curving corrigated object

Hi, i am trying to model something like a weeping tile. The problem is getting the corrugated surface to curve. So think of a pipe that is corrugated and the pipe is doing a S curve. Its all well and good going straight but it wont make a curve.

You can "Sweep" a corrugated profile along an arc as long as it is not so tight as to turn in on it's self.

Here is a sample if I am following you correctly.

KC

i trying to get something like the bendy part of a bendy straw.

so like the image, i can get it to be straight but i cant get it to bend as well.

I have try sweep, loft and tabulate surface, with the best of my knowledge.

thanks.

Well, It is possible but will take a little more than a few clicks.

You can use a combination of "Sweep" and "Polar Array" to get pretty much any angle you need.

Create your corrugated profile, sweep it around the smaller circle and use a polar array the new solid around a larger circle.

Then sweep 2 more circles for the outside and inside diameter of the pipe. Subtract the inside to make it hollow.

Now you can slice it into what ever angled sections you need. You'll have to repeat the process for larger radii.

Combine the solids so you can manipulate them easily.

There is probably a script somewhere for this but I have yet to find one.

Good Luck

KC

That's a great idea!

I'm not sure I'll ever need it, but that was a bit of genius KC.

Thanks for that mini-tutorial.

...i can get it to be straight but i cant get it to bend as well.

I would use something like Autodesk Inventor for this - there is a Bend Part command.

But the question arises, "Do you really need this modeled or will a cosmetic texture suffice?"

Usually something like this will go in an assembly or otherwise be shown from a bit of a distance such that the difference between modeled ribs and cosmetic texture would not be noticable. With the advantage that the tube is much much easier to model with a simple Sweep, Revolve or Extrude and apply material texture than it would be to faithfully represent the ribs. Lot faster for the computer to manipulate as well. Smaller file size...

Here is a real quick Inventor example - one with cosmetic round texture and one with helix. Now imagine putting that in an assembly and backing out a bit on the view.