Slicing Help
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I have created the attached file with Artisan and now I need to make vertical slices every 1/8" from the front to the back (long way). I want to be able to lay the slices flat and export these to my laser cutter, glue them together, and then make a plug to make a mold. When I try to use the slicer plugin it won't work since this is not a volume. Is there another better way to do this?
Thanks,
Larry
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The cutter in Artisan doesn't do what you need? Try Zorro2? Copy the cut planes to the intervals you wish?
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There were several small holes in the existing surface - a little vertex-move[+alt to auto-fold] fixed them quickly
I then added a quick 'bottom' surface with my EEbyRails tool, using a copy of the bottom edges made into the required 'curves'.
Recombining the groups etc into one... we have a 'solid'.
Then Slicer-ed it as required...
You can always slice the other way if that's what's needed...
SliceNewWheelPant.zip -
Tig,
This is exactly what I wanted to do. I need to get familiar with your extrude tools.
Thanks,
Larry
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Tig,
I have been trying to create the bottom surface using the Rails tool but I am stuck.
How did you make the curve and how long was each part? I have been using 2d cadd in my architecture practice for almost the last 30 years but 3d drawing is truly different.Thanks,
Larry
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View > Hidden Geometry OFF.
Double-click surface to select the surface and the edges BUT NOT the 'smoothed-edges'.
Use Make Group to add it to a new group - it will be automatically be made a copy because the originals are needed by the surface.
Edit the Group.
View > Hidden Geometry ON.
View > Component Edit > Hide Rest of Model
You can now see what you are doing.
To make the base I did two meshes and then combined them.
Draw a line across to make two halves.
Select it and Divide into say 10, immediately use Weld.rb to weld it into a 'curve' of 10 segments.
This is the 'profile'
Draw two short edges away from the apex of each end.
Select the outline's edges from one of these to the 'profile' [~1/4], use Weld again to make it a 'curve' - this will be a Rail.
Repeat this for the other three pieces of the outline.
You now have a straight curve - the profile - and four 'rail' curves - we'll now process these two at a time.
Use EEbyRails, pick the profile-curve then two 'rails' on the same side, finish by picking the 'profile' again [i.e. there's no 'melding-profile' for this type of surface!], answer the questions with 'No' unless the mesh faces 'up' - if it does 'reverse' the faces.
You now have a mesh of ~half of the bottom face.
Repeat to make the other half.
Select the two groups and explode them.
You now have the bottom-group, explode that and it will heal with the main [original] surface.
Select All and group it, so Slicer has something to work on...Note: your surface is quite small so I recommend you first scale up the group x 8, make the slices at 1", then scale everything down by x 0.125... Sketchup has problems with making very small faces BUT they exist no problem when scaled smaller...
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