too many points/vertex - help me to loft this shape

[Anonymous]

I have too similar shapes and I need to loft them but Inventor is creating wrong results - how to reduce number of points in a closed loop ?

[TheCADWhisperer]

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@Anonymous wrote:

.... how to reduce number of points in a closed loop ?

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Attach *.ipt file here.

I will start new sketch and trace over the old sketch using proper geometry.

Done!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for a reply,

I will have many sketches to re-do, do you want to create whole design for me ?

I need a solution that I could apply in a future.

The whole story is... I imported a mesh (95k faces), turned it into solid and created sketch via "Project cut edges" and you can see a result on a screen shot.

Actualy I am trying to improve a model that someone sent me. I think we could call it reverse engineering. So ultimately I want to redraw whole model in Inventor and I thought projecting cut edges and lofting the shapes is a good idea, is it ?

[TheCADWhisperer]

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@Anonymous wrote:

... do you want to create whole design for me ?

... imported a mesh ...

....trying to improve a model ...

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Can you attach the original mess, er I mean mesh, file here?

[Anonymous]

Thanks again for the reply, mesh is in the attachment

[TheCADWhisperer]

This is an advanced geometry design.

How much experience do you have with Inventor?

How much experience do you have with the Form (freeform) tools in Inventor?

Fusion 360 might (emphasis on the might) be a better tool for this design.

[Anonymous]

I've done like 50 projects from scratch, I would guess simple ones. For freeform modeling I am using Blender, didn't like the one in Inventor (zero expierience here).

Fusion360 ? I might try this one...

Back to my first question - so there's no way to simplify/reduce number of points in a closed loop ? Because those projected sketches seems to be decent base to work on. I planned to make some  projected cross-sections and than go on with editing those lofted shapes. If "auto-reducing" isn't in Inventor I will just trace the shape as you mentioned at beginning.

Back to my expierience with Inventor - I think I can do this project but it feels like there's easier (faster?) way to do it.

[TheCADWhisperer]

Don't take this video as indication of an Easy Button solution - I don't think there is one.

[Anonymous]

Thanks again ! This looks very simmilar to the idea with projecting cut edges directly in Inventor. What if we don't have to be very precise in our work ? Cuz what I planned is to do 10-20 cross-sections and lofting them - at the moment I just need to transfer general dimensions into solid, I dont need to be very precise, with all the details, angles of curves, holes, tiny objects etc. - It will be all polished later on. Right now I need general idea of the shape in .step file.

[TheCADWhisperer]

You are starting from a mesh.

Mesh is rubbish.  Planar faceted faces.

Do your sections and then start new sketch and trace over them using proper geometry.

Model as surface patches (not as a solid).

You still have considerable work getting anything of reasonable quality.

[Anonymous]

Thanks a lot ! I am gettin right into it ! Already installed Fusion360 but I will stick with Inventor at the moment. Thanks again for your time and tips !

P.S. Proper geometry = lines & splines in sketches right ?

P.S. I am looking into PowerShape software too (but as I said I am stickin with Inventor this time)