topic Re: Drawing teeth on a curved line in AutoCAD Forum

Drawing teeth on a curved line

Anonymous — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 20:28:05 GMT

I'm trying on auto cad 2015 on my mac to create a row of teeth along these two curved surfaces that will then hopefully when printed meet up and interlock with each other seamlessly. I'm struggling to do it though along the curved surfaces. the plywood i'll be using is 6mm thick so the depth of cut with be 6mm. and i'll figure out the width later.

Kind Regards,

Sean

Re: Drawing teeth on a curved line

john.vellek — Thu, 16 Jun 2016 14:54:20 GMT

Hi @Anonymous,

Welcome to the community!

There might some lisp routines out there to help you on this. In the meantime, check out this gear calculator. Maybe that will give you enough information that you can simply do an array to get it to work.

To use the array method, create the "tooth" and locate it on your arc at one end point. Start Array, select the tooth as the object to array, then select Path and then pick your arc as the intended path.

Please hit the Accept as Solution button if my post fully solves your issue or answers your question.

Re: Drawing teeth on a curved line

wispoxy — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 20:45:43 GMT

Not as difficult as you may think, requires a lot of trimming by my method.

Re: Drawing teeth on a curved line

john.vellek — Thu, 16 Jun 2016 15:01:49 GMT

HI @Anonymous,

I am checking back to see if my post helped you with your problem. Please add a post with your results so other Forum users can benefit.

Please hit the Accept as Solution button if my post fully solves your issue or answers your question.

Re: Drawing teeth on a curved line

Anonymous — Fri, 17 Jun 2016 14:18:48 GMT

Hi there that looks like it would work!

however how do I first make the starting one? that you arrayed?

Re: Drawing teeth on a curved line

Anonymous — Fri, 17 Jun 2016 14:27:32 GMT

Hi there,

What is your method then?

these two parts as displayed in my crude drawing need to interlock.

Re: Drawing teeth on a curved line

john.vellek — Fri, 17 Jun 2016 15:03:09 GMT

Hi @Anonymous,

Here is a simple way to create a tooth. You can obviously use exact angle values and all that but my Screencast illustrates a basic way to construct them. I apologize for all the mistyping in the video - first one for the day

Please hit the Accept as Solution button if my post fully solves your issue or answers your question.

Re: Drawing teeth on a curved line

Anonymous — Fri, 17 Jun 2016 15:50:03 GMT

how is it possible for me to measure along the curved line for say 6mm. and every 6 mm have a perpindicular line at a 90degree angle?

Re: Drawing teeth on a curved line

john.vellek — Fri, 17 Jun 2016 15:52:22 GMT

Hi @Anonymous,

You can use the same Array Path command as for the tooth. Simply draw the first perpendicular line and then array it. You will see a distance option in the command.

Please hit the Accept as Solution button if my post fully solves your issue or answers your question.

Re: Drawing teeth on a curved line

Kent1Cooper — Fri, 17 Jun 2016 17:20:45 GMT

@john.vellek wrote:

... Array Path command .... You will see a distance option in the command.

Actually, you won't. You can get to it [in new-enough versions], but it's convoluted, and Distance is never offered as a option such as that you can type a D [or longer abbreviation or whole word] to get it, as you do with typical command options.

You need to be making an ASsociative ArrayPath [or PAth option in the Array command], and choose the Method option, and within that, the Measure option [which is distance-based, as opposed to the quantity-based Divide option], then either:

The Items option, which [only when you're using the Measure Method] asks for a distance between them before asking how many; or:

Either within the command or after finishing it and selecting the Array, pick the arrowhead grip at the first instance in along the path, and type in a distance between them.

Re: Drawing teeth on a curved line

john.vellek — Fri, 17 Jun 2016 17:25:06 GMT

Thanks @Kent1Cooper,

You are correct and thanks for the detailed explanation!

Re: Drawing teeth on a curved line

elshawadfy — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 11:12:18 GMT

Hi @Anonymous,

I believe this is what you're trying to achieve at the end? (or something close)..

It's better in all cases to create it in 3D, and take measurements from there.. This will save you TONS of calculations..

(Notice that in the elevation you created for the sides, the bottom also should be curved)

To create it in 3D, it's [(the intersection of 2 cones) - a box in the top].. ,, to simulate plywood thickness you can use slice.. to take a slice of the top, and then with arcs go over the hole thing..

As @john.vellek said, you can create one edge of one tooth (perpendicular to the top arc, going towards the center), and array it, and the tooth will be the filling between two edges. the excessive length (if present) can be left on both ends of the array.. ...

The same tooth will be used for both parts (Horizontal and vertical) but positioned differently and in alternative places..

Re: Drawing teeth on a curved line

elshawadfy — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 13:59:02 GMT

Same approach if it was 2d - like this:

The key will also be to use a line, and array it, and then change the array type to divide, and get your distances from there..

After arraying trim alternatively as shown, or trace one tooth with boundary to know it's dimensions and shape..

Re: Drawing teeth on a curved line

Anonymous — Sun, 19 Jun 2016 10:04:30 GMT

Can you do a screencast?

I'm trying but struggling!

Re: Drawing teeth on a curved line

Anonymous — Sun, 19 Jun 2016 10:25:49 GMT

Also no the that edge of the boat should be straight, I just made a paper model to check!!

Re: Drawing teeth on a curved line

Anonymous — Sun, 19 Jun 2016 10:39:47 GMT

could you show me as if you were drawing the boat?

Re: Drawing teeth on a curved line

elshawadfy — Sun, 19 Jun 2016 19:07:35 GMT

Hi @Anonymous,

Sorry for the late response..

The data you provided is not enough to build a specific model (no horizontal distances between verticals - and they are unequal..+ np actual plans and elevations of the 3d model)

The bottom edge of the side can be straight but it will result in one of 2 things at least: either after folding that edge won't be horrizontal - but will be curved with pointy ends.. /or/ the curvature of the sides isn't simple - the side has triple curvature (it deflects a little in both ends)

But if the sides are parts of cones as I showed earlier - the ends at the bottom line also must be curved- part of a circle..

Any way this an example only video, it's not following your dimensions but it shows the over all process..

https://archive.org/download/BoatPlywoodAutocad3dTutor/Boat_Plywood_Autocad-3d-Tutor.flv

Re: Drawing teeth on a curved line

elshawadfy — Sun, 19 Jun 2016 19:23:46 GMT

Re: Drawing teeth on a curved line

Anonymous — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 07:44:57 GMT

http://koti.kapsi.fi/hvartial/2sd/2sd.htm

These are the plans I'm basing the boat off of, I'm struggling to watch the video in high definition it's very blurry.

Re: Drawing teeth on a curved line

elshawadfy — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 10:31:54 GMT

Hi @Anonymous,

I provided a link to download a high Def. video in Post # 17..

The link again :https://archive.org/download/BoatPlywoodAutocad3dTutor/Boat_Plywood_Autocad-3d-Tutor.flv

Save it to your HDD and watch it from there..

And I said before, straight bottom for the unfolded sides resulted in pointy ends.. (the final side view of the boat is not straight, but with raised ends),

which means there is still a missing step in the video.. That step is to subtract a cylinder from the bottom of the reversed 3d boat..

Unfortunately Autocad isn't so great with organic modeling, a product like 3Ds Max would much much suited for the job..

I'll try any way and paste back if i succeeded.. (sorry but might be a while)..

Best luck..