3D Surface - Face Selection (New feature) [Merged]

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roerich_64
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Re: 3D Surface - Face Selection (New feature)

Post by roerich_64 »

Ok, thank you.

There are issues in the Stl File... see:
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Re: 3D Surface - Face Selection (New feature)

Post by sliptonic »

Reminder. 3D surface can be very CPU intensive and little changes in setting can make a big difference.

Several settings are exposed but NOT in the task panel. Linear and Angular Deflection, Step over, and Sample Interval will make big differences.
Unfortunately it auto-recomputes if you change each one. So you might want to disable the op, make multiple changes, then re-enable.

As others have noted, start with simple models. I messed around with surfacing one face on this skull and it took several hours to complete. Down to 30 minutes after adjusting some parameters. Still learning...
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zohozer
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Re: 3D Surface - Face Selection (New feature)

Post by zohozer »

It is there a preferred format for importing geometry in FreeCAD? If I export from Rhino I do have some option when saving as IGES or STP files. Are this settings important or irrelevant for the Path module?
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Re: 3D Surface - Face Selection (New feature)

Post by zohozer »

roerich_64 wrote: Thu Mar 19, 2020 3:25 pm There are issues in the Stl File...
What kind of geometry would be better then? I can export from Rhino in a lot of formats. Unfortunately FreeCAD can't read Rhino .3DM files so I need to export in some NURBS format to get smooth shapes. I seen that FreeCAD can read STP and IGES files.
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zohozer
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Re: 3D Surface - Face Selection (New feature)

Post by zohozer »

sliptonic wrote: Thu Mar 19, 2020 3:59 pm As others have noted, start with simple models. I messed around with surfacing one face on this skull and it took several hours to complete. Down to 30 minutes after adjusting some parameters. Still learning...
I do actually selected only one face from the model, but even for the smallest ones from the side, FreeCAD freezes when calculating the "3D Surface" op.
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sliptonic
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Re: 3D Surface - Face Selection (New feature)

Post by sliptonic »

zohozer wrote: Thu Mar 19, 2020 4:25 pm
roerich_64 wrote: Thu Mar 19, 2020 3:25 pm There are issues in the Stl File...
What kind of geometry would be better then? I can export from Rhino in a lot of formats. Unfortunately FreeCAD can't read Rhino .3DM files so I need to export in some NURBS format to get smooth shapes. I seen that FreeCAD can read STP and IGES files.

IGES_Export.PNG
STEP is your best bet. IGES is an older format and works pretty well but STEP is more modern and has a future. When going between applications, avoid mesh formats.
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Re: 3D Surface - Face Selection (New feature)

Post by Russ4262 »

sliptonic wrote: Thu Mar 19, 2020 3:59 pm Reminder. 3D surface can be very CPU intensive and little changes in setting can make a big difference.

Several settings are exposed but NOT in the task panel. Linear and Angular Deflection, Step over, and Sample Interval will make big differences.
Unfortunately it auto-recomputes if you change each one. So you might want to disable the op, make multiple changes, then re-enable.

As others have noted, start with simple models. I messed around with surfacing one face on this skull and it took several hours to complete. Down to 30 minutes after adjusting some parameters. Still learning...

skull.png


I've already got some performance improvements in the works. I have identified part of the reason for the extended processing time, and I started modifications to reduce or eliminate this particular source.

Thank you all for the great feedback. I'm out of town, so it could be a few days before I get improvements pushed. I understand many are anxious to use this updated operation and its list of new features.

Russ
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Re: 3D Surface - Face Selection (New feature)

Post by RatonLaveur »

3D surface tips and tricks:

When preparing a path always start with a larger tool than you ultimately want.

Use 100% stepover

Always tick Optimize

Select large intervals 1-2mm

The path should be computed rather quick and be imprecise, but you can tweak the pattern and details easily until you feel that this is right for your applications.

Then you refine the intervals you keep optimize on you select the tool you actually want and select an adequate stepover.

Then go make coffee. Make plans for your next vacation. Pray if you're into that (praying to The Russ sometimes work, but may be considered heathen by your neighbours). Eat something. Go take a nap. Survive a pandemic. Call your loved ones.

*Ding* your path is ready!
memfis
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Re: 3D Surface - Face Selection (New feature)

Post by memfis »

In Russia, they devil not less often, or maybe more often than they pray. But how to make FC use all available cores in their work? - would be several times faster.
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Re: 3D Surface - Face Selection (New feature)

Post by chrisb »

One of the first things I modeled in FreeCAD was this hinge: https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic. ... 486#p84325 (images from the FreeCAD model are on the next page). Path was just emerging, much had to be done manually. For some paths it helped to modify some path files but for some it ended in extracting the edges and tesselating them with some python code.
Then I taught my favourite editor to interpolate between two GCode sequences.

Believe me: Waiting for a 3D surface operation to finish is nothing against this!
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