Go Back   AC3D Forums > General > AC3D General
Register FAQ Members List Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 8th January 2005, 09:11 AM   #1
Hawk
Senior Member
Professional user
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 191
Default Spacing and elimanating lines

Look as the rough example image of a solar panel, it is laying on a curved surface..
http://www.tomah.com/delliott/solar2.gif
Questions...

(1) The white border or trim would like to be solid white (no lines through it).

(2) I can easily space the vertical lines equal distances apart (Using extrude settings) however how does one evenly space the horizonal lines running over the curved surfaces?
http://www.tomah.com/delliott/solar2.gif
Hawk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 8th January 2005, 09:53 AM   #2
Andy
Administrator
Professional user
 
Andy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,563
Default

The black lines you see are the surface outlines - switch 3D->surfaces off.

Perhaps make this from an Object->revolve of a line? The line would be made from equally spaced vertices. That way you it will perfectly spaced radial shape.

If you need a grid over your panel, make another line slighty further waway before you revolve both lines. This will create surfaces but you could set the surface-type to line afterwards. Alternatively, use the surfaces but make holes in them.

If you want to use the existing object you show here, select strips of vertices and use move-to to set them at specific distances (press the > before changing one dimension, so you only move along one axis).

Andy
Andy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 8th January 2005, 10:48 AM   #3
Hawk
Senior Member
Professional user
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 191
Default

Thanks again Andy,
Here the spacing, that's fine (Used your suggestion. e.g. rotating a line), now how is the blank border accomplished (Sans lines) Not shown in the image tried a few thing but end up with lines on it.
http://www.tomah.com/delliott/solar3.gif :?:
Hawk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 8th January 2005, 11:00 AM   #4
Hawk
Senior Member
Professional user
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 191
Default

Your suggestion..."select strips of vertices and use move-to to set them at specific distances (press the > before changing one dimension, so you only move along one axis)". Could you please explain the last part more, what does the ">" stand for, thanks
:?:
Hawk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 8th January 2005, 11:22 AM   #5
Andy
Administrator
Professional user
 
Andy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,563
Default

On the 3d menu - you will have Surfaces ticked - untick it to hide the surface outlines.

The '>' button next to the number fields by Move-to on the control panel.

Press '>' to fill in the fields with the current position - which you can then modify before pressing 'move to'.

Andy
Andy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 8th January 2005, 12:41 PM   #6
Hawk
Senior Member
Professional user
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 191
Default

Thanks, got it could you please reply to post dated 2.48 P.M. about the borders
Hawk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 8th January 2005, 02:03 PM   #7
Andy
Administrator
Professional user
 
Andy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,563
Default

please reply to post dated 2.48 P.M. about the borders.

Do you want to create 'window-frame' shapes over the centre of your panel?

You could duplicate the whole panel and do a surface->make-hole on it - position the new object in front of your original.

Alternatively, revolve another line just outside the original and set all the surfaces to polylines.

Is this the sort of solution you want or have I got the wrong end of the stick?

Andy
Andy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 9th January 2005, 09:14 AM   #8
Hawk
Senior Member
Professional user
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 191
Default

Success
http://www.tomah.com/delliott/solar4.gif

Andy, What you suggested worked, meaning rotate a line (To obtain the curve), make that a poly (The gray frame), rotate another line, make that a line object (The black grid lines), copy that grid image make that a poly for color background, purple (Under the black grid), it took a little alignment but the process was fast enough.

(Note to get the equally spaced vertical lines when I created the line for the black grid to rotate, I made it in segments, meaning seven line snapped end to end then rotated, quick and easy.)

Off course the colors used in the image are for show only. Haven't figure out how to adjust the light intensity yet. (Too bright for this object)
Hawk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 9th January 2005, 04:22 PM   #9
Andy
Administrator
Professional user
 
Andy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,563
Default

Looks great.

To make your grid, without creating another object in front, you could select the centre squares and use Surface->indent. Then color the outer polygons of each indent black - like a small frame. This would keep it all in a single object so it would look good from all distances.

Andy
Andy is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:58 AM.


AC3D Forum
(C) Inivis Limited 2020