Convert a 3D surface to a 2D surface, but the 2D surface must have the same area as the 3D surface .

Convert a 3D surface to a 2D surface, but the 2D surface must have the same area as the 3D surface .

lucian.sandulescu
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Message 1 of 9

Convert a 3D surface to a 2D surface, but the 2D surface must have the same area as the 3D surface .

lucian.sandulescu
Participant
Participant

I tried to  use the Flatten command but the area is not the same. How can i do it? Think about a sheet of paper from which I make a cone (3D surface) and then from that cone I want to have the sheet in 2D with the same area of the cone in 3D. 

 

So, I design a boat, and i will attach the DWG drawing. I want that the surface near the boat to be in 2D that i can print like a model. 

 

Can someone do it and tell me how and maybe can record the process. Please!

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Message 2 of 9

paullimapa
Mentor
Mentor

One way is to download free trial version of progecad and do that on there

https://www.progesoft.com/products/progecad-professional/manual?mp=drawing-in-three-dimensions/conve....


Paul Li
IT Specialist
@The Office
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Message 3 of 9

pendean
Community Legend
Community Legend

Your DWG file's content is spread all over the place (about 200-miles away from the 0,0,0 arrow

pendean_1-1682610860503.png

 

That alone may not be doing you any favors.

 

Are these the elements you need to flatten down to a single Z elevation?

pendean_2-1682611052866.png

 

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Message 4 of 9

lucian.sandulescu
Participant
Participant

I would like to make this in Autocad. as

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Message 5 of 9

leeminardi
Mentor
Mentor

The bottom gray colored surfaces of the hull are flat and therefore the align command can be used to place them on the XY plane.

leeminardi_0-1682608852745.png

 

The green and yellow surfaces are curved in all directions and therefore cannot be developed into a flat surface without some distortion.  Think of how different projections of the earth are used to show its 3D surface in 2D. 

Here's one way you might proceed to create a 2D shape of the yellow surface that has the same area as the 3D surface.

  1.  Determine the area of the yellow surface. Use the thicken command to turn it into a solid.  I set a value of 0.1 and massprop shows a volume of  765.4567.  Therefore the area is about 7655 units sq.
  2. Note that the sides of the shape 1-2, 1-4, and 2-3 are straight. Side 2-3 is parallel to the XY plane.
    leeminardi_1-1682609251087.png
  3. From the top view create a polyline snapping to the vertices of the surface.  This will create a 2D shape on the XY plane. The area of the polyline is 7014.92...
    leeminardi_2-1682609780460.png

     

  4. Since side 3-4 is the only edge that is not straight, it must have a curve to it when the shape is flattened.  We also know that the keep edge 1-4 the same length, vertex 4 must be on the circle centered at 1.  Create a single closed spline (green) as shown below.  An easy way to do this to use osnap endpoint and the CV method for spline as follows:
    click once at #1, click 3 times at #2 (this will create a sharp corner), click 3 times at #3, once at #5, 3 times at #4 and once at #1.
    leeminardi_6-1682611058457.png
  5. To get the area of the closed spline I found it easiest to hatch and then get then use area object.
  6. Adjust the location of the CV near 5 to get the area you need.
     

     

    I got the following for the final shape.

leeminardi_7-1682611439945.png

 

  1.  
lee.minardi
Message 6 of 9

lucian.sandulescu
Participant
Participant

not all, just the second surface, the one below.

luciansandulescu_0-1682611579973.png

 

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Message 7 of 9

AVCPlugins
Advisor
Advisor

You probably meant that you need to turn the cone or cylinder onto a plane. There is no such command in pure AutoCAD, but there are plugins and scripts. Search for the word "Unfold". The free Unfold-scripts I found don't work very well, and the plugin costs ~$500. There are programs similar to AutoCAD and working with DWG files, which have a Mechanical version for working with sheet metal. Here it is quite possible to unfold solid parts (and probably surfaces too). However, you must have a part that can actually be unfolded, that is, a surface of the second order, and not a third (cone or cylinder). Spheres and NURB surfaces do not fundamentally have a flat development.


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Message 8 of 9

lucian.sandulescu
Participant
Participant
Thank you, can you please send me the file please?
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Message 9 of 9

leeminardi
Mentor
Mentor

Here it is.  To improve the solution select the spline and move the CV at the bottom (#5) then hatch the spline to find the area.  Rinse and repeat until you have the area you want.

lee.minardi
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