encoding some Technic tubing

[Franklin W. Cain]

I need some assistance, please. For a specific model I'm working on, I need to plot out two lengths of Technic flexible tubing (specifically, to serve as fuel lines for the model in question.) 

I've managed to plot the general path of the tubing, as show in this image. 

   

Here is the current version of the complete model: 


  airship, personal.mpd (Size: 36.46 KB / Downloads: 2)

Thanks, 
Franklin

[Rene Rechthaler]

is this an official model or a MOC?
from the length it looks like it could also be done with the flexible System hose 73590...
Do you have the parts?
Do you want to use the thick ribbed technic hoses or the thin tubes? or the flexible axles?
maybe share the whole build here or use another program (Studio has bendable flexible hoses)

[Franklin W. Cain]

is this an official model or a MOC?
from the length it looks like it could also be done with the flexible System hose 73590...
Do you have the parts?
Do you want to use the thick ribbed technic hoses or the thin tubes? or the flexible axles?
maybe share the whole build here or use another program (Studio has bendable flexible hoses)

It's my own design. 

I specifically want to use a length of Technic tubing, as that is the thinnest flexible material. Also, the length involved is too short to use any of the flexible hoses, any way..

Here is the type of stuff I'm talking about: 
https://bricklink.com/catalogList.asp?ca...String=528

Also, in case it helps, I've updated my original post (above) to now include the current file for the complete model. 

Thanks, 
Franklin

[Roland Melkert]

I specifically want to use a length of Technic tubing, as that is the thinnest flexible material. Also, the length involved is too short to use any of the flexible hoses, any way..

I'm not entirely sure what the problem is your encountering, but this should be fairly easy to do using the LDCad path tool.

It would just need some extra guidance (bezier) points and or curve tweaking to force the overall length to match one of the existing parts.

a short tutorial can be found here:
https://www.melkert.net/LDCad/docs/advEdit

The example uses Pneumatic hoses but it can be any of the templates, you'll probably need the (HQ) "rigid hose 3mm" or "technic flex system hose" one.

[Rene Rechthaler]

just tried it with some parts i had at hand: the 73590 hose (8,5L) is too long (bends outwards)...
but the technic hoses can be inserted into that halfpin and the cones, so you can vary there.
Maybe even put a long one through the center?

Edit: found a longer one and tested it again: about 8L (fully inserted both sides), but a longer one (about 14-16L) going through would also be ok
-> test it in real life and then place the part digitally

[N. W. Perry]

I'm not entirely sure what the problem is your encountering, but this should be fairly easy to do using the LDCad path tool.

It would just need some extra guidance (bezier) points and or curve tweaking to force the overall length to match one of the existing parts.

a short tutorial can be found here:
https://www.melkert.net/LDCad/docs/advEdit

The example uses Pneumatic hoses but it can be any of the templates, you'll probably need the (HQ) "rigid hose 3mm" or "technic flex system hose" one.

Yeah, I'm also not quite clear what the question is…are you just trying to measure the required length of hose, or are you trying to match it to an existing, "official" length of part? (Note that in some official sets, it was necessary to hand-cut your own length from the provided supply, so even a custom length could be considered "official".)

Either way, in LDCad you can set different units for the display length—mm, studs ("L"), LDU, etc.—from the Path tab in the properties dialog (the one that comes up when you hit Enter with nothing selected in the flexible part's editing session). If you want even more precision, you can find the length in the generated code in the .ldr text file itself and adjust it using incremental changes to bezier lengths, but that gets to be a tedious sequence of change, save, reload, repeat…I know because I do it myself. ;-)