Mesh Modeling Autocad 2010

MESH MODELING By Prof Rajednra Salokhe B.Tech. (I.I.T.Delhi) Please view my website for Books http://arutapub.brinkster.net (AutoCAD 2010 Only) The mesh modeling was introduced new in AutoCAD 2010. In mesh modeling every object comprises of small planes objects brought together to create more complex surfaces. Mesh objects are made up of tessellated objects. Tessellated objects are faces bounded by edges. With free-form modeling tools, faces, edges, and vertices of tessellated objects can be moved, scaled, stretched, pushed, pulled, and rotated individually using the GIZMO or other tools to create smooth and rounded objects. The mesh modeling is given importance in AutoCAD 2010. This is to compete some other 3D software and create complicated objects. For example a box comprises of many small, tessellated objects as shown below.

Panels on the mesh modeling tab. Click on the Mesh box tool to draw the mesh box. By default the box comprises of 27 cubes and 54 faces. It looks like the magic cube.

You can decide the number of cubes you need width wise, length wise and height wise. This is set by clicking on the small arrow on the 'primitives' pallet. The 'mesh primitive dialog box' will popup.

You can set the number of cubes you want Lengthwise, Widthwise and Height wise.

Each cube has faces, edges and vertexes. The concept is shown below.

Select a face by pressing the control key and move the small rectangle cursor over the face.

The Face. If you select the face filter then only face will be selected. (Not edge or vertex). The Gizmo you select will popup on selecting the object.

EDGE SELECTION 1]Set the filter to edge. 2] Select edge by pressing the control key. Selected edge

Edge

VERTEX SELECTION

Rotating Edge

More complex rotation

vertexes

Moving vertexes

EXTRUDING FACE In extrusion the face is extended. See the following figure to know how it looks after smoothness is applied. Smooth more option for smoothening

Extruded face

Selecting face for extrusion

We have extruded two faces .See how they look when smoothened.

MOVING THE FACE Moving the face will pool all the relevant meshes as follows.

Select face for moving

OTHER MESH OBJECTS

Face moved.

Box after smoothening

Cone

Cylinder

Pyramid

Spher e

Wedge

Torus

You can draw all these meshes by typing MESH at command prompt instead of '3D' command used in earlier versions up to AutoCAD 2009. SPLITTING A FACE You can split a face into two and also further.

Split tool Face to split.

The split face.

Click on the split tool. Select the face. Select two points of the splitting line. APPLYING CREASE The crease option flattens the surface, which has become oval due to extrusion.

Surfaces extruded from the cylinder, smoothness applied

TABSURF 1] Draw a spline. 2] Convert it to polyline with PEDIT command. 3] Draw direction vector in Z direction.

4] Use tabsurf to create a corrugated sheet.

PRACTICE 1] Set the primitive mesh as 8x6x3 Click here

Set the primitives

After applying crease.

Draw a box.

Smoothen the object

Select the top faces

Select the edges and move them a little up.

Move the faces down

Final object.