topic Re: Convert surface model to solid in Fusion Design, Validate & Document Forum

Convert surface model to solid

Anonymous — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 09:33:51 GMT

Hi everyone ! 🙂

I'm trying for 2-3 days to convert a suface that i've done in the modelling workspace into a solid body. My goal is to be able to do some mechanical simulations on this piece..
I've tried to use the "conversion tool" but i don't get a solid (i've the image of the solid but i can't interact with it).

My plan was to thicken the piece and then convert it into a solid.

Do you have an idea of something i've done wrong / missed ?

Thank you very much (here is the public link attached)

https://a360.co/2Qs3Ipp

Re: Convert surface model to solid

tyler_henderson — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 19:56:10 GMT

When you Finish the Form workspace, the Tspline bodies should be converted to Brep bodies automatically (solids or surfaces). If you created a Tspline with zero thickness then it will become a surface body when you finish the Form workspace. Then you can use the "Thicken" command to add a thickness to the surface body. This will convert it to a solid. Then you should be able to conduct simulation on the body.

Re: Convert surface model to solid

tyler_henderson — Thu, 13 Dec 2018 20:04:32 GMT

I've attached a new version of your design where I have thickened the surface body.

One word of caution regarding simulation on this model: We don't have Shells in Fusion Simulation yet, so since the model is relatively thin, you will need to make the mesh elements quite small in order to get a sufficient number of elements through the thickness of the model.

Re: Convert surface model to solid

TrippyLighting — Fri, 14 Dec 2018 00:48:39 GMT

@Anonymous once you thicken a piece you have a solid! It might be a thin shell but its still a solid, as opposed to a infinitely thin surface.

Re: Convert surface model to solid

Anonymous — Thu, 20 Dec 2018 13:14:19 GMT

Ok, so i've tried to finish the form and the extrude in the model workspace, but when i've to select the modyi want to get thicker, i can't choe my model... I'll try with different methods.

Thank you for your help, i appreicate it

Antoine S

Re: Convert surface model to solid

Anonymous — Thu, 20 Dec 2018 13:47:11 GMT

Can you detail a little bit more the different operations you have done to get from a Tspline (that means the surfaces from the sculpting workspace right ?) to the body in the model workspace ?

It seems that you have done the "thickenning" operation after the conversion of the surfaces right ?
My problem is that when i'm done with the modelling, i click "Finish Form" but then i can't select the surface i'm working on with the "thickenning" tool ..

I hope that i have clearly explained my problem here.. ^^'

Thank you for your help

Antoine S

Re: Convert surface model to solid

tyler_henderson — Thu, 20 Dec 2018 17:07:27 GMT

Hi Antoine,

I just realized what's going on here. You have Design History turned off so you are doing direct modeling. This is fine, but it does not automatically convert T-splines to Breps when you exit the Sculpt/Form workspace.

So, you need to do the conversion manually. Right-click on the Tspline body in the model browser (the purple mesh-looking icon) then choose the "Convert" command. In the Convert command choose "T-splines to BRep". This will create a BRep surface body. Then you should be able to select the new surface body for the Thicken command.

Re: Convert surface model to solid

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Jan 2019 13:50:49 GMT

Thank's man ! And Happy New Year !\o/

With your help, i was able to solve my problem. The fact is that with the conversion tools i used to select all the edges (to keep them) with the conversion tool. That was the problem because from the moment i didn't select those ones. The surface model was correctly converted into a body.

I've a second question though (if you can help me with this one .. ^^').
I'd like to insert parameters inside the surface modelling i'm doing. Is it in any way, possible ?
Thank you very much ! 🙂

Antoine S

Re: Convert surface model to solid

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Jan 2019 14:39:56 GMT

I've another problem here..

With my finished surface model converted into a body i'm realising that it's just some surfaces but not an actual bulk solid..
My plan is to finnalyrun some simulations and this problem is ruinning them for obvious reasons ^^'

Do you have an idea to turn it into a bulk solid ?

Thank you very much ! 🙂

Antoine S

Re: Convert surface model to solid

tyler_henderson — Mon, 07 Jan 2019 15:44:25 GMT

Hi Antoine,

To turn the surface body into a solid you can use the "Thicken" command.

Regarding adding Parameters, it depends on what you want to do with the Parameters. You can use the "Change Parameters" command to create User Parameters. User Parameters can reference Model Parameters, and downstream dimensions or features can reference both types of Parameters.

I hope this helps.

Re: Convert surface model to solid

TrippyLighting — Mon, 07 Jan 2019 21:55:16 GMT

You may want to create a hand sketch to explain what this bulk solid geometry is supposed to look like.

I don't think Taylor's and my understanding of what you call bulk solid body is what you envision.

To answer an earlier question: No, you cannot parametrize a T-Spline body. T-Splines are direct modeling objects in Fusion 360. While you are creating the hand sketch maybe indicate which body dimensions you'd like to parametrize.

Re: Convert surface model to solid

Anonymous — Tue, 08 Jan 2019 09:09:05 GMT

Thank you very much for all your help, i've found the origin of the problem concerning the "bulk solid body" ^^
I was not using the correct "thickenning" tool.

Thank you also for your awnsers about the parametric T-splines contruction, i had not that much hope about it, because it's obviously quite complex to implemant in a software..

So i think that's all for me folks, thank you again for your precious help 🙂

Have a good one,

Antoine S