parameterize stl

[isaac985]

I am trying to use the stl file of a skull and parameterize it so that i can change different demensions easily. i do not have the restyle toola as i am a student working on a educational edition of proe. is there another way to trace over the surface without the restyle tool? or does anyone have any other suggestions of how to go about this?

thanks

 

[jsantangelo]

Remodel it yourself using surfaces or use GeoMagic or RapidForm that have the parameterizing (?) capability.

 

[isaac985]

thanks for the reply jsatangelo but i don't have the resources ot buy expensive software. any suggestions?

thanks

 

[jsantangelo]

You'll have to invest time then because that is your only resource left to model the surfaces yourself. To do what you want to will take a long time. You can use the WARP features on an STL.

 

[isaac985]

i have the time to invest. so how would you recoment going aobut it? how would i use the warp tool feature on this facet feature?

thanks again!

 

[jsantangelo]

If you are new to surfacing, that itself is a whole new can of worms. Surfacing a skull is a big task due to the organic shapes. There are lots of threads here in MCAD (#1, #2 long but tons of info on surfacing) that have lots of great info. The main tools you'd probably use are: Boundary Blend, Swept blend, Variable Section Sweep. Do you have ISDX? With ISDX you can create 3D curves and surfaces much easier. If not, then to create the curves to drive the surfaces may take a bit longer. Without ISDX you'll use Datum Curves (curves through points), intersection curves of orthogonal views, etc...

For using WARP check the help file in Pro/e. But with the WARP tool you scale, skew, stretch, twist, sculpt. It's a good start to see if you get the results you need.

The problem though will be with the STL format. You are limited to what you can do in the base package of Pro/e with STLs. What are you going to use the file for?

 

[isaac985]

I don't have ISDX.
I will be using the drawing to hopfully have a simple way of changing the demensions of the skull so i can make different models easily.

i can make datum points on all the nodes, is there a faster way to make a datum point on all 250,000 nodes? then i could trace the skull, tedious but it will be accurate. but i need to be able to write relation equations so that all the demensions are changed together.

i know its a tall order, but i GREATLY appreciate you helping me get started!

 

[jsantangelo]

Yeah that is a tall order, lol. My advice, "Keep it simple". You can create some good surfaces with a few curves. Here are some more links to get you started:

#1 - A simple head
#2 - Fundamentals of WF, gotta start somewhere
#3 - Leo Greene videos, check out the videos on the servo motor cover and Using surfaces in part modeling. click on the WF4, WF3, & WF2 links for more.

Search here on MCAD. Lots of great advice already given... just need to find it though.


Edited by: jsantangelo

 

[isaac985]

what do you think about doing boundary blend? i would have a 100 cross sections or so with values that could be changed easily. any troubles i would run into with this?

thanks again

 

[tobbo]

I agree with James! Keep it simple!!! Use as few curves as possible.... and let the surfaces do the work for you.


It

 

[isaac985]

Tobias, thank you for your reply.

I wanted to make sure i uderstand what you were saying because im not completely clear on what c-sys, boundary box, and control curves are.

what i planned to do what to trace the stl file from multiple points of view and then connect these sketches by boundary blend.

then i would make a couple of these sketches parametric curves so if i changed a demesion on it, then it would change the whole drawing. However, this would be thousands or relation equations. and how do i make relations between different sketches?

is the making multiple sketches and then aligning them the best way?

thank you so much for your help!


here is a quick picture of my discribed plan

 

[design-engine]

He is referring to these two classes....

week long surfacing intensive...
http://www.proetools.com/courses/pro_surface/week_long.htm

then this two day advanced import class to create parametric surfaces....
[url]http://www.proetools.com/courses/pro_surface/advanced_import .htm [/url]
You can get a lot just from looking at the screen shots.

I can't help this shameful plug!I watch this thread for only so long.
Edited by: design-engine

 

[tobbo]

Thats correct Bart. Thats 2 very good and useful classes for surfacing.


And Isaac, do you have a lot of experince in surfacing? Otherwise a class in advance surfacing might be good... i mean...the thing you are trying to modell will probably be pretty tough to do! But, dont give up.. it

 

[isaac985]

Can i try and make the model first, and then figure out how to do the bounding box and parameters later? or does the way i draw it need to be planned out accourding to the bounding box and parameters.

thanks again!

 

[design-engine]

I would not track datum planes straight across either like you have shown. Build the geometry just like you would create a product with parametric surfaces. Sometimes that means the curves and surfaces show a striation like stitches on a baseball.

I use the STL data in segments so the data can be managed more efficiently with layers in Pro/E.
Edited by: design-engine

 

[isaac985]

I don't have much experience with surfacing. I have been trying to trace over the surface but am ruing into problems. the model seems to be to complex for tools like boundary blend and such.

However, i find that i can change the shape of the stl model just how i want to with the warp feature. The problem i now face is that i want to import this stl into ansys, however it does not recognize the model. It gives me the error, "no valid bodies are found."

The plan is to import the warped stl to ansys to compare stesses with the original model. I would love help figuring out how to get the original and warped models into ansys.

Or is this not possible, thus i have to draw it myslef and then put it into ansys? HOPE NOT!

Thank you TOBIAS and everyone else for helping me.

 

[tobbo]

well...you cant do this with "one" or "a few" Boundary blends. It

 

[isaac985]

if i can't import the stl to ansys, could i create my own solid model and then import it to ansys with the "warp features as parameters?"

or is there a way to have program such as matlab, java, or c++ recognize the changes done by warp in proe and do its own optimization sequence?

i understand that this is complicated but i really do appreciate the help. probably becuase I NEED IT

thank you

 

[isaac985]

thansk for all the help so farhere is a post of my start. the picure i am trying to draw is in a previous post.
i am having trouble removing some of the material from the surface blands. for instance, i want to remove the material on the bottem so that i can start fine tuning the under side of the skull.

also how do i fill in the gap between two blends so that it is a closed shell?

any suggesions at all on the drawing would be greatly appreciated.
thanks again!

 

[hkhalaf]

Hi Isaac,


Good Start, Keep going,


Regards