Hello everybody.
I am trying to develop a script where I could extract surfaces from Rhino geometry, apply thickness to them (whatever is the thickness of material I am lasercutting with) and sort them.
I am new to grasshopper, but I managed to extrude surfaces of a simple box inwards, but the problem is that when applying thickness, edges of extrudes volumes intersect with each other, meaning there will be missallignment when assembling my models after lasercutting.
Any ideas how to make these volumes respects eachother edges?
I am attaching picture of the model:
Hi, @Dominykas. Welcome to the forum! Interesting problem to solve. Out of curiosity, will this only be for boxes? If so, one solution is to just make it a simple math & 2D drawing problem, when you decide which faces you want to be the “caps.”
Hey Steve!
I would love this to work somehow with angled surfaces and so on. I already figured out how to solve it with basic boxes, I just did with solid difference components (its not efficeint by any means, but for basic boxes it works) it also works for multiple boxes at the same time! Its very usefu for urban site models. I am attaching screenshot below.
@stevefuchs I heard of this plugin called Biber that solves things with joints, but it is not free, I wonder if it would solve it easier. I am attaching screenshot of what geometries I would like this to work on. Unfortunately my method of solid difference breaks as soon as angled geometries are introduced.
What method? You haven’t posted a file for us to see.
Hey @Volker_Rakow Sorry, I am attaching the file, as mentioned there are probably much better ways to do it, but I am very new to parametrics and this worked for any types of rectangular boxes.
LASER CUTTING.gh (36.4 KB)
Am I correct in assuming you are using cardboard 1, 1.5 or 2 mm thick to make these models?
or 3mm, but if it is parametric should work on various thicknesses
How do you normally deal with angled intersections, as on the roof? I’m doubting you’re sandpapering to miter.
noo. It is usaully thin cardboard so I just joint them being 90 degrees, no sanding to get angles.
Most important is this intersection problem, cant get around it.
No. The hips and valleys of the roof will not (and do not in your video) have 90 degree angles, and neither do the eaves. Yes, the laser cutter only cuts 90 degrees. For roof valleys this is less of a problem, because the gap is hidden in the inside of the model. On hips, the problem is more readily apparent.
But I am getting ahead of myself.
Having built enough of these models in my life, here is my suggestion: I wouldn’t bother trying to get the correct edge intersection layout in the model, and then go laser the pieces in the expectation they will fit. Instead, with the exception of the base plate (which I would fully inset) I would have all the pieces cut oversized, i.e. to their max extents of edge intersection, and have the widths of adjacent pieces scribed as offsets to edges of the pieces. That way you can decide while building which piece looks better overlapping and use the scribe lines to shorten the piece. Turn the pieces with the scribe lines to the inside of the model. This is guaranteed the fastest (and most flexible) way to do this.
Hopefully your university has a cutter instead of a laser. Lasered pieces look horrendous. It’s also really important that you label the pieces with an inscribe, so that you can orient yourself quickly.
Thank you so much! Yes, having the ability to decide while building which pieces look better overlapping is crucial. How would computer decide that right? And yes, models with laser burn marks look awful.
What I can also suggest, if you really want all the pieces as they would overlap in model represented in the rhino model, is to use a grasshopper script to get the full intersections of the edges. Then, you can go into Rhino, navigate around the model and boolean union the edge and corner pieces as you see appropiate to the plane pieces until done. It’s faster than trying to figure out the full logic of the scripting, and, again, gives you the flexibility of deciding what overlaps what.
Thank you Volker! I went into this blind and naive, thinking, perhaps I can make quickly grasshopper script where I can just select my rhino volumes of a whole nighborhood and have instantly all pieces ready to print haha
Well, I mean, I suppose with enough thinking… yes. A full automated script might be possible. But as you know, model building is more “build to fit” than “build to measure”.
Another suggestion: some print shops will allow you to run card stock through their plotters. If you don’t like the burn marks of lasering, but don’t have access to a cnc scapel, you can print the outlines of the pieces onto large pieces of card stock and glue the card stock onto paperboard/cardboard. This will spare you the work of marking or measuring out you pieces on the cardboard.
Depending on your hobby store, you can get cardstock in somewhere around A2 papersize or larger. It will glue well to the cardboard because of the thickness, and while you can use spray adhesive, normal wood glue with a roller might be better. If you use spray adhesive, just buy the stronger stuff that doesn’t allow you to read-just (photo mount). You’ll also now have access to more colours than yellow, gray, brown and white.