Is there a plugin for this?
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Good afternoon All
I need to make this shape several times per week and wonder if there either is a plugin or one could be written to generate it.
I am given the inside dimension, the arc height, the inner radius and the width (in this case, 44.25, 7.25, 37.77 and
although in this instance it didn't quite work out that way. I made this one by making a circle with the 37.77 radius, added another 8" larger on the radius, made a rectangle of 60.25 by 15.25 located at the top of the outer circle and deleted what I didn't need. Lots of steps and an inaccurate result.I can do these same steps in other programs but I'd rather do it here because I need to run a molding profile along the large radius edge similar to this:
and I`m hoping I can get it done in fewer steps.
Any comments would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
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Can you post in su 6 format? (save as)
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When you've made one of the shapes save it as a component.
Use guide-lines/points and symmetry as your friends...
Name it so its dims etc are obvious, even give it a clear description by editing its entry in the Component-Browser model tab.
Then save that component externally into a subfolder in ../Components library.
When you are next in another SKP and you need that shape simply load that component from the Component-Browser subfolder-tab into your current SKP.
You can then explode it to access/change its geometry etc and make FollowMe's/Profiles etc as desired.
Making these could be coded... but is so simple to draw the few variants you need and then have them accessible as library components across all SKPs, that using code seems to be using a sledgehammer to crack a peanut...
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Hi pilou
Here you go:Arch 44.5 7.25 ver 6.skpColonial 8 inch 3D test ver 6.skp
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@unknownuser said:
Making these could be coded
Just by curiosity : "Dynamic Components" can make that? (I have not )
Thx for the files
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TIG
Not sure I completely understand what you mean but I'll try. How would you suggest that I edit the dimensions? I don't think that the scale function will work well to change things. While some of the values can change (distance between the inner points and arc height), the 8" value is a constant.
Would making this a dynamic component be a decent option or is that also overkill?
Thanks
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What I'm saying is... once you crack how to draw one of 2d templates [this is a separate issue from their use - let's just assume we've got that sorted for this step]... then the other 2d template variants should be easy to make in the same way... There won't be a very large number of them - presumably their increments are based on things like brick sizes etc, or standard joinery use.
Because you can save anything you draw in your SKP as a component and then you can reuse that in any SKP later on - if it's been saved out into a component-library - then after a few hours of modeling you'll have your full set of 2d-template library-components and then you shouldn't need to make another one 'from scratch' very often...
I'm not suggesting you make 'library-components' from every fully 'molded' thing you create [although some of these might also be usefully if they are [re]used frequently], rather I mean that you make these 2d 'template', saved as a library-component, that can be reused as the basis for forming differently molded objects as you need in any SKP.
Incidentally, the molded 3d version you provided is modeled 'inside out'; the outer face is looking inwards - this is not an issue when the thing is used exclusively within Sketchup... BUT it will cause issues with many third-party renderers or when exported to other file-formats, where the materials on the backs of faces are ignored, even when it is fully textured and looking good in the SKP itself. So it's a really good idea to keep all faces in 3d forms correctly oriented as you go along, because it's usually much harder to fix them later - especially if they have been textured 'backwards' [although there are some scripts to help fix this]...
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Hi TIG
For me, the molding profile is the constant. It's the arches that change. And they change because there are so many window variations so everyone is unique. I may not have been clear in what I'm doing but it's the arch that's taking the time, not the molding profile. I have to do at least a half dozen different ones each week. I'm in the middle of a job right now that has 4 different arches on the same house. With my current software it's taking me an hour or so for each one, and that seems too long.
Maybe I'm just being lazy, but in a perfect world I'd like to enter in the inside distance, the arc height (I know I can do that with the arc command) and the part width and get the shape.
Thanks for the tip on the faces. My intent is to export an .stl file for CNC use.
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But the drawing part takes only minutes ?
You know the main dimensions, so then drawing the 2d profile is really pretty easy?
Where does the 'hour' come in ?? -
@dropout said:
I am given the inside dimension, the arc height, the inner radius and the width (in this case, 44.25, 7.25, 37.77 and
although in this instance it didn't quite work out that way. I made this one by making a circle with the 37.77 radius, added another 8" larger on the radius, made a rectangle of 60.25 by 15.25 located at the top of the outer circle and deleted what I didn't need. Lots of steps and an inaccurate result.i might not quite get it but my understanding so far is that you're being given a radius AND an arc height? for the same arc? (and in this example set of numbers, they don't quite match up)
just draw the line (44.25).. select the arc tool then click once on one end of the line, click again on the other end of the line, start moving the cursor in the direction you'd like the arc then type 7.25 <enter>..
no need for a circle or secondary radius or rectangle etc.. this thing is super easy to draw -- especially if the profile always stays the same.
and yes, you could make a DC but it's going to be crazy convoluted to draw that arc and you'll still have to explode then extrude the profile afterwards..
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Following on from Jeff.
Once you've got the base arc, very simply made as he suggested, you can use the offset tool the get the top arc... or add a cpoint at the arc's center [standard plugin context-menu item] and draw a circle.
The draw in your 'end parts' for the horizontal/vertical, typing in the required bearing dims etc.
Before doing much else ensure that the two arcs have the right number of segments etc...
Erase the unwanted parts and there you have your 'banana' form in 2d - it's quicker to draw that to type it... -
TIG
The hour has to do with the fact that I currently only have 2D and need to do this in 4 layers and each layer has multiple components due to tricking my CNC into doing what I want. This allows me to create the 3D component and machine it in one piece rather than 4 (or more).
As I said, maybe I'm just being lazy.
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Hi Jeff
I tried the offset tool but the arc it creates isn't wide enough to cover the 8 inches that I need in the horizontal plane. This gives me an idea though and that is to go from larger to smaller rather than the other way around.
Thanks.
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Rather than use Offset why not draw the whole Circle based on the initial arc's center and a short temporary line for the 'height' ? Draw the rest of you bits and erase what's not needed...
Tip: work with grouped geometry so it doesn't stick to other stuff unexpectedly...
We seem to be talking at cross purposes...
Once you've got the 2d form what can't you use followme to add the profile and quickly get a 3d form?
Where does this 'I've only got 2d' [CNC?] and 'in 4 layers' come in ?
Are you trying to make four 'horizontal slices' through your molded 3d object??
Have you thought about using my Slicer tool to make them ??You can easily make the 3d object for 3d CNCing using the pushpull and/or the followme tool on the templates face and a molding 'profile' face stood-up an that [this could be a stored component for later use] - I am still unsure about what you are doing here that some manual techniques wouldn't accomplish within minutes...
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@dropout said:
Hi Jeff
I tried the offset tool but the arc it creates isn't wide enough to cover the 8 inches that I need in the horizontal plane. This gives me an idea though and that is to go from larger to smaller rather than the other way around.
Thanks.
what do you need the secondary arc for anyway? you said the profile always stays the same.
(again, maybe i'm missing something here) -
OK, based on everyone's help I tried this real quick:
What I need is the second arc (first plus 8 inches) to extend to the two vertical lines. Since it won't work adding 8" to the first arc I added 16" and then moved back 8". I don't know why I thought that would make a difference, but it doesn't. Is there an easy way to do that? That'd get me where I need to be.
Thanks.
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Hi Jeff
I need (at least I think I need) the second arc because the molding profile takes a turn at the end. I have only been successful in getting it right using the outer arc with the vertical "returns" back to the base plane. Maybe there's another way to do this, but I'm not familiar enough with Sketchup to do it.
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.
see this video
[flash=800,500:1q6xsgi2]http://www.youtube.com/v/lYR6gHJsKBw?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0&hd=1[/flash:1q6xsgi2]
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Hi TIG
I tried with circles but was not able to accurately place what I would call the base plane. The arc tool works great for that. If I could just figure out how to go from there, I'd be good. Maybe using the arc as a start and then generating a circle for the second arc is the answer. Do I need a separate plugin for that?
I don't have any trouble creating the 3D model, it's the 2D I'm having trouble with.
Appreciate you guys help!
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Hi Jeff
The reason I didn't try that is because the sharp change in direction is only apparent in the second arc. Looking at this though, it occurs to me that I could do as you have suggested and then use the push/pull tool to bring the "return" back to the base plane.
Thank you so much for your help.
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