Flex or Bend part?

Cache_River_Mill

I have some complex organic shapes that need to be wrapped to a surface...

Is there a tool for this?



Here is a corbel I did WITHOUT this dream Flex tool. Took me forever and it doesn't update if a modify the curved path.

konstantin_shiriazdanov

now i made Fold FS with option to fold/unfold edges or sketches from/to arbitary extracted surfaces, i don't reccomend to use now unfold option because it makes too big geometry distortions and has poor perfomance (expecting impovements to the evDistance tool)
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/0bb13c1b6ed6d4a6dd75cf99/w/b4493d47a45c27ce485c84b9/e/1299ae499a697e3b28bca1e4

kevin_o_toole_1

Hello and welcome!

There are some tools (e.g. curve pattern) that will help you create similar designs parametrically. However, you're correct that Onshape does not have a "dream" flex feature which performs a true deformation of geometry onto a curved surface.

Check out some recent discussion on the topic here:
https://forum.onshape.com/discussion/comment/31421

In that thread several users have created some custom features which offer solutions to the problem. It's worth checking out those tools to see if they are helpful for your next project. However, I'll also offer a word of warning for the geometric purist: The custom feature solutions rely on sampling curves, deforming the samples, and recreating curves through the deformed samples. For simple shapes and a high sample rate this works very well, but you may find that for intricate organic shapes like the ones you've shown above, those custom features will likely fall short of being the flex feature of your dreams

konstantin_shiriazdanov

@kevin_o_toole_1 in those thread there is a feature that supports only wrap/unwrap operations for cylinder and cone surfaces, i have an example of unwrapping feature for arbitary extruded surface, but it needs evDistance to support arcLengthParametrization, from the other hand wrapping feature around arbitary extruded surface can be made with less efforts

Cache_River_Mill

Kevin, thank you. I will check that out.

Konstantin, I can use a cylinder to obtain what i need. It will take me a few more steps.

konstantin_shiriazdanov

now i made Fold FS with option to fold/unfold edges or sketches from/to arbitary extracted surfaces, i don't reccomend to use now unfold option because it makes too big geometry distortions and has poor perfomance (expecting impovements to the evDistance tool)
https://cad.onshape.com/documents/0bb13c1b6ed6d4a6dd75cf99/w/b4493d47a45c27ce485c84b9/e/1299ae499a697e3b28bca1e4

Cache_River_Mill

Konstantin, this is excellent! You have saved me weeks of modeling.

konstantin_shiriazdanov

heh, thanks) these curves are still too far from solid shapes, but curves are now the only entity type that supports nonlinear math transforms via FS

Cache_River_Mill

Needs some organic shaping on the face of the leaves, but I created the leaves on this in about 30 min thanks to the wrap feature by konstantin_shiriazdanov

konstantin_shiriazdanov

that's cool stuff, but i'm afraid the best you can do now is to add some fillets, because you actually need free-from tools and 3d sketching on surface, which isn,t currently provided in OS

Cache_River_Mill

A 3D brush would be legit. Someday.