A Fun Problem for Family Creators

[rod.74246]

Okay I am a bit stuck on this one. I am trying to make a mesh screen with an angled top that i can change heights / widths and angles on to suit. ( Got about 50 of these going on a project and all are different.)

Anyways, there is no way i could figure out how to array the mesh yet manage to have the ends of the arrayed objects trim themselves to an angle. I figured the only way may be to use a void to slice the ends but that also will not work once arrayed either. This is pretty hard to explain what i am trying to do. Anyway I have attached the file to see if anyone has any bright ideas on this one or am I getting a little too complicated wih families here.

And before anyone says anything, yes I know i should have nested the actual mesh bits as a component and will fix this if i can ever figure out how to get this to actually work in the first place.

All uggestions welcome.

[rhys]

Have you used the "Cut geometry" command to make the void cut the mesh?
You hadn't this seems to work

[Shaun v Rooyen]

Rhys. It's not as easy as that. Change the size and the new additions dont cut.

[Nevine]

50 of these? I think you are better of filling with a solid material that is transparent and has mask or grid. I did that or chain link fencing and metal grid floor in a project. I also used this method to great glass block wall. It represents well in 2d and 3d renderings.
The attached image shows a wall grid and the floor done this way.

[rhys]

Rhys. It's not as easy as that. Change the size and the new additions dont cut.

Works for me - you have to do the cut geometry for each type you make. In the family editor . Easy enough in 8 to switch back and forward if a new type is needed on the fly.

[SkiSouth]

Think Nevine has the best solution for "getting it done." Attached is a so modified file. The mesh rendering material needs work. Just pulled one from Accustudio for example. The hatch pattern shown is as follows:

*lattice, lattice pattern
;%TYPE=MODEL
0, 0,0, 0,2.5, 2,-.5
0, 0,2, 0,2.5, 2,-.5
90, 0,0, 2.5,-2.5, 2,-.5
90, 2,0, 2.5,-2.5, 2,-.5

[hand471037]

I'd really recommend that 'hatch' method for doing screens.

Place I worked at, we did a lot of nice roll-up mesh garage doors for condos and the like.

Unless it's something you really need to model to produce shop drawings, I'd keep it simple, if only to keep the model lightweight. These 'hatched' meshes work really nice and fast, and if you make the material itself transparent then it even looks good in 3D Shaded/hidden views.

Even if you had to produce shops for it, I'd just make one that's actually fully 3D, use that for the shops, and still have all the ones on the building just be representative.

[Phil Read]

Model Patterns rock. My vote.

-Phil

[mmodernc]

Thanks Phil, .rfa please.

[rod.74246]

Thanks for the comments guys. My initial thoughts were to model them so we could schedule each one individually. But at the moment we are actually using a hatch pattenr to define these in the model.

The family itself though is one of those ones i got carried away with though just for the fun of making it work ( i do that a lot). The problem itself though is one that a solution for would really work for a lot of other circumstances as well, hence the question.

Just another question too though. Don't know if anyone noticed but i had to use a reference line to set the angle paramater at the top. I have never been able to use a reference plane in a similar situation, whenever i change the height or width i can;t figure out how to get the angled plane to go with it about a specific point. I know it is possible as i have done it once or twice and have seen it used in other families for similar purposes, but for the life of me can;t see how it was done.