Jump to content

-bending???


TheNewGuy

Recommended Posts

OK I got a tough one. Is there a simple way to "bend" this spring so that is does not project through the 3d square? I am trying to replicate the way that it actually looks in real life. I tried stretching and that did not work. I could attempt to create several pieces of helix at different vertical growth settings then put them together, but that would be labor intensive. Is there a simpler way? It seems like there should be.

spring question2.dwg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You can't have it both ways. You want to represent it just as it looks in the real world but you don't want to create the geometry to do so. Just suck it up and start the labor intensive work before the deadline is here and gone. Or give it to someone with Inventor. Perhaps they can accurately depict the spring as you wish. Looks like a design flaw anyway. Who would intentionally put something in the path of a spring and expect it to work as it should?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ouch.... It is a tension spring and maybe it could have been designed better but it was a custom designed machine and there is no need to modify the design now as it works perfectly and has done so since 1978.(before I was born) Any way you did answer my question in a way, so thanks,I guess...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

check out the showcase forum. fucarro has a post for a telephone corde which he created a helix along a spline path(i think). I didnt open your file yet but i guess this is what you are looking for.

 

I do not know of any way to "stretch or bend" something that in acad. Inventor will dynamically model a spring but i still dont think you can bend it around an object, but ive never tried.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Inventor will dynamically model a spring but i still dont think you can bend it around an object, but ive never tried.

 

Sure you can.

spring.PNG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sure you can.

 

 

Incidentally - that was a close-up of a project I did 3 years ago in Inventor. The spring is actually more complex than that single bend. I will try to post a picture of the spring later today.

stapler.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

space ball:)

 

JD did you model the spring bent or did you draw it linear and bend it? I was saying i didnt think there was a way to dynamicaly alter a spring(except in the dynamic simulation). i would love to know how to do this though if there is a way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

JD did you model the spring bent or did you draw it linear and bend it?

 

Back then there was no Bend command in Inventor so I had to do quite a bit of work to create a 3D sketch for sweep path.

 

Would be much easier to do today.

 

As far as dynamically bending it that would still be quite a challenge. On something as simple as the example the OP posted I think I could make it adaptive, but my example was far more complex at the ends that can't be seen and it would really drag the performance down to unusable even if possible. Helixes really slow things down. Bend a helix and you can go get a cup of coffee while it calculates. Adaptive bend - I imagine you can go buy the pot and the coffee while it is calculating, if it works at all. Kind of defeats the purpose of dynamics. In that case I think I would use a cosmetic texture on a simple spring. There is an example of sort of what I would do (without the texture) in the Samples folder called Scissors. It has a flat spring that bends as the scissors are open and closed. Make that flat spring thicker and add a texture that looks like a coiled spring...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So to sum up, there is no way to do this in autocad2002 other than to calculate the geometry in sections and piece it together. But If I had Inventor I could simply bend the existing spring.?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So i guess along the same topics, even though we are out of acad realm now, could you create a flat bar or cylinder that would act as the spring around the block?

 

to the original poster. The spring you have modeled is just a helix and has no solid properties. If all you are looking for is a visual representation you can explode your helix and rotate part of it in relation to the rest like the picture i attached. really all its doing is moving part of the helix in relation to the rest. you will not be able to use this as a path for a sweep anymore. If you sweep a circle along that path first. slice it then create a second sweep to reconnect the spring at the bend you will get a 3d soild visual reference.

spring.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok that should work. I eliminated the extrude along a path for posting because of file size. In the model I am working on I have a 3D solid. I like your suggestion it is simple and should work. I feel like I should have thought of that! I have not used the slice command yet so here goes...Thanks for your help!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yea it just needs to stay in one place. I plan to animate this model but I thought I would need to make new springs for each "frame" of the animation that they needed to be different in. Do you have a better way? Thanks again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Incidentally - that was a close-up of a project I did 3 years ago in Inventor. The spring is actually more complex than that single bend. I will try to post a picture of the spring later today.

 

Nice lookin' desktop JD! Mine is somewhat cluttered!

WhiskeyPC.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...