How to make threads?

[Catch 23]

Does anyone have a good method for making inside and outside threads?

I want to illustrate a threaded base (inside threads) and the
container (with outside threads) that will screw into the base.

It's like an upside down mayonnaise jar with the lid being the base
and the jar being the container.

 

[Catch 23]

Does anyone have a good method for making inside and outside threads?

I want to illustrate a threaded base (inside threads) and the
container (with outside threads) that will screw into the base.

It's like an upside down mayonnaise jar with the lid being the base
and the jar being the container.

I found a solution using the fragment shape operation.

1. Place a rectangle for the wall of the base.

2. Place a series of small rectangles along one side so that they
"notch" into the base.

3. Select the whole contraption and click on Shape | Operations |
Fragment.


Is there a better way?

 

[WapperDude]

Nice technique!

Instead of your series of small rectangles, try drawing a zig-zag line
that's longer than the edge length of your rectangle. Apply corner rounding
if you like. Overlay this line pattern onto the rectangle and do the
fragment. This might be more realistic looking. Also, by changing the
"width" of the zig-zag, you can change the "depth" of the threads.

HTH
Wapperdude

 

[Catch 23]

Nice technique!

Instead of your series of small rectangles, try drawing a zig-zag line
that's longer than the edge length of your rectangle. Apply corner rounding
if you like. Overlay this line pattern onto the rectangle and do the
fragment. This might be more realistic looking. Also, by changing the
"width" of the zig-zag, you can change the "depth" of the threads.

Sounds like a plan, but I can't figure out how to draw a zig-zag line.
Hints?

 

[WapperDude]

Oh, my bad! So go to the menu bar and select the line tool. Then instead of
just drawing a simple vertical line, pick a starting point, then draw over,
say to grid points to the right and one grid point down, click, then draw
back to grid points and down another, keep repeating the process. So, in
this example, the line zigs to the right and down and then zags to the left
and down, back to the right, then left. Try to make this one continuous line
structure. Now back to the menu bar and click the selection tool. You can
move your line, stretch it, make the zig-zags wider or narrower. Whatever
you like. If you want a more rounded look, go back to the tool bar and
select the corner rounding icon (it has the curve with an arrow point toward
it). You can select the amount of rounding that you wish. The zig-zag will
start to look like a piece of spaghetti. From there, just copy it, and place
the copy on top of the rectangle, whereever you want the threads. The rest
you know.

Hope this is clearer.
Wapperdude

 

[Catch 23]

Oh, my bad! So go to the menu bar and select the line tool. Then instead of
just drawing a simple vertical line, pick a starting point, then draw over,
say to grid points to the right and one grid point down, click, then draw
back to grid points and down another, keep repeating the process. So, in
this example, the line zigs to the right and down and then zags to the left
and down, back to the right, then left. Try to make this one continuous line
structure. Now back to the menu bar and click the selection tool. You can
move your line, stretch it, make the zig-zags wider or narrower. Whatever
you like. If you want a more rounded look, go back to the tool bar and
select the corner rounding icon (it has the curve with an arrow point toward
it). You can select the amount of rounding that you wish. The zig-zag will
start to look like a piece of spaghetti. From there, just copy it, and place
the copy on top of the rectangle, whereever you want the threads. The rest
you know.

Hope this is clearer.
Wapperdude

Thanks. Somehow I missed that technique. That will come in handy for
making trapezoids and other shapes that aren't in the basic shape
stencil. I have been starting with a rectangle and slicing off the
edges using fragment. This will be much simpler.

I did have one odd result. After I constructed the zig-zag, I selected
it, right-clicked, selected format line, and then selected one of the
Round corners options.

The first one (0.0625 in.) produces something that looks a bit like
one of those potato mashers

http://www.lionsdeal.com/wi-ptm-18s.html

The rounding shortens the zig-zags by a lot, but leaves the ends
alone. To used this shape, I would have to lop off the ends with my
old friend, fragment.



After thinking about this a bit, it occurred to that Visio was doing
what it should be doing and I had constructed the wrong object. I
should have drawn a "square" zig-zag rather than a "diagonal" zig-zag.
Then the rounding produces just the result I wanted.

This was so much fun, that I uploaded a Visio 2003 document to
SendSpace. See: http://www.sendspace.com/file/6r1jbo.



Thanks for your help.

 

[WapperDude]

Hey! Looks like you're having fun. BTW, don't know if you noticed, but, you
can do custom corner roundings. It's under the More Corner Roundings...

Enjoy!
Wapperdude