Recently I was struggling on a design where I needed a shape like a “Spherical Spring”. Failed many times so I took to YouTube to find the answer.
After watching a video for SolidWorks on “Spring Ball” something clicked and now I feel like I can make a spring in nearly any shape I need. You might say I caught Spring Fever (I am not above bad dad jokes).
I made this 7-minute video for others who may have similar needs:
Chris,
Well done! Kudos to you!
This will definitely come in handy.
Thanks, Mike
Very cool, makes me think of this:
That’s a neat trick to build techniques off of.
Well done, Yepher. I learned a couple of clever techniques watching your excellent video.
Thanks for sharing.
Glad it helps, the thing I am trying to figure out now is how to make a “drooping spring”.
I would like the filament here to sway between the two electrodes. I know I can copy and rotate and butt two together but looking for some other way to do it. Still searching for a way to do it.
I really wish I could revolve along a spline curve.
@Yepher Is it possible to create an object and rotate spring around it?
Other than symmetrical shapes I mean.
Your best bet is conical spring, it’s been mentioned here many times
@MrJack88 The only way I’ve figured out so far is along straight path or where the “spring” has the same origin along a straight path. The three examples in the video was a break-through for me but all those are curved along the same Y-Axis where really just the radius changes. Conical spring is an example of this and is easy with this technique.
Revolve is not like sweep (although I wish it was). Sweep can work with a projected line or spline. Revolve does not handle that (from what I can tell).
I though maybe sweep (or loft) a circle but can’t figure out how I would cut the spiral.
Yes I feel the same
But I think shapr3d will be there eventually.
It’s a new app, so It does work other ways to give you close results of what you want for now.
Uhm… Glad to help 
No, just trying to learn Shapr3D and 3D design better to support my 3D printing hobby/addiction 
Thanks! I added a joystick and really like that better than buttons. I wish there were a key binding to rotate 90°. Half press would rotate and full swing would be to Top, Left, Right, Bottom etc and center click is “default orientation”. Working on a KiCad schematic now and fixing some bugs in the bluetooth driver but it works pretty good now for Mac/iPad.
I think for this to be super usable I would need more “key bindings” in shapr3d. Unfortunately I only have time to work on this stuff in evening and weekends so it is slow and stead progress usually.
You are pushing us hard 
But it will come 
@Yepher Very nice
Consider it as prototype.
Work on everything.
You’ll end up creating something people will need and will buy.
A joystick is a great idea also 
I made a drooped spring out of 4 separate small sections, angled, with the ends matched back up using align.
Edit: Revolving on a spline would be great. You can see in this picture where there is larger gaps at the point the spring sections meet each other.
Thank you @NathanD that maybe the best way to do it. I was hoping for some other method but I think you have the current best solution there.
@Yepher I missed that you had suggested this method.
Revolving on a spline would be the ticket.
