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Converting an Surface Imported from 3D Studio Max into a Solid

I am writing to ask for help, from this forum, in converting a surface into a solid.

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3D studio max has a feature that allows you to use an image to displace vertices on a plane.

in the example, a gray scale image of P. Bush was used.

I'd like to convert this surface into a solid in either Pro-E or Solidworks.

Anybody that can help me with this, I would really appreciate it.

In Solidworks I tried the "surface-fill" command. It was masked out/ not available. But I was thinking "there must be a way" !

Thanks.

Reply to
wwswimming
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You might try to thicken the surface to make a solid. Otherwise, I would suggest creating a rectangular block and using the surface to cut one side of the block forming the desired result.

From what I can see in the image you provided, you only have a surface that is contoured per the original photo. I'm not surprised that surface fill is not an option with this surface since you need to do much more than simply fill a hole/gap in the surface.

Reply to
John Eric Voltin

For one thing, that's not a surface. It's just a bunch of flat polymesh faces.

I don't think you could form a structure like that (content aside) into a single contiguous surface.

I guess thy bigger question is "why". If you want to engrave a plaque, or something similar, There are c CAM systems that can work directly from the polymesh. We have a laser that can engrave directly from a grey scale photo.

Mark

Reply to
Mark Mossberg

I think we have to back up........ what file format did the scanner give you? If it was (stl) or (vrml) then you have to make sure that you didn't choose to import it as a "graphics body". If that is the case, then all you can do is look at it. NO features or anything else will work on it.

hope this helps.

Reply to
modelsin3d

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