3D tubing lisp challenge

[tools4u]

Let me start this challenge with the statement that "I definitely am not a lsp writer" and this post might be a little long.

In my recent self imposed crusade to find an automated routine to extrude a shape along a path in 3d space using ACAD2004 has come up dry. I have tested and tried over 20 different routines that I have found for extruding and none will pass. I have and use a number of methods to do this "manually" but all are very time consuming and full of places where errors and problems creep in. The most evident thing I found was the vast number of people looking for a similar thing. Personally I want to use it to make formed wire parts & I have seen people looking for same for tubing, drainage pipe, plumbing & wiring. All the lisp routines out on the web that I and others have found don't work on 90% of what I need to do and were written back in the early 90"s.
It is a very simple thing to make a "3d poly" and extrude a shape along its length in 3d space as long as there is no radius requirements in the path. A drawn arc can be turned into a lt weight poly but can't be joined to the 3d poly to form a continuous path which stops the ACAD extrusion process.

Here is the basis for the lisp challenge to whom wants to take it on.

(1.) Be able to group pick a series of lines & arcs drawn in free 3d space.
(2.) For the lack of better terms "Chain or Join" them into a useable path.
(3.) Pick a drawn shape or shapes at one end of this path to be extruded along it.
(4.) Extrude this shape or shapes to be a solid so holes or cuts can be subtracted from it.

Good luck and a bunch of people are looking...................

Tks
Gene

 

[pardal]

the only shape I ever could extrude was a circle .
I never can extrude any other shape on a 3d Phat.


Pardal

 

[tools4u]

You should be able to extrude any shape along a 3D polyline. Here is the difference from the circle. Draw whatever shape you wish to extrude,(needs be a closed loop) use "pedit" to convert one segment into a polyline and then "join" all other segments into a closed poly loop. Place this shape @ a desired point on the end of the 3D polyline path. Extrude as required.

Hope this helps.

 

[smcadman]

I have posted a request for a similar routine here because the ones I have found on the web didn't really work as expected. I have searched sites such as

http://www.cadalog.com/swsubcat.php?value=ACG

and

http://www.caddepot.com

without any luck.
Like you have mentioned, a 3dpoly can't be filleted. One option would be to have a set of blocks with the different diameters and radii made, and then have a routine to insert the different blocks. Another option would be to have a routine to simply draw the "elbow" if you will, and then copy and paste that into the different corners.
What I have done in the past was to first draw the 3dpoly, and then trace each plane with a pline and fillet it, and after everything was done, extrude and combine. Not as efficient as what you have suggested.

Flores

 

[tools4u]

Manual Solution offered by another good designer:
Try this...it is a little trying, but it will make a smooth extrusion.
Create a path with 3D poly lines & Lt. weight 2D poly arcs.
Go to one end and draw a poly closed loop (extrusion profile) so that the z axis is normal to the center of the

path. Do extrude > path, and pick the line. The profile will be extruded to the first bend. Then do "extrude faces" and pick the tube....the whole tube may or may not be picked according to where you pick, but in any case, do a shift pick to unpick the rest of the tube....only the profile will be left picked. do an extrude > path, and pick the bend....then do it again and again until you are done. this will make a smooth solid. I didn't say it was elegant...but it works.

 

[tjm22]

Challenge Completed

I've just finished a couple of routines that should do the job nicely.

#1. extrudes a selected region along multiple paths (curves). The region is in WCS and is copied into place each time and extruded along each curve. The use of a region was chosen because its easier for hollow stuff

#2. fillets a 3Dpolyline with a specified radius. The result is a group of lines & arcs that can be used as the paths for #1.

#3. combines #2 & #1 to simplify the process.


OK...

Not sure how to get it to those who want it.
Suggestions?

 

[twlincoln]

You might attach the routines to a message over in the Customer Files area on Autodesk's Discussion Group Server:

http://discussion.autodesk.com/forum.jspa?forumID=126

news://discussion.autodesk.com/autodesk.autocad.customer-files

- Tracy

 

[twlincoln]

...plus I forgot to mention Mechanical Desktop and Inventor have this feature built in... and the pathes (as well as each segment) is parametrically controlled and easily edited.

- Tracy

 

[tools4u]

Thanks for taking up this project.
I can't wait to see it & try it.
As twlincoln suggested place it on the acad forum so we can find it.

Thanks
Gene

 

[Estassoc]

TJM22

Can you email me <dparc7491@yahoo.com>
the routines you mentioned.

Thanks a bundle.

 

[tjm22]

Hi all,

I have just posted the file to the AutoCAD User Group

http://discussion.autodesk.com/forum.jspa?forumID=126

Topic:
et: sweep & fillet challenge

http://discussion.autodesk.com/thread.jspa?threadID=306269

Tim.

 

[smcadman]

TJM22,it seems that there is a little debuging to do, or I am doing something wrong with the &quot;et_1.lsp&quot;. It will fillet the 3Dpoly, but it will not extrude a circle through the path. If I try to extrude through the start point of the 3Dpoly, it doesn't extrude correctly. If I draw a circle on the last point of the fillet'd 3dpoly, I get the following error message: &quot;; error: ActiveX Server returned an error: Type mismatch&quot;.
P.S. I'm using AutoCAD 2002 if that matters.

Flores

 

[tools4u]

TJM22
I am having the same problem as SMCADMAN. It seems that as soon as the path leaves the current UCS into another 3D direction....your lsp caves in. Not sure why.

Thanks
Gene

 

[tjm22]

OK, I didn't include many notes etc. so I suppose I should expect there to be some problems. And although I have tried to test these routines well, perhaps there are still some glitches. Hopefully it is all misunderstanding.

smcadman:
using the routine SMC (stands for Sweep multi curves) on the filleted 3Dpoly should create swept 3Dsolids along all of the newly created curves. The three inputs are:
1. Select a REGION (have to turn circle into one) drawn in the WCS.
2. Select the origin of the region (perhaps centre of the 'circle'. MAybe need UCS as WCS when selecting the origin.
3. Select curves (everything except splines) to sweep along
The region is then copied into place & extruded along each curve.

tools4u:
not sure whether your problem is with the fillet routine not working. Sorry, it worked for me.
Or do the notes on using the routine SMC (above) help?
The routine SFP (sweep filleted 3dpoly) can do it all at once.

I didn't set out to create a path that could be extruded upon normally, but gave an alternative and faster way to extrude along multiple paths.

I hope that this has helped.
If not, I'll try to help again later

 

[tools4u]

Thanks for the try.
The key to this process is the &quot;first & second&quot; conditions of the original request.
(1.) Be able to group pick a series of lines & arcs drawn in free 3d space.
(2.) For the lack of better terms &quot;Chain or Join&quot; them into a useable path.
(3.) Pick a drawn shape or shapes at one end of this path to be extruded along it.
(4.) Extrude this shape or shapes to be a solid so holes or cuts can be subtracted from it.

It appears that making a mixed line & arc path that ACAD will recognize for the extrusion is the real killer.

Good luck