SketchUp - Cylinder Through Cone

[Gina]

I hope someone who knows about SketchUp can help me - please

Some time ago someone posted about intersecting curved surfaces but I can't find it now.  I currently want to pierce a cone with a tube and produce a model that can be 3D printed.  Here is a screenshot of my desired model except that the surfaces of the cone continue through the two cylinders making up the tube.  This model will not 3D print.

[ChrisLX200]

Gosh, now you're testing my memory!

Make your cone a component, then the tube a group (or another component - ISTR either would work). Move the tube into place so it intersects the cone, then select all, right-click, cloose intersect faces. Then Explode all. Now the intersections should be 'cutting edges' and you should be able to select the bits you don't want and delete them. If you find small holes around the edges where they join you will have to manually repair them, SketchUp doesn't handle small scales very well and that is the cause. An alternative is to scale everything up (instead of millimeters use meters) then scale back down again afterwards - but having to do that is a nuisance.

Actaully, I would have to play with it myself to fully recall what to do - but it's something like the above. Sorry, it's been a while and that's the best I can do...

ChrisH

[Gina]

Thank you very much Chris - I'll try that tomorrow   See if I can figure it out

[Gina]

I doesn't work - at least not for me (using the 2016 version of SketchUp Make)   Moved the tube out of the cone, then made the cone a component, selected the tube, moved it out of the way and made that a component too.  Then extended tube through cone, Intersect with Model and Explode.  The cone surface still continued through the tube so when I tried to erase the part within the tube it erased the whole surface of the cone, as before.  Maybe you forgot a crucial action or maybe it only works with a previous version.

I tried a search in the SketchUp help page but nothing relevant.

[happy-kat]

I think it was me.

It's about making the shape a component before you drag it through the shape you are going to make a hole in.

I'd search for the post with the steps in it or add the YouTube link but it will crash my tablet, if on pc tonight I'll look then.

[ChrisLX200]

I just tried it and it does work Gina, and I'm using SketchUp 2016 too. Below is a part with a random tube inserted into the side of it - not cleaned up properly but you can see it has cut the main part..

ChrisH

[ejp1684]

Don't know if this is relevant, but I had a similar problem using one tube to cut out part of another tube. In my case I found that I was using too many segments in the tube. If I remember rightly circles default to 24 segments, and I had increased it to 128 or so. When I tried to intersect two tubes, the cutting was random, and deleting the odd little lines opened it all up. Once I reduced the segment count to 48 it worked. I read somewhere else that Sketchup isn't very good with complex intersections.

Eric.

[Gina]

Ah... thank you - that could be it - I'm using 100 sides in my "circles" to make a better approximation to a smooth curve.

[Gina]

Thank you for trying it Chris   Thank you happy cat too

[Gina]

Phew!...  I think I'm gradually winning    Just been repairing missing line sections.  These are shown by shading of the surface and need zooming right into the insides to see where the line bits are missing.

[Gina]

The UP Plus 2 software has accepted the mode   Though it did say it was "unsolid".  Means there might be a tiny hole somewhere but I can't find it having been all over the model bot inside and out with plenty of zoom but it can correct for minor problems automatically.  We shall see - ETA 1½ hours with 0.3 mm Z resolution and minimal filling.

[ejp1684]

When I've had problems with models I've used this: https://tools3d.azurewebsites.net

Eric.

[Gina]

Thanks   I see it says Win 10 - wonder if it works with Win 7...

I think I've found the problem having tried printing it and found it wanted to provide support where it shouldn't have needed it.

[Gina]

Seems to be printing correctly now   Having removed lots of rogue bits I couldn't get it to Pull Up the bottom central tube.  No problem, I can print that separately and glue it on (solvent welded).

[tekkydave]

Gave it a try following Chris's instructions and it works ok for me. I'm using Sketchup 2016 on Windows 7.

 

[ejp1684]

1 hour ago, Gina said:

I see it says Win 10 - wonder if it works with Win 7...

Works from any browser, I'm using Safari on a Mac.

Eric.

[Gina]

Printing satisfactory It found the hole in the model and threw two layers of "string" across the cone - no problem, easily removed.   Fascinating watching it print the cone and include it round the tube   Here is a sequence of photos showing it printing on my UP Plus 2 3D printer, followed by the cleaned up print.

[ejp1684]

Thanks for the photos. It's always fascinating to see how the software works out how to print things.

Eric.

[happy-kat]

Found it

link

But you look fixed now Gina :-)

[Gina]

Yes - thank you