Stretch Planes and Zones

[stager386]

I have been trying to get stretch planes/zones figured out for so long. It still seems cumbersome. Not sure what I am doing wrong.  And yes I have watched the one video I can find on the topic, many, many times. (Side note, searching for "stretch zones" help yields no results and "stretch planes" only gets help for things other than furniture)  I am trying to modify a sofa sectional, the Dane Sectional (end A and B, corner and armless sections)  I want to remove the feet and bring the skirt lower to the ground. I have managed to create the zones that make the current feet disappear and keep the piece in the same location relative to the ground, which means they are floating.  I can lower it, but I can't pull the top higher without the feet reappearing.  I need to make the pieces taller, and bring them closer to the ground and make the feet disappear.

 

1. How do I treat the bounding box dimensions when I am making changes? 

2. Can I resize one plane a couple different ways at a time? Assuming I can't, can I create a new symbol with my first changes and then make additional changes?

3. If creating the zones is a way to manipulate an area, why does the designated area show up with changes that I haven't made?  It seems like I am designating a zone to be able to stretch, but it doesn't wait for me to decide what I want to do, it makes the changes based on the zone to be stretched.  

4. When am I using the planes and not the zones?

 

Should I make dimension changes in the furniture spec box BEFORE making changes in the symbol spec?

 

Thank you!

 

 

 

[Chopsaw]

I think you would need to recreate the symbol at least twice to make all of those adjustments.

 

First set a zone that will eliminate the feet and then reduce the height by the height of the feet and zone you created with the feet in it.

 

Recreate the symbol if that is successful and then set horizontal stretch plane in a neutral area of the skirt and increase the height and add the new feet then recreate the symbol again.

 

If you would like to post the original or provide a link to it I could try to confirm if that all works the way I described.  Target dimensions and legs would also help.

[DzinEye]

If you want the feet gone, it seems to me you should modify the symbol to remove the feet rather than using stretch planes.   With the symbol open in a 3D view, use the Delete Surfaces feature to remove the feet (there are 2 surfaces for each leg).  Once you've done that before clicking anything else, SAVE that as a new symbol to your library, and you'll have a couch without legs.  On that one you can adjust the stretch planes as you desire without the leg problem.

FYI: Alaskan Son has a YouTube video about doing this... maybe some others do as well.

[DzinEye]

1 hour ago, stager386 said:

 

Dane Couch without legs

Dane Couch_rt arm.calibz

[stager386]

Thank you everyone!