Topic: Cross section in 3DFACE "mesh"

[SMadsen]

I have a surface "mesh" that consists of tiny triangular 3DFACEs and need to make a cross section, i.e. insert a plane and physically "trim" the faces (no virtual clip-planes). Can anyone suggest a way of how to do this without resolving to programming?

The "mesh" is a contour map of a stone sculpture that was 3D scanned using the Breuckmann method (structured light).

[CADaver]

You might could convert it to a solid using M2S.lps from http://www.accustudio.com/marketplace/freeware.htm then slice it.

[SMadsen]

Thanks Randy. I will definately have a closer look at how that routine works but as it is, it will "only" convert 3d meshes.

I have tiny separate faces that are arranged so they form a triangular mesh .. without actually being a mesh. A 3DMESH can only describe a rectangular mesh as far as I know, so I'm even sure my mesh can be converted to a 3DMESH.

[CADaver]

Thanks Randy. I will definately have a closer look at how that routine works but as it is, it will "only" convert 3d meshes.

I have tiny separate faces that are arranged so they form a triangular mesh .. without actually being a mesh. A 3DMESH can only describe a rectangular mesh as far as I know, so I'm even sure my mesh can be converted to a 3DMESH.

OOPS, sorry, I read the word MESH and missed the "face" part.  Not sure if it helps any, but 3DFACEs can be extruded into 3DSOLIDS.  You may need to write something that will match the UCS to the FACE then EXTRUDE.

[SMadsen]

A 3DMESH can only describe a rectangular mesh as far as I know, so I'm even sure my mesh can be converted to a 3DMESH.

.. should of course be "not even sure .."

That would be worth trying out, CADaver. Extruding, doing a union and slice. Could work. First problem is the amount (172,000 small faces) .. but I'll try it.

[CADaver]

A 3DMESH can only describe a rectangular mesh as far as I know, so I'm even sure my mesh can be converted to a 3DMESH.

.. should of course be "not even sure .."

oops again, typing faster than I think, which doesn't need to be all that fast.

That would be worth trying out, CADaver. Extruding, doing a union and slice. Could work. First problem is the amount (172,000 small faces) .. but I'll try it.

YOIKES Batman, that has coincedent face errors written all over it.  Try and limit it as much as possible to small chunks near where the slice needs to be.

[jorgen]

Export the mesh to dxf, import it into a level-editor/modeller , use CSG to edit the mesh, export back out to dxf and import back into acad.

You can do this with Lightwave, Blender, Radiance and probably Max or Viz as well, they all do mesh-modelling/editing.

To texture, try your normals in their curent config, if textures don't show, reverse the face-normals (all the above can handle that, it just defines the 'winding' used to draw the mesh - cw or ccw).

Tony

[whdjr]

Export the mesh to dxf, import it into a level-editor/modeller , use CSG to edit the mesh, export back out to dxf and import back into acad....

[turnonsouthernaccent="Uncle Jeb"]
WOAH NELLIE!  That there sounds like a recipe for disaster Tony.  WUUWEE!
[/turnonsouthernaccent]

Good luck with that one Stig.  You're gonna need it.

[jorgen]

Will, if i can keep from laughing long enough to keep the coke from comming out my nose...that was worth the post just to read your uncle jeb routine...
except now my monitor is splattered and hard to read...keyboard's gonna get sticky soon...

Geese... Whew....

Yeah, you ever mod any games? Well, this kind of thing is pretty normal, everybody has several favorite 'tools' and usually, acad ain't one of 'em.

See, if it was, they wouldn't have any reason to sell us Max, ya know?

I guess you 'could' redefine the mesh in acad terms but why, when you got all these great mesh-specific tools out there to use?

If Stig really took his time, it'd take him about 5 minutes to do that operation in Lightwave, including the import/export.

my fingers are stuck...

[ronjonp]

Stig,

DOn't know if this would help but ....

Download     Convert 3DFACEs to SOLIDs (fill)

http://www.aac-solutions.cz/default.asp?page=download.asp

Ron

[Bob]

Bump.

I have a Kuka robot drawing that I need for the plant layout.

I have been sent a dxf which when I open with acad is made up of millions of triangular 3dfaces.

Tried the blender option. Still trying to open it.

Can anybody convert this file to solid model for me? (acad 2004 format).

Thanks

Bob

[Bob]

Ok, got the model in blender.

Not having too much joy in exporting it again. I'll keep on trying.

[Bob]

See what you think of this