How can i draw something like this......?

grizzler

I need to draw some flexible metallic ventilation conduit, essentially it's just a larger, shinier version of the ventilation pipe that most tumbledryers use to vent out through windows. I way thinking there might be a way to use "follow me" to follow a bending line, but not with a smooth pipe finish? If you think about how these pipes look, they have lots of solid circular bands with soft, flexible material between which allow them to be collapsed for storage/transport and then extended for use. I need some way to illustrate that this is the kind of item I plan to use other than just labelling it as such.

Can you suggest anything please?

Thanks

pilou

Some photos ?

3Skeng ?

Tobobo

@unknownuser said:

Some photos ?

3Skeng ?

Pilou,

I think Grizzler is looking for a way to have a repeat pattern of a pipe that has a ribbed effect.

Grizzler,

I can think of three ways to try.

Create a straight version the then use the 'Shape Bender' plugin to bend it into shape.
Create component of a short section and use the 'Copy Along a Path' plugin to get it to go along the path you have drawn.
Use the 'follow me' tool in the opposite direction, create the profile along the bent path and then 'follow' the profile around a perpendicular circle.

If any take your fancy let me know i can go into more detail as to my idea.

Gaieus

I can also think of shape bender now - or even FredoScale. For those interested, I have a little tut about how to make a desk lamp pole or what manually beforewe had all these superb plugins - but indeed it's a bit of "history" now although I still believe learning to model things with native tools can be useful (click on the image for the link):

grizzler

@tobobo said:

I think Grizzler is looking for a way to have a repeat pattern of a pipe that has a ribbed effect. [That's exactly how I should've put it in the first place instead of waffling on - oops]

Grizzler,

I can think of three ways to try.

Create a straight version the then use the 'Shape Bender' plugin to bend it into shape.

Create component of a short section and use the 'Copy Along a Path' plugin to get it to go along the path you have drawn.

Use the 'follow me' tool in the opposite direction, create the profile along the bent path and then 'follow' the profile around a perpendicular circle.

If any take your fancy let me know i can go into more detail as to my idea.

1- Shape Bender is probably a very good way to achieve my goal. I've not presently got it but will look into it when I return to work.
2- "Copy along a path" is another new one to me and it sounds simpler than the 1st one you mentioned. I worry that when I go hunting for the Plugins you lot mention that I'll download an old bug-ridden version. Are they all only available from one particular source (ie, their creator)? Admittedly I'm still very intimidated by the squillions of Plugins, so I'm more than happy to use any links that you fine folks suggest.
3- I can see where you're coming from with this suggestion, but now I think about it I suspect it will cause problems where edges interfere with each other.

Feel free to educate me using method 2.

Thanks for your help you kind folk you

pbacot

Drawing a tube and using a texture for the appearance has not been mentioned. (the dryer vent material I use has fine rings and not a lot of protrusion relative to scale). How much tubing is shown in your pictures? You may not need real geometry for tubing further away. Yet to get very good texture requires mapping which involves other threatening plugins, or there are techniques to get around the bends...

Start in the plugin section here to find what you need. there are also links to sites such as smustard. I think they are generally kept up to date (not a lot of complaints seen regarding the more popular plugins).

Also you didn't say whether you are rendering in another application, which involves other opportunities and results.

Tobobo

@grizzler said:

Create component of a short section and use the 'Copy Along a Path' plugin to get it to go along the path you have drawn.

Ok here we go. (a very quick tutorial)

I would consider how you intend to show it, texture is more file size friendly.

Quick Tut.skp

pilou

You can also make something like this
On any curve
With Perpendicular Face Tool by Chris Fullmer
Put at each beginning of segment a face
Put at each middle of segment an another face
Select all
Explode
Select Only face
Erase
Select all
Use the Curviloft by Fredo 6
Et voilà

grizzler

@unknownuser said:

You can also make something like this
On any curve
With Perpendicular Face Tool by Chris Fullmer
Put at each beginning of segment a face
Put at each middle of segment an another face
Select all
Explode
Select Only face
Erase
Select all
Use the Curviloft by Fredo 6
Et voilà

[attachment=1:tefqw103]tubess.jpg[/attachment:tefqw103]

Thanks for replying, however I think that doing it the way you have shown might take a very long time gievn the amount of this stuff I will have to draw on a fairly regualr basis - so I'm really after a PlugIn to do the hard work for me

I've just tried using "Shape Bender", but it seems to struggle with bending into all 3 axes (see the middle section of the attached). I've really struggled using "Copy along path" too as it didn't seem to work correctly.

At this stage my problems are likely to be a result of my own incompetence, so if I'm making any obvious errors please let me know as I'm determined to one day catch up to you lot - I just hope I live that long!

Shape bender attempt

Tobobo

@grizzler said:

I've just tried using "Shape Bender", but it seems to struggle with bending into all 3 axes (see the middle section of the attached)

With Shape bender it is better to do it in two 'bends'.

So do the horizontal one first, then do the verticle one (but layout it out horizontally).

Can you post your skip file?

gilles

I would suggest Component stringer ( http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?t=23616)+Bezier spline (http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?t=13563#p100509)

Create a component
draw the path and weld it ( you will find weld at Smustard for free)
rightclick the curve choose convert to, choose divide polyline, set interval a little less than the height of the component
select the curve and the component, go to plugin/chris fullmer tools/component stringer, follow instructions.

This way you have a unique component .