2 Ways to Measure Thickness of Double Sided 3D Models
In this quick tip, we look at two different techniques that you can use to measure the thickness of a double sided project. This works in Vectric Aspire and VCarve.
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Video Transcript:
Hey, everyone. In today's quick tip, we're going to look at how to measure the thickness of a 3D model when it's double sided and you can see I just got this anchor from the clipart library and I copied it on the top side.
And then if we flip to the bottom side, I have also copied to the bottom. And you can see if we maximize our 3D view. You can see this is the bottom side currently, and you can see if you hover over anywhere on the 3D model down at the bottom of your screen,
it will tell you the X, Y and Z location of where your cursor is. Now, the Z location for this is going to be dependent on where you set your Z zero. So whether it's the surface of your bed or the surface of your material, that z measurement is going to be referenced off of that.
But if you're just concerned of the thickness of the model and not the Z location, you first have to turn on the double sided view. So you can see right now we're only seeing the bottom half of the 3D model.
So to see both sides at the same time, there's a button up here at the top called toggle between single and double sided view. So if you click on that, you could see now we're seeing both sides at the same time.
So both sides of this 3D model are present. So now with these both being visible, you can hold your control key as you hover over this and you can see at the bottom it will now place a thickness measurement.
So wherever your cursor is, is going to tell you the exact thickness of the 3D model with both sides. And I will also show you one more way you can do that. If you go to the 2D view, you can see if you zoom in here and we go to our measuring tool.
There's a button down here called Model Cross Section. Click on that and then if you go anywhere that you want to measure, let's say the center part here. We're going to click on the left side over here and then we're going to click on the right side, try to make a straight line there.
You could see that's going to take the model cross section of this particular half so we can close this and then we can click on that. And since this 3D model is symmetrical, we can use the mirroring tool to make a mirrored copy to the bottom.
Click Close. And now you could see this will represent the model cross section for both sides. And then you could take your measuring tool. And measure between two points and then you can click at the top most point and the bottom most point.
And you can get the distance right here, which would be the thickness of your 3D model. And one more thing I'll show you if your 3D model was not symmetrical. I'll show you what you can do instead of mirroring, so we are going to close that. I'm going to delete that mirrored copy that we made.
So this right here is the model cross section just for this side. So what I'm going to do with this is right click on that click move to other side. Now it's on the top side, so we're going to flip our job over to the top side.
OK, now we're on the top and this is representing the bottom cross-section. So now if we take this model, let's make a little bit thicker. Let's just increase the shape height a little bit. Click Close. OK, so now this side would be thicker than the bottom side.
So then we just take our measuring tool again. Go to the model cross section, click on both end points of the other one that we measured. Click Close. Now this one would be considered the top side, so you can mirror either one of these to go down to the bottom.
Let's go with the bottom one here. We will mirror that to the bottom. This time, we don't need to make a copy. So we'll go to the bottom. Click Close. Now, go back to our measuring tool and you can go between two points again.
And this time you can see it'll be thicker on one side than the other side. So that's how you can measure the thickness if both sides are not symmetrical. And then, of course, you could also use that technique I showed earlier by turning on your double sided view and then hold your control key and hover over the
areas that you want to measure. And I'll tell you right in the bottom panel what the thickness is. So I hope those tips helped you out in if they did, make sure you like this video and subscribe for more.
And then if we flip to the bottom side, I have also copied to the bottom. And you can see if we maximize our 3D view. You can see this is the bottom side currently, and you can see if you hover over anywhere on the 3D model down at the bottom of your screen,
it will tell you the X, Y and Z location of where your cursor is. Now, the Z location for this is going to be dependent on where you set your Z zero. So whether it's the surface of your bed or the surface of your material, that z measurement is going to be referenced off of that.
But if you're just concerned of the thickness of the model and not the Z location, you first have to turn on the double sided view. So you can see right now we're only seeing the bottom half of the 3D model.
So to see both sides at the same time, there's a button up here at the top called toggle between single and double sided view. So if you click on that, you could see now we're seeing both sides at the same time.
So both sides of this 3D model are present. So now with these both being visible, you can hold your control key as you hover over this and you can see at the bottom it will now place a thickness measurement.
So wherever your cursor is, is going to tell you the exact thickness of the 3D model with both sides. And I will also show you one more way you can do that. If you go to the 2D view, you can see if you zoom in here and we go to our measuring tool.
There's a button down here called Model Cross Section. Click on that and then if you go anywhere that you want to measure, let's say the center part here. We're going to click on the left side over here and then we're going to click on the right side, try to make a straight line there.
You could see that's going to take the model cross section of this particular half so we can close this and then we can click on that. And since this 3D model is symmetrical, we can use the mirroring tool to make a mirrored copy to the bottom.
Click Close. And now you could see this will represent the model cross section for both sides. And then you could take your measuring tool. And measure between two points and then you can click at the top most point and the bottom most point.
And you can get the distance right here, which would be the thickness of your 3D model. And one more thing I'll show you if your 3D model was not symmetrical. I'll show you what you can do instead of mirroring, so we are going to close that. I'm going to delete that mirrored copy that we made.
So this right here is the model cross section just for this side. So what I'm going to do with this is right click on that click move to other side. Now it's on the top side, so we're going to flip our job over to the top side.
OK, now we're on the top and this is representing the bottom cross-section. So now if we take this model, let's make a little bit thicker. Let's just increase the shape height a little bit. Click Close. OK, so now this side would be thicker than the bottom side.
So then we just take our measuring tool again. Go to the model cross section, click on both end points of the other one that we measured. Click Close. Now this one would be considered the top side, so you can mirror either one of these to go down to the bottom.
Let's go with the bottom one here. We will mirror that to the bottom. This time, we don't need to make a copy. So we'll go to the bottom. Click Close. Now, go back to our measuring tool and you can go between two points again.
And this time you can see it'll be thicker on one side than the other side. So that's how you can measure the thickness if both sides are not symmetrical. And then, of course, you could also use that technique I showed earlier by turning on your double sided view and then hold your control key and hover over the
areas that you want to measure. And I'll tell you right in the bottom panel what the thickness is. So I hope those tips helped you out in if they did, make sure you like this video and subscribe for more.
