Hi Guys

I'm struggling to make a SU model of a blended fuselage which predominantly consists of sweeping compound curves. A SU screen capture is above.

I've tried push-pull on the middle rib but can't scale the volume out at the wing root, with respect to the fus centre - in other words can't scale the sides of the volume independently.

Also tried interconnecting crosslines between ribs and then making these into triangles, to be honest this got so messy I gave up (SU got upset on the curve sweeps).

Is there a plug-in that would help? I've tried Frodo's suite but none of the tools really help for a compound curve volume. I've thought of Soap-Bubble, but can't see how I could get accurate constraints?

any help before I give up would be great!

Cheers. Attached files

 

This is a very easy to do with the plugin Curvilof Plugin by Fredo
http://news.sketchucation.com/curvilof-plugin-by-fredo/

Based on your design plan I built this distorted form (you'd better post the original SKP design) Attached files

 

MMT that jpg is exactly what I'm trying for! Thank you!!

I'll check out the plugin soon but as you suggested I've attached the skp with an Unhide-All carried out before saving.

Thanks again,
Brendan.

PS: Had to zip in order for this forum to accept the file. Attached files Wing2f2.zip (151.3 KB)Â

 

Because your design will not work.

The first step is to correct the wrong lines
Besides this, there are other, find and fix the lines Attached files

 

The second step.

Make it the lines are missing (at the ends of the model) Attached files

 

The third step.

Delete this line, it will only cause problems.

Look for other lines that may have errors.

Unlock and explode the faces (the faces also has problems) Attached files

 

Final step

Use the plugin tool to create skins. Attached files

 

For you to download this model:
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=ed69cf669d55569762b64826f7af2058

 

Wow that's great, many thanks. Also thanks for pointing me to that Curvi-loft plug-in, its brilliant.

I should have posted last night to say I found broken lines and fixed them (we're on rather different timezones by the way), would have saved you from finding these ! Also I was going to work on the middle, nose, then tail separately (the plans were not finalised for nose and tail) - I think this is also how you did your skinning?

Hopefully one last question. I quickly ran ModelSlicer over the downloaded model and it can't find a volume. This seems correct as the model appears to be set of skins? Is there a way to weld the skins together into a volume?

Cheers & thanks again.

 

argo, welding the skin will not solve the problem. I can't recall what I did when I had that error (I'll try to reconstruct the part to see if it will return) but one thing for sure. If the skin is a group or component than explode it and all other parts that are grouped separately and once they are all not grouped select them all and group them to one group. It may work then for you.

 

Yes TP I can see you are right. I took Marco's kindly uploaded skp and turned on hidden-geometry. It looks pretty clear that the two Curvi-loft'd surfaces are "triangulated" differently.

I guess what I really need to do is stitch the individual face elements together. I could do this manually I imagine, but does anybody know of a plug-in that does this automagically? Attached files

 

Just in case you all thought I was modelling a whale, the attached is a rough version of what I'm aiming for

Attached files

 

That reminds me of this plane http://www.wingco.com/

 

I just worry about the shape of the surface.
I did not know that he intended to use the slicer plugin

With a little more care, it is possible to create a geometric figure with more accurate and close the solid.

hugs

 

I Fix the problems, I hope will be useful

Here is the solid model

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=6b191aa6bf9942a56f0a0bf97f6738ae

 

Thank you all!

@Marco that's a nice solid - did you have Curviloft construct the whole model in one pass? Yes very useful my thanks again to you . And I should have specified my end construction methodology (although its not 100% in my head yet). By the way, if you had the energy this would make a great organic fuselage tutorial!

@TigerPilot - almost uncanny how close the Atlantica plane is to this model. I have to be honest though 'my' design is a copy of the Skywalker X8. I tired of waiting for it to be ready for sale. Also shipping a 2metre wingspan EPO model to New Zealand is horribly expensive. Hence I thought I would use my scratchbuilding experiences and build my own.

@Glen - good tip I'll give it a try.

@kram - as confessed above I had help ;-)