topic Re: Surface projection on curved, slanted surface? in Fusion Design, Validate & Document Forum

Surface projection on curved, slanted surface?

tramtin — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 05:09:04 GMT

I've projected a sketch on to a slanted, curved surface and I want to depress that design.

Am I right in thinking that this is impossible to do with Fusion? Is there a workaround?

Extruding the original sketch on to the surface would not work for me, as the indentation would be shallow towards the edge but much deeper towards the center.

Re: Surface projection on curved, slanted surface?

TimelesslyTiredYouth — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 06:35:19 GMT

Just a suggestion:

Create a sketch

Go to Create > Emboss.
Select the sketch profile and then the curved surface.
Choose:
- Type: Deboss (this is what creates the depression).
- Depth: Define how deep you want it.
Click OK.

Hope it helps

Ricky

Re: Surface projection on curved, slanted surface?

KristianLaholm — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 07:24:38 GMT

I see 3 options depending on the design intent (and no need to project the sketch to the face)

Emboss (deboss): the edges if the cut will be normal the slanted surface.
The sketch will change it's shape then put on a curved surface/face.

Split Face and Offset Face: the edges will be normal to the slanted surface.
Easier to control the shape of the cut with the sketch.

Extrude - Start from Object: the edges of the cut will be normal to the sketch plane.

Keeps the shape of the sketch and cuts.

Betreff: Surface projection on curved, slanted surface?

g-andresen — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 08:29:33 GMT

Hi,

please share the f3d file for reply

File > export > save as f3d on local drive > attach to post

günther

Re: Surface projection on curved, slanted surface?

tramtin — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 10:16:07 GMT

So just a bit more background information on the project:
I'm working on a reproduction of a classic game packaging, the Infocom saucer from Starcross, 1982.

The original (30cm diameter) is made from thermo moulded plastic. I want to print it with a 3D printer, so the feel will be quite different, the design should be as close to the original as possible though.

On the picture of the original saucer you can see that all elements were pushed in from above. They get pushed out on the inside. They all sit on the curved, slanted body of the saucer, so if Project > On Surface would work, that would make this task very easy. Incidentally, if someone has an idea how to do the 4 rows of slots without having to create a design for every slot, that would save a lot of work, as there is 60 of them in total. But first things first, I need to know how to do these indentations first. They are around 3mm deep. I want to find out what's the thinnest wall strength is that I can get away with. I'm hoping for something under 2mm. That means that the indentations will push through the wall (and therefore stick out on the inside).

I'm attaching .f3d file, but note this is only a test, on which I'm practicing the techniques I will need. It has not been shelled yet (it will be eventually)

Re: Surface projection on curved, slanted surface?

TheCADWhisperer — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 10:58:02 GMT

@tramtin

If this were my design, I would have started by connecting all the dots and fully dimensioning all the geometry.

Series of Revolves of one half, Fillet, Mirror and Shell.

Re: Surface projection on curved, slanted surface?

davebYYPCU — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 12:27:38 GMT

I moved the disc to the origin for convenience, (saw that)

Something like this?

Deboss will give different wall treatment than Revolve.

Details not included, Shell, Badge recess, Rivet heads would be a suppressible circular patterns.

Straight Louvres are sketch pattern and Sweep.

Many ways to skin a cat.

Might help...

Re: Surface projection on curved, slanted surface?

tramtin — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 12:24:34 GMT

Yes, point taken about dimensioning the geometry, but as mentioned, this design was just quickly put together and only serves as a playground to try out the various techniques.

If it wasn't obvious at this stage, I should have pointed out that I'm new to Fusion. While I have an idea of the concepts of a "Series of Revolves of one half, Fillet, Mirror and Shell.", unfortunately your hint is too terse to be useful to me. Could you elaborate?

Re: Surface projection on curved, slanted surface?

TheCADWhisperer — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 12:44:25 GMT

@davebYYPCU

Will need to fix this up to get a Shell.

Re: Surface projection on curved, slanted surface?

TheCADWhisperer — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 13:05:30 GMT

@tramtin wrote:
this design was just quickly put together
...Could you elaborate?

You missed connecting two points. It takes no more time to snap to endpoints than it does to click close, but not snapped.

I doubt I would use any Emboss features.

Are you ready to start?

Re: Surface projection on curved, slanted surface?

davebYYPCU — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 06:15:32 GMT

Ok, too late tonight, probably Deboss / Revolve wall anomalies.

Tah.

Got the rivets, Shell, sorted now, file name updated.

Might help....

Re: Surface projection on curved, slanted surface?

tramtin — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 14:28:39 GMT

This is great, so you used the de-emboss function for the shapes on the surface.

What is not clear to me from studying the history of the design how you used the Sweep function to create the rows of slats that are getting shorter along the defined lines. Could you tell me how that's done? Or maybe you know of a tutorial on Youtube that explains it?

Re: Surface projection on curved, slanted surface?

davebYYPCU — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 01:25:49 GMT

Best way to learn is to step along the Timeline, as you view the next step, see what tool was used and what effect it has.

(I did not use the correct sweep,) however the simple Sweep, resulted with a few inner Louvres poking up above the curved surface.

As a quick demo file, I just deleted the errors with Delete faces. There were some steps done and revisited along the way, timeline order makes a huge difference to efficiency. For example, cutting the body, so details can be mirrored.

Might help….

Re: Surface projection on curved, slanted surface?

tramtin — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 18:51:39 GMT

I've run into another issue.

I created the basic design of the saucer.

I created construction lines based on the picture, that I've used as canvas.

The curves of the to be embossed sketch match perfectly the curves of those construction lines. However, when I'm using the Emboss function, the curves and up greatly distorted on the surface of the saucer and aren't parallel to the body at all.

How can I fix this?

Re: Surface projection on curved, slanted surface?

TheCADWhisperer — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 19:12:22 GMT

@tramtin wrote:

How can I fix this?

I would use Revolves, not Emboss.

Attach your new file here.

Re: Surface projection on curved, slanted surface?

davebYYPCU — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 22:05:18 GMT

Your distorted canvass (posted earlier)should only be used as a guide.
Emboss and Deboss does distort (bend) the sketch, and the wall alignments as mentioned.

Revolve or Extrude from Object may be a better alternative.

Might help….

Re: Surface projection on curved, slanted surface?

TheCADWhisperer — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 12:32:48 GMT

@tramtin wrote:
However, when I'm using the Emboss function, the curves and up greatly distorted on the surface of the saucer and aren't parallel to the body at all.
How can I fix this?

Message 6

@TheCADWhisperer wrote:
@tramtin
If this were my design, I would have started by connecting all the dots and fully dimensioning all the geometry.

Series of Revolves of one half, Fillet, Mirror and Shell.

Message 8

@tramtin wrote:

I'm new to Fusion.
Could you elaborate?

Message 10

@TheCADWhisperer wrote:
I doubt I would use any Emboss features.
Are you ready to start?

Crickets...

Message 12

@tramtin wrote:
This is great, so you used the de-emboss function for the shapes on the surface.

Tries to use Emboss anyhow.

Message 15

@TheCADWhisperer wrote:
I would use Revolves, not Emboss.
Attach your new file here.

@tramtin

Let me know when you are ready to start step-by-step with the correct techniques.

Re: Surface projection on curved, slanted surface?

tramtin — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 13:04:28 GMT

Yes, I am ready.

Also attaching the design with the correct measurements of the saucer. It still has a couple of undimensioned lines in there, I still have to learn how do get rid of those. I'm sorry.

One thing to note is that cut outs for the four rows of "slats" have straight slats at the top and the bottom, so the revolve function would give you a rounded design, which is not wanted here. A small detail, but I'm trying to be as faithful to the original as possible. Also, those slats are rectangular in shape (with bevelled edges), rather than round.

Re: Surface projection on curved, slanted surface?

TheCADWhisperer — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 13:20:21 GMT

@tramtin

Tip 1. Right click on the vertical line that will be used as axis of revolution and change to Centerline type.

Now we can dimension as diametral dimensions and avoid calculations.

Click on image above to enlarge.

Start a new file.

Create the sketch shown below.

Attach your new progress file here for next step.

Re: Surface projection on curved, slanted surface?

TheCADWhisperer — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 13:30:29 GMT

@tramtin

Now Revolve 180° counterclockwise.

Mirror-Join the Body

Turn the body over and select Shell and the bottom face to remove.

Enter your desired Shell Thickness...

Now, drag the Timeline Marker back in history to before the Mirror Feature.

As we progress adding additional features we will go back and forth in history to make sure the Shell feature doesn't fail with any operation that we add.

Attach your progress file here.