offset/extrude complex surface

[SEIZMICdesign]

Hey F360 folks,

I have what will likely be an easy problem for you to solve. I am trying to offset or extrude a somewhat complex loft straight down, but because of it's curvature, it seems to want to taper inward slightly. I went and tried to offset the current sketches I have down and it almost worked, but somewhare along the line a couple sketches didn't line up and I couldn't stitch all the surfaces. 

So I'm starting over, and I thought I'd ask incase I'm missing something obvious. Is there a way to get the thickness without the deformation? 

I thought about just drawing some 3.5mm sketches down from the current sketch points and lofting or sweeping the surface down or something like that. 

Eventually I am going to have to build the skeleton out completely anyway to some insanely detailed measurements, but this is for a first prototype and was hoping to do it a little quicker & dirtier! 

Thanks in advance for any thoughts & insights!

Powers

[michallach81 · Accepted solution]

To make straight exturde folow these steps:

1. Create plane perpendicular to direction in which you would like to "extrude"

2. Create sketch on that plane

3. From sketch pallet pick "Include 3d Geometry"tool, and pick your surface outline to include. Exit sketch.

4. Use Extrude tool from Path toolbox, and pick newly created 3d sketch, it will be extrude perpendicular to that sketch plane.

5. Copy original surface, and place it on the other end of "extrusion"

6. Watch this:

[michallach81 · Accepted solution]

and one more idea but in many cases may be less robust:

Michał

[SEIZMICdesign]

OMG...... I NEVER would have figured that out on my own! Thanks so much! 

And just out of curiosity, if I were to go back and edit the original sketches which I used to create the original surface, would these surfaces update or will I have to go back and recreate this contraption?

[michallach81]

no problem.

[SEIZMICdesign]

I did it!

 

Would it have been better to do the process to the first half then mirror or is the way I did it (mirror the surface then do the offset) ok? When I tried to fillet the edges there was some weirdness at the seam. Maybe I'll just try it the other way if I have time. Thanks again!