life raft.skp (753.1 KB)
I am trying to work out how to model this life raft in the photo. I have had a go at the main shell but I can’t integrate the rectangle piece using smooth or soften. I was going to model the other bits and join them in but I guess I am going to have the same problem.
Is there a better approach, please?
What rectangle piece are you talking about? Do you mean the opening at the top of the extrusion? That can be closed by connecting the corners with the Line tool. Are you just interested in having a representation of the canister? Or how will the model be used?
Maybe something like this? Or does it even need that much detail?
I’m guessing you are having issues with the little hole and flaps in the corner, you get these if the path and profile are the same radius. By making the path radius slightly smaller you get a curve in the corner rather than an overlap.
You also appear to have ‘Hidden’ all the geometry of the curves rather than ‘Soften’ it, you can see the facets I point to in the gif. Either use soften for these after follow me or weld the edges before follow me, as I have done in my version.
This gif is done using the desktop version, but there is nothing here that cannot be done with the free web version.
Note: when I copy the curve to the other side I used click and drag to set the axis of rotation, but you can also use the arrow keys, in this case left arrow.
A slight addendum to my other gif, the way I enclosed the face leaves an internal face that you need to get inside and clean up. You can remove it first then finish with a rectangle.
Thank you very much, this worked and I learnt some useful tips.
I am modelling this just for the learning experience.
Now to make the rib where the two shells fit together, one inside the other.
A tip on that, think about the fact that the relationship of the profile to the path is significant. Same path flipped, profile offset…
Not sure whether I have got something wrong but when I add a line to close the open face on the edge of the shell a face is formed on the edge and across the whole shell and I can’t seem to select or delete the unwanted face across the shell.
I also notice, when orbiting, a very lightly shaded diagonal across the closing rectangle on the top and bottom, but unhiding hidden geometry doesn’t reveal anything.
I am not sure I follow your tip on the next step, but I will have a go and see how I get on and what you say may suddenly make sense.
life raft_002.skp (657.9 KB)
Sorry, I didn’t see this - yes, that’s just what I am trying to do.
Thanks
I have worked out how to form a face on the edge without a face across the whole shell
The closing rim of the canister is not the same profile as the edge of the canister as modelled so far, it doesn’t follow it, so not just offset, but forms a continuous rib perpendicular to the ribs on the canister.
I have modelled it separately here and moved them together, which is nearly the result I want. I have tried intersecting the two parts and erasing the unwanted bits, but get in a mess doing this.
life raft with closing rim_001.skp (1.1 MB)
closing rim.skp (396.4 KB)
this is the profile and path I used to create the rim, not sure why it seems to be softened rather than with edges?
Instead of trying to use Follow Me for that, I chose a different path. I used a copy of the first shell and made it deeper by the width of that band. I used 30 mm with Push/Pull. Then, from left to right, I used Offset on the outer perimeter. I used 6 mm for that distance. Push/Pull to push the offset face 30mm. Erased the original outer perimeter edges, Offset on the inner perimeter to 6 mm and pushed in the inner face 25 mm.
Thanks, I can understand that, but if you look at the photo of the life raft you will see it isn’t like that, which is why I tried the flow me approach.
It as this aspect of the shape of the canister that challenged me to try to find a way to model it, if you see what I mean?
Stop it, stop multiposting.
im sorry i will delete it
