Hey team, I am trying to create a basket for a ring, and get stuck with this same problem. I sweep the rails to create the shape, then I run into overlapping surfaces. I’ve tried using a few commands to cut away and merge, but it never works. I am looking to merge them together so the flow into each other nicely. Any thoughts or help?
Ring Trial Advice.3dm (1.4 MB)
Hi Tom, and welcome.
I am absolutely not a jeweller, but I had a go at what I think you may be wanting to head towards.
https://1drv.ms/u/s!AhStAg-xm1uemlAG5oKoh1DNBfIO?e=1vObI2
I took Two of your half-loop curves (an “end” and a “side” curve), and simply used _FitCrv to make considerably more simple versions of the curves you have. I then used a blend between two of the curves, and everything else was either a mirror or a rotation of the two curves, to create a single smooth closed curve.
I then used your original cradle box profile, rotated it so that it was vertical to the sweep plane, and Sweep1, while adjusting the vertical position to prevent a crease or intersecting geometry.
The top was simply chopped off using a crude boolean, and then edge softening was applied. This is very rough, but I wasn’t very sure on your flexibility of the profile.
Sorry if it isn’t helpful, but you are welcome to the file. All of my work is on the blue layer, so hopefully it should be reasonably obvious.
David
David,
Thanks for the feedback. I see what you’ve done, but Its gets away from the degisn too much. We need the ends of the basket arms to intersect like a ‘W’. not wave like an ‘S’. I would like like to merge the two arms together.
Hi Tom.
No worries, sorry I couldn’t help.
This below is also likely not quite to your intent, but this version is based on a single-surface offset, with parts cut out using cylinder trims. But the idea is reasonably smooth. I think it is closer to the original W shape you had in mind, but the scale and surfacing is not likely the form you wanted.
Perhaps someone else has a better execution route here!
Regards,
David.
RingTrialAdvice_Modified.3dm (2.0 MB)
Dear @Tom_b
check the quality of your curves.
don’t use circles with CV edit to build the cross/shapes.
I see a few approaches
if you target a 3d-printer - let the slicer do the work and just use overlapping bodys.
build everything on a linear (extrusion) or even planar surface.
or even just a straight curve.
then use _flow or _flowAlongSrf to get everything on the ellipse-Shape.
I expect that its getting hard to have a nice, continuous / not changing profile.
(not sure if this approach is satisfying)
for sure will give you best ratio between time and result.
if you want most control over the Y-Area (and a lot more work then subD) you have to use a different layout of the surfaces. Each of the U-like parts (your sweep surfaces) will become several surfaces:
maybe 1x Front, 1x Back, 2x Sides, 4xEdges/Fillets/Blends. … or even more complex - at least in the area of the Y.
looking forward to see your final approach - kind regards - “tom_p”
