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.
@MrJack88 Oh, you’ve given me an idea… Thanks I think I know how to solve this…
Uhm… Glad to help 
@Yepher are you an electrician?
No, just trying to learn Shapr3D and 3D design better to support my 3D printing hobby/addiction 
@Yepher haha I see
I liked the bluetooth hud you made … Amazing 
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.
@NathanD very nice
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.
