finFoil v1.1 released

[jrandy]

Massive,

Here is an attempt using OpenSCAD for the rods and Meshmixer for the slices.

The foil is one I made through finFoil after a discussion about thick fins.

I am not good at ‘edits’ in Meshmixer but appreciate its scaling, slicing, and packing abilities. So I went to OpenSCAD to deal with the rods.

Not much code required in OpenSCAD, 14 lines to get meters to inches and bore out the rods. Probably less characters than the text in this post.

Let us know how it goes. The little blue slider controls the exploded view white making slices.

[grasshopper]

check this!

3-d print with carbon fiber!

https://markforged.com/materials/

[hans]

Thanks for the picture!

I’m only seeing this now.

[hans]

Sorry guys,

I’ve been away from this forum for a while.

I’m glad to see the activity in this thread!

The fin below is now in a print queue for being printed professionally as a demo model:

 

Check it out in 3D here: http://finfoil.io/s/3D/j63wzo79

I will post a picture of the result once it’s printed!

[hans]

I know a guy owning that printer, he printed some fins with it.

I’ll try to get some pictures.

The trailing edge get’s quite floppy though as the plastic to bind the fibres is quite flexible.

Special software and skills are needed to get good fibre orientation.

[jago25_98]

Thanks for your efforts Hans. Coinkite broken URL in osX version? 

Some wierd stuff trying to Hex pattern in meshmixer - meshes a massive structure outside the fin… invert normals didn’t help… 

[hans]

Hi jago,

 

Thanks for highlighting the coinkite issue, I’ll try to fix that soon.

If you’d like to donate bitcoins, please use this address: 183hrcagKVhQdT1oDuTZeEDeMHgtq9ktQ3

 

Can you show me how it looks in meshmixer?

How does it look in meshlab? Meshlab always worked great for me.

[massive_swell]

Wanted to show what is possible with this program made the foil using fin foil mirrored with mesh mixer,  added holes and attachment with auto desk 123d. Sliced it in printable sections using mesh mixer printed it on a 3D printer and added carbon rod to join the sections  and bent wing tips around a beer bottlewith a heat gun. still have to add carbon skin  for structure but you get the idea  this is a high aspect front wing for my kite hydrofoil…

 

 

[dpetrzelka]

Is it possible to import outlines drawn in other vector programs? 

I’m very fast at drawing in Adobe Illustrator and would love to bring some fin outlines into finFoil.

[jrandy]

Dpetrzelka-

The easiest for me is to drag a reference image into the view that you wish to modify, resize the image, and move the control points and vectors to match.  This feature is available in the download version.

I normally drag the image into the outside view and use the inside view to look for bumps, etc.

You can also drag a specific foil image into the profile view.

The download version also has import and export of the different contours, not sure if Illustrator outputs a compatible format.

Hans may have more to add once he sees this…

 

[dpetrzelka]

Thanks J 

I had found the image import function on the downloaded version very nice,  and that worked well. But I find the control points more challenging to use within finFoil than with some of my other vector programs (I’m able to do mores sophisticated curve transitions more easily), so I was hoping to find a way to import the completed outline of the fin, and then work out the foil within the program.

Maybe Hans will see this and have some input.

 

[hans]

Hi dpetrzelka

Yes you can do that if you have some basic computer scripting skills.

If in finfoil, you export an outline and open that file in a text editor, you’ll see something like:

{“outline”:{“area”:0.007553901041348597,“height”:0.1,“path”:{“cont”:[0,0,0,0,0],“path”:[[“M”,0,0],[“C”,32.19,-63.064,140.798,-227.14,269.5,-228.96],[“C”,296.14,-229.34,336.98,-220.88,340.6,-194.48],[“C”,342.96,-177.3,269.2,-156.23,247.1,-124.084],[“C”,199.756,-55.24,226.86,-13,232.86,0]]},“sweep”:0.7213104366162689,“uuid”:“{b8245811-a565-47af-8646-d93de251ddeb}”}}

the double array in outline.path.path is very similar to an svg path. So if you have an svg path, you can simply convert it to this format, paste it into the .foutl file and import in finfoil.

You can easily automate this using a script.

Note that finfoil only supports “M”, “C” and “L”

If you just want to add/delete path points, you can add/delete them in the .foutl file directly. And If you’d like perfectly straight lines, you can add “L” sections. For more info about the sections: SVG Path

Kind Regards,

Hans

[MrMik]

What had stopped me so far from using finFoil has been my inability to get it to run in Ubuntu. I’m not particularly capable with Terminal use, but can follow cook-book instructions. However, when something does not work, I’m usually stuck because I do not understand what I’m doing, just copy + paste code and hope for the best.

So, I gave in and booted into Windows 7 and installed finFoil. Now I’m hooked!

Apart from occasional errors when trying to export .stl files, it worked extremely well. I exported to .stl file very frequently during the development of my first fin, and reverted to the previous working version whenever I hit a problem with the .stl export.
It seems some extreme versions of foil settings cannot be exported to .stl file. It pays not to spend too many hours refining a fin without periodically checking that it will indeed export to .stl file.
Anyhow, some pictures of my first 3D software created fin, the “Peregrine Falcon” (wing fin).
It is designed to be 3D printed in erect position, so the height is limited to 200mm for my printer.

[MrMik]

Currently printing in PLA on Prusa i3 MK2.
I used Slic3r to create the .gcode file, using 0.05mm layer height (including first layer) and “Spiral Vase” mode.
I had to reduce first layer height to 0.05mm because of the very flat start to the fin base at the leading edge, and also include 3 bottom layers, when I would have preferred 0 bottom layers.
The resulting fin shape will be hollow and might serve as a mould to be filled with resin, if it is not too floppy. I’ll probably have to make some sort of a ‘mother mould’ to support it. I’ll have to open up the bottom somehow because of the three bottom layers. The screen shot of the Slic3r preview window shows why: Even at 0.05mm layer height, the first few lines of filament do not stick together because of the very flat angle.

[MrMik]

Here is what is going wrong when I try to install finFoil in Ubuntu 16.04 LTS:

I downloaded finFoil-v1.0.0.tar.gz and extracted it.

p@p-ThinkPad-T540p:~$ cd /home/p/finFoil_source/finFoil-v1.0.0/
p@p-ThinkPad-T540p:~/finFoil_source/finFoil-v1.0.0$ $ git submodule init$: command not found
p@p-ThinkPad-T540p:~/finFoil_source/finFoil-v1.0.0$ $ mkdir bin$: command not found
p@p-ThinkPad-T540p:~/finFoil_source/finFoil-v1.0.0$ ./configurebash: ./configure: No such file or directory
p@p-ThinkPad-T540p:~/finFoil_source/finFoil-v1.0.0$ sudo apt-get install build-essential
[sudo] password for p:
Reading package lists… Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information… Done
build-essential is already the newest version (12.1ubuntu2).
0 to upgrade, 0 to newly install, 0 to remove and 26 not to upgrade.
p@p-ThinkPad-T540p:~/finFoil_source/finFoil-v1.0.0$

Any hints regarding what I am missing?

Cheers, Mik

[hans]

Hi Mik,

Try to run the commands below inside the extracted folder:

mkdir bin
cd bin
cmake …
make

After these commands completed, you can start finfoil by running the “finFoil” executable inside the bin folder.

finFoil is built on Linux, but the userbase is too small for me to spend time on packaging it for multiple distributions.

I’m glad you’re having fun with it! Thanks for sharing your results.

Hans

[MrMik]

Thank you, Hans!
I’m indeed having much fun with finFoil at the moment, just not with the installation into Ubuntu.
My OpenScad files have multiple links to import .stl files on shared partitions on my computer, and I cannot seem to get OpenScad to find them using the drive naming system in Windows. So just using finFoil in Windows is tedious because I have to boot back into Ubuntu to keep working on the fin files, adding a fin tab etc.
So I keep trying to get finFoil going in Ubuntu.
Here is what happened when I tried your suggested method:
Sorry about the very poor formatting, apparently none of the usual functions for fonts or bolding are working at the moment. I hope I have managed to make it obvious which gobbledegook was typed by me, and which was produced by the Terminal output.

mkdir bin did indeed create a bin folder

cd bin worked fine

cmake - the program was not yet installed, but that was apparently easily fixed by

sudo apt install cmake (I did not spot any obvious error messages in the long code appearing in the terminal, I assume it installed OK)

.
.
So, back to trying cmake… (and that’s where it is going wrong):
.
.
.
p@p-ThinkPad-T540p:~/finFoil_source/finFoil-v1.0.0/bin$ cmake …
– The C compiler identification is GNU 5.4.0
– The CXX compiler identification is GNU 5.4.0
– Check for working C compiler: /usr/bin/cc
– Check for working C compiler: /usr/bin/cc – works
– Detecting C compiler ABI info
– Detecting C compiler ABI info - done
– Detecting C compile features
– Detecting C compile features - done
– Check for working CXX compiler: /usr/bin/c++
– Check for working CXX compiler: /usr/bin/c++ – works
– Detecting CXX compiler ABI info
– Detecting CXX compiler ABI info - done
– Detecting CXX compile features
– Detecting CXX compile features - done
– CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE = RELEASE
CMake Error at CMakeLists.txt:64 (find_package):
By not providing “FindQt5Core.cmake” in CMAKE_MODULE_PATH this project has
asked CMake to find a package configuration file provided by “Qt5Core”, but
CMake did not find one.

Could not find a package configuration file provided by “Qt5Core” with any
of the following names:

Qt5CoreConfig.cmake
qt5core-config.cmake

Add the installation prefix of “Qt5Core” to CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH or set
“Qt5Core_DIR” to a directory containing one of the above files. If
“Qt5Core” provides a separate development package or SDK, be sure it has
been installed.

– Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!
See also “/home/p/finFoil_source/finFoil-v1.0.0/bin/CMakeFiles/CMakeOutput.log”.
p@p-ThinkPad-T540p:~/finFoil_source/finFoil-v1.0.0/bin$

.
.
.

Then I googled the above error message and installed apt-file to search for the missing bits:

.
.

sudo apt install apt-file

This ended with the message:
.
.

The system-wide cache is empty. You may want to run ‘apt-file update’
as root to update the cache. You can also run ‘apt-file update’ as
normal user to use a cache in the user’s home directory.

.
.
So I did that (sudo apt-file update) and it appears to have worked.
sudo apt-file update produced a long output of code, ending with:
.
.

Downloading complete file http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/xenial-security/Contents-amd64.gz
% Total % Received % Xferd Average Speed Time Time Time Current
Dload Upload Total Spent Left Speed
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 --:–:-- --:–:-- --:–:-- 0
File is up-to-date.
Ignoring source without Contents File:
http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/dists/xenial/Contents-amd64.gz
p@p-ThinkPad-T540p:~/finFoil_source/finFoil-v1.0.0/bin$
.
.

Then I ran the search with apt-file:
.
.
p@p-ThinkPad-T540p:~/finFoil_source/finFoil-v1.0.0/bin$ apt-file search Qt5CoreConfig.cmake
qtbase5-dev: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/Qt5Core/Qt5CoreConfig.cmake
qtbase5-gles-dev: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/cmake/Qt5Core/Qt5CoreConfig.cmake
p@p-ThinkPad-T540p:~/finFoil_source/finFoil-v1.0.0/bin$
.
.
.

So, I’m stuck because I have no idea how to:
" Add the installation prefix of “Qt5Core” to CMAKE_PREFIX_PATH or set
“Qt5Core_DIR” to a directory containing one of the above files. If
“Qt5Core” provides a separate development package or SDK, be sure it has
been installed."

I don’t even know what to look for in the “CMakeOutput.log” . It is long and near completely unintelligible to me. The search function of a text editor does not even find the term ‘Qt5Core’ in the log file.
.

On the bright side, I have actually 3D printed my first fin prototype. It is not functional, much too weak because it’s just PLA, but a step in the right direction.
I like the printed shape much better than my hand shaped (from Plaster of Paris, then moulded) first self-made fin shape.
Photos show comparison between Kestrel-Goldilocks and Peregrine1.9.

[MrMik]

Hi Hans,

I read somewhere (and cannot find it again at the moment) that one of the conditions for use of finFoil is that the files created can be used by anyone. Was that only for the web based version, or also the V1.1 with .stl export on you own computer?
Where are the files, or where can I upload them to to share them? I want to share some finFoil made 3D printing files, with fin tab and other important additions after the finFoil part, but the files are useless without the .stl files embedded into the OpenScad code.
Thanks for all our help with this!
Mik

[MrMik]

Is it possible to share finFoil designs by pasting the content of the .foil files?
Like so: Paste the below text into a .foil file of your choice (using a text editor; delete the text in the file first), then open it with finFoil, and then you can export a .stl file of Peregrine-2-1 from finFoil :

{“foil”:{“history”:,“layerCount”:99,“minThick”:0.0008,“outline”:{“area”:0.025521525122632401,“height”:0.239,“path”:{“cont”:[1,1,1,1,0],“path”:[[“M”,0,0],[“C”,102.1889,-3.0638996,-55.18752278341772,-164.97659963954288,-57.346132897805802,-286.61571143622535],[“C”,-58.638777377356853,-359.45708529685305,65.269532922133948,-458.68164134386649,269.58587545020873,-459.86465382634515],[“C”,449.40044554849038,-460.90579854499913,126.05071218007468,-325.0239373557032,129.05361036609116,-255.49704441028189],[“C”,131.80759296001946,-191.73335975615427,230.45189604903194,-86.48778253830244,233.06277594394606,0]]},“sweep”:0.4239545453184384,“uuid”:“{1bc7c09f-94bf-4afd-bf63-021c92577817}”},“profile”:{“symmetry”:“Symmetric”,“thicknessRatio”:1,“topProfile”:{“cont”:[0,1,0],“path”:[[“M”,0,0],[“C”,1,-25,33.982875260170076,-89.778442780563779,113,-90],[“C”,167.25409087866217,-90.152123803007186,297,-1,412,0]]},“uuid”:“{ae4ca51a-c7a5-4990-a664-bf61cb7fac72}”},“thick”:0.02,“thickness”:{“topProfile”:{“cont”:[0,0],“path”:[[“M”,0,-40],[“C”,0,1,467,-42,467,0]]},“uuid”:“{35713a3e-6c8b-46d6-9340-1569934daa5f}”},“uuid”:“{3f0023fa-26ee-4ab8-a987-e4e244a07398}”}}

[hans]

Hi Mik,

All 3D exports are done on my server, also the exports made with the desktop version, without an internet connection it won’t work.

All files that are exported to 3D file are therefore stored on my server and are accessible to anyone.
You can find an index of all exported 3D files here (page is slow): http://finfoil.io/s/index

The easiest way to share your fin is:

• Open the file in the online editor
• Create a 3D render
• Copy the URL of the 3D view.

This URL will forever point to your fin.
From there, people can download your .stl file, or click edit and download your .foil file.

Thanks for asking, good question!