Need help creating repetetive geometry

[Ceramic Man]

I've been using MasterCAM since v6 and am currently using v9, but I've never had to do this before and I can't figure out how or if its even possible.
I'm trying to create a sheet-metal covered model of a structure and the sheet-metal has a corrugated pattern to its surface. I have geometry for 1 section of the corrugated pattern before it repeats again. I need to take this pattern and repeat it along another contour many times until the end of the contour is reached. Sounds easy enough, right? Just like translating using copy with multiple steps. But I need it to wrap around curves the way sheet metal does when you put it over a contoured frame. Its not worth doing if I have to use transform and roll at each of the frame's linear or curve features: it would take days to do it this way. If I can get this figured out, then all I have to do is create a draft surface from the chain of this contour.

Anybody know how to do this?

[Rstewart]

I wouldn't even attempt that in M.C. There's plenty of good 3D CAD software out there that should be up to that task.

[Ceramic Man]

I don't want to have to learn how to use some buggy, limited, freeware CAD just to do this. I've used MC plenty of times before for architectural type things. I know I can get pirated copies of any CAD, but not gonna do it. I downloaded a pirated copy of Solidworks years ago and guess what.... virus.. a new release trojan that wasn't in Symantec's definition files yet. So I learned my lesson and now I ''work with what I've got".
Seriously, MC can't do this? I can think of several times I needed to do something like this for a milling operation, but not as repetetively, so I just created the geometry manually.

[bostosh]

Post a sample, MC'x's cad section should be capable

[gogego]

look into surfaces I think sweep might be of help.

[Ceramic Man]

Ok, check it out. As you can see, on the left is a blown up view of the sheet metal profile. It needs to be repeated every 9 inches and follow the contour of the shape of the building (as illustrated by the arrows and points) all the way to the other side of the building. Along the way, it will have to be rolled around the corners. This is what makes it a pain to do manually: the ends of the building's corner arcs dont necessarily coincide with the 9" length of the profile.
Once the 2D profile is in place, the sheet metal surface can be easily created with a draft surface or, as gogego said, with a swept surface using the side wall bottom line as the "along" contour.
Yes, it can be done with multi-step translation (straights), rolling (around corners), and trimming. But it seems like such a basic type of CAD operation that me-thinks there might be some function in MasterCAM that I don't know about. Im always figuring out new things in MC and there are plenty of functions I have never used because I dont know what they do. If MCamX3 can do this, but not my version 9, let me know. I have access to X3, I just dont know my way around the newer interface because I dont have it at home to play around with.


This IS mostly an attempt to learn something new rather than just me being lazy and not wanting to translate and roll and trim. Oh how all that work would make my fingers sore from too much keyboard and mouse usage!

PS- I didnt realize there were so many cool smilies to use! Like this one and this one Those are awesome!

[gogego]

just clean up the contour make sure everything is nice and tangent and there are no gaps or overlaps with analyze chain...it seems 9 has the same drafting capabilities as the X versions just requires a few more steps... there are just more shortcuts and toolbars to create geometry and more toolpaths options...
CHEERS!

[Ceramic Man]

Originally Posted by gogego just clean up the contour make sure everything is nice and tangent and there are no gaps or overlaps with analyze chain...it seems 9 has the same drafting capabilities as the X versions just requires a few more steps... there are just more shortcuts and toolbars to create geometry and more toolpaths options... CHEERS!

I think you are under the impression that creating a surface from geometry is my problem, but its not. That part is suuuper easy. Its getting that Chain of geometry on the left side of the picture in my previous post to repeat itself a bunch of times while following the green contour that is the profile of the building. A contour following another contour- thats what Im trying to do.

Thats another excellent smiley!

[gogego]

hmm..lets see if this works

[IMG][/IMG]

like this? just taking a cross section along a frame...
CHEERS!

[Ceramic Man]

No, not like that.
Like this:

I created this just for you, Gogego.

[Ceramic Man]

Oops, I hit enter and it submitted but I wasnt done yet...

So, Gogego, are you a butcher masquerading as a machinist? Because I am a machinist masquerading as an architect right now.
I hope you see the problem. See the corner where theres a gap in the sheet metal? If you can figure out how to make that contour sticking out of the top of the vertical wall wrap around the red arc such that it meets up with the continuing sheet metal on the 14degree slanted roof... In less than 5 minutes from when you start... then you know something I dont and I want you to explain how you did it.

If you private message me your email, I will send the MC9 to you if you want.

But seriously, in the time Ive spent in this forum giving you examples, I could have done it the hard way by now. I just want to learn a better way, darn-it!

[gogego]

this may be useful info
Sheet Metal Bending Operation - OEM Enclosure Inc.

Unless the draft is going to be used to manufacture from directly se if you can draft the perimeter using sharp corners, you could use xform roll to wrap the stepped fence profile around an arc..now assuming all the corner rad. are the same you can just xform the contour section to the other radii to create the along for creating the surface....If this isn't quite what your looking for sorry I couldn't help.. good luck on your project.
CHEERS!


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