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JWayman1-Visitor
1-Visitor
August 16, 2013
Question

Merged Boundary Blends

  • August 16, 2013
  • 9 replies
  • 3881 views

I am mystified.
I am no expert on surfacing, but:
I was pretty sure I could create a series of boundary blends and merge them to create a single quilt.

Today, I can't. I end up with a curve, not a quilt.

I have a series of x,y,z coordinates in Excel, which define a domed surface.
I have created , in Wildfire 4, a set of datum points offset from a coordinate system, using the x,y,z data from excel.
I created a series of datum curves through these groups of points.
I created a boundary blend, using an adjacent pair of these datum curves as the Direction 1 curves and the curves across the ends of this adjacent pair of curves as the Direction 2 curves.
I repeated this process, until I had a set of boundary blend surfaces that resembled what I wanted to create.
I then tried to merge adjacent pairs of boundary blend surfaces to create a single quilt defining the whole part surface.
That's where it went wrong: I was left with a curve at the join between the adjacent boundary blends, instead of the quilt I was expecting.

I'm sure I've done this successfully many times in the past (on WF2), but now I'm starting to doubt my memory and my strategy.

I would appreciate some assistance here, as I am stumped on what I thought was a pretty simple exercise.

WF4, m220


Cheers,

John

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9 replies

C
c1281-Visitor
1-Visitor
August 16, 2013

Hi Is it possible that - by mistake - you used the intersect rather than the merge function? Try this: switch selection filter to 'quilts', ctrl-select two boundary blends at a time and merge them via #Edit#Merge. Just to make sure that you don't klick on a wrong icon in your toolbar...



J
JWayman1-VisitorAuthor
1-Visitor
August 16, 2013
Good idea, Matthias, but no, that's not the problem.
I wish it had been that simple!
🐵

I expect it will be really simple when I eventually find the solution.


Regards,


John

B
BrentDrysdale12-Amethyst
12-Amethyst
August 16, 2013
Hi John,
Could be off base here as a couple of versions on and no longer have older
versions installed.
Maybe my memory is playing tricks but I think the joining of several
coincident quilts in one operation came in with WF5.  Before that I seem to
recall having to make several merges to get the one finished quilt.  At
that time I would usually start at one end and pick the first two adjacent
quilts then merge them and then with the merged quilt highlighted use Ctrl
and pick the next adjacent quilt (and so on).  Tedious.  Also best to set
the selection filter to quilt before starting.


Regards,
Brent Drysdale


On Fri, Aug 16, 2013 at 9:32 PM, WAYMAN John <<br/>> wrote:

>  I am mystified.****
>
> I am no expert on surfacing, but:****
>
> I was pretty sure I could create a series of boundary blends and merge
> them to create a single quilt.****
>
> ** **
>
> Today, I can't. I end up with a curve, not a quilt.****
>
> ** **
>
> I have a series of x,y,z coordinates in Excel, which define a domed
> surface.****
>
> I have created , in Wildfire 4, a set of datum points offset from a
> coordinate system, using the x,y,z data from excel. ****
>
> I created a series of datum curves through these groups of points. ****
>
> I created a boundary blend, using an adjacent pair of these datum curves
> as the Direction 1 curves and the curves across the ends of this adjacent
> pair of curves as the Direction 2 curves. ****
>
> I repeated this process, until I had a set of boundary blend surfaces that
> resembled what I wanted to create. ****
>
> I then tried to merge adjacent pairs of boundary blend surfaces to create
> a single quilt defining the whole part surface. ****
>
> That's where it went wrong: I was left with a curve at the join between
> the adjacent boundary blends, instead of the quilt I was expecting.****
>
> ** **
>
> I'm sure I've done this successfully many times in the past (on WF2), but
> now I'm starting to doubt my memory and my strategy.****
>
> ** **
>
> I would appreciate some assistance here, as I am stumped on what I thought
> was a pretty simple exercise.****
>
> ** **
>
> WF4, m220****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> Cheers,****
>
> ** **
>
> John****
>
> ** **
>
> <">http://../../../../../t0038633/Application%20Data/Microsoft/Signatures/www.thalesgroup.com/uk>
> ****
>
> ** **
>
> Tel:  ****
>
> ** **
>
> E-mail:  ****
>
> ** **
>
> *Please consider the environment before printing a hard copy of this
> email.*
>
> ** **
>
> The information contained in this e-mail is confidential. It is intended
> only for the stated addressee(s) and access to it by any other person is
> unauthorised. If you are not an addressee, you must not disclose, copy,
> circulate or in any other way use or rely on the information contained in
> this e-mail. Such unauthorised use may be unlawful. If you have received
> this e-mail in error, please inform us immediately on +44 (0) 1963 370551and delete it and all copies from your system.
> ****
>
> ** **
>
J
JWayman1-VisitorAuthor
1-Visitor
August 16, 2013
Thanks, Brent,
Yes, I was just trying to merge two boundary blends at a time. I know it all falls apart if youn try to merge several surfaces at once. Sadly, it still doesn't work, even two at a time.

Cheers,


John

E
eslotty1-Visitor
1-Visitor
August 16, 2013
Surface stitching seems to be affected by part accuracy more than standard features.... Maybe an adjustment is necessary...

There isn't some weird layer rule that is putting the resulting feature on a layer that is off, is there? I've seen stranger things!!

Have a good weekend.

GE Healthcare Technologies
Clinical Systems
Monitoring Solutions
Eric R. Slotty
Mechanical Designer
8200 W. Tower Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53223
B
bokm96061-Visitor
1-Visitor
August 16, 2013
ALSO CONSIDER, BEFORE MERGING "A" TO "B"....TRIM A WITH B. THEN B WITH A.
THEN TRY TO MERGE THEM..

BUT ADJUSTING ACCURACY OF THE PART MAY HELP TOO. CONSIDER USING ABSOLUTE
ACCURACY AS OPPOSED TO RELATIVE.



On Fri, Aug 16, 2013 at 4:10 AM, Slotty, Eric (GE Healthcare) <
-> wrote:

> Surface stitching seems to be affected by part accuracy more than
> standard features…. Maybe an adjustment is necessary…****
>
> ** **
>
> There isn't some weird layer rule that is putting the resulting feature on
> a layer that is off, is there? I've seen stranger things!!****
>
> ** **
>
> Have a good weekend.****
>
> ** **
>
> *GE Healthcare Technologies*****
>
> *Clinical Systems*****
>
> *Monitoring Solutions*****
>
> *Eric R. Slotty*****
>
> Mechanical Designer****
>
> 8200 W. Tower Avenue****
>
> Milwaukee, WI 53223****
>
> Phone: (414) 362-2552****
>
> Fax: (414) 362-2880****
>
> e-mail: -****
>
> Visit Us On The Internet:****
>
>
> ****
>
> ** **
>
> Tel: +44 (0)1963 372519****
>
> ** **
>
> E-mail: -****
>
> ** **
>
> *Please consider the environment before printing a hard copy of this
> email.*
>
> ** **
>
> The information contained in this e-mail is confidential. It is intended
> only for the stated addressee(s) and access to it by any other person is
> unauthorised. If you are not an addressee, you must not disclose, copy,
> circulate or in any other way use or rely on the information contained in
> this e-mail. Such unauthorised use may be unlawful. If you have received
> this e-mail in error, please inform us immediately on +44 (0) 1963 370551and delete it and all copies from your system.
> ****
>
> ** **
>
> *From:* Brent Drysdale []">mailto:-<->]
>
> *Sent:* 16 August 2013 11:34
> *To:* ProE-CAD
> *Subject:* [proecad] - RE: Merged Boundary Blends****
>
> ** **
>
> Hi John,****
>
> Could be off base here as a couple of versions on and no longer have older
> versions installed.****
>
> Maybe my memory is playing tricks but I think the joining of several
> coincident quilts in one operation came in with WF5. Before that I seem to
> recall having to make several merges to get the one finished quilt. At
> that time I would usually start at one end and pick the first two adjacent
> quilts then merge them and then with the merged quilt highlighted use Ctrl
> and pick the next adjacent quilt (and so on). Tedious. Also best to set
> the selection filter to quilt before starting.****
>
>
> ****
>
> ** **
>
> Regards,****
>
> Brent Drysdale****
>
> ** **
>
> On Fri, Aug 16, 2013 at 9:32 PM, WAYMAN John <
> -> wrote:****
>
> I am mystified.****
>
> I am no expert on surfacing, but:****
>
> I was pretty sure I could create a series of boundary blends and merge
> them to create a single quilt.****
>
> ****
>
> Today, I can't. I end up with a curve, not a quilt.****
>
> ****
>
> I have a series of x,y,z coordinates in Excel, which define a domed
> surface.****
>
> I have created , in Wildfire 4, a set of datum points offset from a
> coordinate system, using the x,y,z data from excel. ****
>
> I created a series of datum curves through these groups of points. ****
>
> I created a boundary blend, using an adjacent pair of these datum curves
> as the Direction 1 curves and the curves across the ends of this adjacent
> pair of curves as the Direction 2 curves. ****
>
> I repeated this process, until I had a set of boundary blend surfaces that
> resembled what I wanted to create. ****
>
> I then tried to merge adjacent pairs of boundary blend surfaces to create
> a single quilt defining the whole part surface. ****
>
> That's where it went wrong: I was left with a curve at the join between
> the adjacent boundary blends, instead of the quilt I was expecting.****
>
> ****
>
> I'm sure I've done this successfully many times in the past (on WF2), but
> now I'm starting to doubt my memory and my strategy.****
>
> ****
>
> I would appreciate some assistance here, as I am stumped on what I thought
> was a pretty simple exercise.****
>
> ****
>
> WF4, m220****
>
> ****
>
> ****
>
> Cheers,****
>
> ****
>
> John****
>
> ****
>
> John Wayman C.Eng FIED****
>
> Senior Mechanical Engineer****
>
> Underwater Systems****
>
> *Thales UK
> *Ocean House, Throop Road, Templecombe, Somerset, BA8 0DH, UK****
>
> www.thalesgroup.com/uk<">http://../../../../../t0038633/Application%20Data/Microsoft/Signatures/www.thalesgroup.com/uk>
> ****
>
> ****
>
> Tel: +44 (0)1963 372519****
>
> ****
>
> E-mail: -****
>
> ****
>
> *Please consider the environment before printing a hard copy of this
> email.*****
>
> ****
>
> The information contained in this e-mail is confidential. It is intended
> only for the stated addressee(s) and access to it by any other person is
> unauthorised. If you are not an addressee, you must not disclose, copy,
> circulate or in any other way use or rely on the information contained in
> this e-mail. Such unauthorised use may be unlawful. If you have received
> this e-mail in error, please inform us immediately on +44 (0) 1963 370551and delete it and all copies from your system.
> ****
>
> ****
>
> ** **
>
D
DeanLong1-Visitor
1-Visitor
August 18, 2013

The issue is accuracy. Your Excel is not as accurate as Pro needs to stitch the boundary.


Set the filter to geometry, select the four edges of each boundary surface and then click Edit, Extend. Use a value that extends the boundary out enough give a clean intersection (I.E. merge by intersect).


That should solve the issue. The only way it will not is is you have a high curvature along a boundary and the extend twists the new surface to a degree that creates multiple solutions. My guess is you will be okay.

B
bokm96061-Visitor
1-Visitor
August 18, 2013
Good call Dean. Always good practice to have merged surfaces extend beyond
eachother to avoid " singularities" in merge process.
J
JWayman1-VisitorAuthor
1-Visitor
August 22, 2013

Thank you all for your help on this subject. It appears that the problem was down to incompetence!


I recall in WF2 (I think!) having to hide everything except the final merge, so that is what I was doing. In WF4, you have to leave the final Boundary Blend unhidden as well.


So, either my memory was playing tricks, or I was just not trying enough variations on a theme. Either way, it's all working now.


 


Cheers,


 


 


John

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