Modelling 2D contours to 3D object?

[mkepke]

Gang - I'm trying to model a Windsor chair seat in 3D using one of Curtis Buchanan's 2D contour plans. Basically the same desired outcome as this fellow on the internet: Continuous Arm Windsor Chair Seat with CNC Router

I've gotten as far as creating a 3D mesh in Blender - see first picture - but looking for some guidance on some modelling issues:

i - I have a lot of spurious triangulation on the leading edge of the seat (see pix). My attempts at manually smoothing that out by deleting edges and moving vertices have been OK, but not great. You can see the jagged edges in the second picture.
ii - smoothing the 'field' of the seat (those big triangles are going to result in unnatural flatspots in the end result).
iii - how to close the object so it's not just an infinitely thin 3D mesh, but a bonafide solid object that's 2" (or whatever) thick?

As a sidenote, I've tried to use both ChatGPT and Gemini AI to do this same 2D-contour-to-3D model work. Both models talked a good game but failed miserably - the free versions anyways.

 

[chris_goris]

what does the 2d contour plan look like?

 

[Wilsoncb]

I don’t fully understand the approach you are taking, but is there a reason you can’t start with a shape that has thickness. Like sketch the top view or 2D outside shape, give it some thickness, then start taking out and rounding edges.

 

[chris_goris]

I don’t fully understand the approach you are taking, but is there a reason you can’t start with a shape that has thickness. Like sketch the top view or 2D outside shape, give it some thickness, then start taking out and rounding edges.

You can work that way, but for sculpted contoured surfaces, creating patches defined by curves is the best method.

 

[kserdar]

I believe you have been given a low poly drawing of the chair set.

 

[mkepke]

what does the 2d contour plan look like?

Like this...

 

[JNCarr]

I dont use Blender but believe it can do NURBS modelling. That's what I would do.

 

[chris_goris]

Getting there....