Tab Placement

[ProjectKITT]

I'm just curious; do you guys/gals have any preference on where the tabs are placed?

Usually I put them all on one side or the other, but when I was doing a mockup from Pepakura I left them in the default locations (alternating) just to save time, and I have to admit it helped hold it together quite nicely (however, it also makes the parts harder to cut out if there are gaps between the tabs). Any thoughts on this? What have you seen/built that you liked or didn't like?

[Rhaven Blaack]

I have made models with alternating tabs. I (personally) do not like it. I think that the tabs should all be on one side (or another).
Another thing I like and am starting to use (and liking), is glue strips. With the glue strips, you get a cleaner and smoother finish (especially, if you are dealing with compound curves or anything that you do not want a "layering" effect to).

[retunga]

When I design my model's I place the tabs in a manner that will give you a more stream line part as to not show the gluing point.

I also look to see what is the best way to assemble the part in question to make ones life easier. Sometimes it just works out that it is all on one side but sometimes you need to put a single tab on the opposite part to line up the part assembly to look correct.

[codex34]

Alternative tabs are harder to cut out, but they are great for lining parts up.
Same side tabs are easier to cut out, but lining parts up gets trickier, esp when your tired.
My preference is no tabs.
For small or thin parts I don't use conventional tabs, you can use double faces and glue them together, cutting out and lining up is easier than using tabs or glue strips.
(Try making a 1mm cube with tabs or glue strips.)

If I had to choose i'd choose alternative tabs, you do get a 'lumpy' model but it's better than ill fitting parts you can get with same side tabs.
Have messed up more, and given up on, same side tabs models, but then there are more of them.

[zubie]

I agree that the best finish are glue strips under the part that allow for butt joins. On the other hand, tabs make for a quicker build and nice if the software kicks it out when you are designing (normally, I have to do that part by hand).

My own experience is that when mating parts that are closed, such as fuselage bodies or hulls, it is better that the tabs be on the part with the larger diameter. Example would be a nosecone to a rocket body, the latter should have the tabs.

Interlocking tabs do come in handy when a part needs to hold a particular shape like a corner. The classic case is a box. Typically, if the tabs are all on one side, the matching part might want to slide off the corner, but you can make the tabs interlock in such a way that the corners won't slide off.

[cfuruti]

Originally Posted by ProjectKITT

I'm just curious; do you guys/gals have any preference on where the tabs are placed?
...
Any thoughts on this? What have you seen/built that you liked or didn't like?

Search this forum, that's not the first time this question has surfaced (perhaps there's even a poll). Personally for polyhedral models I prefer alternating tabs (there should be a last-face-to-be-glued with no tabs, thus avoiding the problem of inserting glue-pasted tabs into an almost closed model), since as others have mentioned, it eases aligning; and for round parts, butt edges. But there are always subtleties and exceptions.