How to slice 3D model before pasting to Artcam?

[Magnapro]

Hi everyone, I hope maybe someone here can help me.

We are trying to create some characters that we will machine on a 3 axis CNC machine. We are fairly new to 3D software and keep having the same problem no matter what software we use. We have access to Rhino 4, 3DS max, Poser, Artcam pro, solidworks.

Example: Girl created in poser to be character such as futuristic space warrior.

No problem creating character and posing her, but to machine her we need to cut off her arms and legs and machine each of them as two parts either front and back or left and right side, which ever allows the machine to get the most detail.

Now the term solid has meaning in most cad softwares and i am not sure this is what we mean. watertight is a term that I believe refers to a entirely closed surface and is more in line with what I think we need.

Bottom line is we need a model in one of the many standard formats that is all one piece that we can dice up and import to Artcam pro for tool pathing. mesh to solid does not seem to work as it is limited to 20,000 vertices and most models exceed that. Again I am not sure solid is what we need.

we need to take model from Poser, 3D Max, or OBJ file and create model or export to software that will allow us to cut off arms and legs or whatever and leave perfectly smooth closed separation point to machine and attach back together later. All clothes, guns, props what ever must stay attached to and be part of the separated arm, body etc..

If we try to import entire model into Artcam and reposition and paste, Artcam fills in the entire Z axis down to table ruining model and keeping us from using Artcam to export model in one piece. If anyone knows a way for Artcam to not fill in undercut z axis areas, this would solve our problem as Artcam does a great job of ignoring layers and we could export model as single piece.??

The problem we keep having is that:

1. when we try to cut off arms and legs, we can not because of multiple mesh layers such as all the clothing layers, gun belts, etc.. will not allow commands such as meshslice to work.

2. model is made up of over 20,000 vertices and hundreds of layers. everything is separate and needs to be combined into a single piece that is not hollow. We have tried such things as combine, join, group, mesh to solid etc.. nothing seams to work. If we strip off all the layers of clothes etc.. and use meshslice command in say Rhino, it is still not a clean cut, it follows along the vertices and creates a ragged edge and leaves body of girl hollow. This means when we try to machine body, it leaves open hole where arm should connect rather than a flat mounting surface for reattchment.

Here is an image from Artcam Pro on a simple nude girl as we can not get one in with clothes intact so you can see how we are trying to layout parts to machine.

Any help will be greatly appreciated,
Sincerely, Magna

[ger21]

You probably need a good polygon modeling package, but even then, it'll be a very time consuming and tedious process. I use Lightwave, and it would probably be able to do it, but again, it would be a lot of work.

[Magnapro]

Artcam does a great job of accepting many 3D file types and instantly creating a relief from said 3D model. It even has an export to triangles that can save as binary STL. If only Artcam did not fill in the Z axis undercuts when pasting model.

Does anyone know if there is a way to stop Artcam from filling undercuts when pasting 3D model?

If Artcam can convert hundreds of layers in an instant, there must be some other software that can do it also.

Does Artcam have a 5 axis version? If so then it would seem logical that it would not fill in the Z axis undercuts when importing model and allow export of entire 3D model to STL.

[Khalid]

I think by importing the 3D model , if you use File-->Import--->Model , then it will not give u any undercut. I didn't tried yet, but i will do it today and will post the results here.

Best regards
Khalid

[Magnapro]

Bottom line is I want to be able to slice an arm etc... off body right through clothing, gun belt etc. and have both arm with clothing intact and body with clothing intact have nice smooth mating surfaces to glue arm back on body after machining.

My problem seems to be that I need to slice up 3D model before bringing into ArtCAM. There is no way to slice off arm and turn just the arm sideways in ArtCAM. At least that I know of.

My mention of ArtCAM filling Z was only because I thought that if it did not fill Z that I could use ArtCAM's convert to triangles which I believed would make it all one layer and Export the entire 3D model as a single object. Then I believe that I could cut off the arms and legs with clothing intact in 3D max or Rhino and import back to ArtCAM as separate pieces for toolpathing.

I am confused by some of this 3D terminology and I am unsure if my definition of solid is the same as say Rhinos definition of solid?

My definition of solid is all one piece, no layers, not hollow.

The girl I showed in the example above was mesh sliced in Rhino, but it seems it was only possible because she did not have any layers of clothing, gun belts etc over her body. mesh slice failed every time if multiple layers were present. Also the body, arms and legs are hollow and jagged. The smooth surfaces seen in photo are only a result of ArtCAM filling in the Z straight down. These filled arm, leg and body holes were not at correct angles and did not mate back up after machining. You can see the curvature of the arms, legs and body holes from Rhinos Mesh Slice command. The slices followed the vertices and made for a ragged cut.

I do not know what the correct term is for what I need to do, but I believe that I need the model to be solid, filled not hollow and with no layers. I need the clothes and gun belts and eyeballs and finger nails to all be one solid object so I can cut off the arms & legs and not lose the eyes, fingernails, clothing, gun in hand etc. Mesh to solid plugin for Rhino seemed to be the answer until I discovered that that it is limited to 20,000 vertices and that does not seem to be all that much as all the models I have downloaded and experimented with so far are well above that limit. Again most likely something that I don't know, maybe I need to reduce number or convert to something else before using mesh to solid?? All my attempts to do that has left model being very faceted and not of machinable quality, especially when its life size.

If somebody said something like oh you need to use such and such command in such and such program to change entire model into one piece, I could figure it out. But I first have to at least have an idea of what it is I am trying to do {terminology} before I can research how to do it.

I know I talk too much... thanks for reading and I really do appreciate the help

[ger21]

What format are you getting out of Poser?

It's most likely a mesh, not a solid.

As I said before, a polygon modeler with a slice command should do what you want, but it won't be easy.

[Magnapro]

I have tried many, but .obj, .3ds, .stl etc.

I have tried to combine, group, join, convert etc. in 3DS Max, Rhino 4, even tried a couple of freewares like bender and something called clayworks and 3D object converter.

[ger21]

Try the demo of Lightwave. www.lightwave3d.com

[Magnapro]

Thanks, I have posted problem on lightwaves forum to see if those familiar with program can solve this problem. Here is a couple of more views of the way we need to dissect model and I have attached obj file if anyone whats to play with it. This model has no clothing layer so it is the simplest of models to work with. The real challenge has been trying to cut off arm that is covered with clothing and prop layers. But one step at a time and hopefully I will find solution. The arm image makes it much easier to see the hollow and jagged cut.