MultipleWays Posted April 29, 2021 Share Posted April 29, 2021 Anyone know how to flatten a complex curve into 2D shapes that preserve dims/area? Example below. Using the extract tool, I can pull a face from the 3D which results in a NURBS surface. In 3D Power Pack, Unfold Surfaces only wants to work on a surface with a curve in one dimension. Any tips on how to unfold a twisted surface? Quote Link to comment
Jeff Prince Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 @MultipleWays is that actually a developable surface? Doesn’t look like it . Quote Link to comment
MultipleWays Posted April 30, 2021 Author Share Posted April 30, 2021 @jeff prince Not sure what you mean. It's a NURBS surface. If the surface (selected in the screenshot) was only curved on a single plane, 3D Power Pack > Unfold Surface would accomplish the task. As the surface is curved on two planes, that command won't work. Quote Link to comment
Jeff Prince Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 @MultipleWays You clarified the issue yourself 🙂 You can't unfold a non developable surface in Vectorworks. Since the geometry you have created curves in more than one direction, it can't be unrolled without the surface being stretched and compressed in various areas, which violates the rules of developable surfaces. You might find the following Rhino video interesting and further explain the issue along with seeing some tools that kind of accomplish what you are asking to do. 1 Quote Link to comment
MultipleWays Posted April 30, 2021 Author Share Posted April 30, 2021 @jeff prince Very helpful - the video clearly explains the issue. Thanks I don't have Rhino. I'm guessing VW doesn't have it, but do you know if Cinema4D has a "squish" like command as seen at 25:00? 1 Quote Link to comment
Jeff Prince Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 @MultipleWays glad it helped. I don't use Cinema4D, so I don't know if you can accomplish it in there. Just out of curiosity, why do you need to do this and how often? There are some tools and methods for accomplishing this in Blender, which is free if you dedicate the time to it. If you have to do this kind of thing a lot with complex surfaces, Rhino is probably the best bang for the buck. 2 Quote Link to comment
Art V Posted May 1, 2021 Share Posted May 1, 2021 I agree with @jeff prince that Rhino is probably the best bang for the buck for complex surfaces. Rhino combined with the Xnurbs plugin might be an ever better solution as it will generate such surfaces that are in multiple directions more easily than doing it manually. Though there are surfaces possible where you have to make manual corrections anyway. 1 Quote Link to comment
MultipleWays Posted May 3, 2021 Author Share Posted May 3, 2021 @jeff prince A few times a year, designers will come with rough sketches which aren't always based in reality. On the engineering side, I need to find a way to move the sketches into real world builds. Breaking a complex curve down into some rough 2D shapes generally produces what we need to start working on a solution. Rhino looks like a great option. I did a little digging in C4D with no luck, but I'm not that versed with all the capabilities either. Thanks! @Art V 1 Quote Link to comment
EAlexander Posted May 3, 2021 Share Posted May 3, 2021 Just chiming in on the C4D side of it all - yes, you could flatten this out in Cinema very easily since you can manipulate points, edges or polys there. However - it would not respect proportions and would distort the size/spacing of vertices making it not an accurate option. 2 Quote Link to comment
Kevin McAllister Posted May 3, 2021 Share Posted May 3, 2021 In this case I would probably cut the object into horizontal slices, since those look to be predictable rectangular slices, and work from that. Any approach is dependent upon how the end object is used (eg. how big is it, materials, etc.). For example it could be easily made with a few rectangle frames and four corner sweeps of steel rods welded together, then covered in stretch lycra. But that would be a scenic form not a structural form 🙂 Kevin 3 Quote Link to comment
Popular Post Jeff Prince Posted May 3, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted May 3, 2021 @MultipleWays 7 hours ago, MultipleWays said: A few times a year, designers will come with rough sketches which aren't always based in reality. On the engineering side, I need to find a way to move the sketches into real world builds. Breaking a complex curve down into some rough 2D shapes generally produces what we need to start working on a solution. I've been guilty designing stuff like that. But then again, I was also usually the party responsible for making it 🙂 I'm agreeing with @Kevin McAllister, how you approach it depends on size, material, and use. I would also add duration/durability of the installation. Just for fun, here's a blast from the past and my first time using Rhino to fabricate... 2005, a garden show installation inside a stadium. The roof was a not a developable surface, so it couldn't be unrolled, plus the size and materials were so big it wouldn't have helped. However, using the cross sectioning method, a 2D rib structure was created that developed the form. Given my medium was 2x4s, ply wood, and door skins, coaxing the materials into compliance wasn't too hard. I built a few skateboard ramps back in the day 🙂 There weren't as many tools in Rhino for breaking surfaces into parts for assembly in 2005. So, I optimized the sheet stock cuts in CAD. Now, there are lots of handy tools for doing the same thing I did manually. If you do a lot of this kind of thing, Rhino is certainly your friend. can't find the final model, this was an earlier iteration. Cut optimizations. I plotted patterns from the CAD and spray glued them to plywood to cut with a jig saw. We built this at my home in two pieces and then had to truck it to San Fran, that was interesting 🙂 We joined the roof pieces on the ground and then, using the help of a dozen people, set it in place on an L shaped wall. I still remember the bustling stadium filled with workers falling silent as we did this. They probably thought we were going to kill someone with our crazy methods. 6 Quote Link to comment
MultipleWays Posted May 4, 2021 Author Share Posted May 4, 2021 @jeff prince Excellent design! I can see the skate ramp influence 🛹 2 Quote Link to comment
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