# Designing border patterns for bowls?



## gasmansteve (11 Sep 2010)

Hi folks
I`m trying to plan a border pattern to copy via carbon paper onto a turned bowl and then Pyrograph over the outline but it seems to be proving harder than I first thought. My last bowl was done using a pattern that was photocopied to the size I wanted no problem because it was already curved and I just copied it to the size I wanted, this was the bowl 





and the pattern was made using a printout that was 1/8th of the whole border and then copied 8 times around the circumference. I`m wondering if its possible to get say a rectangular piece of graphic that is repeatable and distort it circular so that it can be drawn into a complete border pattern onto the bowl similar to my last bowl. Hope that makes sense?. I have a few graphic programs which should be capable maybe even try sketchup if it can do the curving.
The bowl I have made needs a border pattern with an outside diameter of 272mm and inside diameter 180mm ??
Cheers
Steve


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## xy mosian (11 Sep 2010)

gasmansteve, that sounds like a job for a vector drawing image program. Illustrator, which is not free, perhaps or Inkscape, which is free. Now I'm no expert with either but I seem to remember that is is quite common to place text around a curved path. I'm just going to try some graphics.

xy


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## xy mosian (11 Sep 2010)

Hi, I've just created a very minimal graphic in Illustrator and succeeded in curving it in a manner that would fit the edge of a bowl. The process was, create a section of the graphic, SELECT ALL, EFFECT, WARP. There are many possible variations within there. Sorry about the capitals they are to indicate a menu selection within Illustrator.

Have fun

xy


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## SketchUp Guru (11 Sep 2010)

If you can draw or otherwise get your pattern into SketchUp, you can indeed bend it. I made the bent thing from the straight one in a few seconds. 






This can all be done with the free version.


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## gasmansteve (11 Sep 2010)

Thanks chaps for the quick replies.
xy - Illustrator looks the dogs whatsits but £500+ :shock: :shock: 

Dave - Sketchup looks really cool, never used it before but it seems pretty sleek just downloaded 8 and will see if I can get it to do the thing I want. :lol: 

Cheers
Steve


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## SketchUp Guru (11 Sep 2010)

It is pretty cool, indeed. Drop me a PM if you want a hand with this business with the borders.


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## xy mosian (11 Sep 2010)

You're absolutely right about Illustrator, I was lucky it was on this machine when it arrived. Sketchup is the way to go. 

xy


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## gasmansteve (12 Sep 2010)

Dave
That thing you did bending the rectangle is exactly the thing I`m after.
Couple of questions if thats ok?.
Can I import/open any image into sketchup eg .jpg .bmp etc or does it have to be a particular format?.
Do I need the `arc` tool somehow to convert the rectangle to a curved shape?
Might be a few more questions coming along  
Thanks
Steve


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## SketchUp Guru (12 Sep 2010)

You can import an image (jpg, bmp, etc.) into SketchUp but SketchUp won't turn it into vectors that it can use directly for geometry. You can trace the image however using the variety of native drawing tools as well as some non-native ones available as plugins. I used a tool in the Fredoscale extension to bend a copy of what I had drawn out straight. I just used straight lines and circles to create my border example just to make it a quickie.


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## gasmansteve (12 Sep 2010)

Hi again Dave
Loaded and installed the Fredoscale plugin no problem. Drawn a rectangle and tried each of the Fredo tools but just seem to get the rectangle turning or scaling up or down but can`t see how to get the curving that you showed earlier?. I`m sure its staring me in the face any chance of a quick `How to` please :?: 
Regards
Steve


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## SketchUp Guru (12 Sep 2010)

I can make up a how to but before I do, read the documentation specifically about Radial Bend. Also look at about 8:45 in the second video here


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## gasmansteve (13 Sep 2010)

Hi Dave
Thought I could just draw a rectangle and use the radial tool to bend it but it looks like I have to draw the rectangle first in 3d and then split it up into smaller rectangles so it will bend?? Printed off the Fredoscale 2.0 doc but no mention of the radial bending tool wonder if the `sketchy ffd` plugin mentioned would be better? That video shows at about 5:17 the bending tool!
Do I also need the selection box around the rectangle? sorry never used Sketchup before.
Steve


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## SketchUp Guru (13 Sep 2010)

No. You don't need to make a 3D object to be able to bend it. My example is only 2D. You do need to make a component of the geometry, though. That's how you get the bounding box. The video shows the Radial Bend tool and indicates that you hit Tab to bring up a dialog box in which you can set the number of segments into which to divide the rectangle for bending. I used 12 for the example I made.

This is probably not the most basic stuff to be learning right from the beginning.

I'll try to make a video to show how it works but I have to get some work out of the way first.


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## gasmansteve (13 Sep 2010)

Thanks Dave I must have missed the 'tab button' bit I'll have another go later.
Cheers Steve


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## SketchUp Guru (14 Sep 2010)

Here you go, Steve. I hope this tutorial helps.


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## gasmansteve (14 Sep 2010)

Wow respect there Dave big thanks for that look forward to doing that after work tonight :wink: 
Cheers
Steve


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## SketchUp Guru (16 Sep 2010)

Thanks. So did it help?


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## gasmansteve (16 Sep 2010)

Sorry Dave would have replied before but been plodding through various options. Thanks for doing the tutorial BTW. It seems Sketchup would be the way to go if I was designing my own borders within sketchup and using its own drawing tools. I checked out various .dxf conversion apps including the Wintopo you mention in the tutorial and to do this seems to require the `pro` version of these apps which if I was doing a lot of this kind of work I could justify the cost but for the odd bowl ???. I even tried that plugin which you thought might not work with SU 8 and in fact it doesn`t  so unable to import any converted files. I thought with my very limited experience with CAD tools that a .jpg file (or such like) would be easy to bend/twist/curve etc but that does not appear to be the case. I`m sure SU will save the day eventually but I`m a complete novice at SU so think I`m trying to run before crawling. I`ll persevere with SU learning the various parts though :lol: 
Regards
Steve


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## xy mosian (16 Sep 2010)

Sorry to but in, I find this sort of file conversion requirement fascinating.
Would there be any help here?
http://www.cadforum.cz/cadforum_en/qaID.asp?tip=6416
I realise it is a two stage process, but it seems to be free.

xy


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## SketchUp Guru (16 Sep 2010)

Steve, I made the CAD file of the pattern I used for the tutorial with the free version of WinTopo. It worked nicely for me.

You could import a JPG or PNG image into SketchUp and then trace it. Import the image as an image (as opposed to texture or match photo) and then just draw over it. For examples, seethis and this.

It may be that in your situation, another program would be the ticket. If you have to buy a program, though, you might include SU8 Pro in your price comparison and consider the other possible uses you might have for it.

Good luck.


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## gasmansteve (16 Sep 2010)

Yes thanks again Dave for your help and advice. I`ll try all the options you suggest and will indeed checkout SU8 pro as it seems an amazing package :lol: 

xy - thanks for the info I`ll check that out too, turning into more of a dance than I originally thought :lol: 

Cheers
Steve


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## xy mosian (17 Sep 2010)

gasman, I tried out the application mentioned in the link I sent. I don't doubt that it will work, but it is no walk in the park setting it up. It is certainly not a simple click operation. 
DaveR mentions importing an image into Sketchup and then tracing, this is something I have done with a sketch of a turned pillar. I am far from being a Sketchup wiz but I found the process reasonably quick and easy.

xy


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## gasmansteve (17 Sep 2010)

Cheers for that xy I`ll try and have a go later. I had an inkling that what I was planning was going to more involved than I originally thought  
Steve


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