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Building with 3D solids

Hi,

I am trying to build tabbed and socket joints into planar forms for later assembly of a sculpture, think mortise and tenon but in steel.

However, problems occur.

If I subtract a tenon which projects into it's adjoining form I would expect it to leave the socket in that form, but of course it disappears! Leaving me with only one form.
It seems rather pointless to then have to duplicate and repeat the process to get both forms back again.

Am I using the wrong tool or method?

Advice appreciated

Cheers,

Andy

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Permalink Reply by Andy on March 1, 2010 at 8:33am

Hi Kevin,

the symbol method was a great tip! and thanks for naming the OIP in my ignorance.
Making much better progress after turning my forms into symbols - they behave themselves a lot better now - much easier to orientate.

They are very basic and I am this stage "reverse engineering" I am hoping to transfer maquette making to software and one must walk before running! All the bits have been made using "add and clip" in 2d indeed and I have only ever sent 2D to the cutters.

However, I was pushing into 3D to try to resolve some joins which would then alter the plate forms - an exercise to keep the Jigsaw quality of the parts for the print and the integrity of the idea.

So another query!
How can I mark a surface of a symbol where it intersects with another, so I can for example cut a hole or alter a face in the symbol editor? In 2D I would draw on it obviously but in 3D I can only see the intersection properly when rendered and can't be sure what surface they are on. What do I snap to or could this be a use for the "working plane" Symbols can't "subtract" can they?

Once thanks for again for the pointers,
Andy

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Permalink Reply by Andy on March 6, 2010 at 8:15am

Aha!

they can subtract, getting somewhere and frustrations evaporating.
Thanks for all the input earlier, the symbol idea is a winner.

Bye,
Andy

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Permalink Reply by Andy on March 8, 2010 at 2:48pm

How do people flatten their designs to make patterns for sheet material?

So now I have a reasonably convincing arrangement of 3D forms as symbols I need to flatten them for the cutting the parts.

My book points to "Convert to polygons" however when I do so, rather than being one flat outline I can use, the subsequent shape is a bizarre collection of triangles.

What started out as a single line, then extruded to a thickness can only be turned back into a group of 81 parts!

Somehow I need to find another way, at present the only way I can see is tracing over all the 3D parts in plan view which seems pointless.

There still seems to be unnecessary levels of complexity in this application.

Seems a bit bloated or lacking joined up thinking in the 3d department compared to the 2D.