as a polygon (make sure it is the right way up).

- Select both the profile object and the path object and use Extrude Along Path (make sure you select the correct object for the path)

- Switch to Top / Plan View and align the two parts correctly. Then Group them so they become one entity.

Note:

- If the profile has ended up the wrong way around edit the profile part of the extrude along path object and flip it horizontally.

- Complex shapes can be easier to draw using linework and compose or add and clip surface.

- The appearance of the parts can be controlled by creating custom Classes with the desired graphic attributes for the board and perimeter moulding. If you switch to the appropriate Class before creating it it will then have the desired appearance.

- Make sure all parts have a solid fill so the object will render solid rather than as wireframe.

- Turn the whiteboard into a hybrid symbol. In Top/Plan View draw the desired 2D plan view of the whiteboard directly on top of the 3D. Select both the 2D and 3D parts and then invoke Create a Symbol (Modify menu).

[GWS]

This video tech tip on how to make a 3D painting may also help with the framing bit.

http://kbase.vectorworks.net/questions/632/Creating+a+3D+Painting

Guy

[blackisleboy2]

Thanks so much to both of you: I've now modelled a very lovely whiteboard! Help much appreciated...