Microsoft's Excel is an excellent tool to produce 3D geometry in the form of x, y, z coordinates.
I can input these coordinates into Sketchup with a point cloud plugin.
Does anyone know how I might input .xls data to a laser cutter though. I think I need to convert .xls to .dxf or .dwg.
Thanks for your attention
Chris 'Gilboe'
Thank you all for your replies.
I've managed with the 'Follow me' tool to extrude along three of the five lines now that I've a more sensible scale.
However, two remain.
TIG, you mentioned the “small pieces of perpendicular lines”. I can’t see these; I did find two floating that I erased. I’ve enlarged the point along the path where the extrusion stops but have found no fork. How do I check that the path is clear?
Gilboe
In the accompanying file I have five lines along which I want to extrude the 24 sided disk at the end of each line.
I've used this tool before successfully but now cannot. Sometimes I can extrude along the straight line, sometimes the extrusion will follow the curve but then only with half the required cross-section. In both cases any extrusion disappears on completion.
Would anyone have any ideas?
Thanks, Gilboe
PS Is it possible to colour lines?
@sdmitch said:
It needs to be included in a method and a module to identify and isolate it from the other plugins that may be loaded. I have made the necessary additions to allow you to copy the plugin to the plugins folder and have it appear in the plugins menu.
Please understand that this plugin, as written, applies to this single case only and the construction points near the model origin must be deleted before the plugin is run so that there are only the 2160 construction points that define the 6 rings.
While trying not to appear stupid, I must ask what you mean by '......included in a method and a module and isolate it from other plugins....
...... would you mind explaining as if I am?
Thank you Sam!
Not having done any coding, would you mind telling me how I can use the code that you've made?
The central ring isn't superfluous. It was unfortunate that I chose the 0/360 point to example my triangulation as both the inner and outer edge forms show little cross sectional form at this point unlike at 90. The inner edge form's concave, the outer, convex.
I'm not at home as I write. I will use your ideas as soon as I can though. Unfortunately, I've not the first idea how to code. Thank you
The attached file will hopefully illustrate what I'm trying to achieve. (Please ignore my ridiculous scale)
The Point-cloud consists of six individual Point-clouds of 360 points. Each describing the inner or the outer edge of an ellipse resulting in three different, flat elliptical rings.
The intention is to create a solid ring from these, two representing the side of the solid and the remaining, the middle. It is the edge forms of this solid ring that I wish to achieve, more quickly than I have been able.
The 'stitching' that I have done in the attached file joins the outer points n together and similarly the inner points n.
The edge form is covered (triangulated) by joining sides n to middle n+1 from 0 to 180 and by joining sides n to middle n-1 from 181 to 360.
Having articulated this, I realise now, that this could be coded but I have no knowledge how it might be dome.
Could someone explain how I might join the dots of a pointcloud in the order that they are tabulated in the .csv file that created them.
Thank you.
Thank you both for your replies, however I don't seem to have posed my question clearly enough. I need to retain the shape of each of the triangles. (I actually have a part of a picture on each in my current project)
I have used rotate to place each paralell to the red/green plane - or nearly paralell. I need them all to be on the same plane so that I might join them together.
Thank you anyway for your recommendation of the drape tool, I've not used it before, nor the scale tool, yet, Jean!
Chris
Would someone tell me how I might place the triangles in the attached file on the plane of the red/green axes. I realise that I could just drew them, this is just an example of the problem I'm having.
Thank you in advance
Chris
Thank you to all who gave your time to help me. It seems that I couldn't figure out how to use intersect properly. My questions will become less simple in the future, but also better posed.
For now, thanks, the attached is what I've acheived so far.
Thank you Pilou, I'm attaching a version 6 file.
Thank you Alan, the Curviloft plugin certainly looks interesting. I thought though as a newcomer to SU that there might be a simpler solution, especially as the form of my surface (inner skin and outer) is a rotation of a precise ellipse and the triangular facet, a product of an Excel spreadsheet.
All that I want to do is cut the excess surface from the sides of the triangular facet.
Hi, could I ask if someone will help me (with reference to the attached file) place a curved surface over the curved triangular facet?
I've sort of succeeded in that I've managed to place the inner surface within the facet but without the outer surface. And I can't figure out how I managed it.
How can I cut the curved surface to cover a curved triangle.
It seems that I am unable to download and install a point cloud plugin. I have been working with Excel and have produced many thosands of coordinates that I have transferred to TurboCad and have animated. Please see the following link - https://picasaweb.google.com/107515127316298264488/Dellipse2?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCNnyyPvY2_jyKg&feat=directlink
Would someone spare a little time to give an idiot's guide to downloading and installing an appropriate plugin. I am learning SU, but this is a big problem.
Thank you