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Chris Hanson
08-13-2008, 12:09 PM
I'm looking for the most straightforward (read: easiest) way to take a 3D model and "slice" it into sections that could be cut out with the laser and then re-assembled. I've seen this done on various cnc projects, so I know there must be a reasonable way to do it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Chris
Wil Lambert
08-13-2008, 12:57 PM
What format is the model in? STL, IGS,etc...

Wil
Chris Hanson
08-13-2008, 2:25 PM
I can convert it into any format that Rhino is capable of importing/exporting. (obj, 3ds,stl, etc)....


Chris
James Stokes
08-13-2008, 2:40 PM
In autocad there is a slice command. I think that will do what you are looking for.
Chris Hanson
08-13-2008, 2:46 PM
Unfortunately, no autocad...urgh!
Doug Griffith
08-13-2008, 3:46 PM
I looked into this awhile back. Check out:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=72171
Lee DeRaud
08-13-2008, 4:11 PM
Don't know if this helps, but DesignCAD 3D (http://www.imsidesign.com/Products/DesignCADSeries/DesignCAD3DMAXv18/tabid/326/Default.aspx) has a 'Cross-Section' command that appears to do the right thing: generates a 2D object corresponding to the intersection between a plane and a 3D object. (It also has a 'Slice' command, but that breaks a 3D object into two 3D objects.)

And it's a whole bunch cheaper than Autocad. :cool:
Joseph B. Chritz
08-13-2008, 6:38 PM
In Rhino look up cutplane then split the model at the cutplane.
Chris Hanson
08-13-2008, 8:01 PM
I ventured out onto the info superhighway and I did find this that elaborates (and has a little script to assist) on the process in Rhino: http://rainbowlazer.com/?p=3


Its times like this that I wish I was more Rhino proficient. I'm trying to learn all this at once and my head is frequently spinning!

Thanks all for your help.

Chris
Chris Hanson
08-15-2008, 2:28 PM
This one is for those who are more adept at Rhino than I. As I said in a previous post, I found a Rhino script to do exactly what I wanted. Unfortunately, when I run it , it slices the model as I instruct it to but then I get an error message when it tries to save it as curves to Illustrator.

I've attached the script as well as the error message I get and hope someone more proficient in Rhino and scripting can see what might be wrong. I'm guessing it was written for an older version of Rhino but I'm lost when it comes to scripting.

Thanks. Hopefully, if someone can figure this out, it will be of use to others on the forum.

Thanks,

Chris