Struggling with making some specific cuts

[t_smith5]

Hey

I'm probably being incredibly thick with this, but I've been struggling the past few hours with trying to make some very specific cuts, and it's getting me frustrated. 😖 I feel like I'm unable to make any progress until I can get these areas sorted out. I've tried adding the lines/cuts to a side sketch/profile and one from the front, and neither one are getting the desired result. I've even tried extruding from the lines as Patches and splitting the faces from that. The ideal solution would be to uncheck the Extend Splitting Tool because checking it is adding the cut all the way around. But usually, every time I uncheck it, I just keep getting an error. 😞

It always says 'no intersection between targets and split tool' and I'm not entirely sure why or what I'm doing wrong. So if I can't use that method, I'm not sure what the best approach is for achieving the desired result.

Splitting this line from the side just looks too wonky from the front, so figured it would need to be done from the front sketch.

But then... the line is too far forward compared to the side sketch. Not to mention the cut around the back, which I don't want. 😫

I mean, I can try adding the lines/cuts a bit further to the side in the front sketch, but I imagine that'll only help so much. I dunno... I'm probably overthinking this as usual, but my mind is drawing a complete blank. 😕 I mean, I might think of a solution once I come away from it, or before someone else responds, but I'll attach the file. I'm always open to new approaches/workflows to solve an issue like this. 🙂

Thanks

[t_smith5]

I've not made a tone of progress - only the first part with the offset parts of the torso. But here's the latest file I have:

[jhackney1972 · Accepted solution]

I am coming in late on this but I think you are trying to sweep a cut around your body.  The video will show the basic process so you can replicate it in any position on your body you desire.  By the way, I finished off your mustache.  Model to follow is attached.

[t_smith5]

Thanks for the video explanation. Very useful as always. 🙂 That certainly clears up how to set up a Sweep. I don't think the groove you added was the approach @etfrench was trying to get across though. Still not sure about that. 😕

Also, a bit late, but managed to find out why I need to work in centimetres, and have been doing in every software package. It's because through the course I'm doing at my university, we work with the Unreal Engine, and that by default uses centimetres. So I think to avoid any potential issues between different packages, we set the metric system to centimetres.

[etfrench]

That is exactly the technique.  The path for the sweep will be the edges of the offset face(s).

[t_smith5]

So... how does having a shallow groove help it to simulate the different sections, exactly? I'm a bit confused why they're important. Also, just to check - do I need to Sweep both of these sections into a new Body or just the one...? Because I have one for that side cut and one at the front.

Thanks

[t_smith5]

Wait. Was your example/suggestion just to add part of the groove for these areas...?

Or were they more for general use...? For any kind of cuts like these? Just to make sure we're on the same page.

[t_smith5]

Yeah, so I understand how to use the Sweep Tool now, or at least - have a better understanding, but I'm still not seeing how this allows me to combine these Surfaces together with the original Body so I have the added cuts made. Playing around with the settings isn't getting me anywhere, sadly. And if I try to do a Sweep with one of those Surfaces I made, I just get an error saying the sweep couldn't create a valid body. So I'm not sure if there's a misunderstanding to what I'm trying to achieve or if I'm still misunderstanding what I should be doing. 😞

[etfrench]

The offsets are just used to create the paths.  Once the paths are done, they can be removed (not deleted).

[t_smith5]

I see. I'm starting to understand the process. 🙂 Though for this front line/edge, I've added a Plane on Path and set it to the top, but trying to sketch something like @jhackney1972 did for the Profile is very difficult based on the angle.

Just from the little circle alone, I was able to cut/Sweep down and add that line. 😄

[t_smith5]

This technique works surprisingly well, once you get the hang of it. 😄 It's done a great job of the rectangular cut at the bottom. 🙂

Just need to figure out how best to do the angled line that runs down the side...

[t_smith5]

@etfrench Any advice for this Sweep/cut...? I can't seem to get it. I've even tried a Plane Tangent to Face at Point and added this cut, but can't seem to get the cut right. 😕

[jhackney1972]

Just a guess without the model, the sweep cut has been successful, you now need to turn off the surface body that is covering it.

[t_smith5]

It still happens if I deselect it/turn it off.

Unlike the rectangular one, that side cut just isn't deep enough. Not quite sure how either with it being on a weird angle. I've attached the latest save file.

[jhackney1972]

You need to get in the habit of showing an overall model reference to the feature you are referring to.  I went to the last sweep in your timeline and it looks fine and is clear cut.  If I am looking at the wrong cut, point it out clearly please.

[t_smith5]

I thought I had in the previous posts... 😅

That cut you've highlighted is the one I managed to figure out and set up without issue (message 30 of 34). The one I'm struggling with is shown in message 29 and 31. 😉

[jhackney1972 · Accepted solution]

Since the ends of this cut ended up on angled planes, I had to use Surfaces to create a tube with angled surface cut ends to create a solid tube that followed the path you wanted cut.  I then used the Combine command to cut the solid tube from the main body to create the cut.  Probably a little beyond your understanding at this point.  You can review the process by stepping through the features marked beginning with the red arrow to the left and moving to the red arrow to the right.  Model is attached.

[etfrench]

That cut is done exactly the same way.  It would probably help to turn visibility of all sketches and bodies off except for Body649.  Once you have created the sweep turn visibility of "Body" back on and complete the sweep:

[t_smith5]

Did you make another profile or did you use the same one? Because I'm still not getting the same result as in your image. 😕 Even if I just have Body649 visible.

[t_smith5]

Thanks for this. I'll have to check out the file tomorrow/in the day and report back. 🙂

[t_smith5]

Brilliant! Thank you so much for this! 😄 It is a lot to take in - scrubbing through each step to see how you've achieved it. It's very clever though how it works. Hopefully this is something I can make use of sometime soon with another project/area.