Get 3D object length

[Anonymous]

Attached is a 3D object which you would like to know its length and inclination angle.

How to get information from this object?

I can get the length of 2D objects, but 3D still can not.

Thanks!

[doaiena]

There was a topic on this subject in one of the forums, but i can't find it now. It was about finding the UCS bounding box of a 3dSolid. The general concept was:
1. Align UCS to the object

2. Transform the object UCS->WCS

3. Get the object's bounding box

4. Transform the object WCS->UCS

That was the basic idea to get the dimensions of a 3dsolid, that is not aligned to the WCS.

[Kent1Cooper]

Use VPOINT or DVIEW or the NavCube to look at it from some direction in which you can Osnap to corners without ambiguity as to top vs. bottom, etc.  Then the DIST command will tell you all about it:

Command: DIST
Specify first point: {picked an end of a bottom edge}
Specify second point or [Multiple points]: {picked other end of same edge}
Distance = 678.0000,  Angle in XY Plane = 174,  Angle from XY Plane = 0
Delta X = -673.7508,  Delta Y = 75.7879,   Delta Z = 0.0000

Command:  DIST

Specify first point: {picked an end of a top edge}
Specify second point or [Multiple points]: {picked other end of same edge}
Distance = 718.0000,  Angle in XY Plane = 174,  Angle from XY Plane = 0
Delta X = -713.5002,  Delta Y = 80.2591,   Delta Z = 0.0000

[Anonymous]

How to make -> 2. Transform the object UCS->WCS

[Anonymous]

how to transform ucs-> wcs? What are wcs?

[doaiena]

UCS - User Coordinate System

WCS - World Coordinate System

Transform - move, rotate or scale an object

The basic idea is to align the object to the WCS, because the bounding box of the object is always aligned to the WCS. If the object is at an angle relative to the WCS, you will get a false measurement. Once you have the bounding box, you transform the object back to its original position/orientation.

[rob_oapps_7913]

The bounding box of a 3D solid is not adequate discerning the size of a 3D solid body unless the the solid itself is a box .  However, you can obtain the volume of the 3D solid AND the bounding box to determine which solids in the drawing are the same size.  Once you obtain a count of the similar objects you can use the volume to calculate the approximate weight of the object.  To obtain the size of each side of the 3D solid you need to explode a copy of the solid and select it's components.  You then can walk through the selectin set and the pieces of the 3D solid (i.e. faces, regions, loops(aka holes, fillets, corner radii, etc.)) will be available for you to measure and document the solid.  Note that this can all be automated using code.  I have not been able to find a program that performs this function on an entire 3D model.  If you know of one then please enlighten me to let me know...

TANX.Rob