Unwrapphing 3d objects

[twitch5000]

I am looking for a way to unwrap somewhat basic models so that I have a flat, 2D vector drawing of the model.

Imagine if you will, a cardboard box, if you were to disconnect the box at all the glued seams you could lay that box flat on a table and use it as a template to cut several boxes that could fold together. This is basically the same thing I need to do but the shapes are slightly more complicated than a 6 sided box.

I need templates to cut flat fiberglass fabric that will fold around shapes with a decent amount of accuracy. Currently I draw the 2D vectors from scratch but it gets complicated and time consuming so I would like to improve my methods.

The closest I have gotten was using a 3d app called Maya and doing a UV unwrap. This works OK to lay out the part in 2D but there is nothing you can do with the layout. You can only export a bitmap of the layout because it is a texture map function and no one would ever use it for what I'm dong. Nobody would ever need to have vector output for this. So I take the bitmap and trace it by hand in a vector app like Coreldraw or Illustrator.

I don't know where to start looking and I'm open to other software if no one can think of a way to do it in Rhino. Anyway, I'm looking for ideas if there are any out there.

thanks

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[HuFlungDung]

OneCNC XR3 will unwrap cylindrical surfaces. But for general shapes, it sounds to me like what you are looking for might be the sheetmetal functions in Solidworks, not that I know anything about that.

I think the limitations with either of the above methods is that it must be mathematically possible to construct the flat map without distortion. An example of something that could not be unwrapped might be a sphere.

[ger21]

Not sure if this can output a 2D file, but it's kinda what you want.

http://www.tamasoft.co.jp/pepakura-en/

[twitch5000]

hey guys thanks for your thoughts. Im going to try those out. I have learned that the correct term for what I am looking for "unfolding" software as opposed to "unwrapping". This has turned up a lot more leads but most of the trial versions I am finding leave a little to be desired. There are a couple Rhino plugins that I found too but I cant get them to do anything lol.

[twitch5000]

Gerry, that suggestion was excellent! That cheap, simple program does exactly what I need it to and surprisingly well too. Thanks again for your input.

[ger21]

Does it output .dxf or some other 2D format?

[chmillman]

If the surfaces are developable (flat or singly curved) in Rhino you can use the command Unroll Developable Surface (UnrollSrf). You have the option to explode into separate pieces or try to keep it together in one piece. If you go to the Rhino Labs Wiki page and download/install the Rhino Labs tools, you can get a command "UnjoinEdge" which will allow you to pre-separate the joints of a polysurface before unrolling so it will unfold like you want. UnrollSrf gives you real surfaces flat on the Top CPlane. You can use those surfaces as geometry, extract their outlines, etc. I can post an example if you need.

http://en.wiki.mcneel.com/default.as...LabsTools.html

If the surfaces are doubly curved, you can try another Rhino Labs plug-in called "Squish". It's in development, use at your own risk.

http://en.wiki.mcneel.com/default.as...lattening.html

--ch

[twitch5000]

Ch, I will give that a shot. I did end up finding the unrollSrf command but all I could get it to do was lay everything out separately. I will try the labs tools anyway just because of the many other things it has.

Gerry, it has .eps vector output and its surprisingly clean too. The only bad thing I have found so far is that size is irrelevant to the software. so basically when it unfolds the geometry it sizes it however it sees fit based upon the size paper you have set up to print. So I have to scale the output to the appropriate size before I send it over to my machine to cut. Pretty much a non issue for me as it is simple to accurately resize the things.

[chmillman]

I did end up finding the unrollSrf command but all I could get it to do was lay everything out separately.

On the command line (once you have launched the command), click explode=yes to change it to explode=no. Explode=yes gives separate parts, explode=no keeps everything together. On completely convex objects this works fine, on objects that have some convex and some concave angles, the parts could overlap (depends on the shape of the part). If they overlap, it also means that your shape may not be able to be made out of one single sheet.

--ch

[pointcloud]

You can _make2d in rhino after you unroll surf and have what you want...

Like a drawing of a cone duct so you may cut flat.. I use it with my plasma cutter...