Having a problem with Fill Boundary Layer

[Anonymous]

It is not working for me.  I created a script "form" shape that I simply wanted to thicken.  I tried thicken the entire width but that didn't work.  So I tried to use the Fill Boundary Layer but when ever I pick all the boundarys, it doesn't appear to be selecting a cell so I'm not doing something right.  Also, when I select the cell, it doesn't appear to be filling.  I've never used this function yet.

See the attached image.

Also the attached Project .f3d

I'm trying to fill the "saucer" area flat to the cup.

I don't want someone to do it for me....so I can learn the tool.  I'm trying to understand what I'm doing wrong here.

[HughesTooling]

Fill boundary will only work if there is a closed area, the area in the saucer is open so it can't form a cell. If you go to the patch workspace and select patch from the Create menu and pick the top edge of the saucer then use fill boundary and select the saucer and the patch it will work.

[Anonymous]

When I do that, I see the green and I click ok, but it is still not doing what I am expecting.  I want the "entire saucer" to fill.  When I do what you are talking about "nothing" actually happens.

See attached screen shot. I sketched a circle and even tried to extrude that down into the saucer to fill out the space but I get an error doing that as well.  However, showing the circle shows what I want filled.  I do a sectional analysis and I'm not seeing any difference.

If you look at the history, there are 4 attempts at the boundary fill there at the bottom.

What is Patch for anyway???

[Anonymous]

Well I guess I could put an extra large bottom to the cup to solve the problem since I can't do what I was trying to do.  Without it, the cup is actually hovering in air and this is all "one piece".

[HughesTooling]

OK I see the problem, the new patch has the normals facing the wrong way, on the modify menu select reverse normals. Make sure you undo the boundary fill first.

Edit make sure you undo all the boundary fills.

[HughesTooling · Accepted solution]

Now I look at the boundary fill again it doesn't seem to work, I think the problem is one of your surfaces is self intersecting.

Here's a screencast to demonstrate how to make the saucer solid by deleting some faces the creating patches.

[Anonymous]

Ok, cool.  I learned some stuff there!!.  -Although, it is still unclear to me the difference between patch and model.  Maybe the patch is to fix these "form-based" objects.  I did a slight change in that I only deleted one of the faces instead of both so I could create the base to the cup because that looks more realistic.

I'm right about where you are as shown in my image with the slight change.

However, doesn't that mean in yours and in mine, that the "stitched" saucer is basically "hollow"??  You still have to boundary fill that stitched object right? 

[HughesTooling]

The patch workspace allows you to work with individual surfaces, the model workspace works with solid models\bodies. If you followed what i did and stitch all the surfaces together you should see a white cylinder as the body, in the image below the top body, Body6 is a solid closed polysurface, the 2 below are open surfaces. 

Edit with the model you have in the image yes you could use boundary fiil to make a solid model. I just did a test and if you delete the self intersecting surface and make a patch for the hole at the top and bottom you can use boundary fill to make a solid. There's always more than one way with something like this.

[Anonymous]

Ok, yes, I was missing a step.  I think I got it now.  I did a sectional analysis and it is all filled except for a triangle in the middle of the cup which I believe is because I used thicken and wasn't away of how to work with the patch stuff.  However, I don't believe that empty triangle of space is going to be a problem structurally.

[Anonymous]

Ok, yes, I was missing a step.  I think I got it now.  I did a sectional analysis and it is all filled except for a triangle in the middle of the cup which I believe is because I used thicken and wasn't away of how to work with the patch stuff.  However, I don't believe that empty triangle of space is going to be a problem structurally.

Thanks.