Some tips and tricks from out of the Box

pilou · 1 Dec 2018, 09:26

Marvelous thread!

If you mix it with this one you have all the power of SU under hands!

rv1974 · 1 Dec 2018, 09:27

Never thought of rotating as mirroring (always use tig's mirror for this), nice to know!
Please keep posting

HornOxx · 1 Dec 2018, 10:08

Dave hit it above - yes, it's great to have this thread as a Collecting Place for your really really good and desired Wisdoms - Box, thanks a lot for this thread and to make and share that at all!

Box · 2 Dec 2018, 02:11

Here's an oddball one, make an elephants trunk using Thomthom's Truebend.

Box · 2 Dec 2018, 12:28

I'll throw this one in as one of the fundamentals.
So many people have trouble rotating to a specific axis.
Try adding a plane on the axis you want to guide your rotations.
Done correctly 3 rotations should be the maximum needed from any position.

rv1974 · 2 Dec 2018, 15:33

you are the hero of rotating!
Always nice to see alternative ways of doing things
What I'd instead:

align UCS to face
copy face
align UCS to world
paste

Box · 2 Dec 2018, 15:55

You lost me just before 1.
but I caught up at 4.

In other words, what on earth are you talking about.

cotty · 2 Dec 2018, 16:21

The mentioned 4 steps in moving pictures...
("Copy" and "Paste" with shortcuts...)

Box · 2 Dec 2018, 16:51

That makes perfect sense Cotty, what ucs is is still beyond my limited language skills.

rv1974 · 2 Dec 2018, 17:59

ucs=axes
(Acad heritage)

Box · 8 Dec 2018, 15:11

Here's a simple one, no plugins, no fancy tricks, just vanilla follow me. This shows why it is useful that follow me on a face removes the face. If it didn't there would be an internal face after the second follow me and it wouldn't form a solid.

baz · 8 Dec 2018, 23:02

Keep going Box, great stuff...

Box · 10 Dec 2018, 11:17

Another simple no plugin one.

pilou · 10 Dec 2018, 13:27

Great suspense till the end!

Box · 15 Dec 2018, 04:42

Here's a very short one, straight to the point.
To create a radius corner of a specific size, start with the two point arc at any size, move along the edge till you get the magenta inference, click once, move back along that edge until you get the magenta a second time, don't click, let go of the mouse and type the radius you want and hit enter.

HornOxx · 15 Dec 2018, 10:40

always I have derived the desired radius with parallel guide lines - ok, it doesn't hurt to have a certain repertoir of geometry skills but hey, what would I/you have saved on time - so thanks to show this "hidden" secret !!!!!

Box · 15 Dec 2018, 10:48

I'm pretty sure Cotty taught me that one.

gilles · 15 Dec 2018, 10:56

@box said:

Here's a very short one, straight to the point.
To create a radius corner of a specific size, start with the two point arc at any size, move along the edge till you get the magenta inference, click once, move back along that edge until you get the magenta a second time, don't click, let go of the mouse and type the radius you want and hit enter.

...and since it's arc you can modify the radius in entity info.

Box · 15 Dec 2018, 11:02

@gilles said:

...and since it's arc you can modify the radius in entity info.

Or modify it via the cardinal points.

Box · 16 Dec 2018, 13:41

Here's one from a while back.
Follow me in Groups/Components. Follow me can be used with the 'path' separated from the 'profile'. This is a great way to build a structure of separate solids. The 'path' needs to be raw geometry but the 'profile' can be a group or component. The trick to it is to select the path, then activate the Follow me tool, then right click on the 'Profile' group and choose Edit Group, then click the profile.