Creating Double Curved Surfaces

[Anonymous]

HI I've just started teaching my self 360 for some projects and I've got the very basics which has allowed me to design a part with a double curved surface through modeling a dish and cutting the shape from that dish. This works fine but give me an even curve to the part all over. What I am after is two slightly different curves on two planes. Is this possible? I have attached the current part I have modeled but would like the curve along the Z axis to increase.

[chrisplyler · Accepted solution]

Maybe this will give you some ideas:

[mavigogun]

Great instruction there from Chris, who shows you not just how to do it, but how to do it well by incorporating Fusion's parametric nature.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for that great video really helped with finding ways to achieve what I wanted. I also managed to get the double curve by using the loft tools by modeling the first curved section and then lofting it along a curve to meet the second curve giving me the model pictured. 

thank you for the help really appreciated!!

[chrisplyler]

Loft can give you even more control over this, because you can create a curve on which the radius varies from one end to the other.

In my video using the sweep, of course the radius of the arc is constant all the way across.

[mikejsmith1985]

Trying to follow along with this video but there is no sound (not sure if that's intentional...) but it seems that most of what's being used here is outside of my current skillset and I'm not able to follow along very well is there audio that accompanies this to give additional explanation that may help me to understand?

thanks!

[chrisplyler]

I don't record audio when I do a video at work, because I don't want my coworkers wondering what the heck I'm doing.

That video demonstrates one way of making a compound curve, by:

1. Extruding a rectangular block.

2. Setting up a curved Path over that block which will define a radius in one direction.

3. Setting up a curved Profile at the end of that Path, which will define the radius in the other direction.

4. Sweeping that Profile along that Path to cut off the top of the rectangular block.

5. Trying out various dimensional changes to adjust the first radius, the second radius, the direction the Path takes, and the height of the rectangular block to make sure the intersection happens all the way through.

If you ask specific questions about the bits you don't follow, I will try to explain them in more detail.

[mikejsmith1985]

Thanks, I was able to replicate the end result using the 2 arcs and sweep function, and complete my design. But what lost me was the "R lines" which after reading your reply I am now clear that was a radius. But I still don't know what you set that radius off of it appears to be a random point underneath the object...

Thanks again!

[chrisplyler]

The radius point of an arc WILL be at a random place until you also control some other aspects of it. In my video, I add control of the end points' locations relative to the origin point, both outwards from center and above it. I did it this way because I wanted to be able to tilt the arc. Another approach would be to constrain the radius point to some known/defined place, but then the resulting freedom of tilt would not exist.

How you decide to constrain things depends on how you might expect to modify them later.

[mikejsmith1985]

Got it! Looking forward to trying this out later now that I understand it better 👍

[Anonymous]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks so much for all the help so far on this. Ive had time to play around with this concept a bit now and have it pretty dialed in with what im trying to create.

One final question I have is, when using the sweep or loft commands on the model can i then edit the radius of one of the curves after the extrude? 

I.e I would like the top down curvature to be different at the top and bottom, more curve at the bottom and slightly flaatter at the top?

Hope this makes sense. Ive added a sketch of what I mean.

Thanks Again

[davebYYPCU]

There is a bit of terminology mis mash in there.

You can do what you ask - only by using Loft.

Deciding which Tool to get it done, I use a few basic guides, (can I ...?)

Extrude - square to the profile, tapers are allowed, don’t need a Path.

Sweep, - in general, same (1) profile, needs guidance to get the other end,  can get fancy with Path, Guide Rail, Guide Surface, but less control than Loft.

Loft,  unlimited profiles and rails.  Will not tolerate sloppy construction, or self intersections.

In your Case, Loft 2 adjustable profiles, takes the other 2 tools out of the game.

There are exceptions of course.

Might help....

[chrisplyler · Accepted solution]

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@Anonymous wrote:

One final question I have is, when using the sweep or loft commands on the model can i then edit the radius of one of the curves after the extrude?

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With loft, you...

1. Create a Sketch containing your Path curve,

2. Construct a Plane-on-a-Path at each end of that Path curve,

3. Create Sketches (one one each of those two Planes) containing your desired start and end Profiles.

4. Loft between those two Profiles, using the Path curve as a Guide Rail.

Then you can edit either end of the loft.

[Anonymous]

I'm new to F360 yet, so forgive my rudimentary understanding.  Thinking through this, you would apply this methodology to create a (roughly) rectangular shape with 4 different edge profiles (4 different shapes viewed from respective ends) that blended in a smoothly arced face, as well?

Essentially follow the above steps, but instead of one Path curve, 2 distinct Paths terminating in 2 distinct Profiles at either end of the Paths.  If so, would that require offset planes for the Path curves as well?

[davebYYPCU]

That is Design Dependant.

So far you have two profiles, only Loft can get you going.  (Sweep might do it)

Loft allows unlimited number of connecting rails, to drive the cross sections of the body, at any point between the two profiles.  

How you provide the rails, is Design Dependant, but usually there are sketch planes that connect through the profiles, but that is not a rigid requirement.

Might help.....

[chrisplyler]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I'm new to F360 yet, so forgive my rudimentary understanding.  Thinking through this, you would apply this methodology to create a (roughly) rectangular shape with 4 different edge profiles (4 different shapes viewed from respective ends) that blended in a smoothly arced face, as well?

Essentially follow the above steps, but instead of one Path curve, 2 distinct Paths terminating in 2 distinct Profiles at either end of the Paths.  If so, would that require offset planes for the Path curves as well?

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Apologies, but I do not understand what you're describing at all. Firstly, what are "edge profiles?" And you lose me further and further after that.