Lofting is killing me

[CuttersCov]

Ok, I've tried for a day to figure out how to get this to work.

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/9...methelpit3.jpg


You can see 2 wireframes, I'm trying to figure out how to get surfaces between both sketches and create something like a boat hull.

I just don't understand what to do at this point or how to go about it.

Any ideas,

Matt

[pointcloud]

http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...&search=Search Check out these vids... Also do another search on youtube for lofting solidworks

I hope this helps...

[CuttersCov]

Cloud,

I saw the boat one earlier today, and tried to watch it. I'm too new and it's too blurry for me to tell what is going on.

I even tried to find if there was an original or cleaner version of it.

-Matt

[pointcloud]

Sorry... It's not mine. I found it on youtube while looking to help someone else other than you with solidworks lofting... then seen your post. I do not have solidworks but I think I can help anyway... See my model that is simular to yours...

I have exploded the lines... Just so you can see how many and where they are...

Red lines are red surface and blue is blue, the green is both. In my program I can also use a surface edge as a line.

The lines at the back as you can see determine the bubblie ness, or gerth. The left is an outy and the right is swept in... The lines that run the length I call RAILS, the ones in the back I call CROSS SECTIONS. I do not know solidworks lingo, but the video called the boundry lines for rails, and I did not get the other what I call sross sections...

In what you have you will need the back arches, I am sure..

If you still can't get it I'll try again....
Marc

[pointcloud]

http://boatdesign.net/forums/ look around here too... It's a boat forum...

[JerryFlyGuy]

Lofting will be aggravating for the first .. oh.. 10 years or so.. the trick is to be stupid like me.. and keep trying ... and trying.. and well.. slowly over lots and lots of time.. you learn a few things and eventually.. you can do a loft like this in a few minutes..

Possible problems w/ your loft..
1) The bottom symetrical profile... is all in one sketch.. a loft is sorta like a sweep.. it has to go from profile one, to profile two to profile three.. what you have there is two profiles in one.. trying to go to the middle.. [I'm guessing]

2) You'll need a guide curve as well to control the shape at the center of the hull.

3) I use open sketch's for this kind of stuff.. then I use surfaces as this allows alot more control of how to get surface shape etc.. After you've mastered this, you can move onto surface fill, boundry surface complex swept surfaces etc..
4) Lastly, try to only do one half of a symetrical body, then mirror the second half.. you'll do half the modeling.. and it will be EXACTLY the same as the opposite side.. If they are sym to a point [and different after that].. model to that point.. then mirror and continue modeling in the differences.. it will save you mountains of time..

Below is the file I did of a boat hull.. just take the .zip off the back end of it as it's a sldprt file..

[Tony the Ferret]

Well i guess you are starting from the wrong end (IMHO) you are looking at a solid solution that has Freeform surfaces added to it. For them it is relativly new, but for those of us that have been in CAD CAM for a number of years, we would not think of trying some of these type of free flowing surface types in a solid modler. If you really want the power of freeform but with added solid functionality, you had better look at Rhino.They have a whole head that is modeled up from 3 spheres, with pulling and pushing of node points to create features. Of course if you look around on their site www.rhino3d.com, you will also see examples of boats

[JerryFlyGuy]

There is no reason you can't do a boat hull in SW. It's unfortunate that everyone looks at the name and see's or thinks, that SW only does Solids. However, in reality.. SW does Surfaces as well as any CAD system I've tried, and.. it does them parametrically to boot.. There isn't too many CAD programs out there which can do both.. Below is a model which was started as a surface model and then eventually converted into a solid model prior to getting ready for molds. The entire body of the plane is controled by 85++ Algebraic equations [all entered in SW] which reference two curvature splines.. by sliding the two splines I can control the sharpness of the the corners of the fuselage. Also, it has a top view control spline and a side view control spline.. by moving these I can adjust the overall shape of the model to what I want.. This was done.. 3-4yrs ago when SW wasn't half as good as it is now.. Boundry surface's.. didn't exist.. Fill surfaces w/ C2 control.. naddaa.. SW has been concentraiting on surfacing for the last couple years and its shows.. There isn't a CAD package out there.. that I'd pick over SW.. well.. maybe Catia might be fun to play with.. but I'd still keep SW around.. besides.. SW is Catia's little brother.. they are made by the same parent company..

Nothing compares IMHO..

[Tony the Ferret]

i think you mean they are OWNED by the same company, there is a LITTLE difference.
Differnt Kernel, different interface, different sales channel, different target market.


Err what is the same ????

[JerryFlyGuy]

There is no question they are different.. but are owned or made by the same parent company.. Ford owned Jaguar for several years.. it doesn't mean that they put ford parts on a XK12, or that the starter in a 2002 Tarus was the same as a XKR.

Not too long ago, Molson Brewery's owned a lumber store chain....

Just 'cause they are owned by the same company does not mean they are the same.. but Both are rated at the top of their class as far as sales and third party evaluation..

Not that this conversation has much to do w/ surfacing abilities of SW or Catia..

[CuttersCov]

Guys,

Thanks for the info. I'll admit that I am having a hard time getting used to what is taking place in SW. Before I drew 2d in AutoCAD and I'm familiar with Maya, and maybe the way those two work is what is holding me back.

I'm going through some more SW tuts, I'll check out your boat zip in a little while. Nice plane too btw.

[CuttersCov]

Jerry,

"Future Version" of part.

I have 2006.