Software Solution Help

[Jharvey2525]

Hello,

I currently have a problem I am not completely sure the best and easiest way to go about. I have point cloud data of a tank and inside the tank there is a section of steel that has failed and peeled off and is hanging inside the tank. The client would like for us to piece back together a flattened out version of this steel so they can see how it failed. I have a variety of software packages at my disposal to figure out a way to model and piece back together this piece of steel which include; Inventor, Solidworks, ReShaper, Cyclone, and AutoCAD. I have begun by cutting out the point cloud data that's needed for the steel section and importing it into 3DReshaper to create a mesh of the steel, I am currently struggling to finish the mesh and fill in missing data of the steel. My goal is to finish the mesh in Reshaper so I can import it into Solidworks and convert it into a solid surface that I can then flatten out use the flatten feature in Solidworks and hopefully achieve my goal. I have attempted in Solidworks already with what I have for a mesh with many software errors and no success. I have attached a photo of my current mesh in Reshaper of the piece of steel. I'm looking to get some direction to see if I am on the right track and maybe some guidance or perhaps there is an easier way to go about this problem.

Thanks,

Joe H

 

[handleman]

I don't think you are on the right track, unfortunately. SolidWorks sheet metal functionality cannot take a random, arbitrary surface and flatten it. I am pretty sure it can only flatten things that can be done with standard bending/rolling operations. Nothing with dishing/doming/twisting/stretching/wrinkling/etc.

 

[Agent666]

No idea if this will help but if it came out of a relatively flat or even a curved surface, can you not look at the remaining original surface instead of the warped/twisted/mangled bit that 'fell' out?

Going super low tech, is it a possibility to removing the failed bit and flatten it manually? I assume it needs to be removed either way at some point.

 

[Jharvey2525]

Apparently other options were discussed but this is the option that was went with. So for the sake of this post possible options to do with manipulating the scan data with the software would be most appreciated.

 

[Celt83]

not sure if this will be of any help beyond the tools you have already, but I have used MeshLab once in the past to get a solid from some point cloud data to then import as an object into a Revit file.

Open Source Structural Applications:

https://github.com/buddyd16/Structural-Engineering