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Beginner question, arch top guitar model

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Message 1 of 73
Anonymous
10440 Views, 72 Replies

Beginner question, arch top guitar model

Anonymous
Not applicable

I do alot of woodworking with my CNC at home and have used different software to create 3D models of a Les Paul type guitar arched top.

 

I am having a hell of a time making a complex curve outlines shape that also has complex curved top surface.  

 

I have no problem sketching the shape of the body and extruding a shape to the complex outline.  The problem is getting the arched top portion.  Any tutorials that may help me figure this out?

 

Thanks

0 Likes

Beginner question, arch top guitar model

I do alot of woodworking with my CNC at home and have used different software to create 3D models of a Les Paul type guitar arched top.

 

I am having a hell of a time making a complex curve outlines shape that also has complex curved top surface.  

 

I have no problem sketching the shape of the body and extruding a shape to the complex outline.  The problem is getting the arched top portion.  Any tutorials that may help me figure this out?

 

Thanks

72 REPLIES 72
Message 41 of 73
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Anonymous
Not applicable

Wonder whats up with that, it works for me. I can follow the link and it asks me to enter my email address, then a link is sent to my email where it allows me to download.  

 

Try grabbing from google drive account.

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5CVrUOu0pQhRzkzZ09rSVZzVWM/view?usp=sharing

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Wonder whats up with that, it works for me. I can follow the link and it asks me to enter my email address, then a link is sent to my email where it allows me to download.  

 

Try grabbing from google drive account.

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5CVrUOu0pQhRzkzZ09rSVZzVWM/view?usp=sharing

Message 42 of 73
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Anonymous
Not applicable

Thanks I'm going to look at your model soon.  Regarding your model, it will be interesting to see if this method helps with smoothing and am waiting for your model to load to try it:

 

https://screencast.autodesk.com/main/details/47cba5c4-6dcd-4313-80a2-860524d93289

 

 Just a minor detail, I think around 2 minutes I mention/adjust the takeoff angle of the loft, and failed to mention for anyone that doesn't know that the order of the profile selection determines which side of the loft (i.e. adjacent to which profile) the takeoff angle is applied.

 

 

Jesse

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Thanks I'm going to look at your model soon.  Regarding your model, it will be interesting to see if this method helps with smoothing and am waiting for your model to load to try it:

 

https://screencast.autodesk.com/main/details/47cba5c4-6dcd-4313-80a2-860524d93289

 

 Just a minor detail, I think around 2 minutes I mention/adjust the takeoff angle of the loft, and failed to mention for anyone that doesn't know that the order of the profile selection determines which side of the loft (i.e. adjacent to which profile) the takeoff angle is applied.

 

 

Jesse

Message 43 of 73
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Anonymous
Not applicable

Yeah, definitely a problem there.  I was able to Stitch the guitar top surfaces, with a tolerance of 6mm, indicating there are definitely gaps between the lofts, which was something I was thinking about how to avoid with your loft method.  I tried boxing off a section of the guitar and extending those loft edges, and also extruded the guitar sides, and made a bottom, to see if could do a Boundary Fill under Modeling, but it always failed. 

 

pic.jpg

 

You have a lot of real nice work there, but if it were me, I would attempt a small new test model using your loft method, with two adjacent loft sections if that's absolutely necessary, and figure out a way to be sure there are no gaps between those two sections, verifying this via some method like doing a Boundary Fill. 

 

Really awesome progress though!

 

Jesse

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Yeah, definitely a problem there.  I was able to Stitch the guitar top surfaces, with a tolerance of 6mm, indicating there are definitely gaps between the lofts, which was something I was thinking about how to avoid with your loft method.  I tried boxing off a section of the guitar and extending those loft edges, and also extruded the guitar sides, and made a bottom, to see if could do a Boundary Fill under Modeling, but it always failed. 

 

pic.jpg

 

You have a lot of real nice work there, but if it were me, I would attempt a small new test model using your loft method, with two adjacent loft sections if that's absolutely necessary, and figure out a way to be sure there are no gaps between those two sections, verifying this via some method like doing a Boundary Fill. 

 

Really awesome progress though!

 

Jesse

Message 44 of 73
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Anonymous
Not applicable

I was able to fix a few of my surface trim problems, just a matter of order of operationsand when to trim.

 

Any chance you can tell my how to tell the program to switch what side is the fron or back of material for appearance, I get wood grain on most sections, then solid tan on others.  I want to make it all uniform and less patchwork look.

 

EDIT:  Okay, I was able to stitch all the top pieces together with a 0.2mm tolerance and that made a matching surface rather than than random tan blocks.  HOWEVER, still need to fix the vertical face on the edges.

 

LP Top.jpg

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I was able to fix a few of my surface trim problems, just a matter of order of operationsand when to trim.

 

Any chance you can tell my how to tell the program to switch what side is the fron or back of material for appearance, I get wood grain on most sections, then solid tan on others.  I want to make it all uniform and less patchwork look.

 

EDIT:  Okay, I was able to stitch all the top pieces together with a 0.2mm tolerance and that made a matching surface rather than than random tan blocks.  HOWEVER, still need to fix the vertical face on the edges.

 

LP Top.jpg

Message 45 of 73
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Anonymous
Not applicable

Oh man that is one amazing looking guitar!

Glad you got the trim to work, because I couldn't figure it out.

Jesse

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Oh man that is one amazing looking guitar!

Glad you got the trim to work, because I couldn't figure it out.

Jesse

Message 46 of 73
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Anonymous
Not applicable

I went back and deleted my previous trim operations, left the sides elevated above the top surface and had teh top surfaces extended beyond the vertical edge then use the trim functions and it cleaned up nice and easy.  The first time around I trimmed the top before creating the side surfaces, then did the sides and extended above the surface which must have left gaps.

 

Dont know if what i typed makes any sense.  Ho do you make the videos?

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I went back and deleted my previous trim operations, left the sides elevated above the top surface and had teh top surfaces extended beyond the vertical edge then use the trim functions and it cleaned up nice and easy.  The first time around I trimmed the top before creating the side surfaces, then did the sides and extended above the surface which must have left gaps.

 

Dont know if what i typed makes any sense.  Ho do you make the videos?

Message 47 of 73
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Anonymous
Not applicable

Thanks, I think I know what you mean, that originally you trimmed the guitar top surface edges before making the sides, which caused trim problems for trimming the sides.

 

Autodesk has a Screencast program which interfaces with Fusion 360, and works pretty good.

 

It will be great when you get that guitar made!

 

Jesse

 

0 Likes

Thanks, I think I know what you mean, that originally you trimmed the guitar top surface edges before making the sides, which caused trim problems for trimming the sides.

 

Autodesk has a Screencast program which interfaces with Fusion 360, and works pretty good.

 

It will be great when you get that guitar made!

 

Jesse

 

Message 48 of 73
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Anonymous
Not applicable
So now that I have my contours and lofts all figured out, my model is essentially a hollow body. Is there a way to make it "solid" and not hollow?
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So now that I have my contours and lofts all figured out, my model is essentially a hollow body. Is there a way to make it "solid" and not hollow?
Message 49 of 73
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Anonymous
Not applicable

Well I think I figured out how to make it solid by using "boundary fill".  But as soon as I figure one thing out i hit another problem.  I now need to cut across the top of the model along two different planes.  I am pretty sure I should use "Split Face" and/or "split Body" function but I get an error saying they dont intersect, and it sure as hell looks like they do.

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5CVrUOu0pQhUHBVRGQ3MEdtQWM/view?usp=sharing

 

I have both a solid body model as well as the shell pieces in tact.  Some of the shell pices I can trim but not all and I dont know why.

 

Solid Cut.jpg

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Well I think I figured out how to make it solid by using "boundary fill".  But as soon as I figure one thing out i hit another problem.  I now need to cut across the top of the model along two different planes.  I am pretty sure I should use "Split Face" and/or "split Body" function but I get an error saying they dont intersect, and it sure as hell looks like they do.

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5CVrUOu0pQhUHBVRGQ3MEdtQWM/view?usp=sharing

 

I have both a solid body model as well as the shell pieces in tact.  Some of the shell pices I can trim but not all and I dont know why.

 

Solid Cut.jpg

Message 50 of 73
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Anonymous
Not applicable

That's great that it sounds like you were able to get a solid of your guitar with boundary fill!  I won't be able to look at your model until later today or tomorrow, but I would be sure I'm only trying to split the solid body, basically "throwing away" your shell now.  Did you try that yet?

Jesse

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That's great that it sounds like you were able to get a solid of your guitar with boundary fill!  I won't be able to look at your model until later today or tomorrow, but I would be sure I'm only trying to split the solid body, basically "throwing away" your shell now.  Did you try that yet?

Jesse

Message 51 of 73
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Anonymous
Not applicable

Well I see what you mean, it was able to split with the one plane, but not the other.  No matter what I tried worked, even tried pulling a mesh over it.  It looks like those errors in your timeline probably have something to do with it.  Whenever I get a yellow or red error, I try to immediately figure out what the problem is.  With all that work you did it must be frustrating though.  One thought is you could try machining this, and then making another model to machine off the slice area that you want, possibly combining the two gcodes, although I'm not sure exactly what you're trying to do.  We've certainly learned a lot from this project so far though!

Jesse

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Well I see what you mean, it was able to split with the one plane, but not the other.  No matter what I tried worked, even tried pulling a mesh over it.  It looks like those errors in your timeline probably have something to do with it.  Whenever I get a yellow or red error, I try to immediately figure out what the problem is.  With all that work you did it must be frustrating though.  One thought is you could try machining this, and then making another model to machine off the slice area that you want, possibly combining the two gcodes, although I'm not sure exactly what you're trying to do.  We've certainly learned a lot from this project so far though!

Jesse

Message 52 of 73
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Anonymous
Not applicable

So now that I have got this far and have figured various things out along the way, perhaps I should start fresh and maybe have a cleaner history and see if that clears up any issues.

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So now that I have got this far and have figured various things out along the way, perhaps I should start fresh and maybe have a cleaner history and see if that clears up any issues.

Message 53 of 73
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Anonymous
Not applicable

Sounds like a plan, or you could just delete everything back to where you begin the lofting process (I scrubbed the timeline back first to quickly find that).  Just a few possible tips.  (First, you did what I forgot/never realized that you can select multiple profiles along the single loft "path".) I deselected Chain Selection, but kept Merge Edges, and I was able to just go around selecting all the spline segments at the different levels, and when they all matched, it would make a loft along everything.  I ran into trouble with the bottom most spline, and also further around the guitar, likely due to gaps between the spline segments that need a little fixing via Coincident constraints or what not.

demo.jpg

 

Also one possible way to nicely make areas where there are special cuts, like that circular area in the bottom right of the body, is to just first draw your contour lines to extend along that area, such that your loft (possibly a single loft as per the first tip) extends over that area.  Then later you can make the guitar sides which can then be used to trim the overhanging loft. 

I admire your persistence!

Jesse

0 Likes

Sounds like a plan, or you could just delete everything back to where you begin the lofting process (I scrubbed the timeline back first to quickly find that).  Just a few possible tips.  (First, you did what I forgot/never realized that you can select multiple profiles along the single loft "path".) I deselected Chain Selection, but kept Merge Edges, and I was able to just go around selecting all the spline segments at the different levels, and when they all matched, it would make a loft along everything.  I ran into trouble with the bottom most spline, and also further around the guitar, likely due to gaps between the spline segments that need a little fixing via Coincident constraints or what not.

demo.jpg

 

Also one possible way to nicely make areas where there are special cuts, like that circular area in the bottom right of the body, is to just first draw your contour lines to extend along that area, such that your loft (possibly a single loft as per the first tip) extends over that area.  Then later you can make the guitar sides which can then be used to trim the overhanging loft. 

I admire your persistence!

Jesse

Message 54 of 73
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Anonymous
Not applicable

A few other thoughts.  First, what I meant to say regarding how I realized can select a bunch of profiles for a single loft, is it's a great feature, since it then automatically creates tangency from one profile to the next, not having to do this manually as is the case in multiple lofts from one elevation to the next (although as an aside that manual method does allow adjustment of tangency weight at each level).  Another simple thought, is it may be helpful to make each of your contours closed, so that each, at each level, gets that filled in effect, immediately verifying that it is indeed fully closed, i.e. no gaps between spline segments.  To make these fully closed, could just make junk section of each contour where don't intend to actually use contour/profile, and don't intend to make loft there. With chain selection unchecked yet merge edges remaining checked in the loft options, can still select loft segments, not the complete closed loop profiles, if so desire. 

Will be great to hear how it goes if you so choose this mission!

Jesse

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A few other thoughts.  First, what I meant to say regarding how I realized can select a bunch of profiles for a single loft, is it's a great feature, since it then automatically creates tangency from one profile to the next, not having to do this manually as is the case in multiple lofts from one elevation to the next (although as an aside that manual method does allow adjustment of tangency weight at each level).  Another simple thought, is it may be helpful to make each of your contours closed, so that each, at each level, gets that filled in effect, immediately verifying that it is indeed fully closed, i.e. no gaps between spline segments.  To make these fully closed, could just make junk section of each contour where don't intend to actually use contour/profile, and don't intend to make loft there. With chain selection unchecked yet merge edges remaining checked in the loft options, can still select loft segments, not the complete closed loop profiles, if so desire. 

Will be great to hear how it goes if you so choose this mission!

Jesse

Message 55 of 73
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Anonymous
Not applicable

Another option is to do Tspline lofts, and that gives a mesh that can be edited nicely after the loft is performed.  To see the mesh though it seems like sometimes the materials like wood need to be turned off.  Another cool thing I was playing around with is creating a Tspline mesh over the guitar face.  In Sculpt environment, I went to Modify>Convert and chose Brep, allowing me to choose the faces of the guitar top.  It seems to have trouble with the back of the guitar for some reason:

 

aaaa.jpg

 

But the front converted to a Brep surface fine.  I also played around with Modify>Merge Edges in Sculpt environment which seems to work really well if want to make single contiguous mesh/surface:

aaaa2.jpg

 

The top is actually flat just like you had it before, but the curved mesh line gives appearance that top is curved.

Here's another perspective:

aaaa3.jpg

 

Just some thoughts, and I can upload the model if you would like to play around with it.

Jesse

0 Likes

Another option is to do Tspline lofts, and that gives a mesh that can be edited nicely after the loft is performed.  To see the mesh though it seems like sometimes the materials like wood need to be turned off.  Another cool thing I was playing around with is creating a Tspline mesh over the guitar face.  In Sculpt environment, I went to Modify>Convert and chose Brep, allowing me to choose the faces of the guitar top.  It seems to have trouble with the back of the guitar for some reason:

 

aaaa.jpg

 

But the front converted to a Brep surface fine.  I also played around with Modify>Merge Edges in Sculpt environment which seems to work really well if want to make single contiguous mesh/surface:

aaaa2.jpg

 

The top is actually flat just like you had it before, but the curved mesh line gives appearance that top is curved.

Here's another perspective:

aaaa3.jpg

 

Just some thoughts, and I can upload the model if you would like to play around with it.

Jesse

Message 56 of 73
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Anonymous
Not applicable

I appreciate all the help.  But I can finally announce success!

 

I started completely over, still had some isues with the face splits, but some persistance, and different work flows attempted resulted in a finished solid.  A few holes etc to put through the body, but I am at a point I can start playing with the CAM portion of the software and test cut the top in some cheap wood or MDF.

 

FINAL LP TOP.jpg

1 Like

I appreciate all the help.  But I can finally announce success!

 

I started completely over, still had some isues with the face splits, but some persistance, and different work flows attempted resulted in a finished solid.  A few holes etc to put through the body, but I am at a point I can start playing with the CAM portion of the software and test cut the top in some cheap wood or MDF.

 

FINAL LP TOP.jpg

Message 57 of 73
brianrepp
in reply to: Anonymous

brianrepp
Community Manager
Community Manager

Looking good!  Be sure to report back on your progress, would love to see some pics once you've done your initial test run.

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Looking good!  Be sure to report back on your progress, would love to see some pics once you've done your initial test run.

Message 58 of 73
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Anonymous
Not applicable

Oh wow, that's great to hear.  Now a successful method is known/developed to make guitar bodies and the like precision style!  It's hard to say, but getting to make it physically now may be even more fun 😉

Jesse

0 Likes

Oh wow, that's great to hear.  Now a successful method is known/developed to make guitar bodies and the like precision style!  It's hard to say, but getting to make it physically now may be even more fun 😉

Jesse

Message 59 of 73
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Anonymous
Not applicable

A few more pics to share.  I stay up way too late at night working in this thing.  Plus a photo of a guitar I have made before with my CNC.  This however is more of a challenge since the top isn't flat.

WIP Guitar.jpg

 

Body.jpg

0 Likes

A few more pics to share.  I stay up way too late at night working in this thing.  Plus a photo of a guitar I have made before with my CNC.  This however is more of a challenge since the top isn't flat.

WIP Guitar.jpg

 

Body.jpg

Message 60 of 73
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Anonymous
Not applicable

nicks guitar.jpg

 

skull guitar.jpg

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nicks guitar.jpg

 

skull guitar.jpg

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