Hi Paul

Have you tried a negative thickness? I first try positive then negative on complex surfaces.

Are you able to offset the surface?

Tim

Edited by user Thursday, June 18, 2015 1:29:43 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Here are the attachments…

Edited by user Friday, June 19, 2015 11:24:44 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Hi Tim,

Yes, an approximation might work, to the extent that molded plastic parts like constant wall thicknesses. What do you have in mind? Somehow going to meshes and back? I've done many 3D prints (stl files) on this as it has evolved. Attached is my latest surface, an even more ridiculous surface… Oops, can't seem to upload, file size is 7.3MB, the surface alone.

Uploaded an IGIS file of the surface.

Thanks so much,

Paul

Edited by user Sunday, June 21, 2015 7:27:12 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Hi Tim,

Thanks for all of your attention to this issue!

Unfortunately I think the grid pattern results in much the same solid as copy/paste a 2nd surface 0.060 below the first, creating Offset Face Edges close to the edges (0.001") giving 8 edges, Then doing Skin Surface for each pair of edges leading then to 6 surfaces that Stitch into a solid.

But inspecting the solid, you get very thin and some very thick wall thicknesses in both x and y directions. Note the attached jpgs of "Viewport Layouts/Two" with two infinite planes used as clip planes to inspect the wall thickness. I move both infinite planes through the device and get results seen, shown at a particularly troublesome cross-section that can't even be 3D printed.

That is my basic approach, but instead I copy/paste my profiles down 0.060" and shift them in one direction, then cut each lower profile many times and move the pieces in/out and rejoin, to try to get an approximate 0.060 thickness along the normal vectors throughout, then do a skin surface for the lower surface (all extremely time consuming). But in this way I avoid large wall thickness variations.

I'm looking into now trying a thin "Thicken Solid" such as -0.003", getting an under-surface from that to do the same, do this 20x and then Add Solid 20x., but may have to go thinner yet ….

Thanks again for the interest, I'm sure many plastics molder folks are interested. Also those designing things such as automobile shells, etc. I'd be interested in those doing boat shells and their methods, although those surfaces don't have the extreme shapes I have.

Paul

Thanks again Tim,

0.003 thicken solid crashed, but 0.001 resulted in a solid. Probably unrealistic to do 60X because the thicken solid took several minutes. Too bad we can't use 6 processors, 5 of which are just watching..

Paul