How to wrap 3d surface around an object?

ewd · February 5, 2018, 7:19am

Hi all,
I would like to make a 3d ribbed or undulating surface and then wrap that around a cylinder (or ideally, a more complex geometry), but can’t seem to figure out a way of doing it! My thought was that if I could make the surface/texture I’m wanting, there should be a way to almost ‘apply’ that 3d surface/texture to an object, just as you would with a 2d graphic/‘texture’.
Essentially I’m wanting to model something like this item

Any tips at all would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers

Ethan

Lulwa · February 5, 2018, 7:51am

Hi ethan,

It depends on what kind of pattern, there are so many ways in which you can achieve it.

Using components
Follow me tool
Extensions such as flowify

If you give more details on the work your trying to achieve, maybe I could narrow down which way would be best

ewd · February 5, 2018, 11:42pm

Hi Lulwa,
The pattern in the picture is exactly the pattern I would like to model. There are other more complex patterns I would also like to eventually model, but those would be able to be done using the same method if I could model the one pictured above! I tried fiddling around with the follow me tool, but couldn’t seem to get the desired effect/trace the correct line for the extrusions to follow…

Cheers
Ethan

RodolfoST · February 6, 2018, 1:50am

Use freedo Scale. This is the process.

1-Make a circle with x number of sides.
2- Draw the groove profile
3- Extrude this.
4- Use Freedo Scale
5- Rotate with copy x the number of sides.

ewd · February 6, 2018, 2:04am

Awesome, thank you! Is Freedo Scale a plugin?

RodolfoST · February 6, 2018, 2:09am

Yes, it is a set of free plugins developed by Fredo.

ewd · February 23, 2018, 1:13am

Along the same line as this, I have this 3d shape pattern I would like to repeat around a cylinder, is there a way to do this? Curve/repeat the 3d object around a cylinder?

DaveR · February 23, 2018, 1:17am

Rotate/Copy to make a radial array will make quick work of that. Same as Rodolfo’s step 5 above.

Read: Copying What You’ve Already Drawn | SketchUp Help

system · May 25, 2018, 5:22pm

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