# Draw a chain around cogs on parallel planes

**URL:** <https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/draw-a-chain-around-cogs-on-parallel-planes/37463>\
**Category:** Modeling Questions\
**Created:** [April 12, 2025, 5:01pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/draw-a-chain-around-cogs-on-parallel-planes/37463 "2025-04-12T17:01:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sveglu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba8739/32.png) [@sveglu](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/sveglu)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2025, 5:01pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/draw-a-chain-around-cogs-on-parallel-planes/37463/1 "2025-04-12T17:01:50Z")

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Hi  
I want to draw a chain around cogs on parallel planes with different z levels:

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/3X/6/0/6097967bfe2ced68f47d0f21f48a9dc94fd7f582.jpeg)

How can I get the sweep representing the chain shifted left in above image so that it wraps around the symbolic chain ring in the front. I really got stuck with that, any help is highly appreciated.

Many thanks 🙂

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**Author:** ![SCALEMODEL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@SCALEMODEL](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/SCALEMODEL)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2025, 10:09pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/draw-a-chain-around-cogs-on-parallel-planes/37463/2 "2025-04-12T22:09:12Z")

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I never tried to make bike chains before but this seem logical.

This depends count of the tooth on both of the gears, also do you need some slack? To make things simple I would use the polygon tool to set equal size in my case each chain is 2mm in diameter.

But the feature is missing in Shapr3d, the pattern along a curve, this can be more easily created if we had it.

My example at the end, I did it in some other software.

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/3X/8/d/8d4f7c04822aeca96c449b5680cdca81340ddf5f.png)  
 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/3X/6/3/63ead7e06c1afc495d0420327b79f1544cf71ba1.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![sveglu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba8739/32.png) [@sveglu](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/sveglu)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2025, 8:05am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/draw-a-chain-around-cogs-on-parallel-planes/37463/3 "2025-04-13T08:05:30Z")

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Thank you for your suggestion. However, my main concern is not to model the chain - a square sweep as depicted above would be ok - my main concern is how to get this sweep accross different planes at different layers. Above you see the “front chainring” is not wrapped with the “chain”.

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**Author:** ![JST](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/edb3f5/32.png) [@JST](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/JST)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2025, 8:59am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/draw-a-chain-around-cogs-on-parallel-planes/37463/4 "2025-04-13T08:59:22Z")

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If I understand correctly, the chain should be deform between the different gear planes? If yes, you should draw a 3D body and use the edge of this body for sweep.

 ![IMG_1888](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/3X/3/4/34af27e8d0f987b037d851160a586f9f37528999.jpeg)