How do i project a surface thats on a compound angle flat?

[MURRAY MACHINE]

Is there a way to do this in X or even 9.1? I can't just rotate my part. I need to get the surface flat,i've had to send 3d models to the engineering dept in the past and they can do it in Auto Cad.

 

Thanks

[Mcam Nut]

You could project the geometry then create a flat boundry surface

[MURRAY MACHINE]

HUH?

[Guest]

murray machine,

 

if you put your file on the ftp site i am sure someone here could help you.

[Lee.]

Murray, are you wanting the surface to be exactly as you would see it in a certain plane?

[Müřlıń®]

quote:

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I can't just rotate my part.

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Yes you can but it takes a few trys to get it in the right plane.

 

 

You can mess with the WCS and do it but I am stupid and can't figure the WCS out.

 

So I cheat and just create edge curves on 2 of the edges. If they are splines, go into 3-d mode and draw a line on top of them so you can analyze the angle

.

 

Then analyze it in one plane and rotate it to that angle.

 

Then switch to another view and analyze it in that plane and rotate the amount needed.

 

You have to do it a couple times to get it to line up but it can be done that way. I do it all the time.

 

If I could figure the WCS out it would be alot easier though...

[Greg VN]

I'm not sure what you are asking but squash comes to mind......

[MURRAY MACHINE]

"Murray, are you wanting the surface to be exactly as you would see it in a certain plane?"

 

 

Yes, I want the surfaces rotated flat.

 

 

"Yes you can but it takes a few trys to get it in the right plane.

 

 

You can mess with the WCS and do it but I am stupid and can't figure the WCS out.

 

So I cheat and just create edge curves on 2 of the edges. If they are splines, go into 3-d mode and draw a line on top of them so you can analyze the angle

.

 

Then analyze it in one plane and rotate it to that angle.

 

Then switch to another view and analyze it in that plane and rotate the amount needed.

 

You have to do it a couple times to get it to line up but it can be done that way. I do it all the time.

 

If I could figure the WCS out it would be alot easier though..."

 

LOL , thats exatcly how i've done it in the past but there has to be an easier way.

[?Mark]

There should be a powerpoint presentation on ftp, curtesy of Hardmill explaining wcs's.

This is a best way to go in your example.

 

hth

[Müřlıń®]

quote:

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LOL , thats exatcly how i've done it in the past but there has to be an easier way

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There is and it is by using the WCS.

 

But I haven't used the WCS enough to become profecient at it...

 

Problem is that I only need to align with WCS once a year or so and then I forget how.

Most of the time I can flip it around easier, faster, the dummy way faster than figuring out the WCS...

[Troy Gossett Indepak Inc.]

I'm not sure if this will help in your situation, but I have found that when working with abstract shaped parts that if I first create a Bounding Box around the part it makes it easier to isolate the planes of the part. Creating a Bounding box also helps in finding the XYZ extents of a surface model.

 

Troy

[gblack]

Another way to get your surface "flat" is to project an arbitrary point into the surface and select the points/lines option which will create a surface normal vector. You can then use the views/normal function and select the line which will put the surface flat.

[Jerosu]

If I'm understanding you correctly you want to click "Planes" in the bottom toolbar thingy. Then choose "Geometry" from the menu. Click the surface, then arrow through the views in the little box that pops up until XYZ is like you want it. When you click the green arrow it pops up a box where you can name the view, set your WCS to it, etc

[gblack]

Choose planes then normal and select the line you created.