Step Down with Array
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I am using the rotate tool to array an object around a point in one specified increment, but also need for each of the copies to step down consecutively in the z-axis. Any ideas? Any plug-ins? Thanks!
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I think this plugin would work. I have not used it yet although it says "grow" (you can read our far not really funny discussion there)
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Hi Megapod, hi folks.
It looks like you want to make a spiral stair.
A plugin will make this faster but, if you want to learn the basics with SU native tools, try doing a radial array first and then move each copy up or down a regular amount for each move.
One trick here:
1 - Do one copy. After rotating it and moving it, you have 2 instances.
2 - Repeat step 1 using the two instances, doubling the angle and the vertical move. Now you have 4 instances.
3 - Repeat using the 4 instances, now you have 8.
Etc.
By the way, if you use circles with 24 segments (the default value) and want one step every 15° (that's 24 steps for a complete revolution), the base angle will be 15°. You can use the trick above up to when you get 8 instances, using 15°, 30° and 60° as the rotation angles. For the last step, you use 120° and 2 copies to get 3 instances of the group of 8. After moving the 2 copies to proper heigth, you now have a complete revolution of 360°. If you need more revolutions, simply copy the whole thing up as many times as you want.
To control the vertical move, you can use a vertical line that cover the full heigth and then divide it by as many steps as you require (24 in my example).
If you want a different number of steps, use a base circle with the appropriate number of segments and divide the vetical line accordingly.
Just ideas.
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@jean lemire said:
Hi Megapod, hi folks.
It looks like you want to make a spiral stair.
A plugin will make this faster but, if you want to learn the basics with SU native tools, try doing a radial array first and then move each copy up or down a regular amount for each move.
One trick here:
1 - Do one copy. After rotating it and moving it, you have 2 instances.
2 - Repeat step 1 using the two instances, doubling the angle and the vertical move. Now you have 4 instances.
3 - Repeat using the 4 instances, now you have 8.
Etc.
By the way, if you use circles with 24 segments (the default value) and want one step every 15° (that's 24 steps for a complete revolution), the base angle will be 15°. You can use the trick above up to when you get 8 instances, using 15°, 30° and 60° as the rotation angles. For the last step, you use 120° and 2 copies to get 3 instances of the group of 8. After moving the 2 copies to proper heigth, you now have a complete revolution of 360°. If you need more revolutions, simply copy the whole thing up as many times as you want.
To control the vertical move, you can use a vertical line that cover the full heigth and then divide it by as many steps as you require (24 in my example).
If you want a different number of steps, use a base circle with the appropriate number of segments and divide the vetical line accordingly.
Just ideas.
Thanks Jean. Well I had to resort to the old fashioned manual approach in the end, but had been hoping there was a plug-in to expedite things. Much appreciated!
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Hi Megapod, hi folks.
Have you checked the Plugin subforum here on SketchUcation ?
There migth be some plugin to help you.
I also suggest that you visit:
The Engineering ToolBox
Free tools and information for engineering and design of technical applications.
(www.engineeringtoolbox.com)
From there, you install a simple plugin that calls up this Web page. From it you can access a lot of different shapes in piping, ductworks, steel shapes, etc.
More interesting is a function that creates stairs, straight or spiral, directly in your SU model.
I tried it and it works.
Just ideas.
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Grow or ParametricCopy probably do what you want - Grow even has a helical stair tutorial...
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