Unfold Fails

[Benson Shaw]

I’m trying to fit a cylindrical object against a curved wall. Model is easy - section the cylinder with an poly arc representing the wall (or Solid Subtraction or Push/Pull, or Project tool). But I have to manufacture the sectioned sidewall and need a cutting path. Unfold Surface should do this no prob, but yields poly with errors and inconsistencies:

1. Unfolded shape should have one long straight edge opposite an edge with two hills and two valleys. Edge is not straight.

2. Vectorworks places the unfolded polygon in unpredictable location.

3. Unfolded poly should logically be placed with long edge parallel to X or Y axis. It’s always off by a few degrees. Source geometry is aligned with XY.

I think these are long standing and oft noted bugs and problems, so adding this to the wish for correction and improvement of the Unfold Surfaces command.

Sample vwx file has Saved View of items shown in the attached screenshot.

I also have Wagner’s Unfold plugin, but have not added it to my 2015 workspace. The Vectorworks one should work for this.

-B

[Kevin McAllister]

+1000

I wished for improvements to this back in 2009. This is basic stuff in a digital manufacturing and maker oriented world. It should be accurate and reliable. As Benson says, this is a longstanding bug not a feature improvement.

Its frustrating when old, essential commands just languish instead of being maintained.

Kevin

[Bas Vellekoop]

+1(!)

And make it please possible to unfold nurbs surfaces as one poly instead of several that you have to puzzele back together

[PVA - Admin]

1. Unfolded shape should have one long straight edge opposite an edge with two hills and two valleys. Edge is not straight.

2. Vectorworks places the unfolded polygon in unpredictable location.

3. Unfolded poly should logically be placed with long edge parallel to X or Y axis. It’s always off by a few degrees. Source geometry is aligned with XY.

1) This is absolutely a bug, submitting that now.

2/3) This has always irritated me as well, submitting that separately.

+1(!)

And make it please possible to unfold nurbs surfaces as one poly instead of several that you have to puzzle back together

Agreed, submitting that separately as well.

[PVA - Admin]

Found a few other things as well that should be corrected, even simple surfaces with holes in them do not create the expected surface. A cylinder wall with a hole sliced in it unfolds to a solid rectangle, without either providing the user with an error (which while annoying, would be "correct" behavior if it isnt going to do it) or creating a surface with any kind of hole in it.

[img:center]https://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=download&Number=11756&filename=unfold%20fail%203.PNG[/img]

Adding this as well.