how to convert a polysurface into a surface? (for surface population)

by Timothée Raison

May 19, 2010

Hi everyone.
I'm working on a project using surface population.

I'm lofting one degree curves to make a surface with sharp edges but the
result I get is a polysurface.

I can't use that directly as a surface to populate, as my definition is using a surfaceBox component
which requires a surface as input.

Does anyone knows how to convert a polysurface into a surface? or is there any other way to get a
surface with sharp edges that I could populate?

thanks a lot for your answers!
timothée
  • up

    Arthur Mamou-Mani

    Salut Timothée !
    Have look at the previous conversation (giulio's definition):
    http://www.grasshopper3d.com/forum/topics/mapping-a-rectangular-grid
    you can use it to populate components on a polysurface (using the four corners of the grid for each surface).
    2

    May 19, 2010

    • up

      Gwyll

      If you just want to populate the polysurface with components that are oriented according to the curvature of the surface you can contour your polysurface and use the generated points to map components to. This gives you an even grid with each point responding to its respective surface topology. You wont be able to use this grid to form components with shared edges though - as it gets difficult to bridge individual surface gaps. To do that I would suggest maybe meshing your surface into reasonably uniform quads, offsetting those and embedding your components between. This will simplify your surface in a fairly violent fashion though.

      As usual, Ive got an explanation of the polysurface grid definition on my blog: http://ledatomica.wordpress.com/2010/03/28/grids-on-polysurfaces/
      3

      May 19, 2010