A solid waffle for laser cutting.

This script is aim to take in a BRep polysurface solid for generating a laser cutting file.
It can handle hollow forms, cantilevering masses and can generally take more complex geometry then the usual section plane-section curve algorithm. This is because of an operation which determines the middle point for notch/slot to happen, instead of the usual fixed height notching.

Ideal script to generate massing models for complex geometries.
It uses a global coordinate grid to determine cutting plates location, which allows two adjoining form to be baked separately while cutting plates matching across the two form.
Best used in mm scale.

This is not a simple script, not intend for general purpose.
The script still relies on solid Boolean operations, thus limited to what Rhino 'can Boolean'.

I'll add more description about the script later when I have more time.
I attached a form testing file, which you can play with some forms that I've sketched.

This is my first post, suggestions and comments appreciated.
Inspired by David Fano's Parametric Truss script.

waffle_20101228.ghx, 1.6 MB is the latest script (hope it works on GH0.8)

Tags: boolean, cutting, laser, lasercut, solid, waffle

Attachments:

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by yahia mito on January 26, 2011 at 2:39am

really amazing -simple Tutorial- :)

i've tried to apply it on my computer but i got this , i'm using the latest grasshopper & my units are set to meters

also i don't get what are the unit used in material thickness slider ?? also the sections generated , they look weird , don't they ? what can i do

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Victor Leung on January 26, 2011 at 8:06pm

Sorry for the incomplete tutorial,

The unit used is the rhino unit, so what ever unit your model is in, the GH takes that unit. The sections are weird because you have set the spacing too wide, and the material thickness may be too thick, try to have around 15 to 20 slices, and have a reasonable thickness (1/3 to 1/10 slice spacing)

cheers

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by ssav on January 27, 2011 at 9:43am

Thank you Victor. It has been working nicely. Question, what would cause the section to fail in one plane only? Certain x and y spacing yields areas where the section does not calculate.

-s

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Victor Leung on January 27, 2011 at 9:57am

Hi SSAV,

I wrote this script long time ago, I forgot why :P

I recalled some fact is that, when the planes are cut exactly at some parallel surface. Or simply if Rhino Boolean calculation give up, it will fail.

that is why sometimes changing the location of the geometry, or plane spacing or something else slightly (very slightly: say less than 0.001 unit) might get rid of the problem.

Another thing is that your geometry is better neatly build, water tight is a must. No overlapping or self intersecting surface, etc.

cheers

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by ssav on January 31, 2011 at 8:37am

Thank you Victor for your definition. Working nicely.

Best

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Victor Leung on February 7, 2011 at 5:46am

I have recently organized my previous works on my own website, and have this thread reposted there, feel free to have a look or subscribe to my RSS if interested.

http://www.dreamationworks.com/?p=197

Cheers

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by carlos mauricio rodriguez on February 8, 2011 at 12:35pm

Victor,

Great work-

Thanks for sharing this.

It's going to open up many opportunities for 3d studies.

Thanks again.

http://localhostr.com/files/bHme3WU/Untitled-2.jpg

Carlos

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Andrew Mac on February 16, 2011 at 5:10am

Hi Victor

Relativley new to Grasshopper but can understand alot of your fabulous script.

I've having trouble using it.

When I set my Brep the section turns red and then the list of points that determind the X and Y spacings disappear???

Any tips would be much appreciated.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Victor Leung on February 16, 2011 at 7:10am

I'm not sure, that sound like a Rhino bug. The section planes should appear if preview is turned on. Even with any other error that happen.

Make sure you are using GH v.0.8.0004

Try draw a box in Rhino and reference it to test. Test the script with something very simple at first might resolve the problem.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Arie-Willem de Jongh on March 2, 2011 at 11:00am

I had the same problem, you have to get the other definition victor posted a little later for grasshopper 0.8 and get your sections planes/material thickness right.

Thanks a bunch victor your a life saver. Ive been working with t-splines, making some organic floorplanes/facades. For the construction i was thinking to do a waffle shaped construction, but i wasnt able to adjust a waffle script from digitial toolbox for multiple/complex Breps. So im happy ive found yours because: T-splines -> water tight polysurface, and thats exactly what your definition wants to be feeded :)