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Making a curve in 3 dimensions
daniel_crookston
Member Posts: 14 ✭
Hi, here's the sketch I've been working on:
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/e78a63c2c032d29e13a333ec/w/ece85d73b6eba4b264299036/e/0ec97837f204f6c9183d7822?renderMode=0&uiState=664b9b08ab84df5809fe7968
Look at the curve that goes around the largest part of the wheel. In addition to going around the wheel, it also moves toward the opposite face as it goes. I had a really difficult time doing this and I'm sure my design (though I finally got it how I want it, more or less) could be more elegant. I mean, look at all those planes. So many planes!
That primary curve I mentioned is made from two separate curves. The first is a bridging curve that's actually somewhat outside of the wheel. Then I use a projected curve to push the bridging curve onto the face of the wheel. Then I sweep (remove) a circle around the wheel to get the desired wire guide. Is there a way to do a single curve, from point to point, along a face? Things I tried but couldn't get to work:
1. Make a plane and draw an arc along the plane. The plane ends up sticking above part of the wheel, so the arc drawn on the plane doesn't make a suitable guide for the sweep.
2. Use a helix. I couldn't make the helix start anywhere but the top of the wheel, or end anywhere but the bottom. Maybe I could have added two planes for a start and stop location? I dunno. It seems like a hack to add planes when I already have a start and stop point. (Of course I ended up using a hack anyway.)
3. 3d fit spline. I just had no idea what I was doing there tbh. I need to learn more about splines.
4. Composite curve. That didn't even come close to working.
5. Intersection curve. This seemed like it would for sure be the right answer. I forget why it didn't work but I think it had to do with the final curve not mapping correctly.
I also played with using mate connectors, and that may have helped, but I couldn't get one with the blue axis pointing the way I wanted to.
What's a better way to do this?
Thanks!
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/e78a63c2c032d29e13a333ec/w/ece85d73b6eba4b264299036/e/0ec97837f204f6c9183d7822?renderMode=0&uiState=664b9b08ab84df5809fe7968
Look at the curve that goes around the largest part of the wheel. In addition to going around the wheel, it also moves toward the opposite face as it goes. I had a really difficult time doing this and I'm sure my design (though I finally got it how I want it, more or less) could be more elegant. I mean, look at all those planes. So many planes!
That primary curve I mentioned is made from two separate curves. The first is a bridging curve that's actually somewhat outside of the wheel. Then I use a projected curve to push the bridging curve onto the face of the wheel. Then I sweep (remove) a circle around the wheel to get the desired wire guide. Is there a way to do a single curve, from point to point, along a face? Things I tried but couldn't get to work:
1. Make a plane and draw an arc along the plane. The plane ends up sticking above part of the wheel, so the arc drawn on the plane doesn't make a suitable guide for the sweep.
2. Use a helix. I couldn't make the helix start anywhere but the top of the wheel, or end anywhere but the bottom. Maybe I could have added two planes for a start and stop location? I dunno. It seems like a hack to add planes when I already have a start and stop point. (Of course I ended up using a hack anyway.)
3. 3d fit spline. I just had no idea what I was doing there tbh. I need to learn more about splines.
4. Composite curve. That didn't even come close to working.
5. Intersection curve. This seemed like it would for sure be the right answer. I forget why it didn't work but I think it had to do with the final curve not mapping correctly.
I also played with using mate connectors, and that may have helped, but I couldn't get one with the blue axis pointing the way I wanted to.
What's a better way to do this?
Thanks!
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