3D tubing lisp challenge

Let me start this challenge with the statement that "I definitely am not a
lsp writer" and this post might be a little long.
In my recent self imposed crusade to find an automated routine to extrude a
shape along a path in 3d space using acad2004 has come up dry. I have
tested and tried over 20 different routines that I have found for extruding
and none will pass. I have and use a number of methods to do this "manually"
but all are very time consuming and full of places where errors and problems
creep in. The most evident thing I found was the vast number of people
looking for a similar thing. Personally I want to use it to make formed wire
parts & I have seen people looking for same for tubing, drainage pipe,
plumbing & wiring. All the lisp routines out on the web that I and others
have found don't work on 99% of what I need to do and were written back in
the early 90"s.
It is a very simple thing to make a "3d poly" and extrude a shape along its
length in 3d space as long as there is no radius requirements in the path.
A drawn arc can be turned into a lt weight poly but can't be joined to the
3d poly to form a continuous path which stops the acad extrusion process.

Here is the basis for the lisp challenge to whom wants to take it on.

(1.) Be able to group pick a series of lines & arcs drawn in free 3d space.
(2.) For the lack of better terms "Chain or Join" them into a useable path.
(3.) Pick a drawn shape or shapes at one end of this path to be extruded
along it.
(4.) Extrude this shape or shapes to be a solid so holes or cuts can be
subtracted from it.

Good luck and a bunch of people are looking...................

Tks
Gene

 

Anthony,

Thanks for looking @ this. Here is another manual solution........maybe
something here could be used to automate the process ??
Manual Solution offered by another good designer:
Try this...it is a little trying, but it will make a smooth extrusion.
Create a path with 3D poly lines & Lt. weight 2D poly arcs.
Go to one end and draw a poly closed loop (extrusion profile) so that the z
axis is normal to the center of the path. Do extrude > path, and pick the
line. The profile will be extruded to the first bend. Then do "extrude
faces" and pick the tube....the whole tube may or may not be picked
according to where you pick, but in any case, do a shift pick to unpick the
rest of the tube....only the profile will be left picked. do an extrude >
path, and pick the bend....then do it again and again until you are done.
this will make a smooth solid. I didn't say it was elegant...but it works.

 

Hello,

I'm not sure how or if your method gives a different result from my lisp
routine would you care to elaborate.
maybe i'm missing a setvar or something i tried 2 examples one with my lisp
routine and another one using extrude faces, same result?

anthony

 

I've seen a routine that does what you have described.
The only setback is it was designed to work on lines
only and the line pairs must have a common intersection.
It works on mutiple lines as long as the length of the lines
can accomodate the radius of the bends. The routine is
still under development, but a demo is available.

Noah