Topic: AutoCAD tubing question

[MiniSimp]

I'm having problems joining pieces of tubing.
I'm using REVSURF to draw the tubing and 3DCORBIT for the display.
My problem is I can't get the 2 pieces of tube to join together seamlessly.

Any ideas?

[OffRoadGal]

Dang! I just tried the 3DCORBIT command and I got my floorplan spinning! Too funny!

I don't work in 3D, Mini, but I have some friends that that do, I'll pose the question to them and let you know what i hear.

This is also a great resource for CAD questions:

www.augi.com you have to register first, and then go to the forums. There are some great people there.

[MiniSimp [OP]]

Thanks ORG, if you figure this out I'll give you a   

[OffRoadGal]

sweet! erm...wait a minute

[chim]

try over extending the pipes right through eachother, then do a union and erase the overhang..  This is of course using AutoCAD 14.....

[MiniSimp [OP]]

That is what I did in the bottom tube.
I was unable to CROP the REVSURF.

[MiniSimp [OP]]

PBB recommends Bend Tech software, but I would really like to learn to do it on CAD

[OffRoadGal]

OK I don't know if this will help you, my co-worker said the easiest way to do this is "You draw a poly line & a circle perpendicular to it & extrude along a path (the poly line)"

Draw a polyline the length of the pipe and fillet it with the radius you need.

Make sure your UCSFOLLOW is set to 0 then align your UCS with one side of the polyline (he used UCS > 3 and picked two points on the PLINE to align it was one side.
Then rotate your UCS around the Z axis 90 degrees and the Y axis 90 degrees so you UCS is now perpendicular to the PLINE. Draw a circle the diameter of the pipe with the center being the end of the PLINE, then EXTRUDE the Circle along a PATH, the PATH being the PLINE.

And WAHLAH (I'll follow with pics) (I'm working in ACAD 2000 )

[OffRoadGal]

actually I had to rotate my X, Y's and Z's till I got it to align perpendicularly properly. Anyway here are some pics:

[OffRoadGal]

in the first pic, the blue is the PLINE of course and the magenta is the CIRCLE, then you just do EXTRUDE > [pick the circle > enter] > PATH [pick the pline]

[OffRoadGal]

Here's another answer from another co-worker brainiac:

There are a number of ways this could be done, depending on how you want the tube’s joint to look:
 

1)       Draw the path out using a polyline (or 3d polyline) and extrude the circle around that.  This has a chance of slightly offsetting the pipe, however, depending on the complexity of the path and the location of the polyline in relation to the circle.  If the polyline is at the top, the center, or a cardinal edge of the circle (right or left tangent), it may also have an effect on whether the corner is curved or sharp; I think this also depends on the version of CAD.

2)       A slightly more complex way – Extend the tubes past each other, change the UCS to the plane of the bisector of the arc (you could geometrically construct this), and slice both spheres.  The critical thing is that the planes of the sphere match.  This is somewhat more problematic, as it is more complex (especially if you union them) and you might get the dreaded coexistent face problems or even, Heaven forbid, uneditable solids if it goes too far.  This is guaranteed to get a curving face.

Of course, these are both Boolean solid methods of modeling.  If you wanted to make the tubes hollow, you could offset the circle you extrude to the inside of the initial circle, offset the polyline path to match (if applicable), and extrude around the offset things.  Since they are using ‘revsurf’ instead of ‘revolve’, this is a somewhat different method (make a mesh?)

If that makes sense to you....GO FOR IT (actually, I do get the gist of it) Are you just learning CAD, Mini, or have you been working in it?

[OffRoadGal]

PBB recommends Bend Tech software, but I would really like to learn to do it on CAD

this is really creepy!

[MiniSimp [OP]]

ORG, while in 3DCORBIT right click, go to SHADING MODES then select GOURAUD SHADED.
See if that changes the look a little.

[MiniSimp [OP]]

Are you just learning CAD, Mini, or have you been working in it?

I'm kinda on the self taught program. It's been fun.
This is about the best I've done so far:

[Lady Di]

ORG, while in 3DCORBIT right click, go to SHADING MODES then select GOURAUD SHADED.
See if that changes the look a little.

She's not at work anymore. That might have been what she needed. but it will be a solid, to make a tube you need to offset the circle (say 1/8") and extrude that as well then subtract it from the outer extrusion.
That AUGI link that I posted is the best resource you will ever find for CAD questions (Autodesk User Group International) I've been a part of that forum for at least 6-7 years.
Lots of great people always willing to help and the Coffee without CAD is a fun offtopic area.
Definately check that out, especially if you are teaching yourself.
PM or email me if you want more info. I've been doing CAD for 7-8 years now, and have a lot of contacts.

[Lady Di]

btw - those are really good for being self taught I love working in AutoCAD.

[Lady Di]

this is weird. I posted to replies last night, I don't see them when I view the thread but when I tried to repost this morning they show up as with the "Warning - while you were typing 2 new replies have been posted. You may wish to review your post. "

Lets see if this posts

[Lady Di]

FInally, that was weird, I saw the same thing happening on a couple other threads.

[MiniSimp [OP]]

Wierd

[cadguy]

Hey minisimp. Mrs WM told me about your problem. what are you trying to accomplish with this object? Are you wanting to turn this into surfaces for machining or what? I got the two extrusions to join using plain vanilla acad and slicing the two intersecting ends and thne doing a boolean union to turn it into one part.

[Willy Mammoth]

Hey Cadguy how's it goin? Welcome to the board, when you putin Yota parts in yer Dodge.? 

  here's a point for signing up.

[Lady Di]

Cadguy needs a cool avatar.