Author Topic: windmill sail  (Read 4321 times)

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Colombian

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windmill sail
« on: July 18, 2008, 12:24:48 AM »
I need to draw a windmill sail in 3D, it has the shape of a fan blade.  I've tried using the revolve tool and tried using the extrude command different ways, but no luck.
Does anyone have any suggestions or tips.  Thank you

Strucmad

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Re: windmill sail
« Reply #1 on: July 18, 2008, 12:41:38 AM »
Have you tried the LOFT command ?

Colombian

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Re: windmill sail
« Reply #2 on: July 18, 2008, 01:02:25 AM »
Have you tried the LOFT command ?

I have AutoCAD 2006, I could not find that command, Thank you.

uncoolperson

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Re: windmill sail
« Reply #3 on: July 18, 2008, 01:50:17 AM »
isn't there some command that creates a solid from a set of cut views? maybe that (or by hand) then revolved?

Hedgehog

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Re: windmill sail
« Reply #4 on: July 18, 2008, 03:47:13 AM »
isn't there some command that creates a solid from a set of cut views? maybe that (or by hand) then revolved?
That'd be the loft command which isn't available in 2006... if you need a precise representation then it could be very tricky to create using solids... you might be able to do it more easily with surfaces.

mjfarrell

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Re: windmill sail
« Reply #5 on: July 18, 2008, 06:43:09 AM »
Perhaps post some views of this windmill blade, and we might be able to advise a different direction than lofting it.
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jnieman

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Re: windmill sail
« Reply #6 on: July 18, 2008, 11:19:47 AM »
What I used to do when I was still on Autocad 2000i was draw a cross section at known locations.

If you KNOW what the cross section is going to look like at certain elevations along the object, draw them in with one polyline.  Once that is done, use the "divide" command in equal amounts (the more points, the more precise) on each polyline.  You now have equally divided polylines at each level.

Now use create a "box" that contains the whole thing.

Slice this box, using the 3 point method, using the points of those polylines.  I tend to not erase either piece created, because sometimes a portion may be needed later and should have to be 'unioned' back into the part.

Just create a 3-point slicing plane that is comprised of two ADJACENT points on the first cross section, and the point on the next cross section that corresponds to the first point you picked of the first pair.

What you'd basically be doing is created a bunch of arbitrary points to create a triangulated solid from.  After you have this very faceted solid, you can round and modify it as necessary to sculpt a more fluid and organic solid.  Autocad is -not- good for organic shapes prior to modern modeling tools.

Attached is an example showing the process part of the way through.  You'll notice I slice the box at the plane of every cross section... this is because I work only with two adjacent cross sections at a time, and prevents slicing planes of lower cross sections from interfering with what could be going on above. 

With more information about your goal, what info you have to start with, etc, we can better suggest alternatives.  You haven't given us much to work with.

Colombian

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Re: windmill sail
« Reply #7 on: July 23, 2008, 01:41:05 AM »
Perhaps post some views of this windmill blade, and we might be able to advise a different direction than lofting it.
Thanks to everyone for all your input, I do not have any pictures because I have not seen a windmill with the sails I want to draw.  I'll attach a dwg. file showing the sails.  The sails are going to have curves like the blades on a fan.
By the way I downloaded the AutoCAD 2009 trial, so I'll be able to use the new tool I did not have before.
Thanks