Filling gaps between hexagonal and pentagonal prisms

[papercrane5678]

I made a wireframe of a soccer ball that I'd like to 3D print, but there are gaps between the prisms (likely due to the curvature). The gaps are especially noticeable if I increase the ball diameter/increase the arm depth toward the center. I feel like I've tried everything (offsetting faces, moving the bodies themselves, extending the surface edges, etc). However, these methods either compromise the wireframe design as I have it now or can't be easily automated.

I would like to keep the overall shape spherical, but would the gap problem be solved if I made it more angular like a proper truncated icosahedron?

Anything will help!!!

[TheCADWhisperer]

@papercrane5678 

Are you attempting to follow a Tutorial?

If yes, what is the link?

What if you do as patterned surface bodies and Stitch before Thicken and Shell?

[papercrane5678]

@TheCADWhisperer: I was following a bunch of different tutorials to get what I wanted, but these were the main ones I used:

1. https://youtu.be/FFXIuMqWVQE?si=cpRxE9CEspgkqLaO
2. https://youtu.be/jTisZWiZiHI?si=_IauyvrOVU-8KrV1
3. https://youtu.be/qyIb5nadNwM?si=BHrcFu-3NVVKP72

I need to be able to define the wire frame arms in both directions (the width and depth). I’ve tried to stitch surfaces then thicken for the initial pentagon and hexagon. However, I wasn’t able to cut a hole (shell) for the hexagon and pentagon independently; the shell would only cut out the hexagon and pentagon together. I also ran into issues using cut-extrude because the surfaces aren’t planar. 

[davebYYPCU · Accepted solution]

Your solid material is not planar for the radial surfaces; (you can't sketch on them - is the quick test.)

I suggest you Extrude with Taper angle to object (sphere).  All the resulting faces are planar.

I can't say if the error stems from the project to surface or Thickening the Patch, either way it's a bug or limitation.

Might help...

[papercrane5678]

@davebYYPCU: Thank you so much, gaps are closed!! I was even able to control the amount of depth by using offset planes and splitting the bodies 🙂