Easy NURB approximation of a cycloid

[Joey Naeger]

I recently went down a rabbit hole modeling a bass top in Rhino. This involved writing an algorithm to generate a series of points through which curtate cycloids could be drawn. While this method worked, it was complicated to figure out and I noticed that the curves generated through this method weren't actually that smooth. Here's an example

It's a nice looking curve until I turn on the curvature graph tool.

It's not bad, but it could be smoother. Since I'm not actually attached to the Cycloid, I had the idea that maybe I could closely approximate it with a simpler, smoother curve. What I came up with is very simple. Layout your horizontal distance from the top and bottom of the curve. Divide the top one in half and the bottom in 4th's. Draw a 3 degree line between the endpoints.

Move the control points like so

It's not an exact match, but it's damn close. If we look at it through the curvature graph, it shows a much smoother curvature.

If the whole point of using Cycloids is to generate a smooth curve that's convex for most of its length and concave near the end, this seems to fit the bill as well. The software will also be a lot happier with surfaces generated from this type of curve than the strictly drawn cycloid. I wanted to use the simplest divisions possible to generate this example, but it would be more than possible to move the inflection point around by changing the ratios used to place the control points. I hope this is helpful!

[Joey Naeger]

And for those who want a closer approximation of a Cycloid...If you set the bottom control point 4/17 in from the right side you get this

[Violadamore]

Thank you! 

[Don Noon]

18 hours ago, Joey Naeger said:

If the whole point of using Cycloids is to generate a smooth curve that's convex for most of its length and concave near the end, this seems to fit the bill as well. 

You could also use 2-point splines, with horizontal constraints at the ends.  At least in Fusion360 CAD, they are very easy to use and push the inflection point around to suit, and they are by nature extremely smooth.

While extreme smoothness may be pleasing to some eyes, there is no assurance that the acoustics of a super-smooth arch will give the desired tonal result, particularly for the top, and particularly for the longitudinal arch.  I don't have any conclusive evidence one way or the other, just my own opinion from observations of good violin arches and my own results.

I have used 2-point splines for the crossarches and back long arch of a couple of violas and a violin (but not the long arch of the top), and I think the results are fine... but the shape isn't exactly what I want (too smooth) and will be using more complex, less-smooth arches in later designs.

[Roger Hill]

Nice work, but keep in mind that the actual arch is the centerline between the top surface which you are creating and the inside surface which you will create when you do the inside surface.

[Joey Naeger]

6 hours ago, Don Noon said:

While extreme smoothness may be pleasing to some eyes, there is no assurance that the acoustics of a super-smooth arch will give the desired tonal result, particularly for the top, and particularly for the longitudinal arch.  I don't have any conclusive evidence one way or the other, just my own opinion from observations of good violin arches and my own results.

And, there is what you set out to carve and what your hands and eyes actually do. As always, I appreciate your input Don

[DMartin]

 

Great to meet a fellow traveler in Rhino Land. 

I have spent the last 4 months transitioning to Rhino from several other Cad Aps that have become too expensive to maintain in retirement.

Judging from your website, I interpret that you also find that exploring violin geometry with cad can clarify complex issues.

In what language did you program your cycloid?

 

To show that Rhino can indeed draw a smooth cycloid, here's a screen shot of my implementation of a curtate cycloid in Rhino’s Grasshopper Language (red points). The program also draws an interpolated or through-points spline (green).

This is a somewhat back-handed procedure as first the small number of discreet points are calculated from a continuous function and then a nurbs curve is fit to those points by a separate hidden algorithm. 

The vertical red lines mark the high and low points of the cycloid as well as the inflection points which were calculated separately from the curvature graph function but show good agreement.

In this image, the cycloid rolls through the right-hand endpoint on its way to infinity. The starting point on the left has been constrained to horizontal.

 

My primary interest was to explore the behavior of the curtate cycloid and inflection points near the plate ends as the center arch varied from bulbous to slack.  One instance, a little bulbous, is shown in the second image. This program version takes widths from a traced outline of the Plowden and heights from a variable nurbs center arch curve—similar in conception to your cross sections. Just to show off, 100 cycloid sections are shown. Parameters are varied by numerical sliders.

[Joey Naeger]

Great to see someone working things out in Rhino! There's probably been some overlap in our methods. I also wrote a Grasshopper script to draw my Cycloids. You input your long arch and recurve boundary and it generates all the points. I put in sliders so you could play around with point density. Probably my curve from the first post would have been smoother had I constructed it with more points. Now that I've discovered this easier hack, I will probably write another script based on that. 

After much experimenting, I was able to model this fully solid bass top. It's been quite an enlightening exercise, and I was able to use the model to produce some contour templates to assist in my carving.

[quyunyu]

Hello, Mr. Nigel. I'm a violin manufacturer. I'm very interested in you using the grasshopper script to draw cycloids. I hope I can get your detailed guidance. thank you!

Edited April 18, 2022 by quyunyu
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