Extrude

[yoda 400]

at present i use autocad 2000 the only problem i have with this version is when you extrude along a closed polyline the resulting solid is often moved to get over the problem i draw two seperate polylines then union the resulting solids. 2002 still has this problem does 2004 and is it worth the upgrade 2002 didnt impress me will 2004

[robfowler]

I never knew you could extrude along a path which was a closed polyline. I've always thought that the path had to be open. Like you say, the parts can be unioned after being extruded, but I thought that was always the way it had to be done - just one of AutoCAD's limitations I guess.

Acad 2004 has not done much progress on the 3D modelling side of things and I would really liked to have seen some improvements here. Just a couple of things on my wish list and that is to be able to

1) loft in 3D using solids where lofting is being able to say get a transition piece between a rectangle and some other shape on a different plane (eg ellipse).

2) have a variable fillet along a solid's edge.

It's not unreasonable for Autodesk to include such tools when other 3D modelling packages costing a lot less have this functionality.

Rob.

[Mr T]

1) loft in 3D using solids where lofting is being able to say get a transition piece between a rectangle and some other shape on a different plane (eg ellipse).


You can do that using rulesurf as a surface just now.

Nick

[robfowler]

Yes Nick, but I would like to be able to do it with solids.

Rob.

[fuccaro]

...when you extrude along a closed polyline the resulting solid is often moved ...
Just move the shape do you want to extrude at the start point of the path. Even if the path is a closed polyline, it has a start point.

[Flores]

Acad 2004 has not done much progress on the 3D modelling side of things and I would really liked to have seen some improvements here. Just a couple of things on my wish list and that is to be able to

1) loft in 3D using solids where lofting is being able to say get a transition piece between a rectangle and some other shape on a different plane (eg ellipse).

2) have a variable fillet along a solid's edge.

It's not unreasonable for Autodesk to include such tools when other 3D modelling packages costing a lot less have this functionality.

Rob.
Autodesk has included this in Mechanical Desktop for several years now. By the way, which programs have these features and are cheaper than AutoCAD?

Flores

[Mr T]

Yes Nick, but I would like to be able to do it with solids.

Rob.

Ah okay you knew that, sorry. I have MechDesktop 2004/Acad 2004 and Inventor 7 came free. That was june and I still have not used it coz it aint installed yet on my school network !!!!. Anyway inventor should be good for easy rendering and plotting.

Although I still enjoy 2D drafting with S and G grades.

Cheers

Nick

[terryuk]

I would say don't use a closed pline as a path!

BUT what is a closed pline?

Hold your hand in front of you and you see 5 digits or 5 posts
and 4 panels ( think of a fence)

Move your hand so that your thumb and little finger touch.

You still have 5 and 4 or generally n and n-1 posts and panels.

This is an open pline because the first and last points share the same location.

A close pline, do the hand thing again, this time think closed and add a panel between the first and last point a gap between little finger and thumb.

This is closed 5 posts 5 pannels or n & n.

To make a open pline that looks closed. Draw and at the end pick the
start point as the end point DO NOT close it.

This will work as a path.

Terry Rawkins



at present i use autocad 2000 the only problem i have with this version is when you extrude along a closed polyline the resulting solid is often moved to get over the problem i draw two seperate polylines then union the resulting solids. 2002 still has this problem does 2004 and is it worth the upgrade 2002 didnt impress me will 2004