How to connect two tubes in Meshmixer?

[Anonymous]

Hello,

  I was wondering if there is an easy way to use the "add tube" function in Meshmixer to add another tube that connects to one I already created?  For example i created this tooth model with the main root canal and I want to add another one that branches off from it 2/3 of the way down.  Thanks for your help!

[MagWeb · Accepted solution]

You can't generate more than one tube in one go.

You need to accept the first tube and run AddTube again. Now, if you're able to see the inside point at the first tube where the second should end it is no problem to move the tube's ends. But in most cases this is not possible as you can't find a camera position where you see the interior end point directly and AddTube snaps to the first surface where the eye ray hits the object (in most cases the exterior surface).

So:

After you did the first tube on object A go to SELECT.

Select the tube's surface (double clicking its face group) and hit Y to separate it as a new object B.

Hide object A (or set it transparent) and with object B active go to EDIT/CreatePivot. Set its PlacementMode to SurfacePoint and drop a pivot where you want the tube's end to be.

Now show A again and activate A and B. Run EDIT/Combine and EDIT/CloseCracks after that.

Now in AddTube again the tube's handle sphere will snap to the interior pivot as soon as you drag it near to it.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the advice, that worked!