Then Intersect with Self - usual answer No - if amesh is very convoluted because the rails intertwine in 3D then Yes will ensure that where any faces pass through others they are split and edges made. Then Erase Coplanar Edges - the mesh is triangulated - most edges are needed any that aren't are erased if you answer Yes - usually answer No. Then you are asked Yes|No if you want to Reverse the Mesh's Faces - it guesses which way you want the front of the mesh - Yes to Reverse them. The mesh-group is made and you are asked if you want to Reverse Rail 1 - only necessary if the mesh is twisted when a rail is drawn in the opposite direct to the other - it is trapped for but sometimes one slips through OR you want to twist the result - usually answer No - if Yes it gets remade. The progress is reported in the VCB if it takes longer than a few seconds. It's a good idea to have the number of segments in the rails equal or at least simple multiples as unevenly segmented rails will be processed but divided to suit - resulting is very large numbers of facets and slow processing times.Įntity Info will change the segmentation of selected Arcs, and Divide and other Tools like the Bezier/PolyLine Edit tool can help here.Īnyway, the three are selected and off it goes. I know it's called 'ExtrudeEdgesByEdges' !! However, Curves are made of Edges - and a Curve is the best way of making a collection of Edges to be processed - you then only need to pick three things to make the mesh.Īs you pick these they will get highlighted as Selected objects. You must pick a Curve - Edges aren't recognised. select the profile curve, then the first rail and then the second rail. However, they need not parallel or at right-angles - indeed odd angles give interesting results. The three Curves need to be arranged so that a mesh could be formed over them.
#Free 3dvia shape full#
They can meet at vertices but if they touch at mid points they will be split into pieces of Curves - you'll then need to use the tool more than once to achieve a full mesh. If you want to make a simple straight-line then Divide an Edge and Weld the pieces together into a 'straight-curve'.Īnyway, let's assume that you have three Curves and they are arranged in 3D space so that two form rails and the other a profile that will be run along these rails. There is also a script called Weld.rb that takes a Selection of connected Edges and makes them into a Curve - note that a Curve can be 3D, not just a flat 2D like an Arc. There are several other scripts that make various mathematical Curves - like Bezier, Polyline, Catenary etc. You need three curves to use as a profile and rails (you can use one rail twice).Īn Arc is a 2D Curve automatically, but any collection of connected Edges could become a Curve. There's also a SKP example in that thread. Open the rb in a text editor and read the first part.
#Free 3dvia shape how to#
Is there somewhere a good tutorial how to use the rails? Meike wrote:Hello TIG, I just downloaded that tool you've build.īud I can't work with it.