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Modelling Seashells
Modelling_Hobbyist
Member Posts: 2 ✭
Hi All,
I've started learning to model in onshape and thought a good test would be to try and create some seashells with complex curved surfaces. This is proving to be difficult: with the various Loft options only making some sense as I furiously click through all the possible options. I'm try to close a scallop-like shell (below) by lofting the flat face to a point (or a selection of points), resulting in compound, soft domes shapes which smooth off the solid.
However, I cannot find a solution using only points and have found only unsatisfactory solutions by lofting to various new sketches. Does anyone have any advice on lofting smoothly to a point or set of points? Is there a better approach for creating parts where all the surfaces are curved and there isn't much constrained geometry to reference?
Answers
You like to dive in head first, don't you? haha. You're gonna want to go through the learn.onshape.com site and do as many surfacing tutorials as you can to be able to attack seashells. Short of that to answer your question its not real clear what your trying to emulate. Maybe you could post a picture of the shell for all to see and offer feedback.
If what you want is to create a object entirely out of just points the simple answer is no you can't you need a surface to create a object. As for creating a surface that is curved like a seashell would be without loft and as fast as you can try to use the sweep tool like I used below:
and for more effect if you don't want the ends to look flat you can just use the revolve tool to give a spherical end to it
A couple of ideas in here…
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/17eb0b0ffd5db5b9ff738769/w/96151fe4f794283691d1b82e/e/3f2e4286a702a4d34277c5b7