Pattern along path bodies pointing in the wrong direction

[lil.ethereal.x]

Hiya

I have a curved surface that I'd like to add a perimeter of spikes to. Using the pattern along path tool the spikes gradually get more and more out of line with each instance. It's not the orientation drop down in the pattern along path menu causing the problems. Each spike should be perpendicular to the curved surface but by the end it's very far out of line. In order to generate the path for the spikes to follow I had to use what seems like an awkward solution, I don't think this is what's causing the problem but if there's a neater solution I'd love to hear it. The only way to achieve  the look I'm after seems to be to use the plane along path tool and draw a sketch for each spike but this would be pretty tedious as and not very scalable.

Thanks,

Lil xx

[samuel.templeUCPAE]

Hey Lil,

I am a QA on Fusion and will be taking a look at this. I am currently trying to find a workflow that will give you the desired outcome.

Are you wanting the spikes to just go along the edge or are you wanting the the whole surface to be covered?

Just out of interest, can i ask what it is you are designing? I thought it looked like an armoured shoulder pad.

[g-andresen]

Hi,

This is not possible with pattern on path, because there is no orientation of the elements to the respective surface curvature.
The plastic tool "Geometric Pattern" can help here.

günther

[samuel.templeUCPAE]

Yes, Geometric pattern would be a great tool to you if you are looking to have the spikes cover the entire surface area.

If the plan is to have the spikes just around the edge, unfortunately this is a limitation. However, as a work around, you can create the pattern on path and then use move tool to orientate each spike. Would be easier than creating planes and sketching each spike separately. Here is an example of some of the spikes iv moved to be better orientated.
  

[g-andresen]

Hi,

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@samuel.templeUCPAE  schrieb:

If the plan is to have the spikes just around the edge, unfortunately this is a limitation. 
  

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This can be countered by splitting the area for the pattern using the Split Face tool.
However, this requires a bit of experimentation with the area and pattern options.

günther

@lil.ethereal.x 

Note: Geometric pattern is an extension.

[samuel.templeUCPAE]

Hey @lil.ethereal.x 

I have included your model with my edits to save you some time (possibly). I have used pattern on path and then used the move tool on the individual spikes as as work around. I have also included a Geometric pattern, which you will see in the timeline and has been suppressed. To view it, just right click on the feature and choose unsuppress 

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@lil.ethereal.x wrote:

Hiya

I have a curved surface that I'd like to add a perimeter of spikes to. Using the pattern along path tool the spikes gradually get more and more out of line with each instance. It's not the orientation drop down in the pattern along path menu causing the problems. Each spike should be perpendicular to the curved surface but by the end it's very far out of line. In order to generate the path for the spikes to follow I had to use what seems like an awkward solution, I don't think this is what's causing the problem but if there's a neater solution I'd love to hear it. The only way to achieve  the look I'm after seems to be to use the plane along path tool and draw a sketch for each spike but this would be pretty tedious as and not very scalable.

Thanks,

Lil xx

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Please do let me know if you need any more help with this model or if there has been anything I have missed in regards to your desired outcome.

[lil.ethereal.x]

Hiya

Thank you everyone, for your responses.

You're correct, it's a shoulder pad. I have been working on it for a little while but instead of uploading the actual file I've been working on I thought it would be easier to make a new design just to demonstrate my problem, for some reason I didn't make the demonstration file at all to scale so all the dimensions are totally made up.

The actual design has 5 segments so there's some articulation.

I'm planning on bolting premade metal spikes to the main part that will be 3d printed. I'm not sure why I was ever trying to model the spikes in the first place, I should have been trying to model a hole for the bolt to go through so I'm still facing the same problem but with a feature instead of a body.

The spikes just go around the outside of the part with 2 more lines of spikes going across the middle in both directions.

I've tried to come up with a workaround of my own but I'd definitely like some feedback on it.

I ended up using the plane along path tool and a load of sketches which was somehow more tedious than I predicted.

I created  a master sketch with the dimensions of the hole so that if needed I can edit the dimensions of just the master sketch and all the others will update.

When copying a sketch fusion will generate a new number dimension and populate it with the value of the copied dimension at that time rather than just set the new dimension to always be the same as the copied dimension.

So in the master sketch there is the actual master (left) and a copy of the master (right) but the dimensions of the copy (right) are set to always be the same as the master (left).

I did this so I can simply copy the right hand one, paste it into a new sketch and use constraints to position it without having to change the dimensions each time.

I hope this description makes sense.

I've attached the demo with my workaround

Thanks,

Lil

[samuel.templeUCPAE]

Hello Lil,

Ok, so this is a fairly complicated task now that we take into consideration the spikes are separate bodies being bolted to the main body. The bottom of the of each spike will need to be designed slightly differently to the others, as they will sit differently on the curved surface, depending on where they sit. This is if you want them to sit on the face of the main body. I think this would be more complicated and time consuming.

You could create an offset plane from the existing holes you have created(-11mm), on that plane sketch  a circle with the same diameter as the bottom of the spike (32.143mm). Select the circle sketch and use the extrude tool to cut slightly into the main body(2.5). You could then create each spike and use the joint tool to connect to the circular cut out.

The measurements i provided are just examples based on what i was doing to test this out.

Unfortunately there doesnt seem to be a quick or easy answer for what you are hoping to achieve, but i will continue to have a play around this and also speak with some of my colleagues to see if there is a better/more efficient workflow.

[lil.ethereal.x]

Hiya

For reference I've attached the actual file I've been working on.

In the actual design the spikes are packed more densely and I haven't even added the second row of spikes which is why I'm reluctant to make a sketch for each spike.

For the second pad in order to generate the path for the spikes to follow I had to mirror the body then offset the  outside face or Fusion would throw an error at me and for the 4th pad even mirroring the body wouldn't stop fusion erroring when trying to offset the outside face.

Any clues why this is happening?

I've kept the failed workflow and put it in its own component and in its own group within the timeline.

The workaround I used to generate the path for the spikes in the 4th pad actually seems more elegant than the  workflow I've used for the other pads, I'm aware that the spikes aren't going to be 10mm from the edge all the way around but I think I'm okay with that.

I was going to update the other components to have the same workflow as the 4th pad spikes but I figured it's probably not worth it as it still doesn't result in the spikes being perpendicular to the face they're on.

I'm not too worried about the bottom of the spikes sitting on a curved face as I'm planning on cladding the printed parts in some reasonably thick fabric which should help to pad out the areas where the flat bottom of the spikes doesn't make contact with the curved face of the pad.

I'm curious how Fusion is calculating the angle of the spikes, it seems not to relate to anything.

Thanks,

Lil xx

[g-andresen]

Hi,

In the screencast, I show a method that requires some effort, but positions the spikes perpendicular to the surface element.
However, I set the distances by hand.

günther

[g-andresen]

Hi,

just for your information:
The file # 8 cannot be opened with "normal" Fusion versions.

günther