Equal Width Strips On Surface (Cedar Canoe Stripping Model)

Hi guys – How to divide compound curved surface into equal width strips (is this even possible?)

I am a sculptor utilizing a technique used to build cedar strip canoes. You bend strips of equal width and thickness, varying length over cross-sectional plywood molds. (see attached photos) I am trying to model this process for a client, to determine the appropriate width of strips (standard is 3/4 inch). I have used isotrim to divide my surface (the final shape of sculpture) into longitudinal strips, but they do not seem to be of a constant width, as would be the case when stripping in real life with 3/4 by 1/4 inch strips of varied length. But perhaps I am not testing for width correctly…Obviously in the case of a canoe they are glued together and then “faired” or smoothed to create a smooth continuously curved hull. Does anyone have any suggestions of how I might model:

a) what the stripping would look like before smoothing
b) what the stripping would look like after smoothing
c) parametrically set the width of the strips

Files and photos of canoe building technique here:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1gHQZPAMOhAiMSUNWMifXtHOsU_r19awC

Thanks y’all.

Saw the surface - a bit surprising if that’s going to be a canoe :grin:, Food4Rhino features a few ‘marine’ plug-ins:
https://www.food4rhino.com/browse?searchText=marine&form_build_count=1&page=0%2C0

with contouring you can get equally spaced curves, maybe it helps start


Stripping2.gh (42.0 KB)