How to insert ball-in-sockets to intersecting pipes? THANKS!

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kate Brandy on April 23, 2016 at 4:18pm

My goal is to 3D print so its moveable.

Permalink Reply by peter fotiadis on April 24, 2016 at 4:35am

Er ... hmm ... this is NOT a task for a novice by any means.

Includes clash detection, "ball/uJoin" linkages, instance definitions (*) and other ultra mysterious things.

(*) Imagine having 1K nodes meaning about 7K "solid" objects. If you don't use instance definitions Rhino would take a week to finish it and 500+Mb to store the file. That said the connecting disks (case: random line graphs) must been modeled on a per disk basis.

If however you insist (I would strongly recommend for the opposite) I could very easily provide the solution ... but using solely code ... a fact that makes it rather useless to you,

See for instance a small demo related with your node "disks" (struts/linkages not shown) working on any "random" line graph.

best

Permalink Reply by Kate Brandy on April 24, 2016 at 12:20pm

hmm yes you are right, this might be too much for a beginner like myself. The image you have created below is what you wrote in code? Or could I possibly see that full definition to try to understand?

Permalink Reply by peter fotiadis on April 25, 2016 at 12:19am

Well Kate,

Appears that you are brave ... but you ain't gonna win this battle.

Anyway (install SandBox PRIOR running this: used for the connectivity trees required):

1. The disk as connector (a very primitive way to do business) imposes serious limitations with regard the topology of the line graph on duty. I do hope that you understand what I'm talking about. DO NOT use this attached against graphs made via proximity 3d and the likes.

2. No clash detection (via trigonometry) is included. Either instance definitions.

3. No values check function is included: this is a rather complex thing when we do real-life "geodetic" trusses.

4. For the critical part: the linkage ... well you have 3 choices (see comments inside). Modelling a parametric linkage in GH/Rhino is 100% out of question. The only thing that you can do is use one as instance definition and put it in a myriad of places. DO NOT attempt to do that the classic way (Orient component).

5. Go to the model shops ask for a big radio controlled car/buggy and observe what a mini ball pivot linkage is (the red freaky thingy):

May the Force (the dark option) be with you.

Suggestion: abandon ship.

best, Lord of Darkness

Attachments:

Truss_on_line_graph_V1.gh, 144 KB

Permalink Reply by peter fotiadis on April 25, 2016 at 2:02am

BTW:

What clash detection may serve:

What values check may serve:

And what happens if you use a disk connector in non geodesic graphs (way out of what a ball pivot could serve):

Permalink Reply by Kate Brandy on April 26, 2016 at 1:55pm

woah. Ok give me a few weeks and I will conquer!

Thanks Peter of darkness!

- Kate

Permalink Reply by peter fotiadis on April 27, 2016 at 12:19am

Conquer eh? In a few weeks? (or in a few years/decades?).

Anyway IF you want to do that in real-life (even as an Academic exercise) first find a suitable linkage (ball pivots are expensive even the toy like ones), post here the exact details of the thing (or better a 3d model) and THEN I'll provide the final solution.

For instance and for the red ball pivot suspension rod captured above you'll need an "eccentric" placement of the disk (with regard the neighbor strut axis).

For the cones (greatly "facilitating" clash situations) you'll need 3d printing using some structural capable resin (up to a point, that is). Make the disks via some CNC using a thin metal sheet. Powder coat disks and cones (black, what else?) For the tubes I would advise carbon stuff widely available out there.

Thus you'll have an all black combo where only the metal linkage parts may differentiate (but Japs do carbon toy linkages these days for their top RC models - Tamiya and the likes).

http://www.tamiya.com/english/products/archive.htm

Permalink Reply by peter fotiadis on April 27, 2016 at 12:57am

BTW:

These mini ball pivot suspension linkages are cheap but:

(a) require a machinist in order to split them and make threads all the way (for bolting the cone),

(b) require a double disk combo in order to "engulf" the pivot mini rod,

http://www.integy.com/st_sresults.html