0% found this document useful (0 votes)

94 views618 pages

Alias - Wavefront Modeling

Uploaded by

EdHiena

We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.

Available Formats

Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

0% found this document useful (0 votes)

94 views618 pages

Alias - Wavefront Modeling

Uploaded by

EdHiena

We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.

Available Formats

Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

NURBS Modeling

StudioTools 9.5
NURBS Modeling. StudioTools 9.5.
© 2000 Alias|Wavefront.
Printed in the U S A by R.R. Donnelley, All rights reserved.

Studio Documentation Team: Mona Albano, Pat Anderson, Matt Chaput, Stephen Gaebel,
Karen Hoogsteen, Adam Kozyniak, Joanne MacPhail, Margot Meijer.

The following are trademarks of Alias|Wavefront:

3Design™ Alias OpenRender™ Conductors™ StudioPaint™
Advanced Visualizer™ Alias PowerAnimator™ Maya® Artisan SurfaceStudio™
Alias® Alias PowerCaster™ Maya® Cloth SuperConductors™
Alias Metamorph™ Alias PowerTracer™ Maya® Complete VisPaint2D™
Alias MotionSampler™ Alias QuickRender™ Maya® Fur Wavefront™
Alias MultiFlip™ Alias QuickShade™ Maya® Fusion Wavefront Composer™
Alias Natural Phenomena™ Alias QuickWire™ Maya® F/X Wavefront Composerlite™
Alias OpenAlias™ Alias RayCasting™ Maya® Invigorator Wavefront IPR™
Alias OpenModel™ Alias RayTracing™ Maya® Live
Alias OpenRender™ Alias SDL™ Maya® MEL
Alias OptiF/X™ Composer™ Maya® Unlimited

Maya is a registered trademark of Silicon Graphics, Inc. exclusively used by Alias|Wavefront.

SGI is a trademark, and IRIX is a registered trademark, of Silicon Graphics, Inc.

Microsoft and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/
or other countries. Solaris is a trademark of Sun Microsytems Inc. All other product names mentioned are
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

This document contains proprietary and confidential information of Alias|Wavefront, Inc. and is protected
by international copyright law. The contents of this document may not be disclosed to third parties,
translated, copied, or duplicated in any form, in whole or in part, without the express written permission of
Alias|Wavefront, Inc.

The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice. Neither Alias|Wavefront,
Inc. nor its employees shall be responsible for incidental or consequential damages resulting from the use of
this material or liable for technical or editorial omissions made herein.

Not all features described are available in all products.

Alias|Wavefront, 210 King Street East, Toronto, Canada M5A 1J7

StudioTools Manuals The following manuals are available both in print and online.
The online help includes a searchable index of all manuals.
● What’s New: new and improved features in this version.
● Installation: installing and licensing Studio.
● Fundamentals: understanding Studio, setting it up,
starting and stopping it, learning your way around the
software, and customizing and using the Studio interface.
● Basic Tools
◆ Part 1 — Interface: getting online help, customizing
the interface, opening and saving files, and using the
window layouts to improve your workflow.
◆ Part 2 — General Tools: using the basic Studio tools to
create and manipulate models; pcking, deleting,
editing, and transforming objects; using cameras; and
doing standard system operations.
● Learning Studio: learning how to use the Studio design
and animation software through tutorials.
● Release Notes: detailed software notes about this release
of the Studio software. (The printed version is the more
recent.)
● Sketching: creating conceptual design sketches and
surface or cloud data annotations within Studio.
(Sketching tools are available only in Studio for Windows
NT.)
● NURBS Modeling: creating and modifying NURBS curves
and surfaces, as well as construction and evaluation tools.
● Polygonal Modeling: creating and modifying polygons
and polysets.
● Rendering: defining the look of your scene, creating
special effects, defining how the scene will render, and
creating final rendered images and animations.
● Animating: creating animations, building skeletons,
bringing creatures to life using inverse kinematics,
generating particles and special effects, and animating by
using time warps.
● Data Transfer for CAD and Solid Imaging: exchanging 3D
model data between Studio and CAD packages.
● EvalViewer: a stand-alone utility for industrial design. It
works as both a cloud data tool and a surface evaluation
tool. (EvalViewer is available only in Studio for UNIX.)

The following manuals are provided only online. You can

display them from Studio by selecting Help > Online docs. Parts
of these manuals appear when you use Help > Help on Function.
You can also open their PDF files from the Documentation CD
and print them.
● Alias File Formats: descriptions of native Alias file
formats.
● Stand-alone Utilities Guide: utilities that can be run
separately from Studio. Includes how to use the Alias File
Batch Translator utility.
● Scene Description Language: the Alias SDL, including
procedural effects that you can achieve in rendering.
● OpenAlias/OpenModel API: the Alias API, which
provides programmers with access to Studio’s internal
data: OpenModel to Alias wire files and OpenAlias to the
Studio application.
● Alias OpenRender: the program interface for Alias
OpenRender, how the renderer works and how to write
modules to add Alias OpenRender code.

Studio Assistant Online The Assistant Online offers a vast Internet resource, updated
weekly, of valuable learning material. It includes:
● Lessons and finished models that allow you to exercise
modeling, rendering and presentational skills
● Content designed to optimize workflow for visual
presentation.

You can find the Assistant Online at

[Link]/assistant_online/design/studio/
I n t ro d u ction Background Information 3
Introduction to Curve Geometry 4

Understanding Curves 8

Rational vs. Non-rational Geometry 13

Tips for Constructing Quality Curves 15

Keypoint Curves 17

Understanding Surfaces 19

Continuity 24

Shells and Faces 26

M o d e l i n g A ids Construction Aids 31

Construction Palette Summary 32

Changing the Grid Spacing 33

Snapping to Grids, Curves, and Points 38

Working with Guidelines 40

Reference Points 42

Reference Vectors 44

Reference Planes and Construction Planes 46

Working in StudioTools 53
Working with Construction History 54

Adding Text Comments to an Object 59

Showing Basic Information about an Object 61

Changing the Display Precision of Objects 65

Setting Options for Modeling 70

B a sic Modeling Creating Objects 81
Objects Palette Summary 82

Creating Geometric Primitives 84

Creating Text 89

Editing Objects 93
Object Edit Palette Summary 94

Aligning Curves and Surfaces 96

Attaching Objects 109

Detaching Objects 113

Making Objects Open or Closed 115

Inserting New Points or Isoparms 117

Extending Edges 119

Converting Linear Geometry to Cubic 122

Smoothing 126

Creating an Offset Copy 129

Creating Ridges and Grooves 132

Reversing Direction and Normals 135

Creating Curves 139

Curves Palette Summary 140

Drawing Curves 142

Sketching New Curves Freehand 146

Drawing Curves-on-Surface 148

Fitting a Curve to a Cross-section Line 151

Auto-tracing Curves from an Image Plane 155

Creating Curves Using a Digitizing Tablet 158

Drawing Keypoint Lines 161

Drawing Keypoint Lines Parallel or at an Angle 163

Drawing Keypoint Lines Tangent to Curves 166

Drawing a Sequence of Lines and Arcs 168

Drawing Keypoint Arcs and Circles 170

Drawing Keypoint Arcs in Relation to Other Curves 173

Drawing Keypoint Ellipses 175

Editing Curves 177

Curve Edit Palette Summary 178

Adding Points to a Curve 180

Changing the Weight of CVs 182

Making Sharper Bends in Curves with Multiplicity 184

Editing Keypoint Curves 186

Stretching Curves 189

Making Curves Intersect 192

Using the Curve Editor 198

Creating Continuity between Curves and Other Objects 202

Rebuilding Complex Curves 210

Flattening Curves onto a Plane 218

Creating Curves from Other Curves 221

Duplicating Curves 222

Projecting Two Planar Curves into a 3D Curve 226

Adding a Fillet Between Curves 229

Cutting and Joining Keypoint Curves 233

Detaching a Curve at the Points of Inflection 235

Deleting a Segment of a Curve 236

Sectioning Curves 237

Building Surfaces 243

Surfaces Palette Summary 244

Making a Planar Face from Bounding Curves 246

Skinning a Surface across Curves 249

Revolving a Curve 255

Extruding a Curve 259

Sweeping a Curve along a Path 263

Sweeping a Curve along Two Paths with Birail 273

Sweeping an Animated Curve 283

Building from Three/Four Boundary Curves 288

Building from Four Boundary Curves with Continuity 291

Building an N-Sided Surface 301

Extruding with a Beveled Edge 308

Creating a Fillet between Surfaces 311

Blending a New Surface between Surface Boundaries 317

Creating Rounded Edges, Corners, and Fillets 319

Using Draft, Flange, and Collar 325

Combining Several Surfaces into One 332

Editing Surfaces 335

Surface Edit Palette Summary 336

Aligning Several Surfaces 338

Aligning Hulls 340

Creating Curves-on-Surface from Geometry 344

Trimming Surfaces with Curves-on-Surface 353

Converting Trimmed Surfaces to Untrimmed Surfaces 358

Rebuilding Complex Surfaces 361

Stitching/Unstitching Surfaces into Shells 368

Performing Boolean Operations on Shells 371

Integrating Clay Model Changes 373

Globally Deforming Surfaces 382

Fitting a Surface To Section Data 386

Labeling and Measuring 389

Locators Palette Summary 390

Introduction to Labeling and Locators 392

Adding an Annotation 395

Adding Linear and Angular Measurements 397

Adding Radial Measurements 402

Adding a Curvature Measurement to a Curve 406

Adding a Closest Point Measurement 412

Adding a Curve Deviation Measurement 416

Adding Min/Max Deviation Measurements 419

Measuring Arc Lengths 423

A d v a n c ed Modeling Blend Curves 427

Introduction to Blend Curves 428

Blend Curve Palette Summary 431

Drawing Blend Curves 432

Editing Blend Curves 435

Changing the Type of a Constraint 439

Changing the Continuity of a Constraint 444

Changing the Curvature Type of a Constraint 446

Changing the Degree and Parameterization Type 448

Curve Networks 451

Introduction to Curve Networks 452

Creating a New Network 457

Basic Curve Network Procedures 459

Adding and Subtracting Curves 461

Changing the Continuity along Curves 463

Creating Continuity with an Implied Half 465

Editing Curves while Maintaining Intersections 466

Using Sculpt Curves 468

Changing the Influence of Sculpt Curves 473

Troubleshooting Networks 476

Working with Point Cloud Data 483

Point Clouds Palette Summary 484

Introduction and General Point Cloud Procedures 485

Importing Point Clouds 488

Dividing and Merging Point Clouds 490

Projecting a Curve onto a Point Cloud 492

Creating Surfaces from Point Clouds 496

Creating a Polyset from a Point Cloud 502

Working with Section Data 505

Introduction to Section Data 506
Importing Section Data 508

Displaying Section Data 509

Picking Section Data 512

Transforming Section Data 514

Deleting Section Data 515

Partitioning and Merging Section Data 517

Creating Surface Cross Sections 519

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel 521

Introduction 522

Using the Shelf Area in the Control Panel 525

Rebuilding Geometry 527

Displaying or Hiding Features of the Picked Geometry 528

Using Diagnostic Shading 530

Moving CVs 538

Measuring Scan Data to Surface Deviation 541

Viewing Cross Sections on a Surface 544

Working with Curvature Combs 548

Evaluating Your Model 551

Evaluate Palette Summary 552

Checking the Continuity between Curves 554

Checking Continuity between and within Surfaces 558

Examining Deviation Values 567

Showing Surface Curvature 570

Showing Surface Features with Highlights 577

Creating Cross-Section Lines 582

Viewing a Dynamic Cross-Section 586

Displaying Iso-Angle Lines 588

Creating Curves-on-Surface for Various Criteria 591

Measuring Minimum and Maximum Curvature 600

Measuring Mass Properties 602

Intro d u ctio n
Background Information

In This Section Introduction to Curve Geometry 4

Understanding Curves 8
Rational vs. Non-rational Geometry 13
Tips for Constructing Quality Curves 15
Keypoint Curves 17
Understanding Surfaces 19
Continuity 24
Shells and Faces 26

Special thanks to Martin Watt and the authors of the original

Learning Alias book for the material upon which this chapter is
based.

3
Introduction to Curve Geometry

Note The information in this section is not required to use

StudioTools. However, it may give some insight into
why different parts of the application work the way
they do.

History of Splines Splines are types of curves, originally developed for ship-
building in the days before computer modeling. Naval
architects needed a way to draw a smooth curve through a set
of points.

Weights The solution was to place metal weights (called knots) at the
control points, and bend a thin metal or wooden beam (called
a spline) through the weights.

Spline The physics of the bending spline meant that the influence of
each weight was greatest at the point of contact, and decreased
smoothly further along the spline. To get more control over a
certain region of the spline, the draftsman simply added more
weights.

This scheme had obvious problems with data exchange!

People needed a mathematical way to describe the shape of
the curve. Cubic Polynomials Splines are the mathematical
equivalent of the draftsman’s wooden beam. Polynomials
were extended to B-splines (for Basis splines), which are sums
of lower-level polynomial splines. Then B-splines were
extended to NURBS.

Mathematical Polynomial Equations

Representations of Starting with the simplest mathematical representation, we all
Curves remember from geometry class that we can represent a (two
dimensional) line with an equation like y = 2x. For each value
of x, we multiply it by 2 to get the value of y, and plot the two
values on a graph.

Background Information
4
Introduction to Curve Geometry
The generalized form of this type of equation is ax + by = c. The
expression to the left of the equals sign is called a polynomial
(“poly” means many. It refers to the fact that the expression
has more than one term).

We can make more complicated expressions where x is

multiplied by itself, as y = x*x*x. Instead of writing out all the
x’s in a term, we usually just count them and write the count
as a superscript. The superscript is called “the exponent”. So
the expression above is written as y=x3.

We can write polynomials with exponents, such as:

y = ax2 + bx + c
(You may recall from math class that this is a quadratic
equation). The exponent (the 2) on the first occurrence of x
means that the graph of this function is curved rather than
straight.

Degree

The degree of a polynomial equation is the largest exponent in

the equation. Recall that the largest exponent on the equation
for a line was 1. (When a term has no visible exponent, that is
the same as an exponent of 1.)
● The degree of a linear equation is 1.

● A quadratic equation, which has a term x2, is degree 2.

● A cubic equation, which has a term x3, is degree 3, and so

on.

Parametric Representations

There are two general ways to write an equation for a curve.

The implicit representation combines every variable in one
long, non-linear equation, such as:
ax3 + by2 + 2cxy + 2dx +2ey +f = 0.

In this representation, to calculate the x and y values to plot

them on a graph, we must solve the entire non-linear equation.

The parametric representation rewrites the equation into

shorter, easily solved equations that translate one variable into
values for the others:

Background Information
5
Introduction to Curve Geometry
x = a + bt + ct2 + dt3 + ...
y = g + ht + jt2 + kt3 + ...

Using this representation, the equations for x and y are simple.

We just need a value for t, the point along the curve for which
we want to calculate x and y.

You can visualize parametric curves as being drawn by a point

moving through space. At any time t, we can calculate the x
and y values of the moving point.

This is a very important point, because the concept of associating

a parameter number with every point on the line is used by
many tools. This corresponds to the U dimension of the curve.

Creating Complex The lower the degree of a curve equation, the simpler the
Curves curve described. What if we want to represent complex
curves? The simple answer might be to increase the degree of
the curve, but this is not very efficient. The higher the degree
of the curve, the more computations are required. Also, curves
with degree higher than 7 are subject to wide oscillations in
their shape, which makes them impractical for interactive
modeling.

The answer is to join relatively low-degree (1 to 7) curve

equations together as segments of a larger, more complex
composite curve. The points at which the curve segments, or
spans, join together is called an edit point.

Degree 5 and degree 7 Higher degree curves should not be completely discounted,
curves are only available in however. Degree 5 and 7 curves have certain advantages such
some products or as as smoother curvature and more “tension”. They are often
purchasable options.
used in automotive design.

Smooth Joins

A type of curve developed in the auto industry and familiar to

anyone who works with common illustration programs is the
Bezier curve. Bezier curves combine cubic curve segments,
each with four control points (the start and end points, and
two “handles”). The problem with Bezier curves is that the
joins between segments are not necessarily smooth.

Background Information
6
Introduction to Curve Geometry
The solution to this problem, used by NURBS, is to use the last
control points of the previous span as the first control points of
the current span. This ensures smooth joins between curve
segments. (Bezier curves can still be simulated perfectly using
NURBS curves with multi-knots).

The degree of the curve determines the smoothness of the

joins between spans. Degree 1 (linear) curves give positional
continuity at the join. Degree 2 (quadratic) curves give tangent
continuity. Degree 3 (cubic) curves give curvature continuity.

NURBS NURBS stands for Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines.

Non-Uniform refers to the parameterization of the curve. Non-

Uniform curves allow, among other things, the presence of
multi-knots, which are needed to represent Bezier curves.

Rational refers to the underlying mathematical representation.

This property allows NURBS to represent exact conics (such as
parabolic curves, circles, and ellipses) in addition to free form
curves.

Finally, B-splines, as mentioned above, are piecewise (made of

multiple pieces) polynomial curves that have a parametric
representation.

The next few sections explain all of these concepts.

Background Information
7
Introduction to Curve Geometry
Understanding Curves

To understand and fully use the modeling tools, you should

understand the following properties of curves.

x Control Vertex (CV)

+
Edit Point Curve x Hull
u
Start of Curve
+
+
+
+
+ *
x
x

Span

Control Points Edit Points

Internally, StudioTools creates curves by joining together

polynomial curve segments. The points at the joins between
segments are called edit points (sometimes also called knots,
although formally, a knot is the parameter value at the edit
point). Edit points lie directly on the curve. The curve
segments between edit points are called spans.

Adding edit points does not change the shape of the curve, but
adds more control points (CVs), so more edit points means
finer control of the curve. Conversely, removing edit points
represents a loss of information, and may change the shape of
the curve.

CVs

CVs (control vertices) control how the curve is “pulled” from a

straight line between edit points. They are the most basic and

Background Information
8
Understanding Curves
important means for controlling the shape of a curve. Lines
between consecutive CVs form the control hull.

You cannot add CVs to the interior of a curve: there is always a

set number of CVs for each span. The number of CVs is equal
to the degree of the curve plus one. So, for example, a degree 3
curve has four CVs per span.

You can change the weight of CVs using the Adjust weight tool.
This affects the degree to which the CV “pulls” the curve.
When you model with Non-rational geometry, the system may
use differently weighted CVs to achieve greater precision. In
practice, weighting CVs causes several problems. See Rational
vs. Non-rational Geometry on page 13.

Moving Edit Points vs. Moving CVs

In theory, moving edit points would be an excellent way to

edit a curve, since they lie on the curve itself. Unfortunately, it
doesn’t work out that way. This is because the shape of the
curve determines the positions of edit points, not the other way
around.

StudioTools does allow you to move edit points by “reverse

engineering” the curve from the edit point. When you move
an edit point, the Move tool tries to find a curve which passes
through the new edit point location. Because this process is
time-consuming and has an infinite number of solutions, the
tool must place constraints on how moving the edit point
affects the curve.

Because of these constraints, you usually cannot make major

changes well by moving edit points. Moving edit points is best
for small scale reshaping.

Even though it is slightly less intuitive, the only way to

reshape the curve with complete power is by moving CVs.

Multi-knots and CV A multi-knot consists of multiple edit points at the same

Multiplicity location in space. CV multiplicity refers to the number of CVs
at the same location in space.

Multi-knots are usually the result of curve or surface editing

operations that require a sharp turn in a curve. CV multiplicity
is controlled by the Multiplicity tool.

Background Information
9
Understanding Curves
Multi-knots and CVs with multiplicity are generally
undesirable. Some tools (such as Birail) cannot work with
them, and many CAD packages will not accept models with
multi-knots.

Multi-knots and CV Multiplicity achieve similar effects, even

though they are different mathematically.

Multi-knots and Continuity

See Continuity on page 24 for Multi-knots eliminate one level of automatic continuity for
more information. each extra edit point.

StudioTools only creates full For example, a degree 3 curve normally has curvature
multiplicity knots, i.e. knots continuity (G2) at edit points.
which have a multiplicity
equal to the degree of the ● If you create a multi-knot of two edit points, you lose
curve. automatic curvature continuity, so you only have tangent
continuity (G1) at the multi-knot.
● If you create a multi-knot of three edit points, you lose
both automatic curvature and automatic tangent
continuity, so you only have positional continuity (G0) at
the multi-knot.

Note Only the intrinsic continuity is lost. As with Bezier

curves, clever placement of CV’s will restore
continuity, but now the designer has to do the work
instead of StudioTools.

Parameterization Ideally, you would not have to worry about the underlying
geometric representation of curves. Unfortunately, in return
for the power of NURBS, you must sometimes deal with
exactly how a curve or surface is being represented
mathematically.

Every point on a curve has a number, called its parameter. This

is the point’s location in the U dimension of the curve (see the
earlier discussion on Polynomials). The parameters let you
specify an exact point on the curve. The higher the number,
the further is the point along the curve.

StudioTools uses two methods for deciding the

parameterization (sometimes called knot spacing) of the curve.
That is, how to equate parameter numbers with points along

Background Information
10
Understanding Curves
the curve. The methods are called Uniform and Chord-length
parameterization.

Curves with different parameterizations can look identical,

but have different underlying structure, as illustrated below.

x x
Uniform
*1.0 1.5
2.0* Uniform parameterization assigns integral parameter values
to the edit points, and evenly distributes parameters along the
* 0.0 3.0 * spans between edit points.

So, the first edit point is always parameter 0.0, the second edit
point is always 1.0, the third is always 2.0, and so on (hence,
the parameter value of the last edit point always indicates the
total number of spans in the curve).

x x
Chord-length
2.4
* *
Chord-length parameterization assigns parameter 0.0 to the
start of the curve, then increases the parameter value
* 0.0 4.8 * proportionally to the chord length between successive edit
points. (The chord is the straight line between two successive
edit points.) The edit points therefore have irregular
parameters.

Comparison

Type Pros Cons

Chord-length • Parameter value gives some • Parameters are not obvious.

indication of the point’s relative • Surfaces built from chord-length
position along the curve. curves can be more complex
• Minimizes stretching and because of cross-knot insertion.
squeezing of textures.
Uniform • Easy to reckon parameters (for • In most cases, interpolation
example, 1.5 is about half-way between edit points is not as good.
between edit points at 1.0 and 2.0).

Background Information
11
Understanding Curves
Degree Higher degree curves have more control points and keep
better continuity between the segments of the curve. Lower
degree curves are faster to compute.

Degree CVs per span Notes

1 2 Curve segments only have positional continuity with each

other.
2 3 Curve segments have tangent continuity with each other.
3 4 Curve segments have curvature continuity with each other.
5 6 Only available in AutoStudio or as an option.
7 8 Only available in AutoStudio or as an option.

The default and most commonly used curve is degree 3. Use

degree 1 for objects with flat facets. Use degree 2 if you don’t
require curvature continuity.

Degree 5 and degree 7 curves are generally used in automotive

design. They are slower, but give you smoother curves, better
internal continuity, and more control.

Curvature

x Curvature is measured by fitting a circle into the curve, then

taking the reciprocal of the circle’s radius. In the illustration at
r
left, at point x, the curve is best described by a circle with
radius r. At this point, the curvature is 1/r.

(We use the reciprocal, 1/r, instead of just r because a flat line
has an infinite radius. Taking the reciprocal gives us 0 instead
of infinity.)

A curvature Several tools in StudioTools, most notably the Curve curvature

plot Quill tool, allow you to display a comb plot of a curve’s curvature. At
regular points along the curve, the tool samples the curvature,
and draws a line (sometimes called a “quill” because it looks
Outline like a spine on the back of a porcupine). The length of the line
represents the curvature value at that point.

Background Information
12
Understanding Curves
Rational vs. Non-rational Geometry

Non-rational geometry is a sum of polynomials. Rational

geometry is a ratio of sums of polynomials. Rational geometry
is considerably more complex mathematically. Therefore:
● It may not be transferable to downstream CAD packages
that can’t deal with complex descriptions
● It can be slower to manipulate interactively when
modeling, and slower to render.

The following tables lists the differences between the two

types of geometry.

Nature Pros Cons

Non-rational • More flexibility for • Sacrifices some precision for modeling

transformations. flexibility.
• Faster.
Rational • Precise geometry • Weighted CVs not supported by many
(that is, exact conics). CAD packages.
• Weighted CVs harder to manipulate
interactively.
• Creates multi-knots.
• Slower to display and render.

The illustration at left shows two circles drawn with the two
types of geometry.
● The circle on the left is a non-rational curve with CVs that
are all weighted equally. To have a non-rational curve, all
weights must be 1.0.
● The circle on the right is a rational curve with different
weights applied to the CVs, and multi-knots.

You can see the difference in two ways:

Background Information
13
Rational vs. Non-rational Geometry
● If you attach a radius measurement to the circles, you will
see that the non-rational circle is not a perfect circle
(although it is pretty close): it has different radii
depending on where you measure. The rational circle is a
perfect circle.

● Attach curve curvature combs to the circles. The curvature

on the non-rational circle on the left varies. The curvature
of the rational circle on the right is constant.

Background Information
14
Rational vs. Non-rational Geometry
Tips for Constructing Quality Curves

To create quality surfaces you need quality curves. These

guidelines will help you create good curves.

Simple Curves Use the simplest curves that can describe the shape you want.
Simpler curves mean simple, faster rendering surfaces.

One effective method for achieving simple curves is:

One Span
1 Begin a curve by drawing a single span.
One Span w/ edited CVs

2 Move the CVs to achieve the shape you want.

3 If you can’t achieve the shape, add an edit point to create

Insert Edit Point
Two Spans more CVs
w/ edited CVs

4 Continue until you have the shape you need.

This iterative process ensures your curve only has as many

spans as are absolutely necessary.

You can also use the Rebuild curve tool to simplify existing
curves. The tool can simplify a curve while maintaining its
shape within a tolerance you set.

Parameterization It is often best to build curves with uniform parameterization,

because it makes inserting edit points and detaching curves at
exact locations easier.
● When drawing Edit point curves with Uniform
parameterization, the resulting CVs may be placed
awkwardly. To fix this, move the CVs to prevent crossing
hull lines.
● Try to consistently use either Uniform or Chord length
parameterization when drawing curves. If you mix and
match curve styles, it could result in cross knot insertion
when the curves are used to build a surface.

Background Information
15
Tips for Constructing Quality Curves
Intersections Some surfacing tools require curves to intersect:
● To draw intersecting curves, use curve snapping (hold
down Ctrl and Alt, or click the curve snapping button (crv)
to the right of the prompt line).
● To make existing curves intersect:
◆ Use the Curve editor with curve snapping.
◆ Use the Adjust Intersection tool.

Planning for Surfaces When creating curve, plan ahead to the surfaces that you
want. Try to have the same number of spans in all the
construction curves for building a surface. A simple way to
achieve this is to start with one curve, then duplicate it to
create more construction curves.

When you create a surface from curves with different numbers

of spans, the new surface will have an extra isoparm
corresponding to every extra edit point. This is known as cross
knot insertion. It makes the new surface more difficult to edit
and more complex.

3 Span Curve

3 Span Curve 4 Span Curve

3 Spans 3 Span Curve

4 Spans

Cross Knot Insertion

Matched and unmatched curves

Background Information
16
Tips for Constructing Quality Curves
Keypoint Curves

Overview ● Keypoint curves retain more information than other

curves. They remember relationships and constraints, and
apply them when you edit the lines. You can also edit
these special attributes in the Information Window.
For example, a keypoint arc has edit points and CVs just
like a normal curve, but it also has a radius, sweep angle,
and center point, all of which can be edited. During editing,
the arc stays an arc: it will not lose its shape from keypoint
editing.

When you combine keypoint curves into composite curves

(for example, with the Line-arc tool), relationships between the
individual lines and arcs are still maintained.
● Keypoint curve tools create guidelines, which are very
useful for aligning curves with each other as you draw.
● Keypoint curves are especially useful for CAD and
drafting applications. However, any part of your model
requiring geometric accuracy or ease of editing will
benefit from keypoint curves.

Note Most tools that work on normal curves also work on

keypoint curves.

Background Information
17
Keypoint Curves
Anatomy of a Keypoint
End point Radius point Axis point
Curve
Line
Circle Ellipse
Arc

Center point

Background Information
18
Keypoint Curves
Understanding Surfaces

Curves are the basis of 3D modeling, but curves do not render.

To actually create a visible scene, you must create surfaces.

Description

Seen one way, surfaces are curves with an extra dimension. A

curve has one dimension: length (called the U dimension). A
surface has two dimensions: length and width (called U and
V). A NURBS surface is displayed as a mesh of curves, called
U isoparms, running in the U and V directions. The isoparms
V define four-sided regions called patches, which are the
equivalent of spans on curves.

Surfaces are created from curves in different ways by different

tools.

There are five basic types of surface creation tools. Each uses a
different method for turning curves into surfaces.

1 Set planar surface tool.

Creates a planar surface from planar curves. This tool
creates trimmed surfaces or faces that look like shapes
stamped out of sheet metal.

2 Revolve tool.
Creates a surface by revolving curves around an axis. This
tool creates surfaces that look like they were turned on a
lathe.

3 Skin tool.

Background Information
19
Understanding Surfaces
Creates a surface from two or more profile curves. The
Skin tool lets you explicitly control the number of isoparms
in one direction of the surface. This tool creates surfaces
similar to how the hull of a boat fits over its wooden
frame.

ct
io
n
Path curve
4 Sweep tools.
re
di
e

Ex
trud
Create surfaces by sweeping one or more profile curve
along path curves. These tools creates surfaces similar to
y
Cross section curve Resulting extruded surface
squeezing decorative icing through a shaped nozzle.

5 Boundary tools.
Create surfaces by interpolating between curves
representing edges.

Surface Properties
3
2 Flow Lines (iso-parms)
Isoparms
1

PATCH
V

0 1
U
2 Isoparametric Curve
at U = 3.7
Span
3

Isoparms

Isoparm, or “isoparam,” is short for isoparametric curve.

Unfortunately, the term “isoparm” is used to describe two
related but subtly different features of a surface:
● Any line of constant parameter in either U or V. For
example, if you join together every point on the surface
where U=1.5, the resulting line is a U isoparm:
◆ You can increase the number of this type of isoparm
that is drawn for a surface with the Patch precision tool.
◆ Using this definition, a surface has an infinite number
of isoparms.

Background Information
20
Understanding Surfaces
You can use these isoparms to help you understand the
surface shape, but the system doesn’t use them to
represent the surface internally.
● A line of constant parameter at an edit point. The isoparms
at edit points are special, since they represent the
boundaries between “patches”. Like CV’s, these isoparms
are important in representing the surface within the
system.
◆ This is the type of isoparm created by the Insert tool.
Adding this type of isoparm actually changes the
geometry of the surface.
◆ You can only delete an isoparms of this type.
◆ Using this definition, a surface has the same number
of isoparms in the U and V directions as it has edit
points.

You can display a surface with a large number of isoparms of

the first type visible, but only some of those are of the second
type.

Patches

The regions between the second type of isoparms are called

patches. You rarely need to think about patches, since the focus
is on the isoparms. One tool that works with patches is the
Patch precision tool, which sets how many U and V isoparms
are drawn for each patch.

UV and Normals

Just as every point along the length of a curve has a U

parameter, every point across a surface has a pair of (U,V)
parameters.

The parameterization of the surface depends on the

parameterization of the curves from which it was constructed,
and how it was constructed.

Normals are imaginary lines perpendicular to each point on the

surface. The direction of U and V isoparms on the surface
determines the direction of the surface normals.

Background Information
21
Understanding Surfaces
N You can visualize the direction of the normal using the “right-
V hand rule.” Point your right thumb in the increasing U
direction and your right forefinger in the increasing V
U direction. Point your middle finger perpendicular to your
thumb and forefinger, and you have the surface normal
direction.
N ● Reversing the direction of U or V reverses the surface
V
normal direction.
● Reversing both U and V does not change the surface
U
normal direction.
● Swapping U and V reverses the surface normal direction.
x
Some situations require U and V to run in specific
directions.(For example, when you apply a parametric texture
map to a surface, the mapping of the image to the surface
depends on the orientation of U and V.) The normal is often
used as a way of specifying which side of a surface points
“inside” or “outside” (for example, when creating shells).

If a texture map appears inverted on a surface, reversing the

UV direction of the surface is one way to correct the problem.

Parameterization and Degree

The U isoparms and V isoparms can have different

parameterization and/or degree.

For example, the U isoparms of a surface can be degree 3 with

uniform parameterization, while the V isoparms are degree 1
with chord-length parameterization.

Sidedness

Technically, and counter-intuitively, NURBS surfaces have

only one side (the side that faces the direction of the normal).
When viewed from the other side, the surfaces are invisible.

To save you from having to worry about which direction your

surfaces are facing, StudioTools renders “double-sided”
surfaces. When rendering, StudioTools creates an opposite-
facing double of every surface in the scene.

You can turn this feature off for individual surfaces (in the
Render Stats window), to save rendering time.

Background Information
22
Understanding Surfaces
What NURBS Surfaces Because of the underlying representation of NURBS surfaces,
Can’t Do there are some things they cannot model:
● Topologies that are not equivalent to a rectangular sheet.
Spheres, cones, torii, and triangles can all be built from
sheets by attaching or collapsing sides. But more complex
shapes, for example a star shape, cannot be represented
with a simple NURBS surface. To get a complex surface
outline, you must use a trimmed surface.
● Holes.
To get a surface with a hole, you must use a trimmed
surface.
● Surfaces that cannot be mapped with regular U and V
coordinates. For example:
◆ You can model the shape of a Moebius strip but you
will have a seam
◆ You can’t directly model a spherical object using
spherical coordinates. (Polar coordinates are 2D and
spheres are 3D.)

Curves-on-Surface Curves-on-surface are special curves that are drawn in the UV

space of a surface, rather than in the XYZ space of the scene.
Curves-on-surface do not have CVs. They are controlled by
moving on curve edit points.

You can create curves-on-surface by drawing directly on the

surface, by projecting existing curves onto a surface, and by
intersecting existing geometry with a surface.

Curves-on-surface are usually used to trim surfaces, or to form

the edge of new surfaces.

Background Information
23
Understanding Surfaces
Continuity

Continuity is a measure of how well two curves or surfaces

“flow” into each other.

How To Use Continuity ● To get more visual smoothness at intersections, increase

and Curve Degree the level of continuity.
● To increase the amount of flexibility available to achieve
high levels of continuity, increase the curve degree.

Types of Continuity Continuity is a mathematical indication of the smoothness of

the flow between two curves or surfaces.

The following lists the five types of continuity possible with

StudioTools tools, G0 to G4. Note that G3 and G4 continuity
are only available with blend curves. See Introduction to Blend
Curves on page 428.

Curvature ● Positional (G0).

plots
The endpoints of the two curves meet exactly. Note that
two curves that meet at a 90 degree angle can still have
positional continuity. This is the least smooth type of join.

● Tangent (G1).
Same as positional continuity, plus the end tangents match
between the curves. The two curves will appear to be
travelling in the same direction at the join, but they may
still have very different apparent “speeds” (rate of change
of the direction, also called curvature).

Background Information
24
Continuity
For example, in the illustration at left, the two curves have
the same tangent (the double-arrow line) at the join (the
dot). But the curve to the left of the join has a slow (low)
curvature at the join, while the curve to the right of the
join has a fast (high) curvature at the join.

● Curvature (G2).
Same as tangent continuity, plus the curvature of the two
curves matches between the curves. The two curves
appear to have the same “speed” at the join.

● Curvature with constant rate of change (G3).

Same as curvature (G2) continuity, plus the rate of change in
the curvature matches between the curves.

● Curvature with constant rate of change of the rate of change

of the curvature (G4).
Same as G3 continuity, plus the rate of change of the rate
of change of the curvature matches between the curves.
This is the smoothest type of join.
The concept of “rate of change of the rate of change” may
be hard to conceptualize. Consider the following graphs:

A B C

Time

◆ In graph A on the left, the value of x does not change,

so the rate of change of x is 0.
◆ In graph B in the middle, x has a constant rate of
change, which we can calculate as the slope of the line.
◆ In graph C on the right, the rate of change is not
constant: it is slow at first, then fast, then slow again.
The rate at which the rate of change itself changes is
the rate of change of the rate of change.

Background Information
25
Continuity
Shells and Faces

StudioTools has two special types of surfaces in addition to

regular NURBS surfaces: shells and faces.

Faces

Faces are very lightweight objects. They are always planar and
render very quickly. Faces are represented in the edit windows
by a thick border curve.

Faces are specialized objects and are not supported by most

tools that work on surfaces. Faces have no V parameters or
isoparms. In many cases, unless you are trying to reduce file
size and rendering time, you will want to use planar trimmed
surfaces instead.

You can create faces using the Set planar tool (see Making a
Planar Face from Bounding Curves on page 246). Faces are also
sometimes created by other tools such as Extrude to add planar
“caps” to other surfaces.

Shells

Shells are collections of adjacent NURBS surfaces. Every

surface stitched into a shell must meet the edge of another
surface in the shell at some point.

Shells are stored as a single node in the DAG.

Shells can be open or closed. For closed shells, the normals

should always point outward. This is necessary for the
Boolean operations.

The main uses of shells are:

● To improve data transfer to some CAD packages.
Some CAD packages deal with shells much better than
normal trimmed NURBS surfaces.
● To prepare for Boolean operations.

Background Information
26
Shells and Faces
The Boolean tools (Shell subtract, Shell intersect, and Shell
union) only work on shells. Often you will simply stitch
surfaces into shells, apply a boolean operation, then
unstitch back into surfaces.
● To check adjacencies between surfaces.
Surfaces can only be stitched into shells if they are within
an adjacency tolerance.
If the tolerance is set correctly, you can easily check
whether a group of surfaces will export or build properly
by checking whether they will stitch together into a shell.

Shells have the following limitations:

● Depending on the options in the Shell stitch option
window, a stitched shell may not match the original
surfaces exactly.
In this case, unstitching will not produce surfaces that
match the originals exactly either.
● You can not edit CVs of a shell. If you need to reshape the
surface of a shell, you must unstitch the shell.
● You cannot use the isoparms of shell surfaces as input for
other tools.
● You cannot maintain continuity with a shell in tools such
as Square and Birail.
● You cannot create fillet surfaces on shells or between shells
and other surfaces.

Background Information
27
Shells and Faces
Background Information
28
Shells and Faces
Mo d eling A id s
Construction Aids

In This Section Construction Palette Summary 32

Changing the Grid Spacing 33
Snapping to Grids, Curves, and Points 38
Working with Guidelines 40
Reference Points 42
Reference Vectors 44
Reference Planes and Construction Planes 46

31
Construction Palette Summary

Icon Construction > For more information...

Point Reference Points on page 42

Vector Reference Vectors on page 44

Plane Reference Planes and Construction Planes on

page 46

Set const plane Reference Planes and Construction Planes on

page 46

Tgl const plane Reference Planes and Construction Planes on

page 46

Grids > Grid spacing Changing the Grid Spacing on page 33

Grids > Grid preset Changing the Grid Spacing on page 33

Construction Aids
32
Construction Palette Summary
Construction > Grid Changing the Grid Spacing
spacing, Grid preset

Purpose Change the spacing between grid lines.

Overview The Grid spacing tool changes the distance between the lines of
the grid. The default spacing is 1.0 centimeters (10.0
centimeters for AutoStudio). The Grid preset tool quickly resets
the grid spacing to a value you set in the option window.

The tool lets you do the following:

● Set the distance between grid lines.

● Set the number of subdivisions between grid lines.

● Show or hide labels on grid lines in orthographic

1.0 2.0 3.0 windows.

● Show or hide the gnomon in the corner of the perspective

window.

Construction Aids
33
Changing the Grid Spacing
● Set the size of the grid (extent) in the perspective window.

Use Grid spacing and Grid preset in tandem when you need to
change the grid temporarily, for example when working on
small details of a model:
● Set the default grid spacing you normally want to use in
the Grid preset option window.
● Use the Grid spacing tool to temporarily change the grid
size.
● When you want to return to the normal grid size, click the
Grid preset tool.

Note The Grid spacing tool does not change the current unit
of measurement. To change the standard units of
measurement, see Setting Options for Modeling on
page 70).

How To To change the distance between grid lines

1 Click the Grid spacing tool, or choose Grids > Grid spacing
from the Construction palette menu.

2 Type the distance in the current measurement units

between grid lines.
or
Drag the mouse left and right to resize the grid
interactively.

3 To customize the grid further, double click the Grid spacing

tool or choose Grids > Grid spacing -❏ from the Construction
palette menu.

To reset the grid to the default spacing

● Click the Grid preset tool, or choose Grids > Grid preset from
the Construction palette menu.
The Grid preset tool resets the grid size to the value you set
in the Grid preset option window.

Construction Aids
34
Changing the Grid Spacing
To set the default grid spacing

1 Double click the Grid preset tool, or choose

Grids > Grid preset -❏ from the Construction palette menu.

2 Set the options for the default grid. This is the grid spacing
you will usually use, and will want to return to after
changing the grid spacing temporarily.

3 Click Save to save the new settings without actually

resetting the grid.
Click Go to save the new settings and reset the grid.

To turn off the grid display

● Choose DisplayTgls > Window toggles > Grid from the menu
bar.
To turn the grid back on, select this tool again.

To save the grid settings between sessions

● To save the current grid settings:

◆ Choose Layouts > User windows > Save from the menus.
◆ Type user_windows.view in the filename field.
◆ Click the Save Windows button.
● To save the preset grid settings (this actually saves the
settings in all option windows):
◆ Choose Preferences > User options > Save options from
the menus.
◆ Type user_options in the filename field.
◆ Click the Save Options button.

Construction Aids
35
Changing the Grid Spacing
Options Grid spacing Options

Windows
Choose whether the grid spacing will change in All
windows or only the Current window.

Grid Spacing
The distance, in the current linear units, between grid
lines.

Subdivisions
The number of subdivisions between grid lines. The
subdivision lines are lighter than the normal grid lines,
but you can still snap to them using grid snapping.
For example, if you set the grid spacing to 1.0, and the
number of subdivisions to 4, StudioTools will show grid
subdivisions at 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.25, and so on.

Labels
1.0 2.0 3.0 Label the grid and subdivision lines with their unit values.
The labels only appear in the orthographic windows.

Construction Aids
36
Changing the Grid Spacing
Perspective Grid Extent
The size of the grid in the perspective window, in current
linear units. Enter a value from 1 to 1000000.

Grid preset Options

The settings in the Grid preset option window are exactly the
same as in the Grid spacing option window, with one addition:

Corner Perspective Gnomon

Show the gnomon in the corner of the perspective
window.
The gnomon is the small indicator which floats in the
corner of view windows. It has colored arrows to show the
orientation of the axes and a grey arrow pointing to the
origin.

Purpose Constrain the movement or placement of objects in view

windows.

How To
or Turn On This
To Snap To Hold Down
Button

• Grid intersections Alt Grid snap

• Curves Ctrl and Alt Curve snap

• Isoparms
• Curves-on-surface

• CVs Ctrl Magnet snap

• Edit points
• Key points
• Skeleton joints
• Locators
• Reference points,
vectors, and planes

Tips and Notes ● To use a type of snapping temporarily, hold down the
corresponding modifier key(s).
● To keep a type of snapping on continuously, turn on the
corresponding button to the right of the prompt line. Click
the button again to turn it off.
● Use curve snapping when moving or adding edit points to
make sure two curves intersect.
● When snapping an object, it is the pivot of the object that
snaps to the chosen position.

Construction Aids
38
Snapping to Grids, Curves, and Points
● See also: Changing the Grid Spacing on page 33 and
Reference Points on page 42

Construction Aids
39
Snapping to Grids, Curves, and Points
Working with Guidelines

Overview Several tools, including all the keypoint curve tools (for
example, Curves > Line-arc), add guidelines to the scene. These
faint dotted lines allow you to easily snap points along lines
extending from, parallel to, or perpendicular to previous
curves.

Because guidelines can potentially clutter the screen, you can

set the maximum number of guidelines on screen. As new
guidelines are created, the oldest guidelines are removed if
necessary so as not to exceed the maximum number.

How To To create guidelines when drawing normal NURBS curves

1 Choose Curves > New Curves > New Curve (cvs) or Curves >
New Curves > New Curve (edit pts), or double-click one of the
icons to open the option box.

2 Turn on the Create Guidelines option in the option box.

3 Draw the curves. (See Drawing Curves on page 142.)

Use guidelines to place points

● Click and drag along a guideline to constrain the point.

● Click the intersection of two guidelines to constrain the

point to the intersection.

To show or hide all guidelines

● Choose DisplayTgls > Guidelines from the menus.

Construction Aids
40
Working with Guidelines
To delete all guidelines

● Choose Delete > Del guidelines from the menus.

To set the maximum number of guidelines on screen at

any time

1 Choose Delete > Del guidelines-❏ from the menus.

2 Set the slider to the maximum number of guidelines you

want on screen at any time.

Tips and Notes ● Guidelines disappear automatically when you use tools
that cannot use guidelines, such as pick tools.

Purpose Create a general-purpose reference point at a location in space

or on any type of geometry.

The Point tool adds a general-purpose reference point to the

scene. You can place the point in world space, or on a curve or
surface. You can read and set the coordinates of the point in
the Information Window.

Reference points have many different uses:

● Place a reference point at an exact coordinate or on a curve
or surface at an exact parameter, then snap to it when
constructing curves or surfaces.
● Drag a reference point along a curve or surface to see the
normals, and view the parameterization in the Information
Window.

● Use a reference point to translate U/V parameters into 3D

world space coordinates.
● Use reference points as “placeholders” to keep track of
points in space for later use.

Construction Aids
42
Reference Points
How To To create a reference point

1 Click the Point icon, or choose Point from the Construction

palette menu.

2 Click in a view window to add a reference point to the

scene. You can continue to move the new point while the
mouse button is down. When you release the mouse
button, the reference point is created.
space surface ◆ Click in empty space to add a world space reference
ref. point ref. point point, or type a 3D coordinate to place the reference
point exactly.
◆ Click a curve to add a curve reference point.
◆ Click an isoparm on a surface to add a surface
reference point.

Tips and Notes ● Open the Information Window to display/change the

location and properties of any picked reference points.
◆ For world space reference points, you can edit the
world space position of the point.
◆ For surface reference points, you can edit the U and V
parameters of the point, and view the world space
position of the point.
◆ For curve reference points, you can edit the U
parameter of the point, and view the world space
position of the point.

See Also ● Information Window in the Interface section of the Basic Tools
book
● Adding an Annotation on page 395

Construction Aids
43
Reference Points
Construction > Reference Vectors
Vector

Purpose Create a general-purpose reference vector at a location in

space or on any type of geometry.

The Vector tool adds a general-purpose reference vector to the

scene. You can place the vector in world space, or on a curve or
surface. You can read and set the origin and endpoint of the
vector in the Information Window.

Reference vectors can be used to set the direction of certain

tools, including the Fit Curve tool, Draft tool, Project tool, and
Project Cloud Curve tool.

How To To create a reference vector

1 Click the Vector icon, or choose Vector from the Construction

palette menu.

2 Click in a view window to place the origin of the reference

vector. You can continue to move the origin while the
mouse button is down.
◆ Click in empty space or type a 3D coordinate to place
the vector origin exactly.
◆ Click a curve to constrain the vector origin to the
curve.
◆ Click an isoparm on a surface to constrain the vector
origin to the surface.
◆ Click a reference point to use it as the vector origin.

3 To set the direction of the reference vector:

Construction Aids
44
Reference Vectors
◆ Click in empty space or type a 3D coordinate to place
the vector endpoint exactly, and then click Set Vector.

See To use the plane ◆ Use the manipulator handles to move and rotate the
manipulator on page 49. vector and then click Create Vector.
◆ Click a reference point to use it as the vector endpoint,
and then click Set Vector.
◆ Click a curve to constrain the vector endpoint to the
curve, and then click Set Vector.
◆ Click an isoparm on a surface to constrain the vector
endpoint to the surface, and then click Set Vector.
◆ If you constrained the vector origin to a curve, you
can click Create Vector to create a vector that is tangent
to the curve.
◆ If you constrained the vector origin to a surface, you
can click Create Vector to create a vector that is normal
to the surface.
◆ If you constrained the vector origin to a curve or
surface, you can click XYZ/GEOM to toggle the
manipulator orientation from worldspace (XYZ) to
curve/surface parameter space (GEOM).

The reference vector is created.

Tips and Notes ● Open the Information Window to display/change the origin
and endpoint of any picked reference vectors.

Purpose Create a general-purpose plane which can be used as a

reference plane or a construction plane.

A reference plane can be used with certain tools, including the

Curve Planarize tool, Curve Section tool, and the Cross-Sections
button in the Control Panel.

A construction plane allows you to temporarily use a separate

coordinate system that can be arbitrarily oriented with respect
to the world space coordinate system.

You can easily convert a reference plane to a construction

plane and vice versa.

Overview Tools in StudioTools place objects in an XYZ coordinate

system. Normally this is the world space coordinate system, the
absolute frame of reference for the universe of your scene.

However, there will be times when you need to align objects in

a specific context, where the orientation, position and rotation
are different from those of the world space axes and origin.

In these cases, construction planes let you create and work in

an alternative coordinate system that can be displaced and
rotated from the world space coordinate system.

You can create construction planes that you position and

rotate in relation to the world space coordinate system. These

Construction Aids
46
Reference Planes and Construction Planes
are useful when you are modeling objects that must have an
absolute orientation that is not aligned with a major axis.

You can also create construction planes that you position and
rotate in relation to a curve or surface. These are very powerful
tools, and are useful in a wide variety of modeling contexts.

There can only be one construction plane in a scene (that is, the
current construction plane). All other planes are referred to as
reference planes. You can convert a reference plane to a
construction plane (and vice versa) at any time. You can also
use reference planes with certain tools (Curve Planarize tool,
Curve Section tool, and the Cross-Sections button in the Control
Panel).

Example

For example, consider the curve at left. We want to create a

surface perpendicular to the curve at its end.

In world space this would be difficult: we would have to draw

construction curves for the new surface, then try to rotate the
construction curves to be perpendicular to the tangent at the
end of the curve.

With construction planes, the task is much easier. With curve

snapping on, we snap the new construction plane to the curve
and slide it to the end.

Now we can draw the curves for the new surface much more
easily. The grid is perpendicular to the end of the original
curve, and the origin of the new coordinate system is the
original curve’s endpoint.

Finally we use the Tgl const plane tool to return to the world
space coordinate system. The new construction curve is
exactly perpendicular to the endpoint of the original curve.
Now we can use Set planar or other surface building tool.

Construction Aids
47
Reference Planes and Construction Planes
Construction Planes and the Perspective Window

When a construction plane is active, placement in the

perspective window is automatically constrained to the
construction plane. This includes:
● Drawing curves.
● Creating primitive objects.
● Moving objects.

How To To create a reference plane or construction plane

1 Click the Plane icon, or choose Plane from the Construction

palette menu.

2 Click in a view window to place the origin of the plane.

◆ Click in empty space or type a 3D coordinate to place
the plane origin exactly.
◆ Click a curve to constrain the plane origin to the
curve.
◆ Click an isoparm on a surface to constrain the plane
origin to the surface.
◆ Click a reference point to use it as the plane origin.
◆ Click a reference vector to align the plane with it.

3 To set the orientation of the plane:

◆ Click in empty space or type a 3D coordinate to set the
plane’s X-axis direction, and then click to set another
point on the plane.
◆ Use the manipulator handles to move, rotate, and size
the plane.
◆ Click a reference point to set the plane’s X-axis
direction, and then click to set another point on the
plane.
◆ Click a curve to constrain the plane’s X-axis to the
curve, and then click to set another point on the plane.
◆ Click an isoparm on a surface to constrain the plane’s
X-axis to the surface, and then click to set another
point on the plane.

Construction Aids
48
Reference Planes and Construction Planes
◆ If you constrained the plane origin to a curve or
surface, the plane will be tangent to the curve/surface.
◆ If you constrained the plane origin to a curve or
surface, you can click XYZ/GEOM to toggle the
manipulator orientation from worldspace (XYZ) to
curve/surface parameter space (GEOM).

4 To create a reference plane, click Set Plane.

To create a construction plane, click Set Construction Plane.

Note There can only be one construction plane in a scene. If

you create a construction plane and there is already a
construction plane in the scene, the existing
construction plane will become a reference plane.

To use the plane manipulator

Click an arrow to move

the plane along an axis

Click a sphere or an arc to

rotate the plane around an axis

Click a square to scale

the plane
Click the center handle
to move or rotate the
plane freely
Click a box to flip
the plane
Click a dotted axis line
to reflect the plane

Click a handle to select it (the handle becomes white), then

either:
◆ Drag the handle to move/rotate/scale the plane
interactively. (See details below.)
◆ Type exact values on the keyboard.
◆ Click on geometry or the grid, while using a snap
mode, to snap the manipulator’s axes to a specific
position or orientation.

Construction Aids
49
Reference Planes and Construction Planes
Interactive manipulation
● Drag an arrow handle to move the plane along an axis.

● Drag a dotted arc to rotate the plane around the axis with
the same color (the axis perpendicular to the arc).

● Drag a square handle to scale the plane along the axis that
has the same color as the square.

● Click an arrow handle to change the center handle to the

free move handle. Then drag the center handle to move
the plane freely.
● Click a sphere or arc handle to change the center handle to
the free rotate handle. Then drag the center handle to
rotate the plane freely around all three axes (or around the
normal for a plane constrained to a surface).

● Click one of the rectangular boxes to flip the plane to one

of the two perpendicular orientations.

● Click a dotted axis line to reflect the plane across the X, Y,

or Z axes.
● Use Edit > Undo to undo changes to the manipulator.

To edit the current reference/construction plane

1 Select a reference/construction plane.

2 Click the Plane tool.

If you created the plane by specifying three points, then
the three points are displayed for the selected plane. You
can adjust the position of each point by dragging it.
If you created the plane using the manipulator, then the
manipulator reappears on the selected plane. The
coordinate system is toggled back to world space.

Construction Aids
50
Reference Planes and Construction Planes
Note You can also select the Plane tool first, then select the
plane you want to edit.

Tip Open the Information window (Windows > Information >

Information window) to see detailed information as you
manipulate the plane.

To choose a construction plane

● To toggle between a construction plane and the world

space coordinate system, choose Tgl constr plane from the
Construction palette menu or click its icon.

● To set the a construction plane, pick a reference plane, then

choose Set constr plane from the Construction palette menu,
or click its icon.

To delete a reference/construction plane

1 Pick only the reference/construction plane.

2 Press the Delete key, or choose Delete > Del active from the
menus.

Tips and Notes ● When using the Move tool on a construction plane, the left
mouse button moves an object in the X direction, the
middle mouse button moves an object in the Y direction,
and the right mouse button moves an object in the Z
direction.
If you want the left mouse button to move an object freely,
and the middle and right mouse buttons to each move the
object in a different axis direction, set the Move on Persp
Const Plane option to Left=Free Middle=X Right=Y in the
Interface Options box (Preferences > Interface > Interface
options ❐).

In This Section Working with Construction History 54

Adding Text Comments to an Object 59
Showing Basic Information about an Object 61
Changing the Display Precision of Objects 65
Setting Options for Modeling 70

53
Working with Construction History

Overview For almost every tool, StudioTools gives you the option of
saving the history of how an object was constructed. This
means you can edit the curves, surfaces, and/or manipulators
that were used to create an object, and the object will
automatically update.

For example, when you use the Revolve tool to create an object
with construction history, you can:
● reshape and edit the curves you revolved
● change the manipulator created by the Revolve tool

and the surface(s) will update automatically.

To create construction history when working with a modeling

tool, turn on the Create History option in the tool’s option
window. This option is on by default in all tools.

Objects that have construction history are drawn in green in

the default color scheme.

If the current scene contains any objects with active

construction history, a green H icon appears at the right end of
the prompt line.

Breaking Construction History

Certain modeling actions can disrupt construction history.

This is called breaking construction history. Breaking can
sometimes occur when you move an object.

Whenever you try to perform an action which will break

construction history, a dialog box will warn you.

If the current scene contains any objects with broken

construction history, a red H icon appears at the right end of
the prompt line.

Working in StudioTools
54
Working with Construction History
Suspending Construction History

Sometimes you may want to freeze or suspend construction

history on an object. For example, if you are making several
modifications to an object, you don’t need construction history
to update after each modification. If you suspend construction
history (for an individual object or for all objects), it will not
update until you unfreeze or resume construction history.

If the current scene contains any objects with suspended

construction history, a blue H icon appears at the right end of
the prompt line.

Deleting Construction History

In almost all cases, you should keep construction history for as

long as possible. The benefits of being able to go back and
change design decisions without remodeling usually
outweigh the extra storage requirements.

However, there are cases where you may want to delete

construction history:
● To decrease the file size of extremely large files.
● To free construction curves/surfaces for new uses.

How To You can edit an object’s construction history either in the

History View window or with the Query edit tool.

To view and edit the construction history of an object in

the History View window
1 Select Windows > Information > History view to open the
History View window.

2 In the History View window, click the icon of the operation

whose construction history you want to edit.
StudioTools automatically selects the appropriate tool and
opens it’s control window.
See History View Window on page 56.

Working in StudioTools
55
Working with Construction History
To edit the construction history of an object with the
Query Edit tool

1 Choose the Query edit tool from the Object Edit palette
menu, or click its icon.

2 Click the object for which you want to edit construction

history.
If the object has editable history, the Query edit tool will
automatically select the appropriate tool for editing.

To delete construction history from an object

1 Pick the object from which you want to delete
construction history.

2 Choose Delete > Del constr history from the menus.

History View Window The History View window lets you view and edit construction
history. To open this window, select Windows > Information >
History view.

operation
constructor

target

The construction history of an object consists of operations. An

operation consists of one or more constructors (input) and zero
or more targets (output).

To edit the history parameters of an operation (if there are

any), click the operation’s icon in the History View window.

Working in StudioTools
56
Working with Construction History
Note When you click on an operation in the History View
window, all targets for that operation are momentarily
selected (for as long as you hold the mouse button).

If an operation’s construction history is suspended, a blue H

icon will appear beside the operation’s icon (see Suspending
Construction History on page 55). If an operation’s construction
history is broken, a red H icon will appear beside the
operation’s icon (see Breaking Construction History on page 54).

List Menu

Controls what is listed in the History View window.

All
Lists the construction history for all objects.

Active
Lists the construction history for the selected object.

Affecting Active
Lists the construction history for the selected object,
including all objects that affect the selected object.

Affected by Active
Lists the construction history for the selected object,
including all objects that are affected by the selected
object.

Rebuild Menu

Controls when objects with construction history are

automatically recalculated.

Global Suspend
On—all objects with construction history are not
automatically recalculated.
Off—all objects with construction history are
automatically recalculated.

Suspend Selected
Suspends the recalculation of selected operations.

Working in StudioTools
57
Working with Construction History
Resume
Resumes the calculation of construction history for all
operations.

Delete Menu

Selected History Items

Deletes the selected operation from construction history.

Pick Menu

Constructors, Targets
Selects all constructors or targets for the operation(s)
highlighted in the History View window.
If you select Pick > Constructors or Pick > Targets with the left
mouse button, StudioTools does not unselect any other
objects that are already selected.
If you select Pick > Constructors or Pick > Targets with the
middle mouse button, StudioTools unselects all other
objects that are already selected.

Purpose Attach a text comment to any DAG node.

How to To add a comment to a DAG node

1 Pick the object you want to add a comment to.
If you want to comment a node that does not have a
representation in the scene, use the SBD window to pick
the node.

2 Choose the Edit comment tool from the Object Edit tool
palette or click its icon.
The Edit comment tool runs your default editor. If the object
already has a comment, it will be loaded into the editor.

3 Type or edit the comment using the editor. You can type
any text and use more than one line.

Note The Edit comment tool runs your default editor on a

temporary file. Do not change the name or location of the
file when you save, or the comments will be lost.

4 When you are done entering or editing the comment, save

the file and exit the editor.

To display comments for a DAG node

● Use the Query edit tool. See Showing Basic Information

about an Object on page 61.

Working in StudioTools
59
Adding Text Comments to an Object
Tips and Notes ● You can usually change the default editor by setting the
EDITOR environment variable. Ask your system
administrator for details.
● If you minimize StudioTools while editing a comment,
you cannot restore StudioTools again until you exit the
editor.

Working in StudioTools
60
Adding Text Comments to an Object
Object Edit > Showing Basic Information about an
Query edit
Object

Purpose ● Show all basic information about an object in the scene, as

well as any comments.
● Edit the construction history of an object.

How To To show basic information about an object

1 Choose the Query edit tool from the Object Edit palette
menu, or click its icon.

2 Click the object with the right mouse button.

A floating box appears with all the vital statistics of the
object, as well as any comments you added to the object
with the Edit comment tool.

The following table describes the information items that may

be displayed by the Query edit tool:

Information Displayed
Description
Item For

Name • All You can set this in the Information

window.
Layer • All Name (or number) of the layer
the object belongs to.
Type • All Curve, Surface, Trimmed Surface,
Light, Shell, etc.

Working in StudioTools
61
Showing Basic Information about an Object
Information Displayed
Description
Item For

Degree • Curves Degree of the curve, or the degree

• Surfaces of the surface in the U and V
directions.
Spans • Curves The total number of spans
• Surfaces (sections between edit points) in
the curve or the surface (U and V
directions).
Non-empty • Curves The number of spans that are not
Spans • Surfaces empty (that is, have a length
greater than 0). This field is only
displayed for curves or surfaces
that have empty spans.
Form • Curves Open or Closed. See Making
• Surfaces Objects Open or Closed on
page 115.
Nature • Curves Rational or Non-rational.
• Surfaces See Rational vs. Non-rational
Geometry on page 13.
Shader • Surfaces The name of the shader assigned
to the surface.
Comments • All Any comments you have added
to the node with the Edit comment
tool (see page 59).
Number of • Shells The number of regions (separate
Regions parts) in a shell.
Closed • Shells True or False. Whether the shell
Volume completely encloses a volume of
space.
Number of • Shells The number of exposed edges in
Open Edges an open shell.
Result Of • Curves The tool used to create an object
• Surfaces with construction history.
Used In • Curves The names of objects with
• Surfaces construction history using this
object.

Working in StudioTools
62
Showing Basic Information about an Object
Information Displayed
Description
Item For

Position • Points The XYZ coordinates of the point

(see page 42).
Origin • Vectors The XYZ coordinates of the
• Planes vector’s starting point (see
page 44) or the plane’s center (see
page 46).
Endpoint • Vectors The XYZ coordinates of the
vector’s end point (see page 44).
Normal • Planes The XYZ coordinates of the end
point of the plane’s normal
vector (see page 46).
Curvature V, • Surfaces Surface evaluation map
U, Z, Y, X information (see 4. Surface
Mean evaluation map on page 532).
Gaussian
Princ. Min
Princ. Max
Draft Angle

The Query edit tool also shows construction history

dependencies graphically:
● The object you clicked is drawn in yellow.
● Curves and surfaces used to construct the object are
drawn in green.
● Curves and surfaces built from the object are drawn in
blue.
● Multi-knots are highlighted with a red arrow.

To edit the construction history of an object

You can also edit the This functionality only applies to objects that were built with a
construction history of an tool that uses a control window, that is an option window that
object using the History View remains on the screen while the tool operates (for example,
window (see page 56).
Surfaces > Swept surfaces > Birail).

Working in StudioTools
63
Showing Basic Information about an Object
1 Choose the Query edit tool from the Object Edit palette
menu, or click its icon.

2 Click an object with construction history with the left

mouse button.
If the object was built with an appropriate tool, the
corresponding control window appears, the object is
selected, and you can further modify the parameters to
rebuild the object.
Otherwise, the following message is displayed:
Object does not have an edit window.

Curve Edit >

Curve precision

Purpose Increase or decrease:

● The number of isoparms drawn on a surface.
● The precision with which curves are drawn in the view
windows.
● The precision with which surfaces are drawn in Simple
display mode.

Overview
Each four-sided area of a Patch precision tool
surface bounded by edit
point isoparms is called a This tool sets the number of isoparms drawn for each span on
patch. a surface.

Higher numbers are very useful for getting a greater sense of

the shape of an object, and for showing more isoparms to use
for snapping or as construction curves. However, increasing
the number of isoparms will slow down the display.

You can use values from 2 to 64. The default is 2, which only
2 4
shows isoparms corresponding to edit points.

Curve precision tool

This tool sets the smoothness with which curves and isoparms
are drawn on screen.

Working in StudioTools
65
Changing the Display Precision of Objects
Increasing the precision will improve but slow down the
16 display. Decreasing precision will speed up the display, but at
the expense of coarser curves on screen.

2 You can use values from 1 to 129. This corresponds to the

number of line segments drawn in each span. Values from 1-5
show noticeable coarseness. Values above 16 are generally
wasteful, because the precision is greater than the monitor’s
resolution. The default is 16.

Note that the default precision is fine on most modern

machines. You will only need to decrease curve precision to
speed up extremely complex scenes.

Hull precision tool

This tool sets the coarseness of surfaces drawn in Simple

Display mode (ObjectDisplay > Simple display), which only
draws the hull of a surface for greater speed. This tool does not
affect the normal display of objects.

1 2
Note None of these tools affect the actual geometry of
objects. They simply change how the objects are
displayed on screen.

How To To set the number of isoparms drawn for a surface

1 Pick any surfaces of which you want to change the

display.

2 Choose the Patch precision tool from the Object Edit palette
menu, or click its icon.

3 Drag the mouse left and right to decrease and increase the
number of isoparms drawn per span, or type a number
from 2 to 64.

Working in StudioTools
66
Changing the Display Precision of Objects
To set the precision with which a curve or surface is
drawn

1 Pick any curves or surfaces of which you want to change

the display.

2 Choose the Curve precision tool from the Curve Edit palette
menu, or click its icon.

3 Drag the mouse left and right to decrease and increase the
drawing precision, or type a number from 1 to 129.
Note that on all but the highest resolution displays, values
above 10 appear identical, so you may not see the display
change as you drag.

To set the coarseness of surfaces in Simple display mode

1 Pick the surfaces of which you want to change the simple

display.

2 Choose the Hull precision tool from the Object Edit palette
menu, or click its icon.

3 You can now do the following:

◆ Drag the left mouse button to increase or decrease the
coarseness of the simple display.
◆ Drag the middle mouse button to increase the
coarseness in the U direction.
◆ Drag the right mouse button to increase the coarseness
in the V direction.
◆ Type a number from 1 to 64 to set the coarseness. The
default is 1 (the least coarse).
Remember that you must use ObjectDisplay > Simple display
to see the simpler version of the surface.

Working in StudioTools
67
Changing the Display Precision of Objects
Tips and Notes ● The Curve precision and Hull precision tools include options
for setting the default precision values for objects created
in the future.
If you find yourself using the display precision tools to
change most of the objects you create, use the option
windows to change the defaults.

Options Curve precision options

Default curve precision

Sets the default curve drawing precision (from 1 to 129) of
all curves created from now on.

Hull precision options

Default hull precision U

Default hull precision V
Sets the default simple display coarseness (from 1 to 12) of
all surfaces created from now on.

Working in StudioTools
68
Changing the Display Precision of Objects
A value of 1 is the least coarse (the closest to the actual
object). A value of 12 is the most coarse (often a single
line).

See Also ● Simplifying the Display of Objects in the General Tools section
of the Basic Tools book
● Understanding Curves on page 8
● Understanding Surfaces on page 19

Working in StudioTools
69
Changing the Display Precision of Objects
Preferences > Setting Options for Modeling
Construction options

Purpose Set the options that control modeling NURBS curves and
surfaces, including tolerances and units of measure.

How To

To open the construction options window

● Choose Construction options from the Preferences menu.

The Construction Options window appears.

To model for transfer to a specific CAD package

1 Open the Construction Presets section of the Construction
Options window.

2 Choose one of the settings profiles from the list:

◆ Click the CAD software you want to model for. This
sets the construction options to values needed for
maximum compatibility with that CAD package.
◆ Click General CAD Settings if the CAD package you
want to model for is not on the list. This sets the
construction options to generic CAD values that will
be compatible with most CAD packages.
◆ Click User Defined to set the construction options
yourself (see below for explanations of each option).

Working in StudioTools
70
Setting Options for Modeling
To add a set of presets to the list of CAD packages
1 Open the Construction Presets section of the Construction
Options window.

2 Choose one of the settings profiles from the list:

◆ If the settings you want to add are very similar to one
of the preset CAD packages, click the name of the
CAD package.
◆ Otherwise, click User Defined.

3 Click the Copy button.

A new entry is added to the list of presets.

4 Double click the new profile to rename it.

5 Set the construction options to the values you want in the

new profile (see below for explanations of all the options).

To set up site-wide construction presets

This procedure must be performed by your system

administrator.
1 Set the options you want for all users in the Construction
Options window.

2 Copy the local file ~/.Alias/Prefs.2/Options/

ConstructionPresets to the Alias directory
$ALIAS_LOCATION/.Alias.

3 The first line of the ConstructionPresets file specifies

the profile to use when StudioTools starts up. If you don’t
want every user to start up with the same construction
options, delete this first line.

To enable typing fractional units on the prompt line

1 Open the Units > Linear or Units > Angular section of the
Construction Options window.

2 Turn on the Scale Factor option.

Scale factor sliders appear below the unit choices.

3 Use the scale factor sliders to change a unit from whole to

fractional or multiple.

Working in StudioTools
71
Setting Options for Modeling
For example:
◆ Set the Sub Units to Inches.
◆ Set the Scale Factor slider below the Sub Units box to
0.125.
◆ The sub unit is now eighths of an inch rather than
whole inches.
or
◆ Set the Sub Units to centimeters.
◆ Set the Scale Factor slider below the Sub Units box to
10.0
◆ The sub unit is now decimeters (10 centimeters) rather
than centimeters.

4 Now when you type numbers on the prompt line, the

main units, sub units, or positional units will use the
scaling factor you specified.
For example, in a typical scenario, you might set the main
unit to feet, the sub unit to inches, and the positional unit
to inches with a scaling factor of 0.125.
Now you can type the fractional unit on the prompt line.
So in the m:s:p form, you would type 3:5:1 for three
feet, five inches, plus one eighth of an inch.
See Units on page 73.

Tips and Notes ● If you are using a CAD software preset, you cannot
change the tolerances. They are locked to the factory
settings for the CAD software.
● You cannot edit or delete the original CAD package
presets.
If you want to change a set of presets, use the Copy button
to create a copy of the set you want to edit, then edit the
copy.
● Changes to the settings in this panel are always saved
automatically. You do not have to click a Save button or
choose Preferences > User options > Save settings.

Working in StudioTools
72
Setting Options for Modeling
Construction Presets
Copy
Copy the highlighted settings profile to a new profile.
If you want to change some of the settings in one of the
presets (for example, SDRC), make a copy of the preset
profile, then edit the copy.

Delete
Delete the highlighted settings profile.
You cannot delete the preset settings profiles.

List of settings profiles

Click a profile to use the settings in that profile.
The preset profiles (for example, SDRC) contain the
settings needed for best compatibility with various CAD
systems.

Units

Linear Unit options

Scale Factor checkbox/sliders

Check this box to show Scale Factor sliders for the unit
choices (Main Units, Sub Units, and Pos Units).
Use the scale factor sliders to change a unit from whole to
fractional or multiple units. For example:
◆ Set the Sub Units to Inches.
◆ Set the Scale Factor slider below the Sub Units box to
0.125.

See To enable typing fractional ◆ The sub unit is now eighths of an inch rather than
units on the prompt line on whole inches.
page 71 for more details.
Main Units
The unit of measurement for all linear measurements (in
locators, on the prompt line and in windows).
Choose Miles, Yards, Feet, Inches, KM (kilometers), M
(meters), CM (centimeters) or MM (millimeters). The
default is centimeters.

Working in StudioTools
73
Setting Options for Modeling
Sub Units
The intermediate level of linear [Link] is the unit of the
second number when you type numbers using the m:s or
m:s:p form on the prompt line. This unit is only used in
keyboard input.
Choose Miles, Yards, Feet, Inches, KM (kilometers), M
(meters), CM (centimeters) or MM (millimeters). The
default is millimeters.

Pos. (positional) Units

The smallest level of linear units. This is the unit of the last
number when you type numbers using the m:s:p form on
the prompt line. This unit is only used in keyboard input.
Choose Miles, Yards, Feet, Inches, KM (kilometers), M
(meters), CM (centimeters) or MM (millimeters). The
default is centimeters.

Reset Grids
Set the grid spacing to 1.0 of the current Main Unit (taking
into account the scaling factor, if set).

Angular Unit options

Scale Factor checkbox/sliders

Check this box to show Scale Factor sliders for the unit
choices (Main Units, Sub Units, and Pos Units).
Use the scale factor sliders to change the different units
from whole to fractional or multiple. For example:
◆ Set the Sub Units to minutes.
◆ Set the Scale Factor slider below the Sub Units box to
0.5.

See To enable typing fractional ◆ The sub unit is now half minutes rather than whole
units on the prompt line on minutes.
page 71 for more details.
Main Units
The unit of measurement for all angular measurements (in
locators, on the prompt line and in windows).
Choose Deg (degrees), Min (minutes), Sec (seconds), or Rad
(radians). The default is degrees.

Working in StudioTools
74
Setting Options for Modeling
Sub Units
The intermediate level of angular [Link] is the unit of
the second number when you type numbers using the m:s
or m:s:p form on the prompt line. This unit is only used
in keyboard input.
Choose Deg (degrees), Min (minutes), Sec (seconds), or Rad
(radians). The default is minutes.

Pos. (positional) Units

The smallest level of angular units. This is the unit of the
last number when you type numbers using the m:s:p
form on the prompt line. This unit is only used in
keyboard input.
Choose Deg (degrees), Min (minutes), Sec (seconds), or Rad
(radians). The default is seconds.

Tolerances

Fitting

Curve Fit Distance

The value and units of the maximum distance allowed
between two points for the system to consider them
coincident (occupying the same space).
◆ For surface creation tools such as Swept, Birail and
Square, this value controls the accuracy of the fit of the
surface edge to the construction curves.
◆ For fillet surfaces, this value controls the positional
accuracy of the fillet surface.
◆ For the Stitch tool (used to stitch surfaces into a shell),
this value determines which sides to check for gaps.
However, the gap is actually checked against the
Maximum Gap Distance tolerance (see below). If the gap
is within the tolerance, the sides are joined.

Curve Fit Checkpoints

The sampling rate for curve fit constraints such as
Continuity Angle and Curve Fit Distance.

Working in StudioTools
75
Setting Options for Modeling
Max Surf Spans
The maximum number of spans to create when building
surfaces.
◆ If a rebuild operation on a curve or surface requires
adding more than the Max Surf Spans, the operation is
cancelled.
◆ If maintaining continuity requires adding more than
the Max Surf Spans, the continuity will not be achieved.

Continuity

Maximum Gap Distance

The maximum distance allowed between two curves or
two surfaces for the system to consider them contiguous
(touching).
◆ For the Stitch tool, this value controls whether two
edges will be joined when stitching surfaces into a
shell.
◆ For the Surface continuity tool, this value controls
whether common edges pass the check for gaps.

Continuity Angle
The maximum angle allowed between two surface
normals for the system to consider the normals pointing in
the same direction.
A smaller value gives better continuity, but usually
requires tools to add more spans to the surface.

Continuity Curvature
The maximum deviation allowed in curvature.
A smaller value gives better continuity, but requires tools
to add more spans to the surface.

Curve on Surface/Trim

Trim Curve Fit

The maximum deviation allowed between the original
curve-on-surface and trim edges.

Working in StudioTools
76
Setting Options for Modeling
Max Gap Between Curves
A B The maximum distance allowed between endpoints of
different curves-on-surface for the system to consider
them continuous for the purposes of defining a trim
region.
Greater than In example A at left, the gap between the two curves-on-
Max Gap Within Max Gap surface is greater than Max Gap Between Curves, so the
curves do not define an area.
In example B, the gap between the curves-on-surface is
within Max Gap Between Curves, so the curves define an
area for the purpose of trimming.

Polygon

Polyset Vertex
The maximum distance allowed between polyset vertices
for the system to consider them coincident (occupying the
same space).
See the Polygonal Modeling book for more information on
polygons and modeling with polygons.

Modeling Modes

Create surface type

Choose whether the surface creation tools create NURBS
surfaces or POLYSETs.
See the Polygonal Modeling book for more information on
polygons and modeling with polygons.

Rational Flags

Note Do not turn these options on unless you understand

what rational geometry is and why you need it. In
most cases, rational geometry is slower and harder to
model with. See Rational vs. Non-rational Geometry on
page 13.

Primitives
Create new primitives using rational geometry.

Working in StudioTools
77
Setting Options for Modeling
See Creating a Fillet between Fillets/Round
Surfaces on page 311 and Create new fillets and rounds (that is, surfaces created by
Creating Rounded Edges,
Corners, and Fillets on the Fillet and Round tools) using rational geometry.
page 319.
Curves/Surfaces
Create all other new curves and surfaces (that is, all curves
and all surfaces that are not primitives, fillets or rounds)
using rational geometry.

In This Section Objects Palette Summary 82

Creating Geometric Primitives 84
Creating Text 89

Notes:
● Draw skeleton and Add IK handle are discussed in the
Animating book.
● Lights, warps, and projections are discussed in the
Rendering book.

81
Objects Palette Summary

Objects
Icon For more information...
palette >

Text Creating Text on page 89

Primitives Creating Geometric Primitives on page 84

Draw Skeleton Drawing a Skeleton with Pivots or Joints in

Animating

Add IK handle Adding IK Handles to Skeletons in Animating

Lights Creating a Light in Rendering

Creating Objects
82
Objects Palette Summary
Objects
Icon For more information...
palette >

Warp Creating a Warp in Rendering

Projections Textures in Rendering

Creating Objects
83
Objects Palette Summary
Objects > Creating Geometric Primitives
Primitives > Sphere,
Torus, Circle,
Cylinder, Cone,
Cube, Plane, Jack

Overview The primitive tools allow you to add basic 3D and 2D shapes
to your scene. You can then move, scale, and change these
objects as regular surfaces and curves.

How To To add a primitive object to your scene

1 Choose a primitive tool from the Objects > Primitives
palette.

To add a primitive in a 2 Click in a window to place the new primitive.

perspective window, use the
snap modifiers. or
Type the coordinates of the new primitive in the command
line.

3 A new primitive will appear in the scene.

◆ If you used the mouse, StudioTools orients the
primitive so that the “top” of the primitive (or the
“face” of the circle) points toward you in the window
where you clicked.
◆ If you used the keyboard, StudioTools orients the
primitive so that the “top” of the primitive (or the
“face” of the circle) appears in the Top window.

4 Use the manipulator to rotate, scale, or move the new

primitive (see below).

Creating Objects
84
Creating Geometric Primitives
5 To create another primitive, click elsewhere in a view
window. To stop creating primitives, choose another tool.

To use the primitive manipulator

Click an arrow to move

the object along an axis.

Click a cube to scale

the object along an axis.

Click a sphere or an arc

to rotate the object
around an axis
.

Click the center handle

to move, rotate, or scale
the object freely.

● Drag a handle, as shown above, to move/rotate/scale

interactively.
● The function of the center handle changes according to the
previously selected handle:
◆ Click an arrow to change the center handle to the free
move handle. Then drag the center handle to move
the object freely.
◆ Click a cube to change the center handle to the
proportional scale handle. Then drag the center
handle to scale the new object in all directions.
◆ Click a sphere to change the center handle to the free
rotate handle. Then drag the center handle to rotate
the object freely.

Tips and Notes

See Units on page 73 for ● The default behavior of the primitive tools is to create a 1
information on changing the unit wide (10 units for AutoStudio) primitive where you
units. click.

Creating Objects
85
Creating Geometric Primitives
See Reference Planes and ● When you place or move an object in the perspective
Construction Planes on window while a construction plane is active, the object is
page 46. automatically constrained to the construction plane.
● The Circle, Sphere, Cylinder, Cone and Torus tools will only
create perfect circles if you use rational geometry.
Otherwise it will approximate a circle using non-rational
geometry.

See Setting Options for To create primitives using rational geometry, turn on the
Modeling on page 70. Primitives checkbox under Rational Flags in the Construction
Options window.

Options Common Options

Object Degree
The degree of the curves or surfaces used to create the
object. Choose 1 (linear) or 3 (cubic).

This option is available for Sweep

the Circle, Cone, Sphere, The degrees of rotation around the center of radial
Cylinder and Torus tools.
primitives.
For example, if you enter 180 degrees in the sphere tool,
StudioTools will create a hemisphere.

This option is only used for Sections

non-rational geometry. The number of subdivisions on the surface of radial
primitives.
The default is 8. At least 4 subdivisions are usually needed
to create a workable primitive shape. It is not usually
necessary to use more than 20 subdivisions.

Creating Objects
86
Creating Geometric Primitives
Sphere Options

Type
Surface—create sphere from a single NURBS surface.

See Shells and Faces on Shell Tennis Ball—create a sphere from two interlocking
page 26. surfaces stitched into a shell like a tennis ball.
These two options do not
appear when Create surface Shell No-Pole—create a sphere from eight surfaces stitched
type is Polyset (see Modeling into a shell.
Modes on page 77).

Torus Options

Size
This can be either Absolute or Relative, and determines
which of the parameters below can be set.

Major radius
The distance between the center of the ring and the center
of the tube. This option is only available if Size is set to
Absolute.

Minor radius
The radius of the tube. This option is only available if Size
is set to Absolute.

Ring Thickness
The diameter of the ring relative to the diameter of the
Minor radius Major radius entire torus. This option is only available if Size is set to
Relative.

Creating Objects
87
Creating Geometric Primitives
As the ring thickness approaches 0.5, the hole gets smaller.
At 0.5 the torus has no hole. See figure below.

r r r

0.1 0.25 0.5

Cylinder and Cone Options

Caps
Caps are disc-shaped surfaces grouped with the cylinder
to create a closed surface. Choose 0 (no caps), 1 (a cap at
one end), or 2 (caps at both ends).

Purpose Create 3D objects from a text string in a particular font.

How To To add a text object to the scene

1 Choose the Text tool from the Objects palette.
The Text Parameters window will appear.

2 Choose a font from the scrolling list in the bottom left of

the window.

3 Double click in the Text box and type the text you want to
turn into a 3D object.

Creating Objects
89
Creating Text
4 Set any other Text Parameters you want to change (see
below).

5 Move the mouse pointer to a view window. A preview of

the text follows the cursor.

6 Position the text in a view window and click to create the

objects.
You can keep clicking in view windows to create text
objects, even after you close the Text Parameters window.

7 To stop creating text, choose another tool.

Note Once you create 3D objects from the text, you cannot
edit the objects as text. If you want to change the
content of the text, the font, or any other text
parameters, delete the object and recreate it.

Tips and Notes ● Text surfaces are faces, the same as objects created with the
Set Planar tool. See Shells and Faces on page 26.

● Normally you will want to leave Proportional on, however

non-proportional spacing is useful when you need letters
to line up vertically.
● The Text Positioning point also determines the pivot point of
the object.
● When you place or move an object in the perspective
window while a construction plane is active, the object is
automatically constrained to the construction plane.
See Reference Planes and Construction Planes on page 46.
● The Text tool uses Bitstream fonts. Contact Bitstream
([Link]) regarding additional fonts in
Bitstream format.
● The curves that make up text faces may not all travel in the
same direction from letter to letter. If you duplicate text
curves to create surfaces, and the direction of the curves
matters, you should verify it and use Reverse Direction if
necessary.

Creating Objects
90
Creating Text
Text Parameters Rotation
From 180° to -180° of rotation around the axis
perpendicular to the face of the text. Enter a positive
number to rotate the text counter-clockwise. Enter a
negative number to rotate the text clockwise.

0 degrees s -30
g r ee deg
e
180 degrees
3 0d ree
s
Note that in this scheme, 180° and -180° are equivalent.

Word Spacing
Letter Spacing
Amount of extra space (in grid units) between words/
letters. Enter 0.0 for the font’s default spacing. Enter a
positive number to increase the spacing. Enter a negative
number to decrease the spacing.

Letter Size
The size of the text. This number is in grid units, not
points.

Width Scale
Height Scale
Scale factor for the character widths/heights. Default is
1.0 (no scaling).

Kerning
Use kerning to make text tighter and more attractive.
Certain combinations of letterforms have complementary
shapes. For example, the combinations “AV” and “Td”
have areas of strokes and whitespace that fit together.
Most fonts define special letter spacings for these
combinations.

AV AV Kerning Off Kerning On

Creating Objects
91
Creating Text
Proportional
Use proportional spacing.
Proportional spacing spaces letters according to their real
width (for example, “W” is much wider than “I”). When
proportional spacing is off, the letters are spaced a
uniform width (roughly the width of a capital “M”).

Font Name
The name of the typeface in which to create the letters.
Move the pointer into a view window to see the text string
written in this font, or click Show Sample to see samples of
all the characters.

Text Positioning
The corner of the text that is attached to the pointer when
you place text.

Creating Objects
92
Creating Text
Editing Objects

In This Section Object Edit Palette Summary 94

Aligning Curves and Surfaces 96
Attaching Objects 109
Detaching Objects 113
Making Objects Open or Closed 115
Inserting New Points or Isoparms 117
Extending Edges 119
Converting Linear Geometry to Cubic 122
Smoothing 126
Creating an Offset Copy 129
Creating Ridges and Grooves 132
Reversing Direction and Normals 135

93
Object Edit Palette Summary

Icon Object Edit > For more information...

Attach > Attach Attaching Objects on page 109

Attach > Detach Detaching Objects on page 113

Align Aligning Curves and Surfaces on page 96

Symmetry Plane Align Setting Symmetry on Layers in the General Tools

section of the Basic Tools book

Smooth Smoothing on page 126

Offset > Offset Creating an Offset Copy on page 129

Offset > Tubular offset Creating Ridges and Grooves on page 132

Extend Extending Edges on page 119

Editing Objects
94
Object Edit Palette Summary
Icon Object Edit > For more information...

Insert Inserting New Points or Isoparms on page 117

Close Making Objects Open or Closed on page 115

Fit b-spline Converting Linear Geometry to Cubic on page 122

Constrain Creating a New Constraint Object in Animating

Reverse direction Reversing Direction and Normals on page 135

Edit comment Adding Text Comments to an Object on page 59

Patch precision Changing the Display Precision of Objects on

page 65

Hull precision Changing the Display Precision of Objects on

page 65

Multi-list edit Environment in Rendering

Query edit Showing Basic Information about an Object on

page 61

VRML tools Exporting to VRML 2.0 in Data Transfer for Games

Editing Objects
95
Object Edit Palette Summary
Object Edit > Align Aligning Curves and Surfaces

Purpose Create positional, tangent, or curvature continuity between

two curves or surfaces.

Overview Using Align allows you to model with more freedom in the
beginning, and still achieve strict continuity once the design is
perfected.

The Align tool always creates positional continuity. Depending

on the settings in the Align Control window, it can also create
tangent and curvature continuity. After you align the objects,
you can adjust the tangent magnitude where the two objects
meet.

The Align tool works on the following combinations:

● curve to
◆ curve
◆ curve-on-surface (COS)
◆ isoparm on a surface
◆ surface edge (position only)
● curve-on-surface to
◆ another COS on the same surface
● surface edge to
◆ curve (position only)
◆ surface edge or isoparm
◆ curve-on-surface or trim edge

Editing Objects
96
Aligning Curves and Surfaces
Tip The Align tool differs from Attaching Objects in that the
aligned objects remain separate. The Align tool also gives
you more control over how the objects are modified.

How To To align two curves or surfaces

1 Choose Align-❐ from the Object Edit palette menu or

double-click the Align tool icon. The Align Control window
appears.
See Align Control window on page 101 for descriptions of
the options.

See Working with 2 Make sure Create History is checked.

Construction History on
page 54 You will almost always want construction history on. This
allows you to change the parameters or the geometry after
you exit the tool, and maintain the alignment. When you
are satisfied with the align, you can delete the history
information with Delete > Del constr history.

Tip To align two objects using the same settings as the last align,
you do not have to open the Align Control window. Just click
the Align tool.

3 Pick the first curve, or an isoparm of the first surface.

Click as close as possible to the end of the curve or surface
where the two objects will meet.

4 Pick the second curve, or an isoparm of the second

surface.
Click as close as possible to the end of the curve or surface
where the two objects will meet.
If the two surfaces already have positional continuity (that
is, their edges overlap), simply click in the same place you
did in step 3.

5 The Align tool creates the continuity specified in the Align

Control window.

6 Use the controls in the Align Control window to

interactively edit the alignment of the two objects.

Editing Objects
97
Aligning Curves and Surfaces
To align a curve to a surface edge or vice versa (position
only)

1 Choose Align-❐ from the Object Edit palette menu or

double-click the Align tool icon. The Align Control window
appears.
See Align Control window on page 101 for descriptions of
the options.

See Working with 2 Make sure Create History is checked.

Tip To align two objects using the same settings as the last align,
you do not have to open the Align Control window. Just click
the Align tool.

3 To align a surface edge to a free curve, select the surface

edge first and then the free curve, and set the Position
option to MODIFY 1’ST.
To align a free curve to a surface edge, select the surface
edge first and then the free curve, and set the Position
option to MODIFY 2’ND.

Note If you select the free curve first, you will align one of
its ends to the end of the surface edge, instead of
aligning the entire curve to the surface edge.

4 The Align tool creates the continuity specified in the Align

Control window.

5 Use the controls in the Align Control window to

interactively edit the alignment of the two objects.

Editing Objects
98
Aligning Curves and Surfaces
To edit the construction history of aligned objects

In the default color scheme, 1 Pick two objects with alignment construction history in an
objects with construction edit window.
history are drawn in green.

2 Click the Align tool.

The Align Control window opens with the settings of the
two objects.

3 Use the controls in the Align Control window to change the

alignment of the objects.

To align two surfaces so that their edit points line up

1 Create an initial curve.

2 Duplicate the curve to create the number of curves you

need to build surfaces.

3 Reshape the curves using CVs. Do not move the edit

points, as their parameter values must stay at the same
percentages (ratios) on each copy of the curve.

4 Create your surfaces from the curves.

5 Use Align to align the surfaces.

To undo the alignment of two objects

● Choose Undo from the Edit menu.

This must be done immediately after using the Align tool,
before choosing another tool.

Tips and Notes ● If an isoparm or edit point does not exist at the exact
location you want to align with, you can create one. See
Inserting New Points or Isoparms on page 117.
● You cannot manually edit CVs that are affected by align
construction history. If you try to move them they will
snap back into place.
● To preserve the tangent magnitudes at curve endpoints
when you create positional continuity, use Move First, Move
Second or Move Both. (See Position Menu below.)

Editing Objects
99
Aligning Curves and Surfaces
● Align cannot modify curves-on-surface, trim edges, or
interior isoparms. It can only modify free curves or surface
edges. The exception to this rule is when aligning two
curves-on-surface lying on the same surface.
● Align doesn’t work on closed curves, and only works on
closed surface if aligning along the free edges (for
example, aligning the ends of two tubes).
● Turning on Skews Allowed, Align By Project, or Explicit Control
may cause tangent continuity to fail (see Align Control
window on page 101). Aligning rational surfaces or
aligning to a curve-on-surface could cause similar
problems. Use the Continuity Check option to verify this
(see page 107).
● The Align tool automatically picks CVs which are being
modified, making it easy to see which parts of a curve or
surface are affected by the Align tool.
● You can customize different versions of the Align tool and
save them to the Shelf.

Editing Objects
100
Aligning Curves and Surfaces
Align Control window

Note When aligning curves, the control window will

contain less parameters.

Position

OFF
Do not create positional continuity.
You can use this setting to undo the alignment.

MODIFY 1’ST
Change the shape of only the first object you selected to
create positional continuity.
For curves, Align moves the end CV of the first curve to the
same position as the end CV of the second curve.

Editing Objects
101
Aligning Curves and Surfaces
For surfaces, Align moves the edge CVs of the first surface
to the same positions as the edge CVs of the second
surface.

MODIFY 2’ND
This option is similar to MODIFY 1’ST except that Align
modifies only the second object you selected.

MODIFY BOTH
Change the shape of both objects you selected to create
positional continuity.
For curves, Align moves the end CVs of the two curves to
the halfway point between them.
For surfaces, Align moves the edge CVs of the two surfaces
to the halfway points between them.

MOVE 1’ST
Move the entire first curve you selected, without changing
the shape of the curve, so that its endpoint aligns with the
endpoint of the second curve.
If the first object you selected was a surface, it is first
modified the same way as in MODIFY 1’ST, then all other
CVs are translated an equal distance.

MOVE 2’ND
This option is similar to MOVE 1’ST except that Align moves
only the second object you selected, without changing the
shape of the curve.
If the first object you selected was a surface, it is first
modified the same way as in Modify Second, then all other
CVs are translated an equal distance.

MOVE BOTH
Move both curves you selected, without changing the
shapes of the curves, so that the endpoints align at the
halfway point.

Editing Objects
102
Aligning Curves and Surfaces
Tangent

OFF
Do not create tangent continuity.
You can use this setting to undo the alignment.

MODIFY 1’ST
Modify the first object you selected to be tangent with the
second object.
For curves, the tangent vector passes through the CVs at
the common endpoint and the next CV of the second
curve. Align moves the next CV of the first curve to a point
on the tangent vector such that the end tangent magnitude
of the first curve is preserved.
For surfaces, Align uses the same operation for each set of
corresponding CVs along the common edge.

MODIFY 2’ND
This option is similar to MODIFY 1’ST except that Align
modifies the second object to be tangent with the first
object.

FREE INTERSECTION
Modify the common endpoints or edges to create
tangency.
For curves, the tangent vector passes through the CVs next
to the common endpoints on each curve. Align moves the
common endpoints to the closest point on the tangent
vector.
For surfaces, Align uses the same operation for each set of
corresponding CVs along the common edge.

FIXED INTERSECTION
Modify the objects to create tangency, while keeping the
common endpoints or edges fixed.

Editing Objects
103
Aligning Curves and Surfaces
For curves, the tangent vector passes through the common
endpoints, parallel to a line passing through the CVs next
to the common endpoints on each curve. Align then moves
these two CVs to points on the tangent vector such that
the change to the end tangent magnitudes is minimized.
For surfaces, Align uses the same operation for each set of
corresponding CVs along the common edge.

Curvature

OFF
Do not create curvature continuity.
You can use this setting to undo the alignment.

MODIFY 1’ST
Modify the third-to-last CV of the first curve or third-to-
last row of CVs of the first surface to match the curvature
of the second object.

MODIFY 2’ND
Modify the third-to-last CV of the second curve or third-to-
last row of CVs of the second surface to match the
curvature of the second object.

MODIFY BOTH
Modify the third-to-last CV of both curves or third-to-last
row of CVs of both surfaces to match the curvature of the
second object.

Partial Joins

Surface 1
Allow surface edges to align only along their matching
region. For example, the surfaces at left can be joined
Surface 2 when this option is on.
Turning this option on reveals the Attach Hardness control
(see below).
This option only applies when aligning surfaces.
Surface 1 Surface 2

Insert at Param
Partial Joins Insert an edit point at the join point (when using the Join
Parameter option) if one does not already exist. This allows
you to later use the Detach tool at that point.

Editing Objects
104
Aligning Curves and Surfaces
This option only applies Align By Project
when aligning surfaces. Project the tangents of the modified surface onto the
tangent plane of the other surface at the common
boundary.
This option is useful when aligning an isoparm to a curve-
on-surface or trim edge. It avoids unwanted deformation
of the surface, but does not guarantee tangent continuity.

Skews Allowed
Allow non-colinear (skewed) alignment of skewed
surfaces.
Turning this option on reveals the Skew 1 and Skew 2
controls (see below).
This option only applies when aligning surfaces.

Explicit Control
Keep the degree and number of spans of the surfaces the
same during the alignment. Positional continuity is
enforced, so objects do not need to already be positionally
continuous when you are using this option.
For curves, Explicit behaves the same as Off.

This option appears when Attach Hardness

Partial Joins is on.

Note When surfaces are partially aligned and Partial Joins is

on, the Align controls are applied only to the area
where the two surfaces match up. The Attach Hardness
option lets you control the transition between the
aligned part and the rest of the surface.

Hard
Only modify the area of the surface corresponding to the
part of the edge that is aligned.
This option creates a hard edge (multi-knot crease)
Multi-knot between the aligned part and the rest of the surface.
crease

Soft
Modify more of the surface than just the aligned part. This
option does not create a multi-knot crease.

Soft
transition

Editing Objects
105
Aligning Curves and Surfaces
Control Sliders

Note Some of these sliders are incompatible with each

other. For example, if you use the Tangent Scale slider,
the Join Parameter slider will disappear.
To return to the initial situation where all sliders are
available, click the section’s Reset button twice.

Join Parameter
(This slider is not available if you use Tangent Scale or
Curvature Scale.)
Align the curves at a point along the interior of the other
curve, rather than at the endpoint.
Move the slider back and forth to move the join point
along the curve interactively.
◆ This slider only appears for a curve that is not being
modified (for example, when Position and Tangent are
MODIFY 1’ST, the slider will appear for the second
curve, and vice versa).
◆ The Insert at Param option lets you create an edit point
at the join point.

This slider is not available if Tangent Scale

you use Join Parameter. Change the tangent magnitude at the aligned endpoints.
Move the slider back and forth to adjust the magnitude
interactively.

This slider is not available if Curvature Scale

you use Join Parameter. Change the amount of curvature at the aligned endpoints.
Move the slider back and forth to adjust the curvature
interactively.

These sliders only appear Proportion Sliders

when aligning surfaces.

Tip The Extra CV Rows and Decay Degree sliders control how
much of the surface is affected by creating continuity at the
edges (similar to the Proportional Mod tool).

Extra CV Rows
The number of extra rows of CVs that are modified.

Editing Objects
106
Aligning Curves and Surfaces
For example, creating curvature continuity normally
modifies the third CV from the endpoint. If Extra CV Rows
is set to 1, it will modify the third and fourth CVs.

Decay Degree
The “speed” at which the extra modifications of Extra CV
Rows fade as they travel along the curve.
For example, at Decay Degree of 1, each extra CV will move
half as far as the previous one. At 2, each extra CV will
move one quarter as far. At 3, each extra CV will move one
ninth as far.

Skew Sliders

These sliders appear when Skew 1/Skew 2

Skews Allowed is on. Amount of skew for side edges of a surface.
Move the slider back and forth to adjust the magnitude
interactively.

Control Options

Create History
Save the Align history of these two objects for later editing,
and maintains the alignment if the objects are modified by
other tools.

You can also use the History If Create History is on, you can later re-select the two objects
View window (see page 56) followed by the Align tool (or vice-versa). This will bring
or the Query edit tool (see up the Align Control window where you can change the
page 61) to bring back the
Align Control window. alignment options, and the objects will update.

Continuity Check
Turn on the surface continuity checker for the edges being
aligned. This persistent locator measures and displays any
discontinuities (positional, tangent or curvature) between
the two surfaces.

Buttons

Auto. Recalc.
Updates the new curve or surface automatically as you
change the values in the Align Control window.

Editing Objects
107
Aligning Curves and Surfaces
Recalc. button
Recalculates the curve or surface with the current values
in the Align Control window.

Next button
Finishes aligning the current curve or surface and prompts
you for a new curve or surface.

Purpose ● Join curves by connecting their endpoints

● Join surfaces by connecting the edges
● Close a surface by connecting opposite edges

How To

To attach two curves or surfaces

1 Click the Attach icon, or choose Attach > Attach from the
Object Edit palette menu.
Click
2 Pick the first curve, or an edge of the first surface.
Click as close as possible to the end of the curve or surface
where the two objects will attach.
Click
3 Pick the second curve, or an edge of the second surface.
Click as close as possible to the end of the curve or surface
where the two objects will attach.

To close a curve or surface by attaching two edges

1 Click the Attach icon, or choose Attach from the Object Edit
palette menu.

2 Pick an edge of the surface or the end of a curve.

3 Click the edge opposite the one you clicked in step 2.

Editing Objects
109
Attaching Objects
Note You must have at least four spans (not counting multi-
knots) between the opposite edges of the surface to
attach them.

Tips and Notes ● When you choose surface edges to attach, try to click near
the same end of each edge. If you click at opposite ends,
the Attach tool will twist the surface to attach the ends you
clicked.
● If you can’t click the exact edge of a surface, click the
closest isoparm.

Multi-knots are multiple edit ● If you attach curves with different degrees, the resulting
points at the exact same curve will have the higher degree and contain multi-
location knots.
● Use the Knot Insertion option to reduce some of the
problems associated with attaching objects with different
endpoint tangent magnitudes or degrees.

Options

Before attach operation

Editing Objects
110
Attaching Objects
Type

Blend
Modify both objects by blending their endpoints/edges to
attach them. You can control the weighting of how much
each object will be modified with the Blend Bias option (see
below).

Fit
Modify only the second object you picked to attach its
endpoints/edges to the first object.
The higher the degree of the geometry, the more the object
will be modified. This option is not recommended for
degree 7 geometry.

Attach
Create additional spans between the two objects (with the
number of spans equal to the degree of the resulting
object) to attach them. This option does not change the
shapes of the original objects.

Tangent
Create one additional span between the two objects to
attach them. (Degree 1 and 2 geometry is an exception and
requires three and two extra spans respectively.) This
option maintains the shape and end tangent direction of
the original objects.
The new span is connected to the original objects with
multi-knots. Attempts to edit the resulting object at the
attachment points may result in cusps.

Connect
Create a single, straight span between the objects to attach
them. If the endpoints of both objects already coincide,
they are simply joined together with a [Link]
option does not modify the shapes of the original objects.
The new span is connected to the original objects with
multi-knots. Attempts to edit the resulting object at the
attachment point(s) may result in cusps. The Knot Insertion
option has no effect with the Connect type.

Editing Objects
111
Attaching Objects
Other Controls

Position
Percentage distance (0 to 1), along the last span of the
objects being attached, where new edit points are inserted
when Knot Insertion is on. The default is 0.1000.

Blend Bias
(This option is only used by the Blend type).
0.0 The percentage preference (weighting), from 0 (first object
only) to 1 (second object only), between the two original
objects when blending.
◆ A value of 0 moves the end of the first object to the
0.5 end of the second object.
◆ A value of 0.5 modifies both objects equally so their
ends meet halfway.
◆ A value of 1 moves the end of the second object to the
1.0 end of the first object.

Knot Insertion
Insert additional edit points near the ends of the curves to
create smoother attachments (decrease the probability of
Attach having to modify the shape of the original objects).

Keep Originals
On—keep the original objects in addition to the new,
combined object.
Off—delete the original objects after the Attach operation is
complete.

Purpose Separate a curve or surface into two or more objects at any

point.

How To To separate an object at an isoparm or edit point

1 Click the Detach icon, or choose Attach > Detach from the
Object Edit palette menu.

2 Click the object at the point you want to detach. (For

curves, click anywhere on the curve; for surfaces, click on
an isoparm).
A temporary locator (a cross for curves, a line for surfaces)
indicates where the object will be detached.

For information on To change the detach location, drag the locator along the
construction points, see object. (Hold down the Ctrl key to snap to edit points or
Reference Points on page 42. isoparms. Hold down the Alt key to snap to edit points or
halfway between edit points or halfway between
isoparms. Hold down the Ctrl+Alt keys to snap to reference
points that you have previously created on the object that
you are detaching, or to isoparms on any neighboring
surface.)
To detach the object at additional points, click each
additional point on the object.
To remove a detach point, click on it with the right mouse
button.

3 Click the Go button.

Editing Objects
113
Detaching Objects
Options Keep Originals
On—keep the original object in addition to the new,
detached objects.
Off—delete the original object after the Detach operation is
complete.

Purpose Convert an open curve or surface to closed, or a closed curve

or surface to open.

How To

To open or close a curve

1 Click the Close icon, or choose Close from the Object Edit
palette menu.

2 Click an open curve to close it. Click a closed curve to

open it.

To open or close a surface

1 Click the Close icon, or choose Close from the Object Edit
palette menu.

Before 2 Click an open surface to close it. Click a closed surface to

open it.

◆ Click a U isoparm to open/close the surface in the U

direction.

Click
Horizontal

Editing Objects
115
Making Objects Open or Closed
◆ Click a V isoparm to open/close the surface in the V
direction.

Click
Vertical

◆ Click both types of isoparm to open/close the surface

in both directions.

Click
Both

Tips and Notes ● To find out if a curve or surface is closed, look under
Geometry info in the Information Window or use the Query edit
tool.
● StudioTools distinguishes between objects that merely look
closed (their start and end points occupy the same space)
and objects that have a periodic topology (the control hull
coils over itself with several end CVs overlapping) which
cannot be opened by simply moving CVs. The Close tool
produces the latter. This distinction can become very
important when applying shaders.
● You can get more control over how the edges come
together using the Attach tool. See Attaching Objects on
page 109.

Options Preserve Shape

On—add or delete edit points to preserve the object’s
shape.
Off—close without adding edit points.

Purpose Insert additional edit points on a curve, or additional isoparms

on a surface.

How To To add edit points to a curve

1 Click the Insert icon, or choose Insert from the Object Edit
palette menu.

2 Click the curve where you want to add the new edit point.
◆ Hold the Alt key and click to place the edit point at the
midpoint of a span (halfway, in parametric distance,
between the surrounding edit points).

3 A locator appears on the curve.

◆ Drag the mouse to move the locator. The prompt line
shows you the exact curve parameter of the locator.
(See Parameterization on page 10).
◆ Type a value to move the locator to that exact
parameter on the curve.

4 Click the Go button in the lower right corner of the view

window to add the new edit point.

5 Insert adds the edit point and the locator remains active.
You can repeat step 3 to add more edit points, or choose a
new tool.

Editing Objects
117
Inserting New Points or Isoparms
To add isoparms to a surface
1 Click the Insert icon, or choose Insert from the Object Edit
palette menu.

2 Click the surface where you want to add the new isoparm.
◆ Click a U isoparm to add a new U isoparm.
◆ Click a V isoparm to add a new V isoparm.
◆ Hold the Alt key and click to place the isoparm at the
midpoint of a span (halfway, in parametric distance,
between the surrounding isoparms).
◆ To align an inserted isoparm with a point on another
curve or surface, or with a construction point, hold
down the Ctrl key (or click the mag button) and click
on the point.
◆ To align an inserted isoparm with an isoparm on
another surface, hold down the Ctrl+Alt keys (or click
the crv button) and click on the isoparm.

3 A locator appears on the surface.

◆ Drag the mouse to move the locator. The prompt line
shows you the exact U or V parameter of the isoparm.
◆ Type a value to move the locator to that exact U or V
parameter on the surface.

4 Click the Go button in the lower right corner of the view

window to add the new isoparm.
Insert adds the isoparm and the locator remains active. You
can repeat step 3 to add more isoparms, or choose a new
tool.

Warning: multi-knots often Tip To create a multi-knot on a curve or surface, simply insert an
have undesirable effects. See edit point or isoparm twice at the exact same parameter
Multi-knots and CV value.
Multiplicity on page 9 for
details.

Editing Objects
118
Inserting New Points or Isoparms
Object Edit > Extend Extending Edges

Purpose Extend a curve or surface beyond its current endpoint or edge

by adding new geometry.

How To To extend a curve or surface

1 Click the Extend icon, or choose Extend from the Object Edit
palette menu.

Click 2 Click near the endpoint of a curve, or an edge of a surface.

3 The endpoint or edge highlights.

◆ Drag the mouse to change the extend length.
◆ Type a value to extend by that exact length or angle.
Drag
◆ Click another surface to extend or choose another tool
when you are finished.

Note By default, the extension is part of the original object.

To make it a separate object, turn off the Merge option.

To undo a Linear or Circular Extend operation that used

the Merge option

(The Linear, Circular and Merge options are described later.)

1 Use the Detach tool at the point or isoparm where you
started the extension.

2 Pick the extension.

3 Delete the extension with Delete > Del active.

Editing Objects
119
Extending Edges
Tips and Notes ● The three types of extension can produce very different
results.

● The Merge option creates a multi-knot at the connection

point for Linear and Circular extensions. Curves with multi-
knots may not be usable as construction curves, and CAD
packages cannot import them. (See Multi-knots and CV
Multiplicity on page 9.)

Options

Linear
Extend the curve or surface in a straight line.
Because this extension is linear and has no curvature,
there is usually a curvature discontinuity at the point or
edge where the geometry was extended.

Editing Objects
120
Extending Edges
Circular
Extend the curve or surface along an arc.
This extension has have a constant curvature, equal to the
curvature at the point or edge where the geometry was
extended.

Extrapolate
Extend the curve or surface with the same rate of change
in curvature as at the endpoint or edge.
This option produces the smoothest and most seamless
extension without adding any edit points to the original
surface.

Tip To fix rough rendering that may result, increase the

subdivisions in Windows > Information > Render stats.

Merge
Merge the extended part with the original surface to form
one object. It is turned on by default.

Distance
Default length or angle of the extension when it is first
created.
For Linear and Extrapolate extensions, Distance is expressed
in the current linear unit. For Circular extensions, it is
expressed in the current angular unit. This option is
originally set to 0.0.

Editing Objects
121
Extending Edges
Object Edit > Converting Linear Geometry to Cubic
Fit B-spline

Purpose
See Degree on page 12. Create new cubic B-spline (degree 3) curves/surfaces from
linear (degree 1) geometry, such as digitized or imported CAD
data.

How To To create cubic b-spline objects from linear objects

1 Pick the linear (degree 1) curves and/or surfaces to which
you want to fit cubic geometry.

2 Click the Fit b-spline icon, or choose Fit b-spline from the
Object Edit palette menu.
Fit b-spline creates new cubic b-spline curves that fit the
original linear geometry, and unpicks the originals.

Tips and Notes ● When creating a degree 3 surface from a degree 1 surface,
the original surface cannot have two consecutive points at
the exact same location (multi-knots). This restriction only
applies to surfaces.
● For linear curves with very long distances between edit
points, the Uniform parameterization option may create an
inaccurate fit. Try using Chord length parameterization
instead.

Editing Objects
122
Converting Linear Geometry to Cubic
Options

Fit Type

Fit
Create a potentially less accurate curve, but reduce
complexity.

Interpolate
Create a perfectly accurate curve, but with no reduction in
complexity.
For example, if the original linear curve has 56 edit points,
the new cubic b-spline will also have 56 edit points.

Editing Objects
123
Converting Linear Geometry to Cubic
End Tangents

Circle/Cubic

To see the difference in curve Choose either Circle or Cubic for two different ways of
quality produced by these setting the end tangents. The default is Cubic.
two types, turn on Curve
curvature (see page 406).
Specify
Click this option if you know the exact values of the end
tangent vectors that you want the fitted cubic geometry to
have. Twelve slider fields are displayed.

Tolerance
Acceptable deviance between original and new curve/
surface. The default is 0.010 cm. Only Used when Fit Type
is Fit.

These options appear when Start/End U/V Tangent

End Tangents is set to These four fields allow you to specify the exact (X,Y,Z)
Specify.
components of the end tangent vectors of the fitted curve
or surface.
Only Start U Tangent and End U Tangent are used for curves.

Other Options

Knot Spacing
This option controls the type of curve parameterization
used by the new cubic b-spline objects. See
Parameterization on page 10.

Note The following options only apply to surfaces.

height
* chord len Chord Ht Ratio
gth *
Enforce a ratio between the height of the curve off the
chord (a line connecting two consecutive edit points) and
the chord length. Where the ratio is exceeded, new edit
points are added to the new curve.
Use this option to break up long or high-curvature spans
of the original surface into shorter, simpler spans.

Editing Objects
124
Converting Linear Geometry to Cubic
This option appears when Ratio Value
Chord Ht Ratio is on. The factor by which the height must exceed the chord
length before Fit b-spline adds new edit points.
For example, if the Ratio Value is 10.000, the height must
be ten times the chord length before additional edit points
are created. The lower the value, the more edit points will
be added in high curvature areas.

See Also ● Fitting a Curve to a Cross-section Line on page 151 for a more
sophisticated tool. (Your package may or may not include
this feature.)

Editing Objects
125
Converting Linear Geometry to Cubic
Object Edit > Smoothing
Smooth

Purpose Interactively smooth all or part of a curve or surface.

How To

To smooth a curve or surface

1 Pick the curves and/or surfaces you want to smooth.
or
Pick CVs or edit points to define the area of the curve or
surface you want to smooth.

2 Click the Smooth icon, or choose Smooth from the Obj Edit
palette menu.
◆ Drag the left mouse button left and right to smooth
and unsmooth the objects interactively.
◆ Click the middle mouse button to smooth the objects
one step.
◆ Click the right mouse button to unsmooth the objects
one step.

Editing Objects
126
Smoothing
Tips and Notes ● You cannot smooth the following:
◆ Objects or parts of objects containing multi-CV’s.
◆ Objects that are already considered perfectly smooth,
such as circles or straight lines.
◆ Closed (periodic) objects.
◆ You may not be able to smooth endpoint/edge CVs,
depending on the curve degree and continuity
options.
(See Making Sharper Bends in Curves with Multiplicity on
page 184.)
● You cannot unsmooth an object beyond its original shape.
● The endpoints of curves remain fixed during smoothing.

Options

Axis
The direction in which to smooth the object. Default is All.
If you choose X, Y or Z, the smooth operation will only
move CVs along that axis.

Editing Objects
127
Smoothing
This option only applies to Surface Direction
surfaces. The parametric axis along which to smooth the surface.
Default is Both. If you choose U or V, the smooth operation
will only affect isoparms running in that direction.

The Start/End V options Start/End U/V Continuity

only apply to surfaces. These options control what degree of continuity you want
to maintain at the ends of a smoothed section.
For example, smoothing part of a curve may create an
abrupt transition at the ends of the smoothed section. To
prevent this, change the continuity option from Off to
Position, Tangent or Curvature.

Purpose Create a new object offset a specific distance from an original.

Duplicate Object Offset

Overview Unlike the Duplicate Object command in the Edit menu, Offset
does not simply create an exact copy some distance away from
the original.

Instead, Offset creates a new object by offsetting each point of

the original by some distance.

How To To create an offset copy of a curve, surface, or curve on

surface
1 Pick the object you want to copy.

2 Click the Offset icon, or choose Offset > Offset from the
Object Edit palette menu.

Editing Objects
129
Creating an Offset Copy
3 An approximation of the new curve or surface appears.
◆ Drag the left mouse button to change the offset
distance interactively.
◆ Type a number to set the offset distance exactly.
◆ Drag the middle mouse button to change the curve
cutting radius when Curve Loop Cutting is on (see Curve
Loop Cutting and Curve Cutting Radius options below).
◆ Click Go to create the offset copy.

Tips and Notes ● If your curve is not in one of the main planes or on a
construction plane, you may get strange results. If this
happens, use Geometry Average as the Curve Offset Plane.
● To offset multiple surfaces and maintain continuity
between them, use the Claymate tool. See page 375.

Options

Editing Objects
130
Creating an Offset Copy
Curve Break Connection Curve Break Connection
Control how the offset curve will connect breaks caused
by corners in the original curve. This option does not
Off
apply to surface offsets.
Off—Do not connect the break. Note that this option can
create two or more separate new curves.
Linear—Connect the break with tangental lines.
Linear
Circular—Connect the break with an arc.

Note Curve break connection is not used for curves created

with the Curves > Lines > Polyline tool or degree 1
Circular curves. In both of these cases, the result is like linear.

Curve Offset Plane

Active View—the copy is offset in the plane of the active
view. For example, in Z-up environment, the Top view
would offset in the XY plane.
Geometry Average—the copy is offset in the average
plane of the curve. Planar curves will be offset in the
curve’s plane, 3D curves will be offset in 3D.

Original Curve Loop Cutting

Remove loops caused by concave angles in the original
Loop
curve.
Offset
copy Curve Loop Cutting creates multi-knots, which can cause
problems for some surface creation tools such as Birail.

Curve Cutting Radius Curve Cutting Radius

Set this value greater than 0 to create a smooth arc with the
given radius where the Offset tool cuts loops, instead of a
corner.
0.0

Max Spans Factor

The maximum number of times the offset geometry will
be subdivided for more accurate approximation of the
original. The default is 5 (each span of the original can be
0.5 represented by up to 5 spans on the offset copy).
If you do not mind extra edit points (a more complex
curve), you can increase this number for a more accurate
offset copy of complex geometry.

Purpose Offset a series of surface curves (curves on surface, isoparms,

or trim edges) on both sides to create rails for ridges, grooves,
parting lines, and so on.

How To To create a ridge or groove on a surface

1 Draw a curve or curves on surface representing the

centerline of the new ridge or groove.
◆ You can use more than one curve on surface, as well as
isoparms and trim edges, as long as they have
positional continuity.
◆ You can use curves on multiple surfaces as long as
they have positional continuity.

2 Click the Tubular Offset icon, or choose Offset > Tubular Offset
from the Object Edit palette menu.

3 Pick the first curve of the centerline.

4 A rough approximation of the trim tube appears.

◆ Pick the next curve(s) in the centerline to extend the
trim tube.
◆ Click and drag on the trim tube to change its radius
interactively.
◆ Type a number to set the radius of the trim tube
exactly.
◆ Click Go to create the offset curves on surface.

Editing Objects
132
Creating Ridges and Grooves
5 When you click Go, Tubular Offset creates new curves on
surface on each surface the centerline extends across.
These new curves mark where the trim tube intersected
the surface.

Tip If the Create CoS and Create History options are on, you
can change the original centerline curve and the two rail
curves will automatically update.

6 If the Auto Trim option is on, it automatically trims the

surface between the two new curves on surface.
If Auto Trim is not on, you will need to trim the surface
manually.
◆ Pick the centerline (Pick > Object Types > Curve on surf)
and delete it.

◆ Click the Trim tool.

◆ Pick the surface you want to trim, then click between
the two offset curves on surface.
◆ Click the Discard button, then click Go.
(See Trimming Surfaces with Curves-on-Surface on page 353
for more on the Trim tool).

7 Create a profile curve between the trimmed edges. This

curve will be the cross section of the new ridge or groove.
Use curve snapping to make sure the ends of the profile
curve are the trim edge curves.

8 Use Birail to sweep the profile curve along the edge curves,
creating the ridge or groove surface. (See Sweeping a Curve
along Two Paths with Birail on page 273).
The Birail tool is an advanced option. If Birail is not
available, you may be able to use Extrude. (See Extruding a
Curve on page 259).

Tips and Notes ● The Auto Trim option takes care of the work of trimming the
surface, but you lose construction history.
If you are planning to experiment with the curves, use the
Create CoS option with Create History, then trim manually
when the curves are perfected.

Editing Objects
133
Creating Ridges and Grooves
● If the curves on surface used to create the trim tube do not
extend to the surface edges, Tubular Offset extends them
automatically.

Options Create Options

Create CoS—create the two rail curves by intersecting a
tube with the surface(s).
Auto Trim—create the two rail curves and automatically
trim the surface between them.

Note Auto Trim does not work with construction history,

since the original curve on surface is trimmed away.

Create History
Keep construction history for the tubular offset, so that
modifying the original centerline curve or the radius of
the tube will recalculate the two offset curves.
To modify the radius of the tube after quitting Tubular
offset, select the two rails, then select the tool again.

Purpose ● Reverse the direction of a curve or surface.

● Orient the normals of a group of surfaces toward or away
from a point.
● Swap the U and V parameters of a surface.

How To To reverse the direction of a curve or surface interactively

1 Double-click the Reverse direction icon, or choose Reverse
direction options from the Object Edit palette menu.

2 Set Editing Mode to Interactive editing and click Go.

3 Click a curve or surface. An indicator appears on the

object to show the current normal.
◆ A light blue arrow means the normal is pointing
toward you.
◆ A yellow arrow means the normal is pointing away
from you.
You can select and drag over multiple curves or surfaces
to check their direction.

4 With a curve or surface highlighted, click the Reverse One

button in the bottom right corner of the view window, or
click the middle mouse button.
Click the Reverse All button, or the right mouse button, to
reverse the direction of all the curves/surfaces selected
within the tool so far.

Editing Objects
135
Reversing Direction and Normals
To orient the normals of surfaces toward or away from a
point
1 Pick the geometry you want to reverse.

2 Double-click the Reverse direction icon, or choose Reverse

direction options from the Object Edit palette menu.

3 Set Editing Mode to Orient surfaces around point.

If you know the exact point you want to orient normals
toward/away from, you can type the coordinates in the
Orientation Point text boxes.

4 Click Go.

5 An indicator appears for the orientation point.

◆ Drag in an orthographic window to move the
orientation point.
◆ Type a 3D coordinate to set the orientation point
exactly.

6 Click either the AWAY or TOWARD button in the bottom

right corner of the view window to orient the surface
normals.

Tips and Notes ● Some tools, such as Stitch, require that all normals in a
group of surfaces point in the same direction, usually
“outward”.
● If you are using one-sided geometry, only the normal side
of a surface is visible when rendered. You will usually
want the normals on surfaces to point “outward”, toward
the camera.
● Use Orient surfaces around point mode to quickly orient all
surfaces in a model that has a clear geometric center.
For models without a clear center point, use Interactive
mode to check surfaces individually.
● When you use the Reverse Direction tool on an object with
construction history, the object will maintain its
construction history.

Editing Objects
136
Reversing Direction and Normals
Options

Editing Mode
Interactive editing—Flip surfaces using the mouse.
Orient surfaces around a point—Arrange normals to point
toward or away from a point.

Interactive Editing Options

Display normals and tangents

All intersecting—display the normals of all surfaces under
the cursor.
Closest to eye—display the normal of the nearest surface
under the cursor.

Orient Surfaces Options

Orientation point
The 3D coordinates of the point which normals will point
toward or away from.

Surface Reversal Mode

Reverse U
Reverse the direction of the U isoparms.

Editing Objects
137
Reversing Direction and Normals
Reverse V
Reverse the direction of the V isoparms.

Swap U and V
Swap the isoparms so that the U direction becomes the V
direction and vice versa.

In This Section Curves Palette Summary 140

Drawing Curves 142
Sketching New Curves Freehand 146
Drawing Curves-on-Surface 148
Fitting a Curve to a Cross-section Line 151
Auto-tracing Curves from an Image Plane 155
Creating Curves Using a Digitizing Tablet 158
Drawing Keypoint Lines 161
Drawing Keypoint Lines Parallel or at an Angle 163
Drawing Keypoint Lines Tangent to Curves 166
Drawing a Sequence of Lines and Arcs 168
Drawing Keypoint Arcs and Circles 170
Drawing Keypoint Arcs in Relation to Other Curves 173
Drawing Keypoint Ellipses 175

139
Curves Palette Summary

Icon Curves palette > For more information...

New curves > New Curve (cvs) Drawing Curves on page 142
New curves > New Curve (edit pts)

New curves > New Curve (sketch) Sketching New Curves Freehand
on page 146

Blend curve toolbox Blend Curves on page 427

Curves > New curve on surface Drawing Curves-on-Surface on

page 148

Curves > Autotrace Auto-tracing Curves from an

Image Plane on page 155

Curves > Digitize Creating Curves Using a

Curves > Setup digitizer Digitizing Tablet on page 158

Lines (Tangent) Drawing Keypoint Lines Tangent

to Curves on page 166

Lines > Line Drawing Keypoint Lines on

Lines > Polyline page 161

Creating Curves
140
Curves Palette Summary
Icon Curves palette > For more information...

Lines > Parallel line Drawing Keypoint Lines Parallel

Lines > Line at angle or at an Angle on page 163

Line-arc Drawing a Sequence of Lines and

Arcs on page 168

Arcs > Arc (three point) Drawing Keypoint Arcs and

Arcs > Arc (two point) Circles on page 170
Arcs > Circular arc

Arcs > Arc tangent to curve Drawing Keypoint Arcs in

Arcs > Concentric arc Relation to Other Curves on
page 173

Ellipse Drawing Keypoint Ellipses on

page 175

Fit curve Fitting a Curve to a Cross-section

Line on page 151

Creating Curves
141
Curves Palette Summary
Curves > New Curve Drawing Curves

Purpose Create new NURBS curves in the scene.

How To To create a curve by drawing edit points

1 Click the New Curve (edit pts) icon, or choose

New Curve > New Curve (edit pts) from the Curves palette
menu.

4th edit point 2 Click to place the edit points of the new curve. You can
3rd edit point move the new point while the mouse button is down.
When you release the mouse button, the new point is
added to the curve.
2nd edit point
◆ Click the left mouse button to place a point.
1st edit point
◆ Click the middle mouse button to place a point
horizontally aligned to the previous one.
◆ Click the right mouse button to place a point vertically
aligned to the previous one.
◆ Type a 3D coordinate to place a point exactly.

◆ Use the snapping modifier keys or buttons to snap to

the grid or existing parts of the model. See
Construction > Grid spacing, Grid preset on page 33.

3 Click the New Curve tool again to start another curve, or

choose another tool.

Creating Curves
142
Drawing Curves
To create a curve by drawing CVs

1 Click the New Curve (CVs) icon, or choose

New Curve > New Curve (CVs) from the Curves palette menu.

4th CV 2 Click to place the points of the new curve. You can move
the new point while the mouse button is down. When you
3rd CV release the mouse button, the new point is added to the
curve.
2nd CV
◆ Click the left mouse button to place a point.
1st CV

The first span of a curve will ◆ Click the middle mouse button to place a point
not be displayed until the horizontally aligned to the previous one.
first several CVs have been
placed. ◆ Click the right mouse button to place a point vertically
aligned to the previous one.
◆ Type a 3D coordinate to place a point exactly.

◆ Use the snapping modifier keys or buttons to snap to

the grid or existing parts of the model. See
Construction > Grid spacing, Grid preset on page 33.

3 Click the New Curve tool again to start another curve, or

choose another tool.

This feature only affects To draw a curve tangent or perpendicular to a curve or

curve creation. No isoparm
construction history is
maintained. 1 Use curve snap to snap the first or last point of a curve to
another curve or to an isoparm.

2 The prompt changes to include two options:

◆ Type T <return> to make the curve tangent.

◆ Type P <return> to make the curve perpendicular.

Creating Curves
143
Drawing Curves
Tips and Notes ● You must use snapping to draw curves in a perspective
view.
● Clicking a tool finishes the curve. If you want to add more
points to either end of a finished curve, use the Add points
tool (see Adding Points to a Curve on page 180).

See Reference Planes and ● When you draw in the perspective window while a
Construction Planes on construction plane is active, the points are automatically
page 46. constrained to the construction plane.
● The first CV in the curve is shown as a square and the
second as a “U” instead of a cross. This helps show the
direction of the curve.
● The type of indicators (CVs, edit points, hulls) that are
displayed while you draw curves is controlled by the NEW
CRV settings in the Object Display > Control window.

● It may be easier for beginners to draw edit points rather

than CVs, since edit points are directly on the curve.

Options

A “knot” is the parameter Knot Spacing

value at an edit point. Chord—the new curve’s edit points will be parameterized
by the chord length of the curve in current units. The chord
length is the cumulative straight line distance between
consecutive edit [Link] starting point of the curve has
the parameter 0.0, and the ending point has the parameter
equal to the total chord length of the curve.

Creating Curves
144
Drawing Curves
Uniform—the new curve’s edit points will have integral
parameters: the first edit point will be parameter 0.0, the
second will be 1.0, and so on.
See Parameterization on page 10.

Curve Degree
The mathematical degree of the curve created, which
control the number of CVs per span: 1 (linear), 2
(quadratic), 3 (cubic), 5 or 7. The default is 3.
See Degree on page 12.

Note Degree 2, 5 and 7 curves are only available in Studio

and AutoStudio.

Create Guidelines
Create vertical and horizontal guidelines at each point you
create.
See Changing the Display Precision of Objects on page 65.

Purpose Create a curve by sketching it freehand.

How To To create a curve by sketching freehand

1 Click the New Curve (sketch) icon, or choose

New Curve > New Curve (sketch) from the Curves palette
menu.

2 Drag the mouse to sketch a curve.

3 When you release the mouse button, the sketch tool fits a
curve to the line that you sketched.
◆ In orthographic windows, the curve is created in the
axis plane. For example, in a Z-up world, drawing in
the “Top” view creates a curve in the XY plane, at Z=0.
◆ In perspective windows, the curve is created in the view
plane, that is, the plane perpendicular to the view
vector of the camera.

Tips and Notes ● If you sketch a curve on a construction plane, the

transformation of the construction plane is added to the
DAG node of the curve.
● Sketched curves always have chord length
parameterization, with a degree of 3 or greater.
(See Understanding Curves on page 8 for more on curve
degree and parameterization.)

Creating Curves
146
Sketching New Curves Freehand
See Reference Planes and ● When you draw in the perspective window while a
Construction Planes on construction plane is active, the curve is automatically
page 46. constrained to the construction plane.
● The sketch tool samples points every 5 pixels as you move
the mouse.

Options Curve Degree

The mathematical degree of the curve created, which
control the number of CVs per span: 3 (cubic), 5 or 7. The
default is 3.
See Degree on page 12.

Purpose Create a curve-on-surface by manually drawing.

How To To create a curve on surface by drawing edit points

1 Double-click the New curve on surface icon, or choose
Curves > New curve on surface-❏ from the Curves palette
menu.

2 Set Construction to Edit Point. Click Go.

3 Click the surface on which you will draw the new curve-
on-surface.

4 Click to place the points of the new curve. You can move
the new point while the mouse button is down. When you
release the mouse button, the new point is added to the
curve.
◆ Click the left mouse button to place a point.
◆ Click the middle mouse button to place a point with
the same U coordinate as the previous one.
◆ Click the right mouse button to place a point with the
same V coordinate as the previous one.
◆ Type a UV coordinate to place a point exactly.
◆ Use grid snapping to snap to the nearest isoparm
intersection.
◆ Use magnet snapping to snap to the nearest edit point
of a curve on surface on that surface.

Creating Curves
148
Drawing Curves-on-Surface
◆ Use curve snapping to snap to another curve-on-
surface, or to an isoparm.

To create a curve on surface by drawing freehand

1 Double-click the New curve-on-surface icon, or choose
Curves > New curve on surface-❏ from the Curves palette
menu.

2 Set Construction to Sketch. Click Go.

3 Click the surface on which you will draw the new curve
on surface.

4 Drag the mouse to sketch a curve on the surface.

5 When you release the mouse button, the sketch tool fits a
curve to the line you sketched.

Note The surface being sketched on must be of degree 3 or

less.

Options

Construction
The method by which curves on surface are created.
Edit Point—click points on the surface to add edit points to
the new curve.
Sketch—sketch the new curve on the surface freehand.

Creating Curves
149
Drawing Curves-on-Surface
Curve Degree
The mathematical degree of the curve created, which
control the number of CVs per span: 1 (linear) or 3 (cubic).
The default is 3.
See Degree on page 12.

A “knot” is the parameter Knot Spacing

value of an edit point. Chord—the new curve’s edit points will be parameterized
by the chord length of the curve.
Uniform—the new curve’s edit points will have integral
parameters: the first edit point will be parameter 0.0, the
second will be 1.0, and so on.
See Parameterization on page 10.

Purpose Create quality curves from cross-section line data.

How To To build a curve by fitting to a scanned curve

1 Click the Fit Curve tool, or choose Fit Curve from the Curves
palette menu.

2 Click the curve you want to fit to.

The Fit Curve tool creates the new curve, and attaches start
and end handles to the original curve. The Fit Curve Control
window appears.

3 Move the handles on the original curve to define the start

and end points for the new curve.
You may want to create the new curve from a subset of the
original curve, usually an area with little variation in
curvature.

Tips and Notes ● The Fit Curve tool produces curves with construction
history.
● You can control the end point tangents of curves created
with the Fit Curve tool by dragging the blue line icons onto
an existing reference vector (see page 44) or onto another
curve. (This allows you to create tangent continuous
curves when you are fitting a number of curve segments
to a section line.)

Creating Curves
151
Fitting a Curve to a Cross-section Line
Any subsequent change you make to the vector or curve
will automatically update the end point tangents of the fit
curve. To break the connection between the end point
tangents and any vector or curve, drag the blue line icon
onto an empty part of the modeling window.

If you drag the blue line ...the curve’s end point

icon onto a vector (or tangent matches the
other curve)... vector (or curve).

Note If the blue line icon becomes a dashed red arrow, the
Fit Curve tool could not achieve tangent continuity
within the Continuity Angle tolerance (Preferences >
Construction options).

Fit Curve Options Use the options in the Fit Curve Control window to adjust the fit
and the type of curve created:

Curve Name
Enter a name for the new curve.

Fitting Method
Choose a curve fitting algorithm: Least Squares or Hull Fit.
Try both methods to see which gives a better fit for your
curve.

Creating Curves
152
Fitting a Curve to a Cross-section Line
Curvature
Show a curvature comb locator on the new surface.

Deviation
Show a deviation comb locator between the new and
original curves.

Degree
Set the degree of the new curve. Increasing the degree
allows a better fit, however curve degrees higher than 3
are not supported by all CAD systems.

Max Spans
Set the maximum number of spans allowed in the new
curve. Increasing the number of spans gives a better fit,
but also increases the complexity of the model.

Stiffness, Elasticity
These sliders control the new curve’s resistance to bending
and tendency to stretch. Try moving the sliders to see how
they affect the new curve, then use them to improve the
fit.

Curvature Constancy
This slider controls the rate of change in curvature along
the curve.

Creating Curves
153
Fitting a Curve to a Cross-section Line
Increasing the value enforces more constant curvature, but
will probably increase the deviation from the original
curve.

Start Point, End Point

Position
The XYZ coordinates of the curve’s start point and end
point. These values only appear after you have created the
fit curve.

Tangent to Fit Curve

The XYZ coordinates of the curve’s start point and end
point tangent vectors. These values only appear after you
have created a constrained fit curve.

Purpose Automatically trace curves from outlines in an image plane.

Overview Autotrace creates a black-and-white copy of your image, and

then draws curves along the boundaries between black and
white.

For grayscale images, the gray value of pixels is calculated

with 3 bits (8 values). For color images, the gray value of pixels
is calculated with 8 bits (256 values). Color images therefore
offer a more accurate threshold.

The gray value of color pixels is calculated with the formula:

(0.3 x Red value) + (0.59 x Green value) + (0.11 x
Blue value)

How To To auto-trace an image plane

1 Click in an orthographic window to make it current.

2 Choose Import > Image plane from the File menu.

3 Choose the file you want to trace and click Load Image.

Press Esc to cancel the 4 Click the Autotrace icon, or choose Curves > Autotrace from
autotracing process while in the Curves palette menu.
progress.
The Autotrace tool scans the picture to create curves from
the image plane.

5 You will usually need to

◆ Delete curves you don’t want.

Creating Curves
155
Auto-tracing Curves from an Image Plane
◆ Use Rebuild curve to reduce the complexity of the
remaining curves (see Rebuilding Complex Curves on
page 210).

Tips and Notes ● The stronger the edges in the picture, the better the auto-
tracing will be.
◆ Black and white line art traces best.
◆ For full-color pictures, you may want to try using an
image editor to increase the contrast.
● You may need to trace the same image several times with
different Threshold values if the image has many subtle
features in the light, dark and midtones (see Options
below).

Options

Sampling Rate
Sparse—takes fewer samples, creates rougher curves, but
faster and with fewer edit points.
Dense—takes more samples, matching the image more
closely, but slower and with more edit points.

Creating Curves
156
Auto-tracing Curves from an Image Plane
Edge Detection
Precise—match the image very closely by using more edit
points.
General—match the image less closely but use fewer edit
points.

Corners
Clean—remove extra CVs around corners.
Rough—do not remove extra CVs.

Threshold
The dividing gray value between light and dark pixels,
between which the edge is drawn.
For example, a value of 32 means an edge will be drawn
between areas with a gray value of less than 32 and areas
with a gray value greater than 32.
Increase the Threshold for images with subtle light
shadings. Decrease the Threshold for images with subtle
dark shadings.

Step size
The coarseness of the resulting curves.
Increase the step size to use more edit points to create
more accurate curves. Decrease the step size to use fewer
edit points.

Purpose Create curves from an existing real-world drawing,

photograph, or sketch, by specifying points with a tablet.

Overview

Digitizer tablet The digitize tool works by mapping coordinates on the

digitizing tablet to screen coordinates in an orthographic
window. Before you begin digitizing points, you must set up
the mapping using the Setup digitizer tool.

Once the tablet is mapped to the screen, you can click the
Digitize tool and then use the mapping with the normal curve
tools. This allows you to concentrate on the drawing, and use
the entire tablet without worrying about selecting objects on
the screen such as tools and menus.

Orthographic window

How To Note The tablet mapping is initially set to map the entire
tablet to the current orthographic window. If this is
sufficient, you do not need to manually map the tablet
to the window.

Creating Curves
158
Creating Curves Using a Digitizing Tablet
To map the tablet to a window
1 Click the Setup digitizer icon, or choose Curves > Setup
digitzer from the Curves palette menu.
The mouse cursor disappears and the prompt line begins
to walk you through the procedure.

2 Use the digitizer pointer to indicate the origin point: either

the lower-left corner of the tablet or the lower-left corner
of the drawing.

3 Use the digitizer pointer to indicate the reference point: the

upper-right corner of the tablet or of the drawing.

4 Use the mouse pointer to click the lower-left corner of the

orthographic window you will use to draw the curves.

5 Use the mouse pointer to click the upper-right corner of the

orthographic window you will use to draw the curves.
All digitizer drawing will go to this window, regardless of
which is the current window at the time.

6 Choose a different tool to exit the Setup digitizer tool.

To digitize points from a real-world drawing

1 Click the curve tool you want to draw with.

2 Click the Digitize icon, or choose Curves > Digitize from the
Curves palette menu.

3 The mouse cursor disappears and the tablet uses the

digitizer mapping. Use the tablet pointer to enter the
points of the drawing.

4 Press the Enter key to exit digitizer mode.

Tips and Notes ● You can choose whether to:

◆ map the entire tablet surface. This is the general
solution and does not require you to remap for each
drawing. Note that this is the default setup.
◆ map the area of the drawing. This give greater
accuracy, but requires you to remap for each new
drawing.

Creating Curves
159
Creating Curves Using a Digitizing Tablet
● The instructions for the Setup Digitizer tool use lower-left
and upper-right for simplicity. In fact, you can use any
corner for the first (origin) point. Always use the opposite
corner for the second (reference) point.
● Specifying different-sized rectangles when mapping the
tablet to the screen will not stretch the drawing. The Setup
digitizer tool always maintains a 1:1 aspect ratio.

Creating Curves
160
Creating Curves Using a Digitizing Tablet
Curves > Lines > Drawing Keypoint Lines
Line, Polyline

Purpose Create single or composite keylines.

How To To draw a single key line

1 Click the Line icon, or choose Lines > Line from the Curves
palette menu.

2 Click to place the starting point for the line, or type a 3D

coordinate to place the point exactly.
If you click the endpoint of an existing keypoint curve, the
new line will attach itself to the end of the existing curve.
Dragging the common endpoint will move both curves.

3 Click to place the end point for the line, or type a 3D

coordinate to place the point exactly.
◆ Click the left mouse button to add the point freely.
◆ Click the middle mouse button to align the point
horizontally to the first point.
◆ Click the right mouse button to align the point
vertically to the first point.
As you drag the end point, the Line tool displays the
length of the line in current linear units.

Creating Curves
161
Drawing Keypoint Lines
To draw a series of connected lines (polyline)

1 Click the Polyine icon, or choose Lines > Polyline from the
Curves palette menu.

2 Click to place the starting point for the polyline, or type a

3D coordinate to place the point exactly.
If you click the endpoint of an existing keypoint curve, the
new line will attach itself to the end of the existing curve
to create a composite curve.

3 Click to place the next point in the polyline, or type a 3D

coordinate to place the point exactly.
◆ Click the left mouse button to add the point freely.
◆ Click the middle mouse button to align the point
horizontally to the first point.
◆ Click the right mouse button to align the point
vertically to the first point.
As you drag the end point, the Polyline tool displays the
length of the line in current linear units.

4 You can now:

◆ Repeat step 3 to add another line segment.
◆ Click the Polyline tool to start another polyline.
◆ Click any other tool to finish the polyline.

Tips and Notes ● You can use guidelines and curve snapping to quickly
draw parallel lines, tangent lines, perpendicular lines, and
right angles.
See Snapping to Grids, Curves, and Points on page 38 and
Working with Guidelines on page 40.
● You can use Edit > Undo to undo points in a polyline all the
way back to the start point.

Purpose Create key lines parallel to a curve, or at an angle to a curve.

How To To draw a line parallel to a curve

1 Click the Parallel line icon, or choose Lines > Parallel line
from the Curves palette menu.

2 Click the curve to which the new line will be parallel.

◆ Guidelines are added for the curve, allowing you to
line up the start and/or end points of the new line if
needed.
◆ If you click a curved line, the new line will be parallel
to the tangent where you click.

3 Click the start point of the parallel line, or type a 3D

coordinate to place the point exactly.
As you drag the start point, the Parallel Line tool displays
the distance between the lines in current linear units.

Creating Curves
163
Drawing Keypoint Lines Parallel or at an Angle
4 Click the end point of the parallel line, or type a 3D
coordinate to place the point exactly.
As you drag the end point, the Parallel Line tool displays
the length of the line in current linear units.

To draw a line at an angle to a curve

1 Click the Line at angle icon, or choose Lines > Line at angle
from the Curves palette menu.

2 Click the start point of the new line on the curve from
which it will angle off.
If you click a curved line, the new line will be drawn at an
angle to the line that passes through the end point of the
curve.

3 If you want to project the line at an exact angle, type the

value of the angle and press Enter. The Line at angle tool
adds a new guideline at that angle.

4 Click the end point of the new line.

As you drag the end point, the Line at angle tool displays
the angle in current angular units (degrees by default).

Tips and Notes ● You can continue to change the offset distance (for parallel
lines) or angle in the Information window. (See the Interface
section of the Basic Tools book.)
● These special relationship attributes remain with the lines
until you manually modify one of the lines.
● The relationship attribute for lines created with the
Line at angle tool is called Rel Angle (Relative angle). All
lines have an attribute called Angle/Sweep, which is the
angle to the orthographic window’s horizontal axis, as
well as a Length attribute.

Creating Curves
164
Drawing Keypoint Lines Parallel or at an Angle
See Also ● Keypoint Curves on page 17
● Editing Keypoint Curves on page 186
● Cutting and Joining Keypoint Curves on page 233

Creating Curves
165
Drawing Keypoint Lines Parallel or at an Angle
Curves > Lines Drawing Keypoint Lines Tangent to
(Tangent)
Curves

Purpose Draw a key line tangent to one or two curves, or

perpendicular to a curve.

How To To draw a line tangent to a curve

1 Click the Lines (Tangent) > Line tangent to curve icon, or

choose Lines (Tangent) > Line tangent to curve from the
Curves palette menu.

2 Click the start point of the tangent line.

3 Click the curve you want the line to be tangent to.

The Line tangent to curve tool calculates the end point for
the line to be tangent to that curve.
◆ If it cannot find a tangent, it prints a message in the
prompt line.
◆ If it finds more than one tangent, it uses the tangent
closest to where you clicked.

To draw a tangent line between two curves

1 Click the Lines (Tangent) > Line tangent from/to curve icon, or
choose Lines (Tangent) > Line tangent from/to curve from the
Curves palette menu.

2 Click the first curve the tangent line will touch.

3 Click the second curve the tangent line will touch.

Creating Curves
166
Drawing Keypoint Lines Tangent to Curves
The Line tangent from/to curve tool calculates the line
tangent to both curves.
◆ If it cannot find a tangent, it prints a message in the
prompt line.
◆ If it finds more than one tangent, it uses the tangent
closest to where you clicked.

To draw a line perpendicular to a curve

1 Click the Lines (Tangent) > Line perpendicular to curve icon, or

choose Lines (Tangent) > Line perpendicular to curve from the
Curves palette menu.

2 Click the start point of the perpendicular line.

3 Click the curve you want the line to be perpendicular to.

The Line perpendicular to curve tool calculates the end point
for the line to be perpendicular to the curve.
◆ If it cannot find a perpendicular, it extends the ends of
the curve.
◆ If it finds more than one perpendicular, it uses the
perpendicular closest to where you clicked.

Tips and Notes

To get a true 3D tangent, use ● The tangent lines are tangent in the current view. It is only a
the Line tool with curve true 3D tangent when the curve and start point are planar.
snapping to place the first
point on the curve, then snap ● In an orthographic window, the perpendicular is relative
to the tangent guideline. to the view. In a perspective window, it is a 3D
perpendicular.
● Do not use the tangent line tools in the perspective
window.

Purpose Draw a composite keypoint curve of alternating lines and arcs.

How To To draw alternating lines and arcs

1 Click the Line-arc icon, or choose Line-arc from the Curves

palette menu.

2 Click the first point of the composite curve, or type a 3D

3 Click the endpoint of the first line segment, or type a 3D

coordinate to place the point exactly.
◆ Click the left mouse button to add the point freely.
◆ Click the middle mouse button to align the point
horizontally to the previous point.
◆ Click the right mouse button to align the point
vertically to the previous point.
As you drag the end point, the Line-arc tool displays the
length of the line in current linear units.

Creating Curves
168
Drawing a Sequence of Lines and Arcs
4 Click the endpoint of the arc segment, or type a 3D
coordinate to place the point exactly.
◆ Click the left mouse button to add the point freely.
◆ Click the middle mouse button to align the point
horizontally to the previous point.
◆ Click the right mouse button to align the point
vertically to the previous point.
As you drag the end point, the Line-arc tool displays the
radius of the arc in current linear units.

5 You can now:

◆ Repeat steps 3-4 to add more segments.
◆ Click the Line-arc tool to start another composite
curve.
◆ Click any other tool to finish the curve.

Tips and Notes

● Arcs segments are always convex. That is, the arc always
projects “forward” from the previous line. You cannot
create concave arcs with the Line-arc tool.
To get concave arcs, you must go back and edit the curve
Convex
after creating it. See Editing Keypoint Curves on page 186.
● Click the endpoint of a segment twice to make the next
segment the same type.
For example, click the endpoint of a line segment twice to
Concave (not possible with make the next segment a line. Click the endpoint of an arc
Line-arc tool)
segment twice to make the next segment an arc.

Purpose Draw three-point, two-point, and circular arcs.

How To To draw a three-point arc

1 Click the Arcs > Arc (three point) icon, or choose Arcs >
Arc (three point) from the Curves palette menu.

2 Click the start point of the arc, or type a 3D coordinate to

place the point exactly.
If you click the endpoint of an existing keypoint curve, the
new arc will attach itself to the end of that curve. Dragging
the common endpoint will move both curves.

3 Click a second point that will lie on the arc, or type a 3D

Creating Curves
170
Drawing Keypoint Arcs and Circles
4 Click the end point of the arc, or type a 3D coordinate to
place the point exactly.
◆ Click the left mouse button to add the point freely.
◆ Click the middle mouse button to align the point
horizontally to the first point.
◆ Click the right mouse button to align the point
vertically to the first point.
As you drag the end point, the Arc (three point) tool
displays the radius of the arc in current linear units.

To draw a two-point arc

1 Click the Arcs > Arc (two point) icon, or choose Arcs >
Arc (two point) from the Curves palette menu.

2 Click the start point of the arc, or type a 3D coordinate to

place the point exactly.
If you click the endpoint of an existing keypoint curve, the
new arc will attach itself to the end of that curve. Dragging
the common endpoint will move both curves.

3 Click the end point of the arc, or type a 3D coordinate to

4 Click the centerpoint of the arc, or type the radius of the

arc.
As you drag the center point, the Arc (two point) tool
displays the radius of the arc in current linear units.

Creating Curves
171
Drawing Keypoint Arcs and Circles
To draw a keypoint circle

1 Click the Arcs > Circular arc icon, or choose Arcs > Circular
arc from the Curves palette menu.

2 Click the centerpoint of the arc, or type a 3D coordinate to

place the point exactly.

3 Click a point that will lie on the arc, or type a 3D

coordinate to place the point exactly.
As you drag the circumference, the Circular arc tool
displays the radius of the circle in current linear units.

Tips and Notes ● Key arcs are exported as IGES entity 100 (circular arc).
● Key lines are exported as entity 110 (line).
● Composite curves are exported as entity 102 (composite
curve).

Purpose Draw keypoint arcs tangent to a curve or concentric to another

arc.

How To To draw an arc tangent to a curve

1 Click the Arcs > Arc tangent to curve icon, or choose Arcs >
Arc tangent to from the Curves palette menu.

2 Click the start point of the new arc on the curve it will be
tangent to.

3 Click the end point of the arc, or type a 3D coordinate to

place the point exactly.
◆ Click the left mouse button to add the point freely.
◆ Click the middle mouse button to align the point
horizontally to the first point.
◆ Click the right mouse button to align the point
vertically to the first point.
As you drag the end point, the Arc tangent to curve tool
displays the radius of the arc in current linear units.

Creating Curves
173
Drawing Keypoint Arcs in Relation to Other Curves
To draw an arc concentric to another arc

1 Click the Arcs > Concentric arc icon, or choose Arcs >
Concentric arc from the Curves palette menu.

2 Click the arc from which the new arc will be offset.

3 Click the start point of the arc, or type a 3D coordinate to

place the point exactly.
As you drag the start point, the Concentric arc tool displays
the distance between the two radii.

4 Click the end point of the arc, or type a 3D coordinate to

place the point exactly.

Tips and Notes ● Concentric arcs are always drawn in the direction that will
create the smallest sweep angle. If you want an arc of
more than 180 degrees, open the Information Window and
click the Complement button under the Attributes section.
● To create a concentric circle, set the Angle/Sweep attribute
to 360 degrees in the Information Window.

Purpose Create a keypoint ellipse by drawing the two major axis

points, or by drawing a center point and a major axis point.

How To To draw a keypoint ellipse from the center

1 Double-click the Ellipse icon, or choose Ellipse-❏ from the
Curves palette menu.

2 Set Ellipse Definition to Center and end point. Click Go.

3 Click the center of the ellipse, or type a 3D coordinate to

place the point exactly.

4 Click the end of the ellipse, or type a 3D coordinate to

place the point exactly.
As you drag the end point, the Ellipse tool displays the
length of the two radii in current linear units.

To draw a keypoint ellipse end-to-end

1 Double-click the Ellipse icon, or choose Ellipse-❏ from the
Curves palette menu.

2 Set Ellipse Definition to Axis endpoints. Click Go.

3 Click the first end of the ellipse, or type a 3D coordinate to

place the point exactly.

4 Click the opposite end of the ellipse, or type a 3D

coordinate to place the point exactly.
As you drag the end point, the Ellipse tool displays the
length of the two axes in current linear units.

Creating Curves
175
Drawing Keypoint Ellipses
Options

Ellipse Definition
Axis endpoints—Draw the ellipse by specifying both
endpoints of the major axis.
Axis Center
endpoints and end point Center and end point—Draw the ellipse by specifying the
center and one endpoint of the major axis.

Axis length ratio

The ratio of the length of the minor axis to the major axis.
For example, a value of 0.5 will produce an ellipse half as
tall as it is wide. A value of 1.0 will produce a circle.

Sweep
The number of degrees of the ellipse that will be drawn.
360 180 For example, a value of 180 degrees will produce half of a
full ellipse. A value of 90 degrees will produce a quarter
ellipse.
90

In This Section Adding Points to a Curve 180

Changing the Weight of CVs 182
Making Sharper Bends in Curves with Multiplicity 184
Editing Keypoint Curves 186
Stretching Curves 189
Making Curves Intersect 192
Using the Curve Editor 198
Creating Continuity between Curves and Other Objects 202
Rebuilding Complex Curves 210
Flattening Curves onto a Plane 218

Icon Curve Edit > For more information...

Modify > Curve Editor Using the Curve Editor on

page 198

Modify > Add points Adding Points to a Curve on

page 180

Modify > Adjust weight Changing the Weight of CVs on

page 182

Modify > Multiplicity Making Sharper Bends in

Curves with Multiplicity on
page 184

Modify > Adjust intersection Making Curves Intersect on

page 192

Modify > Stretch Stretching Curves on page 189

Create > Duplicate curve Duplicating Curves on

page 222

Create > Combine curves Projecting Two Planar Curves

into a 3D Curve on page 226

Editing Curves
178
Curve Edit Palette Summary
Icon Curve Edit > For more information...

Create > Fillet curves Adding a Fillet Between Curves

on page 229

Project tangent Creating Continuity between

Curves and Other Objects on
page 202

Cut/Join > Break curve at keypoint Cutting and Joining Keypoint

Cut/Join > Join curves Curves on page 233

Cut/Join > Delete segment Deleting a Segment of a Curve

on page 236

Cut/Join > Break curve at Detaching a Curve at the Points

inflections of Inflection on page 235

Rebuild curve Rebuilding Complex Curves on

page 210

Curve precision Changing the Display Precision

of Objects on page 65

Curve planarize Flattening Curves onto a Plane

on page 218

Curve section Sectioning Curves on page 237

Editing Curves
179
Curve Edit Palette Summary
Curve Edit > Adding Points to a Curve
Modify > Add points

Purpose Add points to the beginning or end of a completed curve.

How To To add points to one end of an existing curve

1 Pick the first or last CV or edit point to extend the curve.

◆ Picking the first point will extend the curve from the
beginning. Picking the last point will extend the curve
from the end.
◆ If you pick a CV (Pick > Point Types > CV), you will
extend the curve by adding CVs. If you pick an edit
point (Pick > Edit point), you will extend the curve by
adding edit points.

2 Click the Modify > Add points icon, or choose

Modify > Add points from the Curve Edit palette menu.
The Add points tool highlights the end of the curve.

3 Click to place the new points. You can continue to move

the new point while the mouse button is down. When you
release the mouse button, the new point is added to the
curve.
◆ Click the left mouse button to place a point.
◆ Click the middle mouse button to align the point
horizontally to the previous one.
◆ Click the right mouse button to align the point
vertically to the previous one.
◆ Type a 3D coordinate to place a point exactly.

Editing Curves
180
Adding Points to a Curve
◆ Use the snapping modifier keys or buttons to snap to
the grid or existing parts of the model. See Snapping to
Grids, Curves, and Points on page 38.

4 Choose another tool to finish adding points.

Tips and Notes ● Add points does not actually add points to the beginning of
a curve. If you have picked the first CV or edit point, the
tool reverses the curve and then adds the new points to
the end.
● In orthographic windows, the new points will be in the
same plane as the previous point, unless you use curve or
magnet snapping.
● If you use the Add points tool when an entire curve is
selected, it will add CVs to the end of the curve.

Purpose Control the shape of a curve by adjusting the weight of a CV

(the amount the CV pulls the curve from a straight line).

How To

To change the weight of CVs

1 Use Pick > Point Types > CV to pick all the CVs you want to
modify.

2 Click the Adjust weight icon, or choose Modify > Adjust weight
from the Curve Edit palette menu.

◆ Drag the mouse left and right to set the weight

interactively.
◆ Type a value from 0.0001 to 10 000.0 to set the weight
exactly.

Effect of increasing the weight

on 2 CVs

Important ● Some other software package cannot import StudioTools

wire files with adjusted CV weights.
● Changing the weighting of CVs will increase render times.

Editing Curves
182
Changing the Weight of CVs
● In practice, trying to model by weighting CVs is difficult
and usually not worth the effort on a large scale.

Tips and Notes

● To see the current weighting factor of a CV, pick the CV

and open the Information Window.
● Curves are created with all CV weights set to 1.0.

Purpose Change the sharpness of bends in a curve by setting the

multiplicity of CVs.

How To

To set the multiplicity of CVs

1
Smooth 1 Use Pick > Point Types > CV to pick all the CVs you want to
curve modify.

2 Click the Multiplicity icon, or choose Modify > Multiplicity from

the Curve Edit palette menu.
2
Sharp The Multiplicity tool sets the multiplicity of the picked CVs
bend to match the value in the option box (see below).

3 Type a number (1, 2 or 3) to set the multiplicity of the

picked CVs.
3
Corner

Important ● Some other software package cannot import StudioTools

wire files with multiplicity.
● Many of the advanced surfacing tools cannot work with
curves with multiplicity.

Editing Curves
184
Making Sharper Bends in Curves with Multiplicity
Options Multiplicity
The initial multiplicity the picked CVs are set to, when the
Multiplicity tool is selected.

Tips and Notes ● Often you can achieve the same sharpening effect by
placing several CVs close together, without using
multiplicity.
● Multiplicity only works on degree 3 curves or surfaces.

How To To move a keypoint

1 Click the Drag keypoints icon, or choose Drag keypoints from
the Xform palette menu.

2 Pick a keypoint and drag to move it.

◆ Remember that you must use snapping to move a
point in the perspective window.
◆ If you drag a line keypoint with the mouse over a
guideline, the point is constrained to the guideline.

To edit a keypoint attribute

1 Choose Windows > Information > Information window to open

the Information Window.

2 Pick the curve you want to edit.

3 Open the Attributes (or Ellipse Information) section of the

Information Window.

Editing Curves
186
Editing Keypoint Curves
Tips and Notes ● Dragging a part of a keypoint curve that is controlled by
an extra attribute will remove the extra attribute.
For example, if you change the angle of a line that was
drawn parallel to another line, the Line offset attribute will
no longer be available in the Information Window.
● When you join a keypoint curve to a normal curve,
keypoints are added to the normal curve. You can drag the
keypoints to stretch the curve. The curve shows up as an
arc with an Angle/Sweep of zero in the Information Window.

Keypoint Attributes

Length/ Angle/ Line Rel Arc Arc Major Minor

Curve type Sweep
Radius Sweep Offset Angle Compl. Offset Axis Axis

Line 4 4

Parallel Line 4 4 4

Line at Angle 4 4 4

Arc 4 4 4

Circle 4 4

Concentric 4 4 4
Arc

Ellipse 4 4 4

Note Composite curves created by Polyline and Line-arc list

separate attributes for each segment of the curve.

Length/Radius
For lines, the length of the line from the start point.
For arcs, the radius.

Angle/Sweep
For lines, the angle from the horizontal axis when it was
drawn.
For arcs, the number of degrees of a full circle.

Editing Curves
187
Editing Keypoint Curves
Line Offset
For parallel lines, the distance from the first line (or
tangent line if it’s a curve).

Rel Angle
For lines drawn at an angle, the relative angle from the
first line.

Arc Complement
Click this button to draw the arc in the opposite direction.

Arc Offset
For concentric arcs, the distance from the first arc.

Major Axis
For ellipses, the length of the major axis.

Minor Axis
For ellipses, the length of the minor axis.

Sweep (ellipse)
For ellipses, the Sweep the ellipse was drawn with (set in
the options window of the Ellipse tool. See Drawing
Keypoint Ellipses on page 175). You cannot edit this
attribute.

Editing Curves
188
Editing Keypoint Curves
Curve Edit > Stretching Curves
Modify > Stretch

Purpose Stretch or reshape a curve by moving handles attached to the

curve.

How To To stretch a curve by moving handles

1 Click the Stretch icon, or choose Modify > Stretch from the
Curve Edit palette menu.

2 Click the curve you want to stretch.

3 Handles appear on the curve, regularly spaced between

the beginning and end points.

4 Drag a handle to move that part of the curve and stretch

the rest of the curve.

To change the location of a handle on the curve

1 Hold down the Shift key and click a handle to turn it into a
locator.

2 Drag the locator along the curve.

3 Click the locator to turn it back into a handle.

Editing Curves
189
Stretching Curves
To change the number of handles

1 Double click the Stretch icon, or choose Modify > Stretch-❏

from the Curve Edit palette menu.

2 Set the Number of Points option to the number of handles

you want on the curve. You cannot use more handles than
the curve’s degree + 1. For example, a degree 3 curve
cannot have more than 4 handles.

3 Click Go.

4 Click a curve to use the Stretch tool.

Tips and Notes ● The Stretch tool is harder to explain than to use. Try
creating a curve and stretching it to see how the tool
works.
● You can still use curve, magnet, and grid snapping when
moving handles.
● You can use the Information Window to set the parameters of
the handles exactly.
● The first and last handles stay locked to their parameters
while dragging, even when the Parameter option is set to
Floating.

Options Number of Points

The number of handles (from 2 to 8) on the curve.
You cannot use more handles than the curve’s degree + 1.
For example, a degree 3 curve cannot have more than 4
handles.

This option is available Parameter

when the Number of Points Locked—the handles stay at the same parameter on the
is greater than 2.
curve as they move (default).
Floating—the handles can slide along the curve as you
drag it. This option minimizes the changes to the curve
from using Stretch. This option does not affect the first and
last handles.

Editing Curves
190
Stretching Curves
See Also ● Scaling Objects in the General Tools section of the Basic Tools
book.
● Changing the Dimensions of Objects in the General Tools
section of the Basic Tools book
● The section on the Information Window in the Interface
section of the Basic Tools book

Editing Curves
191
Stretching Curves
Curve Edit > Making Curves Intersect
Modify > Adjust
intersection

Purpose ● Modify a curve to intersect another where they cross in a

view window, at a specific edit point, or simply at the
closest point.
● Check for an intersection between two curves.

Overview The Adjust intersection tool has many options that let you vary
the behavior of the tool from almost automatic to full user
control.

Because of this, the procedures in the “How To” section are

more a small cookbook of common uses than a complete guide
to all that the Adjust intersection tool can do.

The following list explains the types of control available:

1 Decide what to do with the first curve (Modification Mode):
◆ move the entire curve (Global) to create an intersection,
◆ deform the curve (Segment) to create an intersection,
or
◆ simply check for an existing intersection (None).

2 If you choose to move or deform the curve, you must

decide where exactly the intersection will occur
(Intersection Selection):
◆ at the point where the curves cross visually in the
view window (View),
◆ at the closest point to the second curve (Closest), or

Editing Curves
192
Making Curves Intersect
◆ at a specific edit point on the first (Manual Base) or
second (Manual Target) curve.

3 If you choose to deform the curve you must decide which

part of the curve will be deformed (Segment Selection):
◆ the entire curve (Entire Curve),
◆ a segment of the curve automatically calculated based
on the other options (Auto), or
◆ a segment you choose by picking start and end edit
points (Manual).

4 If you choose to deform the curve you must also decide

whether the start/end point of the deformed segment
(Start/End Modification):
◆ can move (Free),
◆ stays fixed (Fixed), or
◆ stays fixed and maintains its tangent (Tangent Fixed).

Tip Once you set these options in the options window, messages
in the prompt line will lead you through the different steps
of using the tool.

How To To quickly move a curve to intersect another curve

1 Double-click the Adjust intersection icon, or choose

Modify > Adjust intersection-❏ from the Curve Edit palette
menu.

2 Set Modification Mode to Global. Set Intersection Selection to

◆ View if the curves already cross visually in the view
window.
◆ Closest if the curves are already close to the correct
intersection.
Then click Go.

3 Click the “base” curve. The Adjust intersection tool will

move this curve to intersect the “target” curve.

4 Click the target curve.

Editing Curves
193
Making Curves Intersect
5 The Adjust intersection tool moves the base curve and
creates an edit point at the new intersection if one does not
already exist.

To move a curve to intersect at a specific edit point with

another curve

1 Double-click the Adjust intersection icon, or choose

Modify > Adjust intersection-❏ from the Curve Edit palette
menu.

If the edit point is on the 2 Set Modification Mode to Global. Set Intersection Selection to
second (target) curve, use Manual Base. Then click Go.
Manual Target instead.

If you chose Manual Target, 3 Click an edit point on the base curve. The Adjust intersection
click the base curve tool will move this curve to intersect the target curve at
anywhere. this edit point.

If you chose Manual Target, 4 Click the target curve.

click an edit point on the
target curve. The Adjust 5 The Adjust intersection tool moves the base curve and
intersection tool will move creates an edit point on the target curve at the new
the base curve to intersect
this curve at this edit point. intersection if one does not already exist.

To deform one curve to intersect another at a specific edit

point

1 Double-click the Adjust intersection icon, or choose

Modify > Adjust intersection-❏ from the Curve Edit palette
menu.

2 Set Modification Mode to Segment. Set Intersection Selection to

Manual Target. Set Segment Selection to Manual. Then click
Go.

3 Click the base curve.

4 Pick two edit points on the base curve to define the

segment that will be deformed to create the intersection.

5 Click an edit point on the target curve. The Adjust

intersection tool will deform the base curve to intersect this
curve at this edit point.

Editing Curves
194
Making Curves Intersect
6 The Adjust intersection tool deforms the segment of the first
(base) curve and creates an edit point at the new
intersection if one does not already exist.

To check for an intersection between two curves

1 Double-click the Adjust intersection icon, or choose
Modify > Adjust intersection-❏ from the Curve Edit palette
menu.

2 Set Modification Mode to None. Then click Go.

3 Click one curve, then the other.

4 If an intersection already exists between the two curves,

an edit point is inserted on both curves at the intersection
(unless one already exists) and the prompt line reads:
Done intersecting.
If no intersection exists, nothing happens. The prompt line
reads:
With modification NONE, curves must
intersect. No edit points added.

Tips and Notes ● The first (base) curve must be degree 3. The second
(target) curve must be degree 1 or degree 3.

Options

Keep Originals
Keep a copy of the original curve before it is modified.

Editing Curves
195
Making Curves Intersect
Modification Mode

Control what the tool does with the curves.

Global
Move the first curve so that it intersects the target curve.

Segment
Modify the first curve using the Intersection Selection
setting so that it intersects the target curve.

None
If an intersection exists, an edit point is added to both
curves at the intersection (unless one already exists). This
option does not modify the shape or position of either
curve.

These options are available Intersection Selection

when the Modification Mode
is Global or Segment.
Manual Base
Asks you to click an edit point on the first (base) curve
where the curves will intersect.

Manual Target
Asks you to click an edit point on the second (target) curve
where the curves will intersect.

This option has no effect View

when used in a perspective Create the intersection where the curves cross in the view
window.
window.
◆ If the curves do not cross in the view, the Adjust
intersection tool reports an error and does not modify
the curves.
◆ If the curves cross more than once, the Adjust
intersection tool will ask you to click near the
intersection you want.

Closest
Move or deform the first (base) curve to intersect the
second (target) curve at the nearest possible point.
That is, the base curve moves or is deformed the
minimum distance necessary to intersect the target curve.

Editing Curves
196
Making Curves Intersect
These options are available Segment Options
when the Modification Mode
is Segment.

Segment Selection
Manual—asks you to pick the start and end edit point of
the segment to be modified.
Entire Curve—modifies the entire curve proportionally. The
curve is modified less the further from the intersection.
Auto— automatically picks the segment to be modified
based on the other options.

Start /End Modification

Free—the start/end of the modified segment can move.
Fixed—the start/end of the modified segment stays fixed.
Fixed Tangent—the start/end of the modified segment
stays fixed as well as its tangent.

Editing Curves
197
Making Curves Intersect
Curve Edit > Using the Curve Editor
Modify > Curve
editor

Purpose Change the tangent or position at any point along a curve or

curve on surface.

How To To edit a curve

1 Double-click the Curve editor icon, or choose Modify > Curve
editor-❏ from the Curve Edit palette menu. The Curve Editor
window opens.

2 Click the curve you want to edit.

3 The Curve Editor manipulator appears.

◆ Use the manipulator to edit the curve interactively, or
◆ Use the text boxes, sliders, and menus in the Curve
Editor window (see below).

Using the Curve Editor manipulator

Tangent Scale handle

Tangent Rotation handle

Position handle
Parameter handle

● Drag the Parameter handle to move the manipulator

along the curve. Or click the Parameter handle and type
an exact parameter.

Editing Curves
198
Using the Curve Editor
● Drag the Position handle to move the current point in
space.
◆ Drag with the left mouse button to move freely.
◆ Drag with the middle mouse button to move
horizontally.
◆ Drag with the right mouse button to move vertically.
● Drag the Tangent Rotation handle to change the direction
of the tangent at the current point.
● Drag the Tangent Scale handle to scale the tangent at the
current point.
● Click any of the handles and type exact values.

Tips and Notes ● You cannot use snapping with the Tangent Scale handle.

Curve Editor window

Tangent Adjustment

See Parameterization on Parameter

page 10. Type the parameter of the point along the curve you want
to edit.

Scale
Type a scale factor for the tangent.

Editing Curves
199
Using the Curve Editor
Rotation X/Y/Z
Type X, Y, and Z rotation factors for the tangent vector.
For curves on surface, one rotation factor (rotation in the
surface’s UV space) is available.

Xform Control menu

Tangent
Edit the position and tangent of the current point on the
curve. This is the normal mode.

Position
Edit the position of the current point on the curve. This
option adds extra options to the Region Control menu.
The tangent related handles are still available in the edit
window, and using them will return you to Tangent mode.

Region Control menu

n CVs
The number of surrounding CVs affected by the curve
editor, from 2 to “curve degree plus one”.
When Xform Control is set to Position, two extra choices are
available: 1 CV and All CVs. The All CVs option is useful for
manipulating a curve with a large number of spans.

Tangent Align menu

X/Y/Z Axis
Align the tangent with a world axis.

Reverse
Reverse the direction of the current tangent vector.

Control Tools menu

If the Region Control value Undo

has been changed, Undo will Undo the last change to the curve by the Curve editor at the
not work.
current parameter value.

Editing Curves
200
Using the Curve Editor
Next Crv
Keep changes to the current curve and pick another curve
to modify.

Done
Keep changes to the current curve and close the Curve
Editor window.

Purpose Modify a curve or surface edge to achieve tangency or

curvature continuity with a surface, or tangency with a curve
intersection.

Overview The Project tangent tool modifies a curve or surface edge to be

tangent to a plane taken from an existing surface, or from the
intersection of two construction curves.

Once you pick the surface, you can use the plane of that
surface, or a plane perpendicular to and/or rotated from the
surface, as the tangent for the curve. You can also create
curvature continuity between the curve and the surface.

Note The Align tool has a similar function, but it aligns a

curve with an isoparm or curve on surface. The Project
tangent tool establishes continuity with the surface
itself.

Editing Curves
202
Creating Continuity between Curves and Other Objects
Example Using Project tangent to prepare curves for Birail
1 In this example, we need to create a curved surface
between two existing surfaces, while maintaining
continuity.

2 We have drawn a construction curve with the surface

profile we want, using curve snap to make its endpoints
lie on the edges of the two surfaces.

3 We use project tangent at each end to make the curve

tangent to the surfaces.

4 We can repeat the procedure to make more profile curves.

5 Now that we have profile curves with tangent continuity,

we can use them as generation curves for the Birail tool.

Editing Curves
203
Creating Continuity between Curves and Other Objects
How To To make a curve continuous with a surface

1 Double-click the Project tangent icon, or choose

Project tangent-❏ from the Curve Edit palette menu. The
Project Tangent Adjustment control window appears.

Tip To project a curve using the same settings as the last time,
you do not have to open the Adjustment Control window.
Just click the Project tangent tool.

2 Click the curve or surface edge you want to modify, near

the end which intersects the surface.

3 Click the surface near the edge from which the curve will
project.

4 The tangent or curvature manipulator appears, depending

on the Xform Control setting. (See below.)
◆ Use the manipulator to set the tangent, tangent
magnitude, and curvature magnitude, or
◆ Use the text boxes, sliders, and menus in the
Adjustment control window (see below).

◆ Make sure Create History is checked in the Adjustment

control window.
You will almost always want construction history on. This
allows you to come back and edit the Project tangent
parameters even after you have exited the tool. When you
are satisfied with the tangent, you can delete the history
information with Delete > Del constr history.

5 When you are finished adjusting the curve, click another

curve, or choose another tool.

Editing Curves
204
Creating Continuity between Curves and Other Objects
To use the tangent/curvature manipulator

Click an axis line

to set the tangent
direction to a world
axis.

Click an arc to
change the rotation.

Click this box to

set the tangent
scale.
Tangent Manipulator
Long arrow indicates
projection direction.

When curvature is on,

the tangent angle is
limited.

Click this circle to set

the curvature
magnitude.
Curvature Manipulator

● Click an axis line to set the tangent direction.

● Click an arc, or the square, or circle (if available), then
drag the mouse left and right to change the value, or type
a number to set the value exactly.

To make a curve tangent to a curve intersection

1 Double-click the Project tangent icon, or choose

Project tangent-❏ from the Curve Edit palette menu. The
Adjustment control window appears.

Note Construction history is not available when projecting

from a curve intersection.

2 Click the curve or surface edge you want to modify.

Click near the end of the curve or edge where the curves
intersect.

Editing Curves
205
Creating Continuity between Curves and Other Objects
3 Click the two intersecting curves.

4 An indicator appears at the intersection.

◆ Drag the left mouse button to change the tangent scale
interactively.
◆ Drag the middle mouse button to change the tangent
rotation interactively.
◆ Type two numbers to set the scale and rotation angle
exactly, or
◆ Use the text boxes, sliders, and menus in the
Adjustment control window (see below).

5 When you are finished adjusting the curve, click another

curve, or choose another tool.

Note If, instead of tangent continuity, you want the curve’s

tangent to make a given angle with the tangent plane
of the pair of intersecting curves, drag the right mouse
button to change the tangent angle interactively, enter
the angle as the third number on the prompt line, or
adjust the slider in the control window.

Tips and Notes ● Project tangent allows align construction history on the
same curve provided that the two are modifying a
different end of the curve.
It does not, however, allow other types of history to be
modifying the same curve. For instance if blend curve or
symmetry plane align history already exists when
selecting the curve to modify, you will see a confirmation
box asking whether history can be deleted.

Editing Curves
206
Creating Continuity between Curves and Other Objects
Adjustment Control
Window

Tangent Adjustment Parameters

Scale
This scale factor adjusts the length of the tangent vector,
without modifying its direction.

Rotation
The degree of rotation in the tangent plane. A rotation of 0
gives the default projection [Link] positive and
negative numbers to rotate in different directions.

This option is only available Tangent Angle

when Xform Control is set to The degree of rotation out of the tangent plane. An angle
Tangent.
of 0 gives the default projection pitch (i.e. tangent
continuity). Use positive and negative numbers to rotate
in different directions. Changing this value will destroy
tangent continuity.

This option is only available Curvature

when Xform Control is set to The magnitude of the curvature modification. Modify the
Curvature.
shape of the curve without changing the curvature at the
join with the surface.

Editing Curves
207
Creating Continuity between Curves and Other Objects
Xform Control menu

Tangent
Create tangent continuity between the surface/
intersection and the curve.

This option is not available Curvature

when you project from a Create curvature continuity between the surface and the
curve intersection, or when
Tangent Align is set to curve.
Normal.
Region Control menu

This menu has no functionality. It contains only one item,

indicating the number of CVs that are modified by the tool
(equal to the curve degree plus one).

If the curve is modified at its endpoint, only two CVs are

affected for tangent continuity and only three for curvature
(and this menu value is ignored).

Tangent Align menu

U/V
Project the tangent onto the U or V direction of the surface.

This option disables Normal

Curvature in the Xform Project the tangent onto the surface’s normal at the edge.
Control menu.
This makes the curve perpendicular to the surface, instead
of tangent. It is equivalent to a Tangent Angle of 90.0
degrees.

Reverse
Reverse the direction of the current tangent vector.

Note The U, V, and Normal commands set the type of

alignment. The Reverse command reverses the current
tangent direction, but does not change the type of
alignment.

Editing Curves
208
Creating Continuity between Curves and Other Objects
Control Tools menu

This option is exactly the Undo

same as Edit > Undo in the Undo all changes to the curve by the Project tangent tool.
main modeling window.

Next Crv
Keep changes to the current curve and pick another curve
to modify.

Done
Keep changes to the current curve and close the Adjustment
control window.

Control Options

Create History
Save the Project tangent history of this curve for later
editing. If you turn on Create History, you can come back
later and change the options in the Adjustment control
window.

Purpose Prepare curves for use with other tools:

● Simplify curves and curves on surface by removing
extraneous edit points.
● Increase curve definition by inserting edit points in
segments with high curvature.
● Remove multi-knots.
● Match the degree, parameterization, and edit point
parameters of another curve.
● Convert a curve to uniform parameterization.
● Convert a curve to a different degree.
● Convert interior isoparms and trim edges into curves on
surface.

How To To simplify curves

1 Double-click the Rebuild curve icon, or choose
Rebuild curve-❏ from the Curve Edit palette menu. The
Rebuild Curve options window appears.

2 In the Rebuild Curve window,

◆ Choose Reduce Spans from the Rebuild Type popup.
◆ Turn Auto Recalc on.
◆ Set the initial Tolerance. A low value creates a more
exact copy but simplifies the curve less. A high value
is less exact but simplifies more.

Editing Curves
210
Rebuilding Complex Curves
3 Click the curves to rebuild.

4 Click Go to simplify the curves.

◆ When Auto Recalc is on, you can move the Tolerance
slider and the rebuilt curve will automatically update.
◆ If the rebuild is unsatisfactory, click Undo in the Rebuild
Curve window and change the settings.

To add edit points to curves with high curvature

1 Double-click the Rebuild curve icon, or choose

Rebuild curve-❏ from the Curve Edit palette menu. The
Rebuild Curve options window appears.

2 In the Rebuild Curve window,

◆ Choose Curvature from the Rebuild Type popup.
◆ Turn Auto Recalc on.
◆ Set the initial Tolerance. A low value creates a more
exact copy and inserts more new edit points. A high
value is less exact and adds less new edit points.
◆ Set Max Spans Type to Absolute if you don’t want the
number of spans to exceed a certain number (Max
Spans), otherwise use Relative.

3 Click the curves to rebuild.

4 Click Go to rebuild the curves.

◆ When Auto Recalc is on, you can change the settings
and the rebuilt curve will automatically update.
◆ If the rebuild is unsatisfactory, click Undo in the Rebuild
Curve window and change the settings.

Editing Curves
211
Rebuilding Complex Curves
To remove multi-knots from curves

1 Double-click the Rebuild curve icon, or choose

Rebuild curve-❏ from the Curve Edit palette menu. The
Rebuild Curve options window appears.

2 In the Rebuild Curve window, choose Del Multi-Knots from

the Rebuild Type popup.

3 Click the curves to rebuild.

4 Click Go to remove multi-knots from the curves.

To match the parameterization of curves to an example

curve

1 Double-click the Rebuild curve icon, or choose

Rebuild curve-❏ from the Curve Edit palette menu. The
Rebuild Curve options window appears.

2 In the Rebuild Curve window, choose Match Knots from the

Rebuild Type popup.

3 Click the curves to rebuild.

4 Click Go.

5 Click the curve to take the knot values (parameters) from.

The curves are re-parameterized with the same knot
values and degree as the example curve. This may cause
the curves to change shape.

6 If the rebuild is unsatisfactory, click Undo in the Rebuild

Curve window and change the settings.

To convert curves to uniform parameterization

1 Double-click the Rebuild curve icon, or choose

Rebuild curve-❏ from the Curve Edit palette menu.
The Rebuild Curve options window appears.

Editing Curves
212
Rebuilding Complex Curves
2 In the Rebuild Curve window, choose Uniform Knots from the
Rebuild Type popup.

3 Click the curves to rebuild.

4 Click Go to convert the curves to uniform

parameterization.

Tips and Notes ● If you click an isoparm or trim edge with the Rebuild curve
tool, it will be rebuilt into a curve on surface.
Curves on surface, trim curves, and isoparms can only be
rebuilt as degree 1 or 3 curves.
● To rebuild a curve using the same settings as the last time,
you do not have to open the Rebuild Curve window. Just
click the Rebuild curve tool.
● If Keep Originals is off, the new curve replaces the old curve
in the SBD hierarchy.
If Keep Originals is on, the new curve is given the name of
the old curve with “rebuild” appended to the beginning.

Rebuild Curve Option

Window

Editing Curves
213
Rebuilding Complex Curves
Rebuild Type

Curvature
Increase curve definition by inserting edit points in
segments with high curvature.

Reduce Spans
Simplify the curve by removing extraneous edit points.

Del Multi Knots

Remove multi-knots from the curve.

Uniform Knots
Convert the curve to uniform parameterization.

Match Knots
Convert the curve to match the parameterization and
degree of another curve.

These settings appear when Curvature settings

Rebuild Type is Curvature.

Tolerance
The amount of deviation from the original curve
permitted during the rebuild (in current linear units).
A low number matches the original more exactly, and
inserts more points. A high number does not match the
original as well, and inserts fewer points.

Max Spans Type

Absolute—the maximum number of spans in the new
curve is equal to Max Spans.
Relative—the maximum number of spans in the new curve
is equal to the current number of spans times the Max
Spans Factor.

Editing Curves
214
Rebuilding Complex Curves
This option appears when Max Spans
Max Spans Type is Absolute. Specify the maximum number of spans allowed in the
new curve, when Max Spans Type is Absolute.

This option appears when Max Spans Factor

Max Spans Type is Relative. Specify a multiplicative factor. When Max Spans Type is
Relative, the maximum number of spans allowed in the
new curve is the current number of spans times this factor.

See Degree on page 12. Change Degree

On—Change the degree of the curve as it is rebuilt. A
slider appears allowing you to set the degree of the rebuilt
curve. Curves on surface, trim curves, and isoparms can
only be rebuilt as degree 1 or 3.
Off—Do not change the curve degree.

These settings appear when Reduce Spans settings

Rebuild Type is Reduce
Spans.

Tolerance
The amount of deviation from the original curve
permitted during the rebuild (in current linear units).
A low number matches the original more exactly, but does
not simplify the curve as much. A high number does not
match the original as well, but simplifies more.

These settings appear when Uniform Knots settings

Rebuild Type is Uniform
Knots.

Change Number of CVs

On—Change the number of CVs (and hence of spans) in
the rebuilt curve. A slider appears allowing you to set the
number of spans.
Off—The number of CVs in the rebuilt curve is equal to the
number of CVs in the original.

Editing Curves
215
Rebuilding Complex Curves
See Degree on page 12. Change Degree
On—Change the degree of the curve as it is rebuilt. A
slider appears allowing you to set the degree of the rebuilt
curve. Curves on surface, trim curves, and isoparms can
only be rebuilt as degree 1 or 3.
Off—Do not change the curve degree.

Control Options

Smoothing
After rebuilding, automatically switch to the Smooth tool
to allow you to smooth the resulting curve.

Interactive
Specify an arbitrary surface isoparm to rebuild, rather
than a visible one.

MixMax Display
Automatically create a Min-Max deviation comb between
the original and rebuilt curves.

Auto Recalc.
Automatically update the new curve when the values in
the Rebuild Curve window change.

Keep Originals
Keep the original curve after creating the rebuilt curve.

Buttons

Recalc
When Auto Recalc. is turned off, use this button to update
the rebuilt curve with the current values.

Editing Curves
216
Rebuilding Complex Curves
Undo
Undo all the changes made by the Rebuild curve tool and
return to the original curve.

Next
Finish rebuilding the current curve and prompt for a new
curve to rebuild.

Examples ● If you have a series of profile curves, you will usually

want to flatten them before building surfaces from them.
● To put planar caps on a cylinder, you must flatten the
edges.

How To To flatten a curve

1 Click the Curve planarize icon, or choose Curve planarize
from the Curve Edit palette menu.

2 Pick the curves or surface edges you want to flatten.

◆ When picking curves, you can use the pick box.
◆ When picking surface edges, you must pick them
individually.

3 Click Go to flatten the curves.

4 If you are using the User Defined Plane option, click the
construction plane unto which the curve(s) will be
flattened.

Editing Curves
218
Flattening Curves onto a Plane
Tips and Notes ● To flatten a curve to an exact, non-axis plane (that is, not
XY, YZ or XZ), create a construction plane and use the User
Defined Plane option.

Options

Default Projection Plane

Best—calculate the plane that best fits the existing curve.
That is, the plane which forces the least modification to the
curve.
Axis—flatten the curve onto an axis plane (XY, YZ, or XZ).
User Defined Plane—flatten the curve onto an existing
construction plane.

This option appears when Lock Ends

the Default Projection Plane Do not move the endpoints while flattening. This allows
is Best.
you to maintain existing intersections.

This option appears when Principal Plane

the Default Projection Plane Choose a plane (XY, YZ or XZ) to flatten the curve onto.
is Axis.

Keep Originals
Keep the old curve(s) after flattening.

Editing Curves
219
Flattening Curves onto a Plane
See Also ● Reference Planes and Construction Planes on page 46 for
details on how to use the Plane Manipulator.

Editing Curves
220
Flattening Curves onto a Plane
Creating Curves from Other
Curves

In This Section Duplicating Curves 222

Projecting Two Planar Curves into a 3D Curve 226
Adding a Fillet Between Curves 229
Cutting and Joining Keypoint Curves 233
Detaching a Curve at the Points of Inflection 235
Deleting a Segment of a Curve 236
Sectioning Curves 237

221
Curve Edit > Duplicating Curves
Create > Duplicate
curve

Purpose Create a free curve copy of a free curve, curve on surface, trim
edge, or interior isoparm at the exact same position.

The common uses of Duplicate curve are:

● Converting isoparms, edges, and curves on surface to free
curves.
● Creating quick, exact copies of free curves without
resetting all the options of Edit > Duplicate object-❏.

How To

To duplicate one or more curve

1 Click the Duplicate curve icon, or choose
Create > Duplicate curve from the Curve Edit palette menu.
(If some curves or curves on surface were already picked,
they are duplicated.)

Click this CoS and this isoparm 2 Click any free curves, curves on surface, trim edges or
interior isoparms you want to duplicate.

3 When you are finished duplicating, choose another tool.

To create a curve from an arbitrary isoparm

Use this procedure to create a free curve from a surface

isoparm that is not currently visible.
Duplicate them as free curves

Creating Curves from Other Curves

222
Duplicating Curves
1 Pick nothing.

2 Double-click the Duplicate curve icon, or choose Create >

Duplicate curve-❏ from the Curve Edit palette menu.

3 In the Duplicate Curve window, turn on Interactive.

4 In a view window, click an existing isoparm on the

Locator
surface. A locator appears on the surface.

5 Drag to the arbitrary isoparm location, or type an exact

parameter.

6 Click Go to create a free curve from this isoparm.

Tips and Notes ● The Duplicate curve tool duplicates any curves that are
picked when you click the tool, and any curves you click
while the tool is active.
● Remember, the new curve occupies the same space as the
original, so in many cases you will not actually see the
separate curves until you move one of them.
● Because they use different mathematical representations,
free curves duplicated from curves on surface and trim
edges are only close approximations of the originals.
● The new curve’s DAG node is not grouped, regardless of
the grouping of the original curve. All transformations of
the original curve are applied directly to the CVs of the
new curve.

Duplicate Curve window

Creating Curves from Other Curves

223
Duplicating Curves
Duplicate Type

No Rebuild
Do not rebuild the curve after duplicating it.

See Rebuild Curve Option Curvature, Reduce Spans, Del Multi Knots, Uniform Knots,
Window on page 213. Match Knots
Rebuild the curve after duplicating it.
See the discussion of the Rebuild Type option of the Rebuild
curve tool for information on the rebuild types and their
options.

Control Options

Smoothing
After duplicating, automatically switch to the Smooth tool
to allow you to smooth the resulting curve.

Interactive
Allows you to specify an arbitrary surface isoparm to
duplicate, rather than a visible one.

MixMax Display
Automatically create a Min-Max deviation comb for the
original and duplicated/rebuilt curves.

Auto Recalc.
Automatically update the new curve when the values in
the Duplicate Curve window change.

Buttons

Recalc
When Auto Recalc. is turned off, use this button to update
the duplicated curve with the current values.

Undo
Undo all the changes made by the Duplicate Curve tool and
return to the original curve.

Creating Curves from Other Curves

224
Duplicating Curves
Next
Finish duplicating the current curve and prompt for a new
curve to duplicate.

See Also ● Duplicating Objects in the General Tools section of the Basic
Tools book
● Smoothing on page 126
● Rebuilding Complex Curves on page 210
● Adding Min/Max Deviation Measurements on page 419

Creating Curves from Other Curves

225
Duplicating Curves
Curve Edit > Projecting Two Planar Curves into a 3D
Create > Combine
Curve
curves

Purpose Create a 3D curve from two planar curves representing

orthogonal projections.

Use this tool to create 3D curves from traditional “plan and

elevation” type drawings.

Overview

This tool takes two planar profile curves and uses them as
orthogonal views to draw a 3D curve. This is essentially the
reverse of the process by which 3D curves in your scene are
projected into the 2D orthogonal windows (Top, Front, and
Right).

As shown in the illustration at left, the tool matches 2D points

from the two profile curves (for example, an XY point on the
“top view” curve and a YZ point on the “right side view”
curve) into a 3D points on the new curve.

(This example uses a right and top view, but you could also
use a right view and a front view, or a front view and a top
view).

Creating Curves from Other Curves

226
Projecting Two Planar Curves into a 3D Curve
How To To create a 3D curve from two planar orthogonal curves

See Flattening Curves onto a 1 Make sure the curves are planar. You can use the Curve
Plane on page 218. planarize tool to flatten the curves.

2 Click the Combine curve icon, or choose

Create > Combine curve from the Curve Edit palette menu.

3 Click the first profile curve.

4 Click the second profile curve.

5 If Automatic Direction is off, or if Combine curve cannot figure

out the projection directions, it will prompt you to enter
◆ the projection axis of the first curve (x, y or z), and
◆ the projection axis of the second curve (x, y, or z).

6 Combine curve creates the curve by projecting the two

planar curves into a 3D curve.
In some cases more than one solution may be possible. In
these cases, Combine curve creates all the possible curves.
When it is finished, delete the curves you don’t want.

Tips and Notes ● If the Create History option is on, you can edit the profile
curves and the 3D curve will automatically update.
● In most cases you will want to use the Rebuild curve tool to
reduce the complexity of the resulting curve (see
Rebuilding Complex Curves on page 210).

Options Automatic Direction

Try to figure out the projection axes for the two curves
automatically. Leave this option on unless Combine curve
guesses wrong and you need to set the axes manually.
In some cases the Combine curve tool cannot automatically
figure out the projection directions (for example, if the two
curves are in the same plane). In these cases, you must
type the projection axes for the first and second profile
curves.

Creating Curves from Other Curves

227
Projecting Two Planar Curves into a 3D Curve
Create History
Save the Combine curve history for later editing. If you turn
on Create History, you can edit the profile curves and the
combined curve will automatically update.

Creating Curves from Other Curves

228
Projecting Two Planar Curves into a 3D Curve
Curve Edit > Adding a Fillet Between Curves
Create > Fillet
curves

Purpose Create a fillet curve between two existing curves.

How To To create a fillet with a specific radius

1 Double-click the Fillet curves icon, or choose

Create > Fillet curves-❏ from the Curve Edit palette menu.

2 Set Construction to Circular, then click Go.

3 Click the first curve approximately where you want the

fillet to touch the curve.
If the two curves intersect, click the segment of the first
curve that you want to create a fillet for. If Trim Curves is
on, click the segment of the first curve that you want to
keep.

4 Click the second curve approximately where you want the

fillet to touch the curve.
If the two curves intersect, click the segment of the second
curve that you want to create a fillet for. If Trim Curves is
on, click the segment of the second curve that you want to
keep.
StudioTools displays how the fillet will appear.

5 If you want a different radius from the default (displayed

in the prompt line), type the new radius.

Creating Curves from Other Curves

229
Adding a Fillet Between Curves
If the current radius is too small or too large to build a
fillet near the point you clicked, the Fillet curves tool
reports an error. Type a new radius and try again.
If you do not want to create the fillet, select Pick > Nothing.

6 Click Accept.
StudioTools builds the fillet.
When the fillet is built, the original curves are trimmed to
both ends of the fillet. To keep the curves intact, turn off
the Trim Curves option.

To create a fillet between two specific points on the

curves

1 Double-click the Fillet curves icon, or choose

Create > Fillet curves-❏ from the Curve Edit palette menu.

2 Set Construction to Freeform, then click Go.

3 Click the first curve at the point you want the fillet to
begin.

4 Click the second curve at the point you want the fillet to
end.

5 Curve locators appear on the two curves where you

clicked.
◆ Drag the locators to move the contact points of the
fillet on the curves.
◆ Click Go to create the fillet.

6 If Blend Control is on, after the fillet is created you can click
the Tangent and Blend buttons in the bottom right corner of
the view window to see the different types of fillet. Click
Go again to finish the fillet.

Creating Curves from Other Curves

230
Adding a Fillet Between Curves
Tips and Notes ● If Create History is on in the options, you can edit the
curves and the fillet will be automatically updated.

Options

Construction
Circular—create a circular fillet with a true radius.
Freeform—create a fillet between two contact points.
Circular + Lead—create a circular fillet by specifying the
radius where the fillet blends with the original curves
(Lead Radius) and the radius at the knee of the fillet
(Radius).

This option is available Freeform Type

when Construction is Tangent—project the tangents at the two contact points,
Freeform, or Blend Control is
on. and create the fillet in the direction of the tangent
intersection.
Blend—average the positions of the two contact points to
create the fillet. Blend fillets sometimes have an inflection
and tend to be shallower than Tangent fillets.

Creating Curves from Other Curves

231
Adding a Fillet Between Curves
This option is available Radius
when Construction is The default radius of circular fillets. You can enter a new
Circular or Circular + Lead.
value at the prompt line when you use the tool.

This option is available Calculate

when Construction is Lead Radius—when you set the Radius value, StudioTools
Circular + Lead.
automatically updates the Lead Radius value.
Knee Ratio—when you set the Radius value, StudioTools
automatically updates the Knee Ratio value.

This option is available Lead Radius

when Construction is The radius of the fillet where the fillet blends with the
Circular + Lead.
original curves.

This option is available Knee ratio

when Construction is Specify a radius at the center (or knee) of the fillet as a ratio
Circular + Lead.
(or multiple) of the original radius.

The resulting fillet, of course, will not be truly circular, but

its endpoints will correspond to those of a circular fillet
with the original radius.
Knee ratio = 2.0
Radius at center Blend Control
is now 3.0 Allows you to change the fillet type (Tangent or Blend) after
Circular fillet. Radius =1.5
it is created.

Trim Curves
Automatically trim the original curves back to the
endpoints of the fillet.

Create History
Save the Fillet curves history for later editing. If you turn on
Create History, you can edit the original curves and the fillet
will automatically update.

Creating Curves from Other Curves

232
Adding a Fillet Between Curves
Curve Edit > Cutting and Joining Keypoint Curves
Cut/Join >
Break curve at
keypoint, Join curves

Purpose ● Cut a keypoint curve at a keypoint to create two new

keypoint curves.
● Join a keypoint curve to another curve at their
overlapping endpoints.

How To To cut a keypoint curve

1 Click the Break curve at keypoint icon, or choose

Cut/Join > Break curve at keypoint from the Curve Edit palette
menu.

2 Click a keypoint on a keypoint curve.

The Break curve at keypoint tool breaks the keypoint curve

into two curves at the point where you clicked.

Creating Curves from Other Curves

233
Cutting and Joining Keypoint Curves
To join a keypoint curve to another curve
1 Make sure the keypoints you want to join overlap in the
view window.

2 Click the Join Curves icon, or choose Cut/Join > Join Curves
from the Curve Edit palette menu.

3 Click the point where the endpoints of the two curves

overlap.

The Join curves tool joins the curves into a composite

keypoint curve.
If the two curves had different degrees, the composite
curve will have the higher degree. This may cause the
insertion of multi-knots on the curve.

Tips and Notes ● Use Edit > Undo to undo the effects of the
Break curve at keypoint and Join curves tools.

● If you join a keypoint curve to a normal curve, keypoints

are added to the curve.
● Use the Break curve at keypoint tool to break single lines and
arcs at their midpoints, and composite curves at
midpoints and between segments.

Creating Curves from Other Curves

234
Cutting and Joining Keypoint Curves
Curve Edit > Cut/ Detaching a Curve at the Points of
Join > Break curve
Inflection
at inflections

Purpose Automatically detach a curve at all the inflection points.

How To To break a curve into separate curves at all inflection points

1 Click the Break curve at inflections icon, or choose Cut/
Join > Break curve at inflections from the Curve Edit palette
menu.

2 Pick the curves you want to break. Click a curve again to

unpick it.
The Break curve at inflections tool highlights the inflection
points on the picked curve(s) with red arrows.

1 curve with 2 inflection pts

3 Click Go to detach the curve(s) at each inflection point.

after detaching: 3 curves

Tips and Notes ● Use Edit > Undo to restore the original curve.
● When a curve is cut by the Break curve at inflections tool,
only one of the new curves will retain construction history.

Creating Curves from Other Curves

235
Detaching a Curve at the Points of Inflection
Curve Edit > Cut/ Deleting a Segment of a Curve
Join > Delete
segment

Purpose Delete spans of a curve between two edit points without

changing the shape of the curve.

How To To delete spans from a curve

1 Click the Delete segment icon, or choose

Cut/Join > Delete segment from the Curve Edit palette menu.

2 Click the span between two edit points you want to delete.
The Delete segment tool removes the span from the curve.

If the span was not at one of the ends of the curve, the
original curve is separated into two curves.

3 You can continue to delete spans, or choose another tool.

Tips and Notes ● Use Edit > Undo to restore the last deleted segment. There is
only one level of undo.
● When a curve is separated by the Delete curve segment tool,
only one of the new curves will retain construction history.
● If the curve has keypoints, this tool will remove them.
● If a blend curve is attached to the segment you delete, the
blend curve may change unpredictably.
If this happens, use Undo to restore the segment. Then
delete construction history from the blend curve or detach
it from the segment you want to delete.

Creating Curves from Other Curves

236
Deleting a Segment of a Curve
Curve Edit > Sectioning Curves
Curve section

Purpose Define points on a group of curves at:

● Intersections with a free curve, surface, reference plane or
construction plane.
● Specific parameters.
● Specific distances from their endpoints.

Then use these points to do one of the following:

● Trim the curves.
● Detach the curves.
● Insert edit points.
● Create a curve that passes through the intersections.

Creating Curves from Other Curves

237
Sectioning Curves
How To To section a group of curves at the intersections with a
sectioning curve or surface

1 Double-click the Curve section icon, or choose

Curve section-❏ from the Curve Edit palette menu.
◆ To trim the curves, set the Sectioning Mode to Trim.
◆ To detach the curves, set the Sectioning Mode to
Segment.
◆ To insert edit points on the curves, set the Sectioning
Mode to Slice and the Slice Creation Mode to Insert Edit
Points.
◆ To create a new curve that passes through the
intersections, set the Sectioning Mode to Slice and the
Slice Creation Mode to Create Curve.

2 Set the Sectioning Criterion to Geometry. Then click Go.

3 Pick the curves you want to trim. You can draw a pick box
to pick multiple curves at once.
◆ Pick the curves in the view window where the curves
and the sectioning curve/surface intersect.
◆ For trims, click the part of the curve you want to keep.
Red arrows show the “kept” part of the curve.
◆ Pick a curve again to unpick it.

4 Click the Go button.

5 Click the curve, surface, or construction plane you want to

section with.
If there is a problem, you can use Undo to reverse the
operation.

To section a group a curves based on parameter or

distance

1 Double-click the Curve section icon, or choose

Curve section-❏ from the Curve Edit palette menu.
◆ To trim the curves, set the Sectioning Mode to Trim.
◆ To detach the curves, set the Sectioning Mode to
Segment.

Creating Curves from Other Curves

238
Sectioning Curves
◆ To insert edit points on the curves, set the Sectioning
Mode to Slice and the Slice Creation Mode to Insert Edit
Points.
◆ To create a new curve that passes through the
intersections, set the Sectioning Mode to Slice and the
Slice Creation Mode to Create Curve.

2 Set the Sectioning Criterion:

◆ To section each curve at a specific parameter, set the
criterion to Point.
◆ To section each curve at a specific length, set the
criterion to Distance.

3 Click Go.

4 Pick the curves you want to trim.

◆ For trims, click the part of the curve you want to keep.
Red arrows show the “kept” part of the curve.
◆ Pick a curve again to unpick it.
◆ Green locators show the current sectioning point for
each curve. Click on a locator to see the corresponding
parameter/distance on the prompt line.
Using Trim option ◆ Drag the green locators to change the sectioning point
on a curve, or click a locator and type an exact value.

5 Click the Go button.

If there is a problem you can use Undo to reverse the
operation.

6 After the Trim/Segment/Slice operation, locators

reappear on each curve segment. Drag them to another
location if you want to continue sectioning.

7 Click another tool to exit Curve section.

Tips and Notes ● If you pick the curves to section in an orthographic

windows, the intersections are visual. That is, where the
curves appear to cross in the view window.
Remember to pick the curves in the orthographic view
where they cross the sectioning curve or surface.

Creating Curves from Other Curves

239
Sectioning Curves
● If you pick the curves to section in a perspective window,
the intersections are exact. The curves must actually
intersect the sectioning curve or surface in space.
● Using the Section curves tool with the Segment and Point
options effectively allows you to detach a curve at an
arbitrary parameter.

Options

Sectioning Mode
Trim—trim back curves by deleting the part of the curve
beyond the intersection point. The part of the curve you
clicked on is retained.
Segment—detach the curves at the intersections.
Slice—has different effect depending on the Slice Creation
Mode.

This option is available Slice Creation Mode

when Sectioning Mode is Create Curve—create a curve that passes through the
Slice.
intersections.
Insert Edit Points—insert new edit points at the
intersections.

Creating Curves from Other Curves

240
Sectioning Curves
Insert Points—insert reference points at the intersections.
See Reference Points on page 42.

Sectioning Criterion
Geometry—perform sectioning operation at the
intersections with a free curve, surface, or construction
plane.
Point—perform sectioning operation at a specified
parameter on each curve.
Distance—perform sectioning operation at a specified
distance from the start point of each curve.

Creating Curves from Other Curves

241
Sectioning Curves
Creating Curves from Other Curves
242
Sectioning Curves
Building Surfaces

In This Section Making a Planar Face from Bounding Curves 246

Skinning a Surface across Curves 249
Revolving a Curve 255
Extruding a Curve 259
Sweeping a Curve along a Path 263
Sweeping a Curve along Two Paths with Birail 273
Sweeping an Animated Curve 283
Building from Three/Four Boundary Curves 288
Building from Four Boundary Curves with Continuity 291
Building an N-Sided Surface 301
Extruding with a Beveled Edge 308
Creating a Fillet between Surfaces 311
Blending a New Surface between Surface Boundaries 317
Creating Rounded Edges, Corners, and Fillets 319
Using Draft, Flange, and Collar 325
Combining Several Surfaces into One 332

243
Surfaces Palette Summary

Icon Surfaces > For more information...

Set planar Making a Planar Face from Bounding

Curves on page 246

Revolve Revolving a Curve on page 255

Skin Skinning a Surface across Curves on

page 249

Swept surfaces > Extrude Extruding a Curve on page 259

Swept Surfaces > Swept Sweeping a Curve along a Path on

page 263

Swept Surfaces > Birail Sweeping a Curve along Two Paths

with Birail on page 273

Swept Surfaces > Anim sweep Sweeping an Animated Curve on

page 283

Boundary surfaces > Square Building from Four Boundary Curves

with Continuity on page 291

Building Surfaces
244
Surfaces Palette Summary
Icon Surfaces > For more information...

Boundary Surfaces > Boundary Building from Three/Four Boundary

Curves on page 288

Boundary Surfaces > N-sided Building an N-Sided Surface on

page 301

Fillet surfaces > Bevel Extruding with a Beveled Edge on

page 308

Fillet surfaces > Fillet Creating a Fillet between Surfaces on

page 311

Fillet surfaces > Blend Blending a New Surface between

Surface Boundaries on page 317

Fillet surfaces > Round Creating Rounded Edges, Corners,

and Fillets on page 319

Curve networks Curve Networks on page 451

Draft Using Draft, Flange, and Collar on

page 325

Combine surfaces Combining Several Surfaces into One

on page 332

Building Surfaces
245
Surfaces Palette Summary
Surfaces > Making a Planar Face from Bounding
Set planar
Curves

Purpose Create a planar face or trimmed NURBS surface from a set of

planar boundary curves.

Overview

Faces are lightweight, planar objects that render quickly. They

have no V parameters or isoparms and are not supported by
tools that work on surfaces. Because they are geometrically
more closely related to curves than surfaces, they will,
however, work with most curve editing tools. In many cases,
Face Trimmed unless you are trying to reduce file size and rendering time,
surface you will want to use the trimmed surface option instead.

The Trim Surface option simply creates a NURBS plane, then

trims it to look like the surface you want. This is clear if you
use the Untrim tool on a trim surface created with Set planar.
Trimmed surfaces are much more versatile than faces, but
render slower.

Display

Faces are represented in view windows as a thick curve. When

rendered, the two kinds of planar surfaces look identical.

Building Surfaces
246
Making a Planar Face from Bounding Curves
How To To create a planar face
1 Double click the Set planar icon, or choose Set planar-❏
from the Surfaces palette menu.

2 Set the Surface Type to Face, then click Go.

3 Click the closed outer boundary curve. This curve defines

the outer edge of the face, and encloses any holes (“inner
faces”) in the face.
The curve line thickens, indicating it is now the border of a
face.

4 If you want holes in the face, click closed curves inside the
outer curve.

5 When you are finished, click the Set planar tool again to
create another face, or choose another tool.

To create a planar trimmed surface

1 Double click the Set planar icon, or choose Set planar-❏
from the Surfaces palette menu.

2 Set the Surface Type to Trim Surface, then click Go.

3 Click all the curves that define the planar surface.

◆ Curves that cross other curves become part of the

perimeter.

◆ Curves that are completely enclosed by other curves

become holes.

◆ Curves may be separate from each other. This will

create what appears to be separate surfaces.

Building Surfaces
247
Making a Planar Face from Bounding Curves
4 Click Go.

5 The Set planar tool creates a NURBS plane and then trims it
using the curves you clicked.

Tips and Notes ● The “planar-ness” of trimmed surfaces is not

automatically maintained. If you modify the surface, it can
bend and warp like any 3D surface.
● The Set planar tool only works with planar curves (curves
whose points are all in the same plane). Use the Curves >
Curve planarize tool to make sure the curves are planar (see
Flattening Curves onto a Plane on page 218).

● Faces have a unique icon in the SBD window, shown at

left.
● You can mix boundary curves of different degrees when
Face icon creating faces and trim surfaces.

Options Surface Type

Face—create special, lightweight face objects.
Trim Surface—create trimmed NURBS surfaces.

This option is only available Create History

when Surface Type is set to Save the history of the new planar surface for later editing.
Trim Surface.
If you turn Create History on, you can modify the curves
that were used to create the surface, and the surface will
update.

Purpose Create a surface by “skinning” a NURBS surface across cross-

section curves. This is the simplest and most common tool for
creating a surface quickly.

How To To skin a surface along a series of curves (with Auto

Recalc on)
1 Click the Skin icon, or choose Skin from the Surfaces palette
menu.

2 Click the first curve to skin from.

3 Click the second curve.

4 The Skin tool creates a surface between the two curves.

◆ Hold the Shift key and click more curves to continue
building the surface. The new surface automatically
updates as more curves are added.
◆ Shift-click the previous curve again to deselect it and
undo the last part of the surface. Curves can be
deselected all the way back to the first curve.

Building Surfaces
249
Skinning a Surface across Curves
◆ Click a curve without holding Shift to start a new
surface.

To skin a surface along a series of curves (with Auto

Recalc off)

1 Double-click the Skin icon, or choose Skin-❏ from the

Surfaces palette menu.

2 Turn Auto Recalc off, then click Go.

3 Click the first curve to skin from.

4 The curve is highlighted.

◆ Click the remaining curves for the surface
◆ Click the previous curve again to deselect it.

5 When you are done adding curves, click Go to build the

surface.

Tips and Notes ● The best way to minimize problems with the resulting
surface is to create the first curve, and duplicate it to create
the other cross-section curves. This way all the curves will
have the same degree and parameterization.
● If you are having problems skinning between curves that
have a very different parameterization, turn the Rebuild
option on.

Building Surfaces
250
Skinning a Surface across Curves
● Surfaces created with Chord Length parameterized curves
(drawn with the New curve (edit pts) tool) are more complex
than surfaces created from uniformly parameterized
curves.

Options

Skinning Mode

This option controls the V parameterization of the new

surface.

Interpolate
Place V isoparms at the locations of the original curves.
This is the default.

This option cannot be used Cubic Fit

when creating a degree 1 Place V isoparms according to a fitting algorithm. In some
surface.
cases this option can eliminate unwanted variations in the
skinned surface.

Building Surfaces
251
Skinning a Surface across Curves
Topology

Open
Leave the resulting surface open.

Closed
Connect the first curve to the last curve to create a closed
(periodic) surface.

U Knot Spacing

The U direction of the surface runs along the original

construction curves. This option controls how the U
parameters relate to the actual surface. See Parameterization on
page 10.

3.0 3.0 Uniform

2.0 The isoparms corresponding to edit points on the original
2.0 construction curves will have integral parameters: the first
U
1.0 edit point will be parameter 0.0, the second will be 1.0, and
1.0 so on.
0.0 0.0

4.6 4.6 Arc Length

3.1 The new curve’s edit points will be parameterized by the
3.1 average length along the original construction curves at
U
2.8 those points.
2.8
0.0 0.0 The starting edge of the surface has the parameter 0.0, and
the opposite edge has the parameter equal to the average
total length of the original construction curves.

V Knot Spacing

The V direction of the surface runs between the original

construction curves. This option controls how the V
parameters relate to the actual surface. See Parameterization on
page 10.

Uniform
The isoparms corresponding to the original construction
curves will have integral parameters: the first edit point
will be parameter 0.0, the second will be 1.0, and so on.
0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0
This option only applies to Interpolate skinning mode.
V

Building Surfaces
252
Skinning a Surface across Curves
Chord Length
The new curve’s edit points will be parameterized by the
length of the surface.
0.0 1.3 1.9 2.5 3.2 The starting edge of the surface has the parameter 0.0, and
V
the opposite edge has the parameter equal to the length of
the surface.

This option is only available Surface Degree

when Skinning Mode is
Interpolate. The degree of the new surface’s V direction: 1 (linear), or 3
(cubic, the default). See Degree on page 12.

Other Options

Number of Spans
This option controls the number of spans between the
original isoparms of the skin surface (as determined by the
Number of Skinning Mode).
Spans ◆ As shown at left, a value of 1 creates no additional
1 1 isoparms, besides the original ones.
1
◆ A value of 2 creates two spans between the original
isoparms, so one additional isoparm is created
between each pair of original isoparms.
1 2
1 2 2 ◆ A value of 3 creates three spans, and two additional
isoparms between each pair of original isoparms, and
so on.
3
3 12 3 Rebuild
1 2 ..
. Before building the surface, rebuild the other construction
curves to match the parameterization of the first curve.
This example uses the
Interpolate skinning mode. When using this option, make sure the first curve you
click has the parameterization you want for the new
surface.

Note If Rebuild is on, the U knot spacing will be affected (see

U Knot Spacing on page 252).

Auto Recalc
Automatically update the surface as curves are added.
This option changes the procedure for using the tool.
When Auto Recalc is on, you must hold down the Shift key
when you click more curves to add to the surface.

Building Surfaces
253
Skinning a Surface across Curves
Create History
Save the history of the new surface for later editing. If you
turn Create History on, you can modify the curves that were
used to create the surface, and the surface will update.

Purpose Create a new surface by sweeping a curve, isoparm, curve on

surface, or trim boundary around an axis, creating an effect
similar to that of a lathe.

How To To create a surface by revolving a curve

1 If you want to revolve one or more free curves, or a whole

hierarchy, in the same fashion, pick the curves or groups
of curves. (If you want to revolve a single surface curve,
go to step 2.)
◆ If the Axes option is set to Local, you can only revolve a
single curve or a group of curves.
◆ If the Axes option is set to Global, you can revolve more
than one individual curve or group.

2 Click the Revolve icon, or choose Revolve from the Surfaces

palette menu.
(If some curves were already picked, they are revolved.
Go to step 4.)

3 Click the free curve, isoparm, curve on surface, or trim

edge you want to revolve.
The Revolve tool creates the new surface with handles for
editing.

Building Surfaces
255
Revolving a Curve
4 Use the handles to change the start and end point of the
sweep, and the position and orientation of the rotation
axis (see below).

5 Click another curve to revolve, or choose another tool.

To use the revolve manipulator

Drag this end of the axis line

Drag the end point of the sweep

Drag the entire axis line
Drag the starting point of the sweep
Drag this end of the axis line

● Click and drag the handles to move them in the view

window.
● Click a handle, then drag the mouse left or right to change
the value. Be careful not to miss the handle and click on
geometry. If you select geometry by mistake while
attempting to click a handle, the selected curve will be
revolved and you will loose the original manipulator.
● Click any of the handles and type exact values.
◆ Click either end or the center handle of the axis line,
then type a 3D coordinate to change the orientation or
position of the revolution axis.
◆ Click the start or end point of the sweep arc, then type
an angle value (in the current angular units). The start
point controls the angle between the original curve
and the beginning of the sweep. The end point
controls the total angle swept by the revolved surface.

To edit the construction history of a revolved surface

1 Pick a surface created by the Revolve tool.

2 Click the Revolve icon, or choose Revolve from the Surfaces

palette menu.
The manipulator handles reappear for editing.

Building Surfaces
256
Revolving a Curve
Tips and Notes ● You cannot revolve a curve more than 360 degrees.
● If you select geometry by mistake while attempting to
click a handle, the selected curve will be revolved and you
will loose the original manipulator. To remedy this
problem, immediately select Delete > Del active to remove
the new geometry, and go back to step 1 above to bring
back the manipulator on your original surface.

Options

Revolution Axis
The initial axis around which to revolve the surface (X, Y,
or Z). After creating the surface, you can move and rotate
this axis using the manipulator handles.

Axes
Local—revolve around the object’s (or group’s) pivot point
and local axes.
Global—revolve around the global (world) or current
construction plane’s origin and axes.

Surface Degree
The degree of the new surface’s V direction: 1 (linear), or 3
(cubic, the default). See Degree on page 12.

Building Surfaces
257
Revolving a Curve
Sweep Angle
The angle of revolution (in the current angular units).
After creating the surface, you can change this angle by
using the manipulator handles.

Sections
The number of spans in the revolved surface.
For sweeps of 360 degrees, 6 to 8 sections is usually
sufficient. Using more than 12 section is not recommended
and generally will not improve the surface.

Create History
Save the history of the new surface for later editing. If you
turn Create History on, you can modify the curve that was
revolved to create a surface, and the surface will update.
You can also bring back the manipulator handles for
further editing.

Purpose Create a new surface by extruding a generation curve along a

path curve. Normally used to make tubular objects with
symmetrical cross sections.

How To To extrude a profile curve along a path curve

1 Create the curves you will use for the profile and path.
Path curve
2 Click the Extrude icon, or choose Swept surfaces > Extrude
from the Surfaces menu.

Profile curve

3 Pick the curve or curves you want to extrude.

You can select free curves, curves on surface, isoparms,
trim edges or even faces.

4 Click Go.

5 Pick the path curve to extrude along.

You can select a free curve, a curve on surface, an isoparm,
or a trim edge.
The Extrude tool creates the new surface starting at the
position of the generation curve and following the shape
of the path curve.

Building Surfaces
259
Extruding a Curve
Tips and Notes ● The generation curve does not have to be near or intersect
the path curve. However, placing it as near as possible will
help you visualize the result.
● If you need more control over how the surface is created,
use the Swept or Birail tools.
● This tool works best for closed and/or symmetrical profile
curves. If you need to control the twist of the profile, use
the Swept or Birail tools.
● To extrude a face made of multiple curves (for
example,Text) as a single object, select it before choosing
the Extrude tool.
● In most cases, you will want the profile curve to be
perpendicular to the starting point of the path.
To accomplish this, use the Plane tool to create a
construction plane at the start of the path curve,
perpendicular to the tangent. Then create the profile curve
on the new construction plane.
● If the path curve has severe bends or corners, the extruded
surface may have unwanted twists.
To correct this problem, use the Insert tool to increase the
number of edit points/CVs on the path curve in the
problem areas, so that transitions between CVs are more
gradual.

Building Surfaces
260
Extruding a Curve
Options

Create History
Save the history of the new surface for later editing. If you
turn Create History on, you can modify the curves that were
used to create the surface, and the surface will update.

Style

Tube
As the profile curve sweeps along the path, it pivots to
maintain the same angle to the path curve.

Tube
Profile rotates

Flat
As the profile curve sweeps along the path, it maintains its
original orientation.

Flat Create Faces

Does not rotate
Caps can be created at the ends of the surfaces if the extruded
objects are faces or closed planar curves.

Building Surfaces
261
Extruding a Curve
Off
Do not create faces at the ends of the extruded surface.

Cap Start
Create a face to cap the first end of the extruded surface.

Cap Both
Create faces to cap both ends of the extruded surface.

The Extrude Pivot option Extrude Pivot

appears when Style is Tube.
This option controls which pivot point to use when you are
extruding more than one profile curve.

Closest
Pivot the profile curves around the endpoint of the path
curve closest to the bounding box of all the profile curves.
This option is the default. It works best when you have a
profile curve close to the start or end points of the path
curve.

Component
Pivot each curve around its own individual pivot point.
This option works best when you want to extrude text.

Purpose Create a new surface by sweeping one or more generation

curves along a path curve, with optional rotation, scaling, and
pivot options.

Overview The Swept tool is a superset of the Extrude tool, with more
options and more power.

Swept allows you to control the spatial relationship between

the generation and path curves, unlike Extrude which uses the
initial set-up of the two curves. The Swept tool also lets you
rotate and/or scale the generation curve as it sweeps along the
path curve.

You can combine these features to create complex sweeps,

including helices, corkscrews, and funnels.

How To Note The procedure for using the Swept tool has several
optional steps, depending on the settings in the Swept
Control window.

Building Surfaces
263
Sweeping a Curve along a Path
To sweep a generation curve along a path curve

1 Double-click the Swept icon, or choose

Swept surfaces > Swept-❏ from the Surfaces palette menu.
The Swept Control window appears.

2 Make sure Create History is checked.

You will almost always want construction history on. This
allows you to change the settings after you sweep the
example of Swept settings curves.

This example uses the settings When you are satisfied with the new surface, you can
shown above. delete the history information with Delete > Del constr
history.

3 Click the generation curve. This is the curve that will be

swept along the path curve to create the new surface.
The generation curve can be a free curve, isoparm, curve
on surface, or trim edge.
click start and
end points 4 If Curve Segments is on, click the start and end edit points
of the generation curve.
generation curve 5 If Sweep Pivot is On Curve or Off Curve, use the locator to set
the pivot point of the generation curve.
◆ Click the locator and drag to move the locator along
the curve (On Curve) or in space (Off Curve).
◆ Type a parameter (On Curve) or 3D coordinate (Off
Curve) to set the pivot exactly.
◆ Click Go to continue.

6 Click the path curve. This is the path along which the
path curve
generation curve will travel.
The path curve can be a free curve, isoparm, curve on
surface, or trim edge.

7 If Curve Segments is on, click the start and end edit points
click start and of the path curve.
end points
8 If Sweep Pivot is On Curve or Off Curve, use the locator to set
the pivot point on the path curve.

Building Surfaces
264
Sweeping a Curve along a Path
◆ Click the locator and drag to move the locator along
the curve.
◆ Type a parameter to set the pivot exactly
◆ Click Go to continue.

9 If the Sweep Mode is Spine, click the spine curve. This curve
controls the orientation of the generation curve as it
travels along the path curve.

To create a helical shape

1 Create a generation curve and a path curve. The distance
between the generation curve and path curve will be the
Swept surface radius of the helix.

2 Double-click the Swept icon, or choose

Swept surfaces > Swept-❏ from the Surfaces palette menu.

3 In the Swept Control window:

◆ Set Sweep Mode to View.
◆ Set the Sweep Projection to the plane to which the
generation curve is parallel.
◆ Set the Sweep Pivot to Off Curve.
◆ Turn on Auto. Recalc.

4 Click the generation curve.

5 A 3D locator appears and you are prompted for the

generation curve pivot. Use magnet snapping to move it
to the starting point of the path curve. Then click Go.

6 Click the path curve.

7 A curve locator appears and you are prompted for the

path curve pivot. Move the locator to the starting point of
the path curve. Then click Go.
The generation curve’s pivot point moves along the path
curve. Since the pivot is offset from the actual generation
curve, the generation curve sweeps the new surface at an
offset from the path curve.

8 In the Rotate Xform field, enter the degrees of rotation you

want as the generation curve travels around the path
curve.

Building Surfaces
265
Sweeping a Curve along a Path
For example, if you enter 360, the generation curve will
make one full revolution as it travels the length of the path
curve.

To create a funnel shape

1 Create a generation curve and a path curve.

2 Double-click the Swept icon, or choose

Swept surfaces > Swept-❏ from the Surfaces palette menu.

3 In the Swept Control window:

◆ Set the Sweep Pivot to Off Curve.
◆ Turn on Auto. Recalc.

4 Click the generation curve.

5 A 3D locator appears and you are prompted for the

generation curve pivot. Use magnet snapping to move it
to the center of the generation curve. Then click Go.

6 Click the path curve.

7 A curve locator appears and you are prompted for the

path curve pivot. Move the locator to the starting point of
the path curve. Then click Go.

8 In the Scale Xform field, enter the factor by which you want
the generation curve to grow as it travels along the path
curve.
For example, if you enter 2, the generation curve will grow
twice as large as it travels the length of the path curve. If
you enter 0.5, it will shrink by half.
Swept surface with scale = 0.2

To edit the construction history of a Swept surface

1 Pick the surface you want to edit.

2 Click the Swept icon, or choose Swept surfaces > Swept from
the Surfaces palette menu.
The Swept Control window appears.

Building Surfaces
266
Sweeping a Curve along a Path
3 Use the curve modification tools (in the Xform, Curve Edit,
and Object Edit palettes) to reshape the curves used to
create the surface, and use the Swept Control window to
change the surface creation options.

Tips and Notes ● The Spine sweep mode can be very tricky. If you have
trouble with it, try the following:
◆ Create a copy of the path curve to use as the spine
curve.
◆ Turn on Create History and Auto Recalc in the Swept
Control window.
◆ Reshape the spine curve in small steps and observe
the effect on the surface.
● You cannot sweep along a path curve with multi-knots or
weighted CVs.
Turn on the Rebuild Path option to remove multi-knots
from the path curve and set the weight of all CVs to 1
before creating the surface.
● It is the generation curve pivot that travels along the path
curve. If the pivot is not on the generation curve, the new
surface will be offset.
● Changing the settings after you have clicked the
generation curve does not affect the rest of the procedure
for using the Swept tool.
For example, if you turn on the Curve Segments option
after you have already picked the generation curve, you
will not be asked to define curve segments. However, after
the surface is built, text boxes will appear in the Swept
Control window where you can change the start and end
parameters for the curve segments. You can also click the
Next button and start again.

● After you start a surface in Natural, Parallel, or View mode,

you cannot convert it to Spine mode.

Building Surfaces
267
Sweeping a Curve along a Path
Swept Control window

Sweep Mode

This option has the same Natural

effect as the Tube option in As the generation curve sweeps along the path, it pivots to
the Extrude tool.
maintain the same angle relative to the path curve.

This option has the same Parallel

effect as the Flat option in As the generation curve sweeps along the path, it
the Extrude tool.
maintains its original orientation.

View
As the generation curve sweeps along the path, it only
rotates in one plane (choose the plane with the
Sweep Projection pop-up menu). This maintains the visual
angle between the generation and path curves.

Spine
Use a spine curve to control the orientation of the
generation curve as it sweeps along the path.

This option appears when Sweep Projection

Sweep Mode is View.
This option controls the plane in which the generation curve is
allowed to rotate when the Sweep Mode is View.

Active
Take the rotation plane from the current view window.

Building Surfaces
268
Sweeping a Curve along a Path
XY
XZ
YZ
Use a global plane (XY, XZ, or YZ) as the rotation plane.

User
Type a 3D vector in the View Plane text boxes to define a
plane.

Sweep Pivot

Sweeping involves two pivot points:

● The point on or off the generation curve (the Generation
Pivot) that stays on the path curve as the generation curve
sweeps.
The generation curve rotates around and scales from this
point.
● The point on the path curve (the Path Pivot) that
corresponds to the generation curve before it is swept.
In other words, the part of the surface corresponding to
this point on the path curve will have the exact cross
section of the generation curve.

You can have Swept set the pivot points automatically (as in
Extrude), or set them manually for the generation and path
curves.

Closest
Set the pivots to the closest points on the two curves.
This option is the default. It works best when the
generation curve is close to the start or end points of the
path curve.

On Curve
Set the pivots to specific parameters on the two curves.

◆ Use the Gen. Pivot Parameter and Path Pivot Parameter

sliders to set the parameters for each curve.

Off Curve
Set the pivots to a specific parameter on the path curve
and a 3D point in space for the generation curve.

Building Surfaces
269
Sweeping a Curve along a Path
◆ Use the Path Pivot Parameter slider to set the parameter
for the path curve.
◆ Use the Gen. Space Pivot text boxes to set the 3D pivot
point for the generation curve.

Fixed Curve

This option determines which of the curves will be moved in

order to make the two pivot points coincide before the sweep.
This in turn controls where the new surface will be created.

Generation
Keep the generation curve fixed and move the [Link]
new surface is built beginning at the generation curve.

Path
Keep the path fixed and move the generation curve. The
new surface is built along the path curve.

Rebuild Options

Rebuild Gen.
Rebuild Path
Before creating the surface, rebuild the generation and/or
path curves to reduce the number of edit points/spans.
This can improve the parameterization and reduce the
complexity of the new surface when the curves are
complex.
The Rebuild Path option also removes multi-knots and
resets the weight of all CVs in the path curve to 1. This is
necessary for path curves with multi-knots or CV weights.

Xform Options

Rotate Xform
The degree of rotation as the generation curve sweeps
along the path curve.
For example, if Rotate Xform is 45, the generation curve will
rotate 45 degrees as it sweeps along the length of the path
curve. Use negative numbers to rotate in the opposite
direction.

Building Surfaces
270
Sweeping a Curve along a Path
Scale Xform
The scale factor as the generation curve sweeps along the
path curve.
For example, if Scale Xform is 2, the generation curve will
double in size as it sweeps along the length of the path
curve. If Scale Xform is 0.5, the generation curve will shrink
by half as it sweeps.

Curve Segments

Specify sections of the generation and path curves to use in the

sweep.

When this option is on, you will be prompted, during the

sweep procedure, to click start and end edit points on both
curves to specify the segments to use.

After the surface is built:

● Use the Gen. Segment text boxes to change the start and
end parameters of the generation curve.
● Use the Path Segment text boxes to change the start and
end parameters of the path curve.

Control Options

Create History
Save the history of the new surface for later editing. If you
turn Create History on, you can modify the curves that were
used to create the surface, and the surface will update.

Auto Recalc
Update the new surface automatically as you change the
values in the Swept Control window.

Boundary Labels
Label the generation, path, and spine curves in the view
windows.

Surface Evaluation

None
Do not perform any surface evaluation on the surface.

Building Surfaces
271
Sweeping a Curve along a Path
Curvature
Highlight
Quick Render
Display a curvature render, highlight render, or Quick
Render of the new surface.
For more information, see:
◆ Showing Surface Curvature on page 570
◆ Showing Surface Features with Highlights on page 577
◆ Quick Render in the Rendering book.

Cross Section
Calculate and display cross-section lines on the new
surface. Choosing this option displays the Show Previous
Xsect option.
For more information, see Creating Cross-Section Lines on
page 582.

This option appears when Show Previous Xsect

the Surface Evaluation type Display the previous cross-section lines along with the
is Cross Section.
current cross-section lines.
This lets you make changes to the surface creation options
and observe the effect on the cross-sections.

Buttons

Recalc
Recalculate the surface with the current values in the
Swept Control window.

Next
Finish the current surface and prompt for new curves.

Purpose Create a surface by sweeping or blending one or more

generation curves along two path curves (rails).

Overview The Birail tool takes its name from its use of two “rail” curves.
The generation curves maintain contact with the rails at the
same points through the sweep, like a train traveling on a
track.

How To Note The procedure for using the Birail tool has several
optional steps, depending on the settings in the Birail
Control window.

To sweep one or more generation curves along two rail

curves
1 Double-click the Birail icon, or choose
Swept surfaces > Birail-❏ from the Surfaces palette menu.
The Birail Control window appears.

2 Make sure Create History is checked.

You will almost always want construction history on. This
allows you to change the settings after you sweep the
curves.
When you are satisfied with the new surface, you can
delete the history information with Delete > Del constr
history.

Building Surfaces
273
Sweeping a Curve along Two Paths with Birail
3 In the Generation Curves pop-up menu in the Birail Control
window, choose the number of generation curves to use:
◆ Choose 1 to sweep one curve along the rails.
◆ Choose 2 to blend from one generation curve to
another along the rails.
◆ Choose 2+ to blend a series of generation curves along
the rails.

4 Click the first generation curve.

Example with 4 gen. curves
The generation curve(s) can be a free curve, isoparm,
1 curve on surface, or trim edge.
path 2
2 5 If Generation Curves is 2, choose the second generation
3 curve.
If Generation Curves is 2+, pick all the generation curves in
4
order, then click Go.
path 1

6 Click the first rail curve, then click the second rail curve.
The generation curve(s) must intersect both rail curves.
The rail curves can be free curves, isoparms, curves on
surface, or trim edges.

7 If the Sweep Mode (in the Birail Control window) is Spine,

click the spine curve. This curve controls the orientation of
the generation curves as they travel along the rail curves.

To edit the construction history of a Birail surface

1 Pick the surface you want to edit.

2 Click the Birail icon, or choose Swept surfaces > Birail from
the Surfaces palette menu.
The Birail Control window appears.

3 Use the curve modification tools (in the Xform, Curve Edit,
and Object Edit palettes) to reshape the curves used to
create the surface, and use the Birail Control window to
change the surface creation options.

Tips and Notes ● Birail does not support rail curves with sharp corners
(cusps).

Building Surfaces
274
Sweeping a Curve along Two Paths with Birail
● Use curve snapping to make sure the generation curves
intersect the rail curves.
● Birail tests whether the curves intersect using the Curve Fit
Distance value in Construction Options. The default tolerance
is 0.01 cm (that is, if the curves are within 0.01 cm of each
other, they are seen as intersecting).
To change the Curve Fit Distance option, choose Construction
Options from the Preferences menu.

● When using two or more generation curves, after you pick

the first generation curve you can unpick it by clicking on
it. You can then pick a different first generation curve.

Birail Control window

Generation Curves

1
Sweep one generation curve along the rail curves.

Building Surfaces
275
Sweeping a Curve along Two Paths with Birail
2
Blend between a start and end generation curve along the
rail curves. Use the Gen. Blend Value slider to control the
midpoint of the blend.

2+
Blend between a series of generation curves along the rail
curves.

These options appears when Blend Control

Generation Curves is 2. Enable the Gen. Blend Value slider to control the midpoint
of the blend between the two generation curves.

Gen. Blend Value Gen. Blend Value

The percentage of the distance (from 0 to 1) along the
paths where the influence of both generation curves is
0.0 equal.
For example, a value of 0.5 (the default) blends the two
curves equally, so that the halfway point of the blend
occurs at the midpoint of the rails.
A value of 0.25 places the halfway point of the blend 25%
0.5 of the distance along the rail curves, hence giving more
influence to the second generation curve. Conversely, a
value of 0.75 would give more influence to the first
generation curve.
The values 0.0 and 1.0 still blend the two curves a
1.0 minimum amount.

Rebuild Options

Rebuild 1st Path, Rebuild 2nd Path

Rebuild 1st Gen., Rebuild Last Gen., Rebuild Interior Gen. Curves
Before creating the surface, rebuild the first path curve,
second path curve, first generation curve, last generation
curve, and/or all interior generation curves to reduce the
number of edit points/spans.
This can improve the parameterization and reduce the
complexity of the new surface when the curves are
complex.
The Rebuild Path options also remove multi-knots and reset
the weight of all CVs in the path curve(s) to 1. This is
necessary for path curves with multi-knots or CV weights.

Building Surfaces
276
Sweeping a Curve along Two Paths with Birail
This option appears when Sweep Mode
Rebuild Paths is on.
Proportional
Rebuild the path curves to create a surface with
proportionally spaced spans and smooth
parameterization based on the first path curve.

View
Orient the isoparms of the new surface in a plane. Choose
the plane with the Sweep Projection pop-up menu.

Spine
Use a spine curve to control the orientation of the
generation curve as it sweeps along the path.

This option appears when Sweep Projection

Sweep Mode is View.
This option controls the plane in which the generation curve is
allowed to rotate when the Sweep Mode is View.

Active
Take the rotation plane from the current view window.

XY, XZ, YZ
Use a global plane (XY, XZ, or YZ) as the rotation plane.

User
Type a 3D vector in the View Plane text boxes to define a
plane.

Transform Control

This option controls how the Birail tool modifies the generation
curves to stay on the rail curves during the sweep.

Scale
Scale the generation curve proportionally, to the size
necessary for the curve to stay on both rails.

Non-Prop Scale
Scale the generation curve non-proportionally, along the
vector connecting the rail curves.

Building Surfaces
277
Sweeping a Curve along Two Paths with Birail
This option only applies Rotate & Trim
when Generation Curves is Rotate the generation curve around the intersection with
1.
the first rail curve, so that the generation curve stays on
both rails. Trim away any part of the new surface that goes
beyond either rail curve. The generation curve is not
scaled.

This option only applies Rotate No Trim

when Generation Curves is Rotate the generation curve around the intersection with
1.
the first rail curve, so that the generation curve stays on
both rails. The generation curve is not scaled.

Continuity Table

Shows continuity achieved

Use this menu to set continuity for all curves

Curve labels Curve names

Use these menus to set the Pos. Tan. Curv.

continuity wanted for each curve

The Continuity table displays one row for each boundary curve
involved in the birail operation (the first and last generation
curves, and both rail curves).

● Use the pop-up menu next to each curve to set the level of
continuity wanted across each boundary curve.

● Use the Continuity pop-up menu above the table to set the
continuity of all the curves at once.

● The checkmarks at the end of each row show what level of

continuity the Birail tool was able to achieve given the
geometry. From left to right, the checkmarks indicate
positional, tangent, and curvature continuity.
Position Curvature A dash (-) means there was another surface adjacent to the
Tangent edge, but that level of continuity could not be achieved.

Building Surfaces
278
Sweeping a Curve along Two Paths with Birail
Position
Only keep positional continuity. This is the default.

Tangent Implied Tangent

Try to keep tangency with an implied surface that shares
this edge. The implied surface is the surface that would be
created by mirroring the new surface.
Birail Implied This is a powerful feature. It lets you model one half of a
surface surface symmetrical surface (such as a car body), and maintain
Reflection continuity at the seam. When you duplicate the surface to
line create the other half, the seam will already be continuous.
(See also Setting Symmetry on Layers in the General Tools
section of the Basic Tools book.)

Tangent Angle
Try to keep tangency at an angle with a surface that shares
this edge.
The Birail tool calculates the tangent angle at both ends of
the common edge. If the two angles are different, Birail
blends between them to determine the angle to keep at
every point along the edge.
A tangent angle of 0.0 (or 180, -180, 360) is equivalent to
Tangent continuity.

Tangent
Try to keep tangency with a surface that shares this edge.

Curvature
Try to keep curvature continuity with a surface that shares
this edge.

Continuity Max. New Spans

tangent continuity across path 2
Specify the maximum number of spans that can be added to
the surface (in both the U and V direction) when attempting to
maintain the requested levels of continuity.

When you turn on Explicit If this number is too small, continuity may fail along some of
Control, Continuity Max. New the edges.
Spans is automatically set to
0.

Building Surfaces
279
Sweeping a Curve along Two Paths with Birail
Explicit Control

Specify the degree and number of spans of the Birail surface in

both the U and V directions by adjusting the following sliders:

Note When you turn on Explicit Control, Continuity Max. New

Spans is automatically set to 0.
Explicit Control is only
available in Studio, U/V Sync Degree
AutoStudio and
Couple the Gen. Degree and Path Degree sliders. When this
SurfaceStudio.
control is turned on, adjusting one slider automatically
adjusts the other to the same value.

Gen. Degree (V)

Degree of the birail surface in the V direction (along the
generation curves).

Path Degree (U)

Degree of the birail surface in the U direction (along the
path curves).

More spans may be added if Gen. Spans (V)

needed to maintain the Number of spans of the birail surface in the V direction.
requested level of continuity,
up to the value of Continuity
Max. New Spans. Path Spans (U)
Number of spans of the birail surface in the U direction.

This option only applies Curve Segments

when Generation Curves is
1. Specify sections of the generation and path curves to use in the
sweep.

When this option is on, you will be prompted during the

sweep procedure to click start and end edit points on the first
path curve and possibly (depending on the other settings) on
the second path and/or the generation curve.

After the surface is built:

● Use the locators (in each corner of the surface) to change

Locator the start and end parameters of the generation and path
curves.
or

Building Surfaces
280
Sweeping a Curve along Two Paths with Birail
● Use the Gen. Segment text boxes to change the start and
end parameters of the generation curve.
Use the Path 1 Segment and Path 2 Segment text boxes to
change the start and end parameters of the path curves.

Control Options

Create History
Save the history of the new surface for later editing. If you
turn Create History on, you can modify the curves that were
used to create the surface, and the surface will update.

Auto Recalc
Update the new surface automatically as you change the
values in the Birail Control window.

Boundary Labels
Label the generation, path, and spine curves in the view
windows. The labels also show
◆ the kind of continuity wanted,
◆ whether the continuity failed, and
◆ which tangents are implied.

See Checking Continuity Continuity Check

between and within Surfaces Display the surface continuity locator at the boundaries
on page 558 for information
on the surface continuity between the birail surface and adjacent surfaces. The
locator. locator is persistent and will remain after you exit the
Birail tool. To remove it, use Pick > Locator to pick the
locator, then select Del > active, or toggle the checkmark off
when entering birail again.

Surface Evaluation

None
Do not perform any surface evaluation on the surface.

Curvature
Highlight
Quick Render
Display a curvature render, highlight render, or Quick
Render of the new surface.
For more information, see:

Building Surfaces
281
Sweeping a Curve along Two Paths with Birail
◆ Showing Surface Curvature on page 570
◆ Showing Surface Features with Highlights on page 577
◆ Quick Render on page 397 in the Rendering book.

This option appears when Show Previous Xsect

Buttons

Recalc
Recalculate the surface with the current values in the Birail
Control window.

Next
Finish the current surface and prompt for new curves.

Purpose Create a surface by sweeping out the movements of an

animated curve through time, as if the animated curve was
leaving a “trail” of construction curves as it moved.

Overview If you are proficient using the animation tools, you can use
Anim sweep to easily accomplish complex or unusual effects
that are difficult or impossible using Extrude or Swept. Instead
of using options to change the sweep, you have total control
over the cross-section of the new surface at every point.

The Anim sweep tool can sweep curves animated by:

● Set keyframe.

● Set motion.

● Set key shape.

You can animate the whole curve, and/or the CVs of the
curve.

How To To sweep an animated curve

1 Animate the curve. (See the Animating book for more
information on using the animation tools.)

2 Pick the animated curve.

Building Surfaces
283
Sweeping an Animated Curve
3 Click the Anim sweep icon, or choose
Swept surfaces > Anim sweep from the Surfaces palette
menu.

4 If the Frame Range option is set to Prompt, type the start

frame, end frame, and frame increment, separated by
spaces, on the prompt line.
The frame increment is the number of frames to step
through between each snapshot. For example, an
increment of 1 takes every frame, 2 takes every other
frame, 3 takes every third frame, and so on.

5 The Anim sweep tool takes a snapshot of the curve at each

step of the animation, creating a series of construction
curves.
◆ If the Sweep option is set to Snapshots, the Anim sweep
tool asks you whether you want to keep the curves. If
the snapshot curves look wrong and you want to
change the animation and try again, click No.
◆ If the Sweep option is set to Connect Snapshots, the
Anim sweep tool automatically skins a new surface
along the snapshots of the animated curve.

Tips and Notes ● When the Sweep option is set to Connect Snapshots and you
pick the curve in the SBD window, you must pick the node
directly above the curve.
● To use CV animation, set the Hierarchy option to Below or
Both.

Building Surfaces
284
Sweeping an Animated Curve
Options

Sweep

Snapshots
Create new curves from the “snapshots” of the animated
curve. You can use these curves as construction curves for
tools such as Skin, Extrude, Swept, and Birail.

Connect Snapshots
Create a new skinned surface from the snapshots of the
animated curve.

This option is has no effect Snapshots

when Sweep is set to
Connect Snapshots.
Individual
Do not group the resulting “snapshot” curves.

Building Surfaces
285
Sweeping an Animated Curve
Grouped
Group the resulting “snapshot” curves, as if you had
picked them and chosen Group from the Edit menu.

Parameters

Tip Set global and local animation parameters using

Param Control in the Animation menu.

All
Animate all parameters of the animated curve.

Global
Animate only the global parameters of the animated
curve.

Local
Animate only the local parameters of the animated curve.

Hierarchy

This option controls whether extra objects are animated in

addition to the curve.

None
Only animate the picked curve.

Below
When Sweep mode is Snapshots, animate the picked curve
and any geometry below it in the DAG.
When Sweep mode is Connect Snapshots, animate the
picked curve and associated CVs.

Above
Animate the picked curve and any geometry above it in
the DAG.

Both
Animate the picked curve, associated CVs, and any
geometry above and/or below it in the DAG.

Building Surfaces
286
Sweeping an Animated Curve
Frame Range

All
Animate the picked curve over the entire range of
available frames of animation.
Use the By Frame slider to set the interval between
snapshots.

Prompt
Prompt for the start frame, end frame, and frame interval
every time you use the tool.

Option Window
Set the start frame, end frame, and frame interval once in
the option window, for every subsequent use of the
Anim sweep tool.

These options appears when Start/End Frame

Frame Range is Option The start and end frames of the curve’s animation to create
Window.
snapshots from.

This option appears when By Frame

Frame Range is All or Option The number of frames in each step between snapshots.
Window.
For example, a value of 1 takes every frame, 2 takes every
other frame, 3 takes every third frame, and so on.

Purpose Create a new surface by blending between three or four

boundary curves.

How To To create a four sided surface

1 Double click the Boundary icon, or choose

3 Boundary Surfaces > Boundary-❏ from the Surfaces palette
1
menu.

2 Set Boundary Curves to Four, then click Go.

2 4
3 Click one boundary curve.

4 Click the opposite boundary curve.

5 Click one of the remaining boundary curves.

6 Click the final boundary curve.

To create a three sided surface

1 Double click the Boundary icon, or choose

1
Boundary Surfaces > Boundary-❏ from the Surfaces palette
apex menu.
2
3 2 Set Boundary Curves to Three, then click Go.

Building Surfaces
288
Building from Three/Four Boundary Curves
3 Click one of the boundary curves which form the apex of
the triangle.

4 Click the second boundary curve which form the apex.

5 Click the remaining boundary curve (the curve opposite

the apex).

Tips and Notes

See Snapping to Grids, Curves, ● For best results, use the snapping tools to make sure the
and Points on page 38. curves intersect at their endpoints. This is not required,
but it makes the resulting surface more predictable.

See Reversing Direction and ● If the surface is twisted, make sure opposing boundary
Normals on page 135. curves have the same direction.
● The triangular surface is a regular four sided NURBS
surface where one side has zero length. This is sometimes
called a degenerate surface.
If you are planning to use your model as input to a
manufacturing system, make sure your system can handle
this type of surface.
● The first curve you click defines the U direction of the new
surface.
● The boundary curves of the four-sided surface can be
picked in any order.
● If you need the surface to maintain continuity with
adjacent surfaces, use the Square tool.

Options Boundary Curves

Three—create a triangular surface by blending three
boundary curves.
Four—create a surface by blending four boundary curves.

Create History
Save the history of the new surface for later editing. If you
turn Create History on, you can modify the curves that were
used to create the surface, and the surface will update.

Building Surfaces
289
Building from Three/Four Boundary Curves
See Also ● Understanding Surfaces on page 19
● Building from Four Boundary Curves with Continuity on
page 291
● Building an N-Sided Surface on page 301

Building Surfaces
290
Building from Three/Four Boundary Curves
Surfaces > Building from Four Boundary Curves
Boundary Surfaces>
with Continuity
Square

Purpose Create surfaces by blending four boundary curves (or curve

segments), while maintaining continuity with adjacent
surfaces.

How To To create a new surface by blending four boundary curves

(or curve segments)
1 Double click the Square icon, or choose
Boundary surfaces > Square-❏ from the Surfaces palette
menu.
The Square Control window appears.

2 Click the first boundary curve

select a boundary
or
Click a point on the curve (to use as a corner) by holding
down either the Ctrl key or the Ctrl and Alt keys.
◆ You can use free curves, curves on surface, isoparms,
and/or trim edges.
◆ To maintain continuity with another surface, you
must pick an isoparm or trim edge on that surface, not
select a corner a construction curve used to create that surface.
◆ You can use a segment of a longer curve. The Square
tool will use the section of the curve bounded by the
other curves you click.
or
Click a grid point (to use as a corner) by holding down the
Alt key.

Building Surfaces
291
Building from Four Boundary Curves with Continuity
3 Click the remaining curves and/or points (corners) in
select a second corner clockwise or counter-clockwise order.
◆ You can select either four curves, four corners, one
corner and two curves, or two corners and one curve.
◆ If you select both curves and corners, you must select
the curves first.
◆ You can only use a snapping mode to select the first
corner.
◆ If two adjacent boundary curves do not intersect, the
Square tool displays an error in the prompt line.
Otherwise, the surface is built.

4 Move the corner locators (if any) by clicking on them and

dragging to change the position of the corners.

5 Use the options in the Square Control window to set the

continuity you want at each edge (see below).

To use the tangent angle manipulator

move a corner locator Click an axis line

to set the tangent
angle to 0, 90, 180,
or 270 degrees.

Long arrow indicates

projection angle.
Click the arc to
change the angle.

This manipulator appears when you set an edge to

Tangent Angle in the Square Control window (see below).

● Click an axis line to set the tangent angle to 0, 90, 180, or

270 degrees.
● Click an arc, then drag the mouse left and right to change
the angle value, or type a number to set the value exactly.
● When you are finished, click the Go button.

Building Surfaces
292
Building from Four Boundary Curves with Continuity
To edit the construction history of a Square surface
1 Pick the surface you want to edit.

2 Click the Square icon, or choose Boundary surfaces > Square

from the Surfaces palette menu.
The Square Control window appears.

3 Use the curve modification tools (in the Xform, Curve Edit,
and Object Edit palettes) to reshape the curves used to
create the surface, and use the Square Control window to
change the surface creation options.

Tips and Notes ● To make sure the boundary curves intersect, use:
◆ Curve snapping (see Snapping to Grids, Curves, and
Points on page 38)
◆ The Adjust intersection tool (see Editing Curves on
page 177)
● Use the Project tangent tool to make sure the curves are
already continuous before creating the surface. This will
ensure the Square tool can achieve continuity and decrease
calculation time.
● The first curve you click defines the U direction of the new
surface. The second curve defines the V direction.
● You can select several boundary curves at a time by
dragging a pick box around them, but you cannot control
in what order they will be picked.

Ambiguous curve segments ● Curve segments can be ambiguous. In the example at left,
it is not clear which part of the U-shaped boundary curve
should be used as the left edge of the new surface.
? ? In these cases, the Square tool will guess which segment to
use. If it guesses incorrectly, detach the ambiguous curve
to create two separate, non-ambiguous curves.
● If you know the boundary curves already have matching
parameterization and minimum spans, you should turn
the Rebuild checkboxes off. Rebuilding can sometimes
inhibit continuity.
Detach curve ● For the continuity options to work for some edges, the
adjacent edges (for example, edges 2 and 4 are adjacent to
edge 1) must usually be free.

Building Surfaces
293
Building from Four Boundary Curves with Continuity
If you have continuity constraints on all edges, the
constraints may sometimes conflict and fail.
● If your surface has a bulge or dent, try reducing the
Influence slider for the edges whose continuity is Fixed or
Free.
The Influence sliders are found in the Square Control
window when Blend Type is Cubic.
When you specify the four corners of a Square surface, you
must specify the first corner using a snap mode (that is,
holding down either the Alt key, the Ctrl key, or the Ctrl and
Alt keys). However, you can specify the remaining corners
with or without using a snap mode.

Options

Surface Name
Enter a name for the new surface. The default name is
“Square” followed by a number.

Building Surfaces
294
Building from Four Boundary Curves with Continuity
Continuity Table
Use this menu to set rebuild on or off for all curves
Use this menu to set continuity for all curves

Curve
labels

Curve names
Click a box to set rebuild
Use these menus to set the on or off for a curve
continuity wanted for each curve

The Continuity Table displays one row for each boundary curve
involved in the Square operation.

● Use the pop-up menu next to each curve to set the level of
continuity you want across that curve.

● Use the Continuity pop-up menu above the table to set the
continuity you want for all of the curves at once.

● Click the checkboxes at the end of each row to rebuild the

curves to reduce data and improve parameterization.
● Use the Rebuild pop-up menu to set rebuild on or off for all
the curves at once.

Free
This edge is free to move if required by another edge’s
continuity or by the Influence sliders (see below). This is
the default.

Fixed Boundary
Keep this edge exactly like the boundary curve that
created it. In other words, do not let the edge move as with
the Free option. This is equivalent to positional continuity.

Building Surfaces
295
Building from Four Boundary Curves with Continuity
Tangent Implied Tangent
Try to keep tangency with an implied surface that shares
this edge. The implied surface is the surface that would be
created by mirroring the new surface.
Square Implied This is a powerful feature. It lets you model one half of a
surface surface symmetrical surface (such as a car body), and maintain
Reflection continuity at the seam. When you duplicate the surface to
line create the other half, the seam will already be continuous.
(See also Setting Symmetry on Layers in the General Tools
section of the Basic Tools book.)

Tangent Angle
Try to keep tangency at an angle with a surface that shares
this edge.
◆ When you set this continuity type for an edge, a
manipulator appears on the edge. Use the
manipulator to set the tangent angle.
◆ The two adjacent edges of the new surface should be
Free to allow the Tangent Angle edge to move.
◆ Setting the Tangent Angle manipulator to 0 or 180
degrees is the same as using Tangent continuity.
◆ This continuity type can be very slow to calculate.

Tangent
Try to keep tangency with a surface that shares this edge.

Curvature
Try to keep curvature continuity with a surface that shares
this edge.

Blend Type

Linear
Create the new surface by blending the free CVs (CVs not
controlled by the continuity options) of the four boundary
curves.

Cubic
Create the new surface by interpolating the boundaries (as
in Linear), plus the tangent and curvature ribbons. The
interpolation is cubic (if only tangent continuity is needed)
or quintic (if curvature continuity is needed).

Building Surfaces
296
Building from Four Boundary Curves with Continuity
Depending on how much the tangent and curvature
ribbons change, Cubic blends can be much wavier than
Linear blends.

1-3/2-4 Boundary Blend

These sliders control the point of equal influence of
opposite boundaries (in other words, the midpoint of the
blend between opposite boundaries): that is, between 1
and 3, and between 2 and 4. Values can effectively range
from 0.17 to 0.83.
Changing the surface using the Boundary Blend sliders is
slow, because continuity must be recalculated. For very
complex surfaces, or when using Curvature or Tangent Angle
continuity, you may want to turn off the Auto Recalc
option.

These options appear when 1-3/2-4 Influence

Blend Type is Cubic. These sliders control how much each set of boundary
curves influences the new surface.
For example, if you set the 2-4 Influence slider to 0.0, the
new surface will mostly blend between edges 1 and 3, and
will have little of the shape of edges 2 and 4.
Changing the surface using the Influence sliders is much
faster than with the Boundary Blend sliders, because
continuity is not affected.

Explicit Control is only Explicit Control

available in Studio, Turn on this option to open the Surface Degree Controls
AutoStudio and
SurfaceStudio. section that allows you to explicitly specify the degree and
number of spans of the surface in both the U and V
direction.

Note When you turn on Explicit Control, Max. New Spans is

automatically set to 0.

Building Surfaces
297
Building from Four Boundary Curves with Continuity
Surface Degree Controls

U/V Sync Degree

Couple the U Degree and V Degree sliders. When this
control is turned on, adjusting one slider automatically
adjusts the other to the same value.

U Degree / V Degree
Degree of the square surface in the U and V direction
respectively.

More spans may be added if U Spans / V Spans

needed to maintain the Number of spans on the square surface in the U and V
requested level of continuity,
up to the value of Max. New direction respectively.
Spans.
Continuity Options

When you turn on Explicit Max. New Spans

Control, Max. New Spans is Maximum number of spans the Square tool can insert on
automatically set to 0.
each edge of the new surface as it tries to achieve
continuity.
If the Square tool cannot achieve tangency without
inserting more than the allowed number of spans, it
displays an error in the prompt line.

Try Fewer Spans

Turning this option on can potentially reduce the
complexity of the new surface. However it is slower, and
is not effective when boundaries are wavy.
Off—the Square tool creates the surface without continuity
first, then projects tangents at each isoparm onto the
adjacent surfaces. This is the default.
On—the Square tool creates the surface with continuity
from the beginning by interpolating the formulas for the
tangents at the ends of each boundary.

Colinear Iso.
Line up the isoparms of the new surface with adjacent
surfaces. This is similar to turning off Skews in the Align
tool (see Aligning Curves and Surfaces on page 96).

Building Surfaces
298
Building from Four Boundary Curves with Continuity
Insert at Midpoint
On—Insert extra edit points at the midpoint of the span
with the largest continuity deviation. This is the default,
and results in a better distribution of the isoparms.
Off—Insert extra edit points at the location of the largest
continuity deviation.

Control Options

Create History
Save the history of the new surface for later editing. If you
turn Create History on, you can modify the curves that were
used to create the surface, and the surface will update.

Auto Recalc
Update the new surface automatically as you change the
values in the Square Control window.

Boundary Labels
Label the boundary curves in the view windows. The
labels also show
◆ the kind of continuity wanted,
◆ whether the continuity failed,
◆ which tangents are implied or averaged, and
◆ the angle on edges with Tangent Angle continuity.

See Checking Continuity Continuity Check

between and within Surfaces Display the surface continuity locator at the boundaries
on page 558 for information
on the surface continuity between the birail surface and adjacent surfaces. The
locator. locator is persistent and will remain after you exit the
Square tool. To remove it, use Pick > Locator to pick the
locator, then select Del > Del active, or toggle the checkmark
off when entering birail again.

Surface Evaluation

None
Do not perform any surface evaluation on the surface.

Building Surfaces
299
Building from Four Boundary Curves with Continuity
Curvature
Highlight
Quick Render
Display a curvature render, highlight render, or Quick
Render of the new surface.
For more information, see:
◆ Showing Surface Curvature on page 570
◆ Showing Surface Features with Highlights on page 577
◆ Quick Render in the Rendering book.

For more information, see Cross Section

Creating Cross-Section Lines Calculate and display cross-section lines on the new
on page 582.
surface. Choosing this option displays the Show Previous
Xsect option.

This option appears when Show Previous Xsect

Buttons

Recalc
Recalculate the surface with the current values in the
Square Control window.

Next
Finish the current surface and prompt for new curves.

Purpose Create a new surface with up to 8 sides.

Overview The N-sided tool does the following:

1 Creates a normal (four-sided) NURBS surface that
simulates a blend between the boundary curves.

2 Trims the surface using the boundary curves to create the

appearance of a surface with up to 8 sides.

Trimmed

Untrimmed

Unlike the Boundary tool, triangular surfaces created by N-sided

are not degenerate (that is, they do not have a zero-length
side). The surface is only trimmed to appear triangular.

Building Surfaces
301
Building an N-Sided Surface
How To To create a surface with up to 8 sides
1 Double click the N-sided icon, or choose
Boundary surfaces > N-sided-❏ from the Surfaces palette
menu.
The N-sided Control window appears.

2 Click the first boundary curve.

◆ You can use free curves, isoparms, curves on surface
1 and/or trim edges.
3
◆ To maintain continuity with another surface, you
must pick an isoparm or trim edge on that surface, not
2 a construction curve used to create that surface.

3 Click each remaining curve (up to a total of 8) in clockwise

or counter-clockwise order.
◆ If two adjacent boundary curves do not intersect, the
N-sided tool averages their endpoints.
◆ If a curve intersects the first curve, N-sided creates the
surface. Otherwise it displays the Go button and
allows you to continue selecting curves.
◆ If you have selected all the boundary curves, click Go.

4 Use the options in the N-sided Control window to set the

continuity you want at each edge (see below).

To edit the construction history of an N-sided surface

1 Pick the surface you want to edit.

2 Click the N-sided icon, or choose

Boundary surfaces > N-sided from the Surfaces palette menu.
The N-sided Control window appears.

3 Use the curve modification tools (in the Xform, Curve Edit,
and Object Edit palettes) to reshape the curves used to
create the surface, and use the N-sided Control window to
change the surface creation options.

Building Surfaces
302
Building an N-Sided Surface
Tips and Notes
See Snapping to Grids, Curves, ● For best results, use the snapping tools to make sure the
and Points on page 38. curves intersect at their endpoints. This is not required,
but it makes the resulting surface more predictable.
● If you only want to see the effects of the Center Adjust
options, try setting all the edges to Free continuity, since
Free edges have the fastest interaction.

● The N-sided tool does not use labels to show whether the
desired continuity was achieved. Instead you must look in
the Surface Continuity Feedback section of the N-sided Control
window.
Click an edge named in the N-sided Control window to
view the continuity feedback for that edge.
Lines of text indicate whether continuity was achieved. If
it was not achieved, text boxes show how far out of
tolerance the current edge is for each type of continuity.

Options

Building Surfaces
303
Building an N-Sided Surface
Surface Name
Enter a name for the new surface. The default name is
“nsided” followed by a number.

Continuity Table

Use this menu to set rebuild on or off for all curves

Use this menu to set continuity for all curves

Curve
labels

Curve names
Click a box to set rebuild
Use these menus to set the on or off for a curve
continuity wanted for each curve (four-sided surface only)

The Continuity Table displays one row for each boundary

curve involved in the N-sided operation.
● Use the pop-up menu next to each curve to set the level of
continuity across that boundary.
● Use the Continuity pop-up menu above the table to set the
level of continuity across all curves at once.

If the number of sides is not four, all boundary curves are

automatically rebuilt to create N-sided trimmed surfaces. In
this case, the Rebld checkboxes are disabled.

The Rebuild controls can only be used on four-sided (i.e. non-

trimmed) surfaces:
● Click the checkboxes at the end of each row to rebuild the
curves to reduce data and improve parameterization.
● Use the Rebuild pop-up menu to set rebuild on or off for all
the curves at once.

Free
This edge is free to move if required by another edge’s
continuity.

Building Surfaces
304
Building an N-Sided Surface
Position
Only keep positional continuity. This is the default.

Tangent
Try to keep tangency with a surface that shares this edge.

Curvature
Try to keep curvature continuity with a surface that shares
this edge.

Curve on Surf. Type

This option controls the degree of the curve on surface used to

trim the new surface. Note that Linear is much faster than
Cubic.

Linear
The trim edges will be linear curves (degree 1).

Cubic
The trim edges will be cubic curves (degree 3).

Surface Degree

See Understanding Surfaces This slider controls the degree of the new surface (from 1 to 7).
on page 19. The default is 3.

Center Adjust Options

These options let you push or pull the surface toward or away
from a center point. Center Height and Center Weight only
appear when Center Adjust is on.

Center Adjust
Display the center adjustment sliders and a distance
locator on the model.

Center Height
Increase or decrease the distance of the locator along the
surface normal. This has the effect of pulling on or
pushing in the center of the surface.

Building Surfaces
305
Building an N-Sided Surface
Center Weight
Increase or decrease the influence of the locator on the
surface. Decreasing this value increases the distance
between the center point you specify and the actual center
point on the surface. The locator displays this distance.

Continuity Options/Feedback

Max. New Spans

Maximum number of spans the N-sided tool can insert in
both U and V (on the initial untrimmed surface), as it tries
to achieve continuity.
If the N-sided tool cannot achieve tangency without
inserting more than the allowed number of spans, it
displays an error in the prompt line.

Smoothing Weight
Use this slider to adjust the amount of smoothing to
correct bumps and bulges. A higher weight smooths more.

Continuity Feedback Text

Click an edge name in the N-sided Control window to view
the continuity feedback for that edge.
Lines of text indicate whether continuity was achieved. If
continuity was not achieved, text boxes show how far out
of tolerance the current edge is for each type of continuity.
For example, if an edge is 1 degree from tangency, and the
tangency tolerance is 0.1 degrees, the tangent continuity
feedback line shows 0.9 degrees.

Control Options

Create History
Save the history of the new surface for later editing. If you
turn Create History on, you can modify the curves that were
used to create the surface, and the surface will update.

Auto Recalc
Update the new surface automatically as you change the
values in the N-sided Control window.

Building Surfaces
306
Building an N-Sided Surface
Surface Evaluation

Off
Do not perform any surface evaluation on the surface.

Curvature
Highlight
Quick Render
Display a curvature render, highlight render, or Quick
Render of the new surface.
For more information, see:
◆ Showing Surface Curvature on page 570
◆ Showing Surface Features with Highlights on page 577
◆ Quick Render in the Rendering book.

This option appears when Show Previous Xsect

Buttons

Recalc
Recalculate the surface with the current values in the N-
sided Control window.

Next
Finish the current surface and prompt for new curves.

Purpose Create an extruded surface with a beveled edge.

How To To extrude a beveled surface from a curve

1 Pick the curves and/or faces you want to extrude.

2 Click the Bevel icon, or choose Fillet Surfaces > Bevel from
the Surfaces palette menu.

3 An approximation of the beveled extrusion appears.

◆ Drag with the left mouse button to change the bevel
width.
◆ Drag with the middle mouse button to change the
bevel depth.
◆ Drag with the right mouse button to change the
extrusion depth.

◆ Type the bevel width, bevel depth, and extrusion

depth separated by spaces to set the values exactly.
◆ Click Go to create the surface.

Tips and Notes ● Use a negative bevel depth to reverse the bevel. Use a
negative extrusion depth to reverse the direction of the
extrusion.

Building Surfaces
308
Extruding with a Beveled Edge
● An open curve will be automatically closed by joining
both ends with a straight line segment, before being
bevelled.
● If the Front Cap or Back Cap option is turned on, the curve
must be two-dimensional (all CVs in the same plane) since
caps are faces.

Options

Sides
Single—only bevel one side of the extrusion.
Double—bevel both sides of the extrusion.

Corner Type
Arc—circular rounded bevel.
Line—straight line bevel.

Front Cap
Back Cap
Create a face to cap the front/back side of the extrusion.

Building Surfaces
309
Extruding with a Beveled Edge
Bevel Width
Bevel Depth
Bevel Extrusion Depth
Enter initial values for the bevel parameters. You can
change these values interactively when you use the Bevel
tool.

Bevel Extrusion Depth

Bevel Depth

Original Curve Bevel Width

(optionally Capped)

Keep Originals
Do not delete the original curves used to create the new
surface.

See Also ● Making a Planar Face from Bounding Curves on page 246
● Extruding a Curve on page 259

Building Surfaces
310
Extruding with a Beveled Edge
Surfaces > Fillet Creating a Fillet between Surfaces
Surfaces > Fillet

Purpose Create a fillet surface between two existing surfaces, or a fillet

curve between two existing curves.

Fillet produces surfaces similar to those you can create with the
Round tool. Fillet does not require the surfaces to meet exactly,
or even intersect. However, Fillet cannot produce the variable-
radius fillets and rounded corners like those available from
Round.

How To To get the correct fillet

The fillet is built on the “normal” sides of the surfaces. That is,
the side indicated by the direction of the surface normal.

This is easier to remember using the diagram at left:

◆ The arrows represent the normal direction.
◆ The thick lines are the existing surfaces.
◆ The thin lines are the resulting fillet surfaces for the
different combinations of normal directions.

For example, if the normals of the horizontal surface point

“up”, and the normals of the vertical surface point “left”, the
resulting surface will look like the one in the upper left corner
of the diagram.

Building Surfaces
311
Creating a Fillet between Surfaces
To create a circular fillet surface with a specific radius
1 Double-click the Fillet icon, or choose Fillet surfaces > Fillet-❏
from the Surfaces palette menu.

2 The Fillet options window appears.

◆ Set Construction to Circular.
◆ Set the Radius text box to the radius you want for the
new fillet surface.
◆ If you’re planning to trim the surfaces to the edges of
the fillet, turn on Trim Curves. The Fillet tool will
automatically create curves-on-surface at the fillet
edges.
◆ Click Go.

3 Click the first surface.

4 The Fillet tool displays the normals of the surface:

◆ Click Reverse to reverse the normals.
◆ Click Accept to use the current normal direction.

5 Click the second surface.

6 The Fillet tool displays the normals of the surface:

◆ Click Reverse to reverse the normals.
◆ Click Accept to use the current normal direction.

7 The Fillet tool creates a fillet surface.

Circular If the current radius is too small or too large to create a
Fillet
fillet between the surfaces, the Fillet tool reports an error
and does not build the fillet.

8 Adjust the knee ratio by entering a value through the

keyboard if necessary (see Options on page 314).

9 Click Accept when you are satisfied with the fillet.

To create a freeform fillet between surface curves

1 Double-click the Fillet icon, or choose Fillet surfaces > Fillet-❏
from the Surfaces palette menu.

2 The Fillet options window appears.

◆ Set Construction to Freeform.

Building Surfaces
312
Creating a Fillet between Surfaces
◆ Turn on Blend Control.
◆ Click Go.

3 Click a surface curve on the first surface. You must click

one of the following:
click these ◆ A surface edge.
two curves
◆ An isoparm.
◆ A curve-on-surface or trim edge.

4 Click a surface curve on the second surface. You must click

one of the following:
◆ A surface edge.
◆ An isoparm.
◆ A curve-on-surface or trim edge.

5 The Fillet tool creates a fillet surface.

Freeform
To use the Blend Control option
Fillet
If Blend Control is on, the Fillet tool adds an extra step, allowing
you to change the shape of the fillet blend:
● Use the buttons in the lower right corner to control the
degrees of freedom of the fillet surface:
◆ Primary favors the first surface you picked.
◆ Secondary favors the second surface you picked.
◆ Blend blends equally between the two surfaces.
◆ Ortho makes no distinction between the surfaces, and
simply touches the surfaces at right angles.
● Drag the left mouse button to change the depth of the fillet
arc.
● Drag the middle mouse button to change the blend bias
between the primary and secondary surfaces.
● Type two numbers separated by spaces to set the depth
and bias exactly.
● Click Go to finish modifying the fillet.

Building Surfaces
313
Creating a Fillet between Surfaces
Tips and Notes ● Construction history is particularly useful with the Fillet
tool. You can move and reshape them and the fillet will
automatically update.
● If you are trying to create a freeform fillet and there is no
suitable visible isoparm, you can:
◆ Use the Insert tool to add an edit point isoparm, or
◆ Use the Patch precision tool to increase the display of
interior isoparms.
● If you don’t require exact tangency, set Tangency Achieved
to Approx. Approx is much faster than Accurate.

Options

Construction
Circular—create a circular fillet with a true radius.
Freeform—create a fillet between two contact curves.

Building Surfaces
314
Creating a Fillet between Surfaces
Circular + Lead—create a circular fillet by specifying the
radius where the fillet blends with the original surfaces
(Lead Radius) and the radius at the knee of the fillet
(Radius).

The regular tolerances for Tangency Achieved

tangency are set by choosing Approx—do not use the regular tangent tolerances. Instead
Construction Options from
the Preferences menu. use an “eyeball” tangent tolerance (typically between 1
and 5 degrees).
Accurate—try to achieve tangency within the regular
tangent tolerance (Continuity Angle value).

This option is available Freeform Type

when Construction is Tangent—project the tangent planes at the two contact
Freeform, or Blend Control is
on. curves and create the fillet in the direction of the tangent
planes intersection.
Blend—average the positions of the two contact curves to
create the fillet. Blend fillets sometimes have an inflection
and tend to be shallower than Tangent fillets.

This option is available Radius

when Construction is The default radius of circular fillets. You can enter a new
Circular. or Circular + Lead.
value at the prompt line when you use the tool.

This option is available Calculate

This option is available Lead Radius

when Construction is The radius of the fillet where the fillet blends with the
Circular + Lead.
original surfaces.

This option is available Knee ratio

when Construction is Specify a radius at the center (or knee) of the fillet as a ratio
Circular + Lead.
(or multiple) of the original radius.

Building Surfaces
315
Creating a Fillet between Surfaces
The resulting fillet, of course, will not be truly circular, but
its contact edges will correspond to those of a circular fillet
with the original radius.
Knee ratio = 2.0
Radius at center Blend Control
is now 3.0 Allows you to change the blend type and blend
Circular fillet. Radius =1.5
parameters after the fillet surface is created.

Trim Curves
The Fillet tool will automatically create curves-on-surface
on the original surfaces at the fillet edges.
Often, the next step after creating a fillet between two
surfaces is to trim away the parts of the original surfaces
that extend beyond the new fillet. This option makes that
step much easier.

Create History
Save the Fillet history for later editing. If you turn on Create
History, you can edit the original curves and the fillet will
automatically update.

Purpose Create a new surface that blends between two existing

boundaries, where a boundary can consist of several surface
curves.

How To To create a blending surface between two existing

surfaces
1 Click the Blend icon, or choose Fillet surfaces > Blend from
the Surfaces palette.

2 Click all the surface curves you want to blend from. You
can use curves from more than one surface as a common
edge.
Click the curves in order, from one end of the common
edge to the other. For best results, the curves should be
tangent continuous with each other.
◆ Click a surface edge, isoparm, curve-on-surface, or
trim edge to add it to the common edge.
◆ Click the previous curve again to deselect it.
◆ If the end of the curve is close to the beginning of the
first curve, the common edge closes up.

3 Click Go.

4 Click all the surface curves you want to blend to. You can
use curves from more than one surface as a common edge.
Click the curves in order, from one end of the common
edge to the other. For best results, the curves should be
tangent continuous with each other.

Building Surfaces
317
Blending a New Surface between Surface Boundaries
◆ Click a surface edge, isoparm, curve-on-surface, or
trim edge to add it to the common edge.
◆ Click the previous curve again to deselect it.
◆ If the end of the curve is close to the beginning of the
first curve, the common edge closes up.

5 Click Go.

6 A locator for the new surface appears. Each edge displays

a direction line (labeled with a “D”), and lines are drawn
between the two edges to approximate the new surface.
◆ Drag the left mouse button to move the locator along
the common edge. Use that to correct minor problems
mapping one surface to the other.
◆ Click the middle mouse button to reverse the current
segment of the common edge. Use that to correct
twists in the new surface.
◆ Click the right mouse button to switch to the locator
on the other edge.

7 Click Go to create the new surface.

Tips and Notes ● Construction history is particularly useful with the Blend
tool. You can move and reshape the original surfaces, and
the blend surface will automatically update.
● Any changes to the parameterization of the original
surfaces will break the construction history of the blend
surface.
● The Blend tool is useful for blending surfaces over joints of
an animated model. As the original surfaces are animated,
construction history rebuilds the blended surface at each
frame.

Building Surfaces
318
Blending a New Surface between Surface Boundaries
Surfaces > Fillet Creating Rounded Edges, Corners, and
Surfaces > Round
Fillets

Purpose Create fillet surfaces and rounded edges and corners between
existing surfaces.

Round produces surfaces similar to those you can create with

the Fillet tool. Unlike Fillet, Round requires that the surfaces
meet exactly. However, Round can produce variable-radius
fillets and rounded corners which Fillet cannot.

How To To create rounded edges and corners between surfaces

1 Click the Round icon, or choose Fillet surfaces > Round from
the Surfaces palette menu.

2 Click the common edge between two surfaces.

3 A radius indicator appears on the edge.

◆ See below for how to use the button menu and how to
specify more than one radius on an edge.
◆ Repeat step 2 to add another edge to the round
operation. Where three or four rounded edges meet,
Click one edge the Round tool will create a blended corner surface.

◆ Drag the left mouse button to change the radius of the

current indicator, or type a number to set the radius
exactly.
◆ Drag the middle mouse button to move the indicator
along the edge.
◆ Click another indicator to make it the active locator.

Click 2 more edges. Adjust radii

Building Surfaces
319
Creating Rounded Edges, Corners, and Fillets
4 When you have selected all the edges you want to round,
click the Build button (in the lower right corner of the
window).
◆ You can continue to edit the parameters and edges,
then click Build again to see the results.
◆ Click the Undo all button (in the lower right corner of
the window) to start over.
3 fillets and 1 blend corner
surface are built. Original
surfaces are trimmed.
To create a variable-radius fillet or rounded edge
1 Click the Round icon, or choose Fillet surfaces > Round from
the Surfaces palette menu.

2 Click the common edge between the two surfaces.

A radius indicator appears on the edge.
The Round buttons appear in the view.

3 Click twice at another point on the edge to add another

radius indicator.
◆ You can add as many indicators as you want to set the
multiple radii on the same edge
radius of the fillet at several point along the edge.
◆ To remove a radius indicator, click the indicator to
make it active, then click the Delete button.

4 Click Build to create the new surface.

To use the Round buttons

The Round buttons appear in the view after you select the
common edge between two surfaces (see above).

Build the fillet surfaces Delete the highlighted

with the current parameters indicator or edge.

Toggle the extension

of the edge to ensure
intersection at corner Enter indicator
position mode.

Undo the build and reset the original

surfaces to normal.

Building Surfaces
320
Creating Rounded Edges, Corners, and Fillets
Build
Create the rounded surfaces using the current
specifications. You can continue to edit the edges, then
click Build again to update the surfaces.

Delete
Remove the highlighted indicator or edge from the build
operation.
For example, click a radius indicator and click Delete to
remove it. Click an edge and click Delete to remove the
rounded surface from the edge in the next build.

Tgl extend edge

Toggle to extend/not extend the edge when the new
rounded surface is built. You will need to extend the edge
when the resulting surface does not intersect properly
with another fillet or side surface at a corner (see example
below).

Position profile
Normally keyboard input sets the radius of the current
indicator. Click this button to enter the position of the
indicator along the edge as a percentage of arc-length
instead.
For example, 0.0 is the beginning of the edge, 0.5 is
halfway along the edge, and 1.0 is the end of the edge.
Click another edge to exit positioning mode.

Undo all
Undo the built surfaces, deselect all the edges, and return
the surfaces to their original state.

Building Surfaces
321
Creating Rounded Edges, Corners, and Fillets
Using Extend edge To use the Extend edge button to make sure corners
intersect
1 In the example at left, the wavy edge is selected to round.

2 When you click Build, the new rounded surface is created.

Because the new surface ends at an angle to the side
surface, there is a gap. The surfaces do not meet at the
Click Build. corner.

3 Click Extend edge. the highlighted edge line extends

beyond the original surfaces.
Gap 4 Click Build. The rounded surface is rebuilt to extend
beyond the side surface.
Click Extend edge.
5 Now you can Intersect the side surface and the rounded
surface, then Trim the extended part of the surface back to
the corner.
See Creating Curves-on-Surface from Geometry on page 344
and Trimming Surfaces with Curves-on-Surface on page 353.
Click Build again.
To edit the construction history of a Round surface
Trim
1 Pick the surface you want to edit.

2 Click the Round icon, or choose Fillet surfaces > Round from
the Surfaces palette menu.
Use the trim tool to trim away The edges, radius indicators, and button menu reappear.
the extended surface.

Tips and Notes ● Unfortunately, the Round tool cannot automatically

determine which edges need to be extended, or trim them
once they are extended.
Make sure to check if any edges need to be extended after
your initial build.
● Trimming any of the surfaces created by the Round tool
will break construction history.
● If you don’t require exact tangency, set Tangency Achieved
to Approx. Approx is much faster than Accurate.

Building Surfaces
322
Creating Rounded Edges, Corners, and Fillets
● The following table shows how the Round tool deals with
different numbers and types of edges meeting at a corner:

Edges Conditions Result

2 • Same radius. Corner is a simple intersect and trim.

• Surfaces intersect.
• Different radii. or single radius None. Trim manually.
and variable radius.
• Different geometry degree.
3 All edges have same radius. Corner is either a trimmed sphere, or a triangular
degenerate surface with a zero-length side.
One of the edges has a radius of 0. Same as with 2 edges.
Two of the edges have radii of 0. Tries to trim the non-zero fillet back to the
intersecting surface.
All other cases. Corner is a normal four-sided surface that blends
between all fillets.
4 All cases. Corner is a normal four-sided surface between
the four points where the four fillets edges
intersect.

Options Trim Type

Automatic
Automatically trim the surfaces where they intersect. This
is the default.
This option does not apply to surfaces that must be
extended with the Extend edge button. You must trim those
surfaces manually.

Curves on Surface
Create curves-on-surface where the surfaces intersect, but
do not trim them.

Off
Do not create curves-on-surface or trim the surfaces.

Building Surfaces
323
Creating Rounded Edges, Corners, and Fillets
Tangency Achieved

Approx
Do not use the regular tangent tolerance. Instead use an
“eyeball” tangent tolerance (typically between 1 and 5
degrees).

The regular tolerance for Accurate

tangency is set in the Try to achieve tangency within the regular tangent
Continuity Angle option
(choose Preferences > tolerance.
Construction Options).

● Draft surfaces start from a set of curves and extend away

from the curves at an angle to a pull direction.
Use Draft when you want to make sure a surface can be
extracted from an injection mold.

● Flange surfaces start from a set of isoparms, surface edges

or curves on surface, and extend away at an angle to the
original surface.
For example, you can use Flange mode to build a “skirt”
surface around the edge of another surface.

● Collar surfaces are very similar to Flange surfaces. They

also start from a set of isoparms, surface edges or curves
on surface, and extend away at an angle to the original
surface.
The difference is that the surface curves used to create
Collar surfaces must be tangent continuous, and the result
is a single surface (the Flange mode takes disconnected
surface curves and creates multiple surfaces).

Building Surfaces
325
Using Draft, Flange, and Collar
How To To set the mode of the Draft tool
1 Double click the Draft icon, or choose Draft from the
Surfaces palette menu.

2 Set the Mode to Draft, Flange, or Collar

3 Click Go.

To create Draft surfaces

1 Set the Mode to Draft (see above).

2 Click all the free curves, isoparms, surface edges, and/or

curves on surface you want to build from.
Click a curve again to deselect it.

3 Click Go.
pull direction The Draft tool builds the new surface, and attaches the draft
angle/surface depth and pull direction manipulators.

4 Use the manipulators to adjust the parameters of the draft

surface (see page 328).
Draft
surfaces
5 When you are finished with the surface, Click Draft again
to start a new surface, or choose another tool.
● If the pull direction is too close to a curve’s tangent, the
draft surface will not build correctly. The Draft tool
indicates this condition by drawing dotted red lines at the
problem curves.
● At corners (where the original curves share endpoints),
the Draft tool will create tangent-continuous fillets, or trim
(as required) to create clean corners.

Building Surfaces
326
Using Draft, Flange, and Collar
To create Flange surfaces

1 Set the Mode to Flange (see above).

2 Click all the isoparms, surface edges, and/or curves on

surface you want to build from.
Click a curve again to deselect it.
click this
trim edge

3 Click Go.
The Draft tool builds the new surface, and attaches the draft
angle/surface depth manipulator. (Flange surfaces do not
have a pull direction. The angle is relative to the original
surface’s normal).

4 Use the draft angle/surface depth manipulator to adjust

the parameters of the draft surface (see page 328).
Flange surface
5 When you are finished with the surface, Click Draft again
to start a new surface, or choose another tool.

To create Collar surfaces

1 Set the Mode to Collar (see page 326).

2 Click all the isoparms, surface edges, trim edges and/or

curves on surface you want to build from.
◆ Click the curves in order, from one end of the common
edge to the other. The curves must be tangent
continuous with each other.
◆ As each curve is added, red lines appear on the
surface curve indicating the tangent plane direction.
◆ Click a surface edge, isoparm, curve on surface, or
trim edge to add it to the common edge.
◆ Click the previous curve again to deselect it.
◆ If the end of the curve is close to the beginning of the
first curve, the common edge closes up.

3 Click Go.
The Draft tool builds the new surface and attaches the draft
angle/surface depth manipulator. (Collar surfaces do not
have a pull direction. The angle is relative to the original
surfaces normal).

Building Surfaces
327
Using Draft, Flange, and Collar
4 Use the draft angle/surface depth manipulator to adjust
the parameters of the draft surface (see page 328).

5 When you are finished with the surface, Click Draft again
to start a new surface, or choose another tool.

To use the draft angle/surface depth manipulator

Surface depth handle (controls depth)

Rotation handle (controls angle from

the pull vector)

Parameter handle (drag to change

location of the manipulator on the
curve)
● Click one of the handles, then drag left or right to change
the parameter, or type a number to set the value exactly.

To use the pull direction manipulator

Long arrow indicates

the pull direction.
Free rotation handle
Click an arc to
change the X, Y or Z
rotation.
Location handle

Click an axis line

to set the tangent
direction to a cardinal
axis.

● Click an axis line to set the pull direction.

● Type “x”, “y”, or “z” to set the pull direction to an axis.
Type “w” to set the pull direction to the current window’s
view axis.
● Click one of the arcs, then drag the mouse left and right to
change the pull direction.
● Click the free rotation handle to rotate freely in all
directions.

Building Surfaces
328
Using Draft, Flange, and Collar
● Type three numbers (X, Y, and Z rotation) to set the
rotation values exactly.
● Click the location handle, then drag to move the
manipulator in space.
● Click on an existing reference vector to align the
manipulator with it (see Reference Vectors on page 44).

Tips and Notes

● If you use the different modes of the Draft tool regularly,

you may want to drag a copy of the tool in each mode to a
shelf. Each mode of the Draft tool has a distinct icon.
◆ Double click the Draft icon, or choose Draft from the
Surfaces palette menu.
◆ Set the Mode to Draft.
◆ With the middle mouse button, drag the icon from the
option window to the shelf.
◆ Repeat for the other Mode options.

Options

Common Options

Mode
Set the type of surface created by the tool. See the Overview
above for descriptions of the different modes.

Building Surfaces
329
Using Draft, Flange, and Collar
Angle
The initial angle of the surface from the pull direction/
normal. You can change this value using the draft angle/
surface depth manipulator when you use the tool.

Surface Depth
The initial depth of the surface from the original curves.
You can change this value using the draft angle/surface
distance manipulator when you use the tool.

This option does not appear Explicit Control

if Mode is Collar. It may not Turn this option on if you want to specify the exact degree
be available for your
StudioTools product. and number of spans of the Draft or Flange surface.

The Degree and Spans Degree

options only appear if Degree of the draft or flange surface in the U direction.
Explicit Control is turned on.
(The surface is always of degree 1 in the V direction.)

Spans
Number of spans of the draft or flange surface in the U
direction. (The surface always has a single span in the V
direction.)

Create History
Save the Draft history for later editing. If you turn on
Create History, you can edit the original curves and the
draft/flange/collar surface will automatically update.

These options appear when Draft Options

Mode is Draft.
Pull Direction
User Defined—you will explicitly set the initial pull
direction.
Automatic—the Draft tool will automatically figure out the
best initial pull direction each time you use the tool.

This option appears when Presets

Pull Direction is User Click X, Y, or Z to set the “Up” Rotation option to one of the
Defined.
cardinal axes.

This option appears when “Up” Rotation

Pull Direction is User Enter three values (X, Y, and Z rotation) to define the
Defined.
initial pull direction. You can change this value using the
pull direction manipulator when you use the tool.

Building Surfaces
330
Using Draft, Flange, and Collar
Vector
The name of the reference vector that represents the pull
direction. To use a reference vector to set the pull
direction, either click on the vector or enter its name in the
Vector field. See Reference Vectors on page 44.

These options appear when Collar Options

Mode is Collar.

End point gap

This determines the maximum distance allowed between
the end points of adjacent selected curves on surfaces.

End point normal

This determines the maximum angle allowed between the
surface normals at the end points of adjacent selected
curves on surfaces.

Iterations
This controls the accuracy of the tool. If turned on
(default), the tool iterates to achieve the specified Surface
Depth and Draft Angle. The resulting surface will be more
accurate but the iterations may produce a variable number
of spans, depending on the chosen depth and angle. If
turned off, the resulting surface will be more approximate,
but will always contain a constant number of spans.

Purpose Create a single new surface from several separate surfaces.

Overview Often it is easier to model a complex shape with several

surfaces, rather than one large surface.

However, these kinds of composite surfaces cannot be used in

some circumstances. You may want to use a tool that only
works on single surfaces, or your manufacturing system may
require a single surface.

The Combine surfaces tool allows you to combine several

surfaces into one surface. It has the following limitations:
● The combined outer boundary of all the surfaces must
have exactly four sides.
● Combine surfaces does not work on trimmed surfaces.

How To To combine several surfaces into one new surface

1 Click the Combine surfaces icon, or choose Combine surfaces
from the Surfaces palette.

2 Pick the surfaces you want to combine.

◆ As you add surfaces, the surface boundaries change
color. Green means the current group of surfaces has a
four-sided boundary and can be combined. Yellow
means they cannot be combined.
◆ When the surfaces can be combined, an arrow appears
showing the normal of the new surface. Click the
arrow to reverse the normal of the new surface.

Building Surfaces
332
Combining Several Surfaces into One
3 When you have picked all the surfaces you want to
combine and the boundary is green, click Go.

4 The system prompts you to click the edges that must be

continuous with adjacent surfaces.
◆ Click a green boundary line to mark it for tangency
with adjacent surfaces. A label appears on the
boundary.
◆ Click the label to change the continuity type. Each
click cycles through positional (pos), tangent (tan),
and curvature (cur).

5 Click Go.

How the Function Works 1 Combine surfaces fits four curves to each of the four outer
boundaries of the set of surfaces you selected.

2 Then, it places a simple surface, of the degree you selected

in the option box, within those four curves.

3 The function samples the interior of all the selected

surfaces and modifies the surface to match those samples.

4 If the surface doesn’t match well enough, Combine surfaces

inserts knot isoparms into the simple surface to allow for
finer adjustments to the shape.

5 If you selected continuity with boundary surfaces,

Combine surfaces samples those surfaces as well, and
increases the samples along the outer boundaries of the
original surfaces.

Tips and Notes ● Combine surfaces uses tolerances from

Preferences > Construction options (in the Tolerances section):
◆ Curve Fit Distance (under Fitting) controls the fit of the
combined surface to the original surfaces.
◆ Continuity Angle (under Continuity) controls the fit of the
surface normals at sample points.
● Using very tight tolerances does not guarantee that the
resulting surface will match the original surfaces with
higher accuracy.

Building Surfaces
333
Combining Several Surfaces into One
Combine surfaces tries to achieve tighter tolerances by:
◆ increasing sampling, and
◆ inserting more knot isoparms for finer control.
The result is often a surface with more complexity than
you need.
● This tool can often achieve good fits with relatively loose
tolerances. If you relax the tolerances, it also reduces the
time it takes to create the new surface.
Try using loose tolerances to begin with, and increase
them if you are not achieving the accuracy you need.

Options

See Understanding Surfaces Degree

on page 19. Choose the degree of the resulting surface: 3 (cubic), 5, or
7.

Iterate to Tolerance
Increase samples and insert more isoparms until the
tolerances are reached.

These sliders only appear Max Spans U / Max Spans V

when Iterate to Tolerance is Do not create a combined surface with more than the
off.
given number of spans in the U and V direction, even if
the tolerances are not reached.

Template Original Surfaces

On—once the new surface is finished, the Combine surfaces
tool makes the original surfaces templates.
Off—the Combine surfaces tool leaves the original surfaces
untouched.

Building Surfaces
334
Combining Several Surfaces into One
Editing Surfaces

In This Section Aligning Several Surfaces 338

Aligning Hulls 340
Creating Curves-on-Surface from Geometry 344
Trimming Surfaces with Curves-on-Surface 353
Converting Trimmed Surfaces to Untrimmed Surfaces 358
Rebuilding Complex Surfaces 361
Stitching/Unstitching Surfaces into Shells 368
Performing Boolean Operations on Shells 371
Integrating Clay Model Changes 373
Globally Deforming Surfaces 382
Fitting a Surface To Section Data 386

335
Surface Edit Palette Summary

Icon Surface Edit > For more information...

Create CurvesOnSurface Creating Curves-on-Surface

from Geometry on page 344

Trim > Trim Trimming Surfaces with

Trim > Trim divide Curves-on-Surface on page 353
Trim > Untrim

Trim > Trim convert Converting Trimmed Surfaces

to Untrimmed Surfaces on
page 358

Stitch Stitching/Unstitching Surfaces

into Shells on page 368

Shells Performing Boolean Operations

on Shells on page 371

Align mesh Aligning Several Surfaces on

page 338

Align hull Aligning Hulls on page 340

Rebuild surface Rebuilding Complex Surfaces

on page 361

Claymate Integrating Clay Model

Changes on page 373

Editing Surfaces
336
Surface Edit Palette Summary
Icon Surface Edit > For more information...

Global deformation Globally Deforming Surfaces on

page 382

Fit scan Fitting a Surface To Section

Data on page 386

Editing Surfaces
337
Surface Edit Palette Summary
Surface Edit > Aligning Several Surfaces
Align mesh

Purpose Align several surfaces with positional or tangent continuity.

Overview Align mesh is similar to the Align tool, but works on more than
two surfaces at a time.

How To To align surfaces

1 Pick the surfaces you want to align.

2 Click the Align mesh icon, or choose Align mesh from the
Surface Edit palette menu.
◆ If all the surfaces are adjacent, Align mesh aligns them
using the settings in the option window.
◆ If none of the surfaces are adjacent, Align mesh displays
an error in the prompt line and does not align.
◆ If at least two of the surfaces are adjacent, Align mesh
asks you whether you want to align the surfaces that
are adjacent and ignore the rest.

Tips and Notes ● Surfaces must be adjacent (within the Snap Tolerance)
along the entire length of the boundary being aligned.
● The Align mesh tool cannot align surfaces with trimmed
sides (such as are created with the N-sided tool).
● Adjust the Snap Tolerance option if you want looser or
tighter control over which surfaces are considered
adjacent.

Editing Surfaces
338
Aligning Several Surfaces
● If the average tangent plane at a corner is undefined
(impossible to calculate), the Align mesh tool ignores the
surfaces and displays an warning in the prompt line.

Options

Align Mesh Mode

Free Intersection—enforce positional continuity, then
achieve tangent continuity by moving the CVs along the
surfaces common boundaries.
Fixed Intersection—enforce positional continuity, then try to
achieve tangent continuity by moving the second row of
CVs from the surface boundaries on each surface. The
surface boundaries remain fixed.
Snap Only—enforce positional continuity only.

Snap Tolerance
The maximum distance allowed between surfaces for
them to be considered adjacent.

Keep Originals
On—keep the original surfaces in addition to the new
aligned surfaces.
Off—align the surfaces and delete the originals.

How To To align the hulls of a surface

1 Pick the surface you want to change.

Tip Alternately, you can select the Align hull tool before selectcing
the surface you want to change, and then click the Align
button.

2 Double-click the Align hull icon, or choose Align hull from the
Surface Edit palette menu.
The Align Hull Options window appears.

3 Choose whether to align hulls along the U, V, or both

directions.

4 To accept the alignment, click Accept.

To undo the alignment, click Undo.

Note The Align hull tool remains active.

Editing Surfaces
340
Aligning Hulls
Tips and Notes While using the Align hull tool, StudioTools temporarily
duplicates the original surface and modifies the duplicate
surface. (Both the original and the duplicate surfaces are
visible.)

When you click the Align button, you can change the Align Hull
Options and the duplicate surface will update.

When you click the Accept button, StudioTools removes the

original surface (unless the Keep Originals option is on) and the
duplicated surface becomes unselected.

Options

Alignment Method
Choose a surface-fitting algorithm: Least squares or Best-fit
plane.

Editing Surfaces
341
Aligning Hulls
Alignment Planes
Automatic — The best-fit plane is calculated automatically.
Specified — Lets you adjust the orientation of the best-fit
plane by clicking the Specify Planes button (to display
hulls), clicking on a hull (to display the plane
manipulator), and then adjusting the plane manipulator.

Align Along
U, V, or both U and V.

Min/Max Deviation
Display the deviation between the original surface and the
modified surface.

Keep Originals
Turn this option off to delete the original surface after the
new, aligned surface is created.

Iterate
Iterates the calculation of the best-fit plane to produce
better alignment.

Lock U
Lock V
Do not change the surface boundary’s position (Position),
tangents (Tangency), or curvature (Curvature), in the U or V
directions.

Tolerance
The maximum distance to allow between CVs and the
alignment plane

Percentage
Move the CVs toward the best fit plane this percentage of
the total distance. For example: if a CV must move 5 mm
to be aligned, and the Percentage is 0.1, the CV will only
move 0.5 mm.
Use this option to align CVs iteratively. If you only want to
move the CVs a short distance, use a percentage to move
the CVs by small amounts until you reach the level of
alignment you want.

Editing Surfaces
342
Aligning Hulls
When you move the CVs by a percentage, the new CV
positions have a new best-fit plane. So moving CVs
iteratively by percentages will give a different result than
moving them by the complete distance in one jump.

Max Iterations
The maximum number of iterations StudioTools performs
when calculating the best-fit plane. This option is only
available when Iterate is on.

Stiffness, Elasticity
These sliders control the new hulls’ resistance to bending
and tendency to stretch. Try moving the sliders to see how
they affect the new hulls, then use them to improve the fit.

Curvature Constancy
This slider controls the rate of change in curvature along
the surface.
Increasing the value enforces more constant curvature, but
will probably increase the deviation from the original
surface.

Purpose Create curves-on-surface from existing curves and surfaces by

intersecting surfaces, projecting curves onto surfaces, and
mapping curves onto surfaces.

Overview There are four basic tools for creating curves-on-surface from
existing curves:

curve on ● Intersect. This tool creates curves-on-surface where two

surface surfaces intersect (See page 345).
This allows you to trim the surfaces back to the
intersection.

proj. projected ● Project. This tool creates curves-on-surface by projecting a

vector curve curve along a vector onto surfaces (see page 346).
This is like shining a flashlight at the curve, and turning
the shadows on the target surfaces into curves-on-surface.
The line between the flashlight, the curve, and the shadow
is the projection vector.
curve on
surface

projected ● Project normal. This tool is like Project, but instead of

curve projecting along a single vector, the curve is projected onto
each point on the surface along the normal at that point
curve on (see page 347)
surface
This tool is very useful for projecting curves that are
parallel to or surround the target surface.

Editing Surfaces
344
Creating Curves-on-Surface from Geometry
● Geometry mapping. This tool maps world-space curves onto
mapped the target surface, similarly to mapping a texture onto a
curves
surface during rendering (see page 347).
Geometry mapping can produce curves-on-surface that
are impossible with projection or intersection. For
example, you can wrap text curves around a cylinder,
rather than simply projecting them onto the sides.

curves on
surface

How To To create curves-on-surface at the intersection between

two surfaces
1 Pick the surfaces on which you want to create curves-on-
surface (the target surfaces).

Tip Alternately, you can select the Intersect tool before selectcing
the surface on which you want to create curves-on-surface,
and then click the Go button.

2 Click the Intersect icon, or choose Create

CurvesOnSurface > Intersect from the Surface Edit palette
menu.

3 Click the surface you want to intersect with the picked

surfaces. This intersecting surface can not be one of the
picked surfaces.

4 If a surface was picked in step 3, the Intersect tool creates

curves-on-surface.
◆ If the Create Curves on Surface option is set to On First
Surface, the Intersect tool creates curves-on-surface on
the target surfaces, but not on the intersecting surface
you clicked in step 3.
◆ If the Create Curves on Surface option is set to On Both
Surfaces, the Intersect tool creates curves-on-surface on
both the target and the intersecting surfaces.

5 Repeat step 3 for another intersecting surface if necessary.

Editing Surfaces
345
Creating Curves-on-Surface from Geometry
To project a curve or surface outline to create a curve-on-
surface
1 Pick the surfaces on which you want to create curves-on-
surface.

Tip Alternately, you can select the Project tool before the surface
on which you want to create curves-on-surface, and then
click the Go button.

2 If you want to project a curve or surface outline along a

view vector of a window, select that window.
Otherwise, create a reference vector to represent the
projection direction (see Reference Vectors on page 44).

3 Click the Project icon, or choose

Create CurvesOnSurface > Project from the Surface Edit
palette menu.
An indicator appears showing the projection vector.

4 Do one of the following:

◆ Click the curve, isoparm, or curve-on-surface you
want to project onto the surface(s). The curve is
projected along the view vector of the active window.
◆ Click the reference vector (that you have previously
created that represents the projection direction (see
Reference Vectors on page 44). The curve is projected
along the vector direction.
This operation can take some time depending on the
complexity of the geometry. Press Esc to cancel the
operation.

5 You can now:

◆ Continue to click curves to project.
◆ Click on another vector to change the projection
direction.
◆ Shift-click on the selected vector to project the curve or
surface along the view vector of the active window.
◆ Select new surfaces using a Pick tool and click the
Project icon again.
◆ Choose another tool.

Editing Surfaces
346
Creating Curves-on-Surface from Geometry
To project a curve along the surface normals to create a
curve-on-surface
1 Pick the surfaces on which you want to create curves-on-
surface.

Tip Alternately, you can select the Project normal tool before
selecting the surface on which you want to create curves-on-
surface, and then click the Go button.

2 Click the Project normal icon, or choose

Create CurvesOnSurface > Project normal from the
Surface Edit palette menu.

3 Click the curve, isoparm, or curve-on-surface you want to

project.
The curve is projected onto all picked surfaces along the
surfaces’s normals.
This operation can take some time depending on the
complexity of the geometry. Press Esc to cancel the
operation.

4 You can now:

◆ Continue to click curves to project.
◆ Select new surfaces using a Pick tool and click the
Project normal icon again.
◆ Choose another tool.

To map a curve onto a surface to create a curve-on-

surface
1 Figure out how you want the curve to map:
◆ Check the parametric directions of the surface. Use the
Reverse direction tool to display and reverse the surface
direction if necessary.
◆ Note which world space axes correspond to the U and
V axes of the surface.

2 Set up the options using the explanations under Geometry

Mapping Options on page 351.

3 Pick the surface on which you want to create curves-on-

surface.

Editing Surfaces
347
Creating Curves-on-Surface from Geometry
4 Click the Geometry mapping icon, or choose
Create CurvesOnSurface > Geometry mapping from the
Surface Edit palette menu.

5 Click the curve, isoparm, or curve-on-surface you want to

map.
The curve is mapped onto the picked surface using the
settings in the Geometry mapping option window.

6 You can now:

◆ Continue to click curves to map.
◆ Select a new surface using a Pick tool and click the
Geometry mapping tool again.
◆ Choose another tool.

Tips and Notes ● Surfaces that have curves-on-surface are drawn with a
dotted outline.

See Making a Planar Face from ● You cannot intersect faces, but you can project and map
Bounding Curves on them onto surfaces.
page 246.
● If you are not using a vector with the Project tool and you
are always using the same window, try creating a vector in
the view direction of the window (see Reference Vectors on
page 44). That way, you won’t have to worry about which
window is active.
● To minimize distortion when mapping, the size of the
mapped area in world space should be proportional to the
size of the surface.
● To insert edit points on curves where they intersect a
surface or another curve, use the Curve Section tool.

Options Common Options

Create History
Save the construction history of the new curves-on-surface
for later editing. If you turn Create History on, you can
modify the curves/surfaces that were used to create the
curves-on-surface, and the curves-on-surface will update.

Editing Surfaces
348
Creating Curves-on-Surface from Geometry
Intersect Options

Create Curves on Surface

On First Surface—create curves-on-surface on the target
surfaces, but not on the intersecting surface you selected.
On Both Surfaces—create curves-on-surface on the target
and the intersecting surfaces.

Project Options

Invoke Trim Automatically

Turn on this option to invoke a Trim tool immediately after
the Project operation.

These options only appear if Trim/Divide

Invoke Trim Automatically is Choose whether to use the Trim or Trim Divide tool after the
on.
project operation.

Editing Surfaces
349
Creating Curves-on-Surface from Geometry
Project Normal Options

Tolerance
The accuracy of the match between the original curve and
the curve-on-surface. The smaller the value, the more
accurate the projection, but the longer the calculation time
required.
For example, if the Tolerance is 0.01, the curve-on-surface
must match the original curve within 0.01 units at each
point that Project normal checks.

Curve data factor

Number of times that each surface patch is subdivided to
get an accurate result.
The default is 1, which is sufficient for most surfaces.
Larger values increase calculation time. Only increase the
value for very simple surfaces.

Invoke Trim Automatically

Turn on this option to invoke a Trim tool immediately after
the Project normal operation.

Editing Surfaces
350
Creating Curves-on-Surface from Geometry
Geometry Mapping Options

Surface U/V
Set the world space axes (X, Y or Z) that correspond to the
U and V directions of the surface.

Mapping Type
Parameter Base—proportionally map the defined area of
world space to the parameter space of the surface. If the
surface has irregular placement of edit points, as in the
following example, the mapped geometry is distorted.

Editing Surfaces
351
Creating Curves-on-Surface from Geometry
Arc Length Base—proportionally map the defined area of
world space to the arc length of the surface.

Map Min/Max U/V Axis

These values define the area of world space that
corresponds to the U and V parameter space of the
surface.
For example:
◆ You are mapping a curve in the XY plane, and you
want the curve to fill the mapped surface.
◆ You are mapping world X to surface U, and world Y to
surface V.
◆ The curve’s bounding box is (-4, -2) to (5, 3).
◆ Enter -4 and 5 as the minimum and maximum U axis
values.
◆ Enter -2 and 3 as the minimum and maximum V axis
values.

Purpose Trim or separate surfaces using existing curves-on-surface.

Overview Since NURBS surfaces are intrinsically four-sided and do not

allow holes, we need a way to visually simulate irregular
shapes and holes when using NURBS. The answer is trimming.

Trimming lets you visually cut or divide a surface along a

curve-on-surface so it appears to have holes or missing pieces.
The trimmed surface, however, is not actually cut. It exists in a
hidden form that does not render or affect modeling. You can
easily recover the trimmed part of a surface using the Untrim
tool.

Creating curves-on-surface and then trimming is a very

common way to combine NURBS surfaces in industrial
design. The usual process is to design two parts of an object
(for example, the side and top surfaces of the computer mouse
in Tutorial 3 of the Learning StudioTools book), then intersect
and trim them. This is much easier than trying to create pre-
shaped surfaces that fit together perfectly.

You should remember, however, that trimmed surfaces are

more complex and can take longer to display and render. For
this reason, trimming is not a common technique for creating
animated models.

If possible, do not use trimming as your only modeling

technique. If there is another (less complex) way to achieve
your design goals, you should consider the alternative method
first.

Editing Surfaces
353
Trimming Surfaces with Curves-on-Surface
Trim History

Similar to construction history, each surface keeps a history of

the trims that have been performed on it. The Untrim tool
“backs up” one step at a time in the trim history, allowing you
to undo a recent trim operation without losing every previous
trim. If you want to undo all trims ever performed on a
surface, you can set the Untrim tool’s Untrim Stages option to All.

Note Trimmed surfaces also have construction history.

How To To trim a surface

1 Click the Trim icon, or choose Trim > Trim from the
Surface Edit menu.

2 Click the surface you want to trim.

You can use an already trimmed surface.

If the surface is valid, a set of three buttons (Keep/Discard/

Go) appears in the lower right corner of the view window.

3 Click the part of the surface (defined by curves-on-

In this example we click the
Keep button then select the surface) you either want to keep or discard.
outer and innermost regions. Because the surface is already selected, you do not have to
The same result could be click a “visible” part of the surface (such as an isoparm or
obtained by clicking Discard
then selecting the middle ring. edge). You can click anywhere on the surface.

4 The Trim tool places an indicator on the surface where you

clicked.
◆ If you hold down the mouse button when clicking in
Step 3, you can move the indicator to a different
region on the surface. The cross-hair intersection point
determines what region is selected.

◆ Click the surface again to operate on another region to

operate on.
◆ Click the Keep button to indicate you want to keep the
region(s) you clicked, and the rest of the surface
should be trimmed.

Editing Surfaces
354
Trimming Surfaces with Curves-on-Surface
◆ Click the Discard button to indicate you want to trim
away the region(s) you clicked, and keep the rest of
the surface. The indicators turn pink.

5 Click Go. The region(s) you clicked are kept or discarded.

To separate a surface into two or more new surfaces

1 Click the Trim divide icon, or choose Trim > Trim divide from
the Surface Edit menu.

2 Click the surface you want to trim.

You can use an already trimmed surface.

3 Click the part of the surface (defined by curves-on-

surface) you want to separate.
Because the surface is already selected, you do not have to
click a “visible” part of the surface (such as an isoparm or
edge). You can click anywhere on the surface.
Select the left region
4 The Trim divide tool places an indicator on the surface
where you clicked.

◆ If you hold down the mouse button when clicking in

Step 3, you can move the indicator to a different
region on the surface. The cross-hair intersection point
determines what region is selected.
◆ Click the surface again to define another region you
Select the center region want to separate.

5 Click the Go button.

The Trim divide tool divides the original surface into as

CoS many new trimmed surfaces as the number of regions you
clicked, plus one: the remaining part of the original
surface.

Result: 3 trimmed surfaces To untrim surfaces

The larger piece could be
divided further along the CoS 1 Pick the surfaces you want to untrim.

2 Click the Untrim icon, or choose Surface Edit > Trim > Untrim.

Editing Surfaces
355
Trimming Surfaces with Curves-on-Surface
◆ If the Untrim Stages option is set to Last (the default),
the Untrim tool will undo the last trim operation on this
surface.
◆ If the Untrim Stages option is set to All, the Untrim tool
will undo all trims on this surface.

Note You cannot untrim groups of objects. You must

ungroup the surfaces you want to untrim, or select
them directly in the SBD window, or by using Pick >
Component.

Tips and Notes

● Tolerances for the Trim tool are in

Preferences > Construction options under the Curve On
Surface/Trim section.
◆ Trim Curve Fit allows you to control the accuracy of the
trim boundaries created using the trim tool. The
default is 0.001 centimeters.
◆ Max Gap Between Curves is the maximum gap allowed
between the endpoints of two curves-on-surface (or a
curve-on-surface and a surface edge) to consider them
closed when defining a trim region. The default is 0.1
centimeters.
● You cannot use the Attach tool on surfaces created by Trim
or Trim divide. Make sure to attach surfaces before using a
Trim tool.

● Curves-on-surface must be visible to affect trims (toggle

with ObjectDisplay > Visible).
● By default, curves-on-surface with a Dashed line style (set
with ObjectDisplay > Line Style) are valid for trims.
If you want the trim tools to ignore dashed curves-on-
surface, open Preferences > User Options > Alias Preferences.
In the Modeling Options > Trim Options section, turn off Trim
dashed CoS.

Editing Surfaces
356
Trimming Surfaces with Curves-on-Surface
Options Trim/Trim divide Options

Shrink Surface
Shrink the underlying surface’s UV parameters to cover
only the visible (non-trimmed) parts of the surface. This
option is useful when applying label-style textures to the
surface. This option permanently changes the surface and
cannot be undone by untrimming.

Untrim Options

Untrim Stages
Last—undo the last trim operation on the surface.
All—undo all trims on the surface.

Purpose Convert a four-sided trimmed surface into an untrimmed

(natural) surface.

Overview The Trim Convert tool lets you convert a four-sided trimmed
surface into an untrimmed (natural) surface. The untrimmed
surface can either have the same degree and number of spans
as the original trimmed surface, or you can control its degree
and number of spans in the Trim Convert Settings window.

You can also display the maximum deviation between each

side of the untrimmed surface and the original trimmed
surface.

original trimmed surface new untrimmed surface

Editing Surfaces
358
Converting Trimmed Surfaces to Untrimmed Surfaces
How To To convert a trimmed surface to an untrimmed surface

1 Click the Trim convert icon, or choose Trim > Trim convert
from the Surface Edit menu.

2 Click the trimmed surface you want to convert to an

untrimmed surface.
The surface is converted.

Options

U Degree, V Degree
The degree of the new untrimmed surface in the U and V
directions.

U Spans, V Spans
The number of spans of the new untrimmed surface in the
U and V directions.

Switch U/V
Reverses the orientation of the U and V directions of the
new untrimmed surface.

Show Surface Deviation

Displays the maximum deviation between the original
trimmed surface and the new untrimmed surface.

Editing Surfaces
359
Converting Trimmed Surfaces to Untrimmed Surfaces
Show Edge Deviations
Displays the maximum deviation between each edge of
the original trimmed surface and the new untrimmed
surface.

Keep Originals
Keep the original trimmed surface after creating the new
untrimmed surface.

Purpose Prepare surfaces for use with other tools:

● Simplify surfaces by removing extraneous knots in either
or both parametric directions.
● Convert a rational surface to a non-rational cubic surface
(useful for export to certain CAD systems).
● Remove multi-knots.
● Match the degree and parameterization of a surface to that
of a given surface.
● Convert a surface to uniform parameterization.
● Convert a surface to a different degree.

How To To simplify surfaces

1 Double-click the Rebuild surface icon, or choose
Rebuild surface-❏ from the Surface Edit palette menu. The
Rebuild Surface options window appears.

2 In the Rebuild Surface window

◆ Choose Reduce Spans from the Rebuild Type pop-up
menu.
◆ Choose whether to reduce the number of spans in the
U, V, or both directions from the Rebuild Direction pop-
up menu.
◆ Turn on Auto-recalc.
◆ Set the initial Tolerance. A low value creates a more
exact copy but simplifies the surface less. A high value
is less exact but simplifies more.

Editing Surfaces
361
Rebuilding Complex Surfaces
3 Click the surfaces to rebuild.

4 Click Go to simplify the surfaces.

◆ When Auto Recalc is on, you can move the Tolerance
slider or change the Rebuild Direction and the rebuilt
surface will automatically update.
◆ If the rebuild is unsatisfactory, click Undo in the Rebuild
Surface window and change the settings.

To remove multi-knots from surfaces

1 Double-click the Rebuild surface icon, or choose

Rebuild Surface-❏ from the Surface Edit palette menu. The
Rebuild Surface options window appears.

2 In the Rebuild Surface window,

◆ Choose Del Multi Knots from the Rebuild Type pop-up
menu.
◆ Choose whether to remove multi-knots from the U, V,
or both directions from the Rebuild Direction pop-up
menu.

3 Click the surfaces to rebuild.

4 Click Go to remove multi-knots from the surfaces.

To match the degree and parameterization of surfaces to

an example surface
1 Double-click the Rebuild surface icon, or choose
Rebuild Surface-❏ from the Surface Edit palette menu. The
Rebuild Surface options window appears.

2 In the Rebuild Surface window, choose Match Knots from the

Rebuild Type popup.

3 Click the surfaces to rebuild.

4 Click Go.

5 Click the surface to take the degree and parameters from

in the U direction.

Editing Surfaces
362
Rebuilding Complex Surfaces
6 Click the surface to take the degree and parameters from
in the V direction. This can be the same surface as in Step
5.

7 If the rebuild is unsatisfactory, click Undo in the Rebuild

Surface window and change the settings.

To convert surfaces to uniform parameterization and

change the number of spans or degree

1 Double-click the Rebuild surface icon, or choose

Rebuild Surface-❏ from the Surface Edit palette menu. The
Rebuild Surface options window appears.

2 In the Rebuild Surface window,

◆ Choose Uniform Knots from the Rebuild Type popup.
◆ Choose whether to change the parameterization,
degree and/or number of spans in the U, V, or both
directions from the Rebuild Direction pop-up menu.
◆ Turn Change Number of CVs ON and change the
value(s) in the Number of Spans text boxes to specify
the exact number of spans in U (and possibly V) if
needed.
◆ Turn Change Surf. Degree ON and change the value(s)
in the Surface Degree text boxes to specify the degree in
U (and possibly V) if needed.

3 Click the surfaces to rebuild.

4 Click Go to simplify the surfaces.

To convert rational surfaces to non-rational surfaces

1 Double-click the Rebuild surface icon, or choose
Rebuild Surface-❏ from the Surface Edit palette menu. The
Rebuild Surface options window appears.

2 In the Rebuild Surface window,

◆ Choose Non-rational from the Rebuild Type popup.
◆ Adjust the Tolerance and Continuity Angle sliders to
guarantee that the resulting surface will be within the
specified positional and tangential tolerances from the
original.

Editing Surfaces
363
Rebuilding Complex Surfaces
3 Click the surfaces to rebuild.

4 Click Go to convert the surfaces.

Tips and Notes ● To rebuild a surface using the same settings as the last
time, you do not have to open the Rebuild Surface window.
Just click the Rebuild surface tool.
● If Keep Originals is off, the new surface replaces the old
surface in the SBD hierarchy.
If Keep Originals is on, the new surface is given the name of
the old surface with “rebuild” appended to the beginning.

Rebuild Surface Option Rebuild Type

Window
Non-Rational

See Rational vs. Non-rational Convert the surface to non-rational cubic geometry.
Geometry on page 13.
Reduce Spans
Simplify the surface by removing extraneous edit points.

Del Multi Knots

Remove multi-knots from the surface.

Uniform Knots
Convert the surface to uniform parameterization (that is,
move the edit points to integral parameters: 1.0, 2.0, 3.0,
and so on).

When Rebuild Type is Match Match Knots

Knots, there are no Convert the surface to match the parameterization and
additional options.
degree of another surface.

Non-rational settings

Editing Surfaces
364
Rebuilding Complex Surfaces
Tolerance
The amount of deviation from the original surface
permitted during the rebuild.
A low number matches the original more exactly, but
takes longer to calculate and increases the complexity of
the resulting surface. A high number does not match the
original as well, but is faster and results in a simpler
surface.

Continuity Angle
The amount of deviation from the tangents of the original
surface during the rebuild.
Use this option to make sure the surface stays tangent to
other surfaces after it is rebuilt.

These settings appear when Reduce Spans settings

Rebuild Type is Reduce
Spans.

Tolerance
The amount of deviation from the original surface
permitted during the rebuild.
A low number matches the original more exactly, but does
not simplify the surface as much. A high number does not
match the original as well, but simplifies more.

Rebuild Direction
Choose whether to rebuild the U isoparms only, the V
isoparms only, or both directions.

This setting appears when Del Multi-knots settings

Rebuild Type is Del Multi-
knots.

Rebuild Direction
Choose whether to rebuild the U isoparms only, the V
isoparms only, or both directions.

Editing Surfaces
365
Rebuilding Complex Surfaces
These settings appear when Uniform Knots settings
Rebuild Type is Uniform
Knots.

Rebuild Direction
Choose whether to rebuild the U isoparms only, the V
isoparms only, or both directions.

Change Number of CVs

On—Change the number of spans in the rebuilt surface.
Sliders appears allowing you to set the number of spans in
the U and V directions.
Off—The number of CVs (and spans) in the rebuilt surface
is equal to the number of CVs (spans) in the original.

See Degree on page 12. Change Degree

On—Change the degree of the surface as it is rebuilt. Slider
appears allowing you to set the degree of the rebuilt
surface in the U and V directions.
Off—Do not change the surface degree.

Control Options

MixMax Display
Automatically creates Min-Max deviation combs for the
original and rebuilt surfaces.

Max Deviation
Calculate the maximum deviation between the original
and rebuilt surfaces. The result appears on the prompt
line. Use this to check whether you need to use tighter
tolerances.

Editing Surfaces
366
Rebuilding Complex Surfaces
This calculation can take longer than actually rebuilding
the surface. Turn the option off to speed up rebuilds.

Auto Recalc.
Automatically update the new surface when the values in
the Rebuild Surface window change.

Keep Originals
Keep the original surface after creating the rebuilt surface.

Buttons

Recalc
When Auto Recalc. is turned off, use this button to update
the rebuilt surface with the current values.

Undo
Undo all the changes made by the Rebuild surface tool and
return to the original surface.

Next
Finish rebuilding the current surface and prompt for a
new surface to rebuild.

Purpose Create a special object called a shell from a group of surfaces,

in preparation for boolean operations or export to a CAD
package.

For basic information about shells, see Shells and Faces on

page 26.

How To To stitch a group of surfaces together into a shell

1 Select the surfaces you want to stitch into a shell.

2 Click the Shell stitch icon, or choose Stitch > Shell stitch from
the Surface Edit menu.

Stitch uses the tolerance If the edges of the surfaces are within a certain tolerance of
Maximum Gap Distance in each other, a shell is built and highlighted in yellow.
Preferences > Construction
options to determine surface 3 Click additional surfaces to stitch into the new shell.
adjacency.
◆ Pick a boundary between two surfaces to select both
surfaces at once.
◆ Pick a group node in the SBD window to select a
whole group of adjacent surface (e.g. all six sides of a
primitive cube).

4 You can now:

◆ Click the Shell stitch tool again to start a new shell.
◆ Choose another tool.

Editing Surfaces
368
Stitching/Unstitching Surfaces into Shells
To unstich a shell into a group of surfaces
1 Pick the shell you want to unstitch.

2 Click the Shell unstitch icon, or choose Stitch > Shell unstitch
from the Surface Edit menu.

Tips and Notes ● You can undo a stitch or unstitch operation using
Edit > Undo.
If you use step 3 (above) to add additional surfaces to a
shell, selecting Edit > Undo will remove the last surface
added. If you continue selecting Edit > Undo, additional
surfaces will be removed from the shell (up to a maximum
of ten).
● Depending on the options in the Shell stitch option
window, a stitched shell may not match the original
surfaces exactly.
In this case, unstitching will not produce surfaces that
match the originals exactly either.
● Remember that normals should always point outward for
shells. You may want to check the normals with the
Reverse direction tool after stitching a shell.

● You can create shell spheres directly from the Sphere

primitive tool. See Creating Geometric Primitives on page 84.

Options Stitch options

Editing Surfaces
369
Stitching/Unstitching Surfaces into Shells
Detach periodic surfaces
Detach the seam of periodic surfaces (that is, closed
surfaces such as cylinders and surfaces created with the
Revolve tool) before stitching them into a shell.
This option is sometimes necessary when the stitch
function does not notice that a surface edge is attached to
another edge on the same surface. This is a common
problem in CAD systems.

Detach single curve boundaries

Detach trim edges made from single curves on surface
(such as a round hole in the middle of a plane).
Some CAD systems have problems with these kinds of
trims. Turn this option on to allow export to those
systems.

Shrink surfaces
Reduce the trimmed (invisible) parts of the surfaces being
stitched to the minimum size necessary to maintain the
proper appearance.
This reduces the complexity of the resulting shell.

Keep originals
Keep the original surfaces after the shell is created.

Unstitch options

Keep Originals
Keep the original shell after it is unstitched into surfaces.

Purpose ● Subtract the volume of one shell from another.

● Keep the intersecting volume of two shells and discard the
rest.
● Combine the volumes of two shells into one new shell.

How To To subtract the intersecting volume of one shell from

another

1 Click the Shell subtract icon, or choose Shells > Shell subtract
from the Surface Edit palette menu.

2 Click the shell you want to subtract from.

3 Click the shell or surface you want to subtract from the

first shell.
The Shell subtract tool subtracts the volume of the second
shell from the first.
sphere subtracted from cube
To keep the intersecting volume of two shells

1 Click the Shell intersect icon, or choose

Shells > Shell intersect from the Surface Edit palette menu.

2 Click the first shell you want to intersect.

Editing Surfaces
371
Performing Boolean Operations on Shells
3 Click the second shell or surface you want to intersect.
The Shell intersect tool keeps the intersecting volume of the
two shells and discards the rest.

sphere intersected with cube To combine the volumes of two shells into one new shell

1 Click the Shell union icon, or choose Shells > Shell union
from the Surface Edit palette menu.

2 Click the first shell you want to combine.

3 Click the second shell or surface you want to combine.

The Shell union tool combines the volumes of the two shells
sphere combined with cube into a new shell.

Tips and Notes ● The shell normals must point outward for the Boolean
tools to work. You may want to check the normals with
the Reverse direction tool before using boolean tools on a
shell.
● You can speed up Boolean operations on multiple shells
by grouping the shells and using the Boolean operations
on the groups.
● The Boolean tools are named for George Boole (1815-1864)
who invented a system of logical algebra which involved
two values (true and false) and operations for combining
them (AND, OR, NOT, XOR). His work became
fundamental to the design of modern computers.
In the analogy between the tools and Boolean logic,
intersect is a logical AND, union is a logical OR, and subtract
is a modified form of a logical XOR (exclusive OR).

Options Keep Originals

On—template the original shells after the Boolean
operation.
Off—delete the original shells.

Purpose ● Integrate digitized clay model data with modeled

surfaces.
● Offset a group of surface while maintaining continuity
between them.

Overview Typical Scenario

In a typical clay prototyping workflow, you might do the

following steps:
1 Create a model in StudioTools.

2 Mill a clay model from the StudioTools data.

3 Reshape the clay model by hand.

4 Digitize the reshaped parts of the clay model.

5 Integrate the changes back into the StudioTools surfaces

with the Claymate tool.

How It Works

The Claymate tool works by asking you to select:

● surfaces to modify (corresponding to the changed data),
● modifier curves or surfaces (the digitized, reshaped data),
and
● reference surfaces (surfaces that have not changed).

Editing Surfaces
373
Integrating Clay Model Changes
It then uses the modifier curves/surfaces to reshape the
original surfaces, while maintaining positional and tangent
continuity with the reference surfaces.

More Uses

You can also use Claymate in other situations that require you
to fit surfaces back to modified curves or surfaces. For
example:
1 Create cross-section profile curves from a surface model.

2 Modify the curves.

3 Use the Claymate tool to fit the original surfaces to the new
profile curves.

Claymate Offset

The Claymate tool has an additional function. When you turn

on the Claymate Offset option in the options window, the
Claymate tool will create offset copies of the surfaces you pick,
and maintain the continuity between them.

How To To use digitized changed data to reshape surfaces on a

model
1 Pick the surfaces that were changed on the clay version.

2 Click the Claymate icon, or choose Claymate from the

Surface Edit palette menu.
The Claymate Control window appears.

Note If any of the picked objects are invalid for use with
Claymate, the Claymate tool unpicks everything.

3 Pick any other surfaces that need to be updated, then click

Go.

4 Pick the curves or surfaces that were digitized from the

changed sections of the clay model (the modifier curves).
Modifier curves/surfaces that are outside the Min/Max Mod.
Distance range are ignored.

Editing Surfaces
374
Integrating Clay Model Changes
5 Click Go.

6 Pick all the surfaces on the model that were not changed
on the clay version (the reference surfaces) and with
which you want the modified surfaces to maintain
positional and tangent continuity.
The Claymate tool will maintain continuity with these
reference surfaces as it modifies the changed surfaces.

7 Click Go.
Claymate uses the settings in the Claymate Control window
to reshape the surfaces of the model to match the
modification curves.

8 The Claymate Control window contains many settings to

control how the modification curves affect the surfaces.
When Create History is on, you can continue to change the
settings and the surfaces will update.

To create offset copies of surfaces that maintain

continuity
1 Pick the surfaces you want to offset.

2 Double-click the Claymate icon, or choose Claymate from

the Surface Edit palette menu.
The Claymate Options window appears.

3 Turn the Claymate Offset option on, then click Go.

The Claymate Control window appears.

4 Set the Offset Distance in the Claymate Control window.

5 Pick any other surfaces you want to offset, then click Go.

Tips and Notes

See Creating and Editing ● To streamline the use of the Claymate tool, collect the
SetsCreating and Editing surfaces to modify, the modifier curves/surfaces, and the
SetsCreating SetsCreating and reference surfaces in separate sets with the Edit > New > Set
Editing Sets in the Animating
book, and Introduction to command, or better yet, by putting them in different
Layers in the General Tools layers.
section of the Basic Tools
book.

Editing Surfaces
375
Integrating Clay Model Changes
● Claymate can produce unpredictable results if it changes
the topology of the surfaces.
● Usually you will want the Auto Recalculate option on to see
the effects of changing options interactively.
If the surfaces involved are very complex, however,
updates will take a long time. Turn Auto Recalculate off and
use the Update button at the bottom of the window.
● Increasing the number of samples allows finer control
over the surfaces, but greatly increases the time required
to perform the operation.
Calculation time increases linearly with the number of
samples on the modifier curves, and with the square of the
number of samples on the target surface.

Claymate Control window

Editing Surfaces
376
Integrating Clay Model Changes
Auto Recalculate
Turn this option on to automatically update the surfaces
whenever you change an option in the Claymate Control
window.

This pop-up menu appears Surface Evaluation

when Claymate Offset is off Off—Do not perform any surface evaluation on the
in the options.
surface.
Curvature, Highlight, Quick Render—Display a curvature
render, highlight render, or Quick Render of the new
surface. For more information, see: Showing Surface
Curvature on page 570, Showing Surface Features with
Highlights on page 577, and Quick RenderQuick
RenderQuick RenderQuick Render in the Rendering book.
Cross Section—Calculate and display cross-section lines on
the new surface. Choosing this option displays the Show
Previous Xsect option. For more information, see Creating
Cross-Section Lines on page 582.

Subdivision Density
The maximum number of edit points the Claymate tool is
allowed to add to each span of the modified surface.
For example, if you set Subdivision Density to 3, the new
surface can have up to 3 times as many edit points as the
original surface.
Enter a value from 0 to 1000. The default is 0 (do not insert
any new edit points).

This section appears when Claymate Offset Parameters

Claymate Offset is on in the
option window.
Offset Distance
Modify the surfaces using a set of points at this distance
from the surface along the surface normals.

Number of Samples
Sampling Type
These options are the same as those listed under the
Sampling On Surfaces To Modify section below.

Editing Surfaces
377
Integrating Clay Model Changes
This section appears when Sampling On Surfaces To Modify
Claymate Offset is off in the
option window.
Number of Samples
The number of samples per span or per surface
(depending on the setting of the Sampling Type option) to
take on the surfaces that need to be modified.
The time required increases with the square of the number
of samples on the surfaces to be modified.

Sampling Type
Per Span—the number of samples is taken for every span.
Per Obj—the number of samples is taken for every surface.

This section appears when Curve Modifier Sampling

Claymate Offset is off in the
option window.
Number of Samples
The number of samples per span or per object (depending
on the setting of the Sampling Type option) to take on the
modifier curves or surfaces.
The time required increases linearly with the number of
samples on the modifier objects.

Sampling Type
Per Span—the number of samples is taken for every span.
Per Obj—the number of samples is taken for every object.

This section appears when Modification Parameters

Claymate Offset is off in the
options.
Region Cutoff
Every point on a surface is affected by a number of CVs.
For example, on a bicubic surface (a surface which is
degree 3 in both U and V directions), each point is
controlled by up to 16 CVs.
Each of those CVs exerts a certain amount of influence
over the point on the surface, measured between 0 and 1.
The CVs closest to the selected point on the surface have
the greatest effect on that point. For example, if a CV’s
influence on a point is 0.5, then moving that CV 5 units
will move the surface point 2.5 units. If the influence is 1.0,
then moving the CV 5 units will move the surface point 5
units.

Editing Surfaces
378
Integrating Clay Model Changes
This value controls which CVs are moved by the Claymate
tool. For each sampled point on the surface, the Claymate
tool will only move CVs whose influence is greater than
this value.
Enter a value from 0.000 to 1.000. The default is 0.000. You
can set the value to less than 0.001, but it is not
recommended.
If the value you enter cuts off all CVs affecting a point, a
value of 0.001 is used instead.

Min. Mod. Dist., Max Mod. Dist.

The minimum and maximum distance between a point on
the surfaces to be modified and the corresponding point
on the modifier curves.
If the distance is less than the minimum or greater than
the maximum at a point, the modifier is ignored at that
point.
Enter values greater or equal to 0 for the Min, greater than
0 for the Max.

This section appears when Modification Control

Claymate Offset is off in the
options.
Boundary Mod Type
Default—modify surface boundaries and internals. Do not
modify tangents. This is the recommended option for
closed (periodic) surfaces.
Exclusive—modify surface boundaries only. Do not modify
internals or tangents.
Fix Position—keep position of surface boundaries locked.
Fix Tangent—keep position and tangents of surface
boundaries locked.
The Fix Position and Fix Tangent options only work on
actual surface boundaries, and do not affect trim edges.
We do not recommend using Fix Position or Fix Tangent
when you have more than one surface to modify.

Modif. Resistance
The amount of resistance to modification, from 0.0 to 1.0.
At 0.0, the surfaces are free to change shape to fit the
modifier curves. At 1.0, the shape of the original surfaces
is maintained.

Editing Surfaces
379
Integrating Clay Model Changes
Use this option to “dampen” the modification of the
original surfaces if the changes caused by the modifier
curves are too radical.

This section appears when Modification Direction

Claymate Offset is off in the
options.
Use Spec. Direction
Turn this option on to use the Specified Direction vector.
If turned off, the direction reverts to the previous Specified
Direction settings.

Specified Direction
Enter a vector for the direction in which to apply the
changes.

Buttons

Recalculate
Update the surfaces after changing options.
If the Auto Recalculate option at the top of the window is
on, the surfaces are updated automatically whenever you
change an option.
The Recalculate button is only displayed if Auto Recalculate
is off and you change a setting in the control window.

Undo
Undo the most recent changes made by the Claymate tool.

Next
Finish with the current surfaces and prompt for new
surfaces.

Options Claymate Offset

Change the tool’s function to create continuity-safe offset
copies.
When you turn this option on and click go, the parameters
available in the Claymate Control window change.

Keep Originals
Turn this option on to keep the original surfaces in
addition to the new surfaces created by the Claymate tool.

Editing Surfaces
380
Integrating Clay Model Changes
Turn this option off to delete the original surfaces after the
Claymate tool creates the new surfaces.

Purpose Deform multiple NURBS surfaces while maintaining surface

continuity.

How To To globally deform surfaces

1 Select the surfaces you want to consider in the

deformation. That is, select the surfaces you want to
deform and any nearby surfaces that you want to remain
continuous after the deformation.

Note Only surfaces within the deformation region will

actually be deformed (see step 5 below).

2 Choose the Global Deformation icon from the Surface Edit

palette (or choose Global Deformation from the Surface Edit
palette menu).

3 Click a point in space or on the surface to set the center of

the deformation region before the deformation takes place.
This is referred to as the From point.

A yellow cube appears, indicating the deformation region.

You can interactively adjust the position of the From point
by dragging it.

4 Click a point in space or on the surface to set the center of

the deformation region after the deformation takes place.
This is referred to as the To point.

Editing Surfaces
382
Globally Deforming Surfaces
A yellow line appears, connecting the From point and the
To point.
You can interactively adjust the position of the To point by
dragging it.

5 To adjust the size and shape of the deformation region,

click the Volume button and use the manipulator to scale
the deformation region.
All surfaces that you want to deform should be within the
deformation region.

Note The maximum deformation will occur at the center of

the deformation region. No deformation will occur at
the edges of the deformation region.

6 To adjust the position of the From point, click the From

button and drag in the window.
To adjust the position of the To point, click the To button
and drag in the window.

7 To select or unselect the surfaces that you want to consider

in the deformation, hold down the Shift key and click on
them.

8 Click Go to deform the surface(s).

◆ If you do not like the deformation, with the tool still
active select Edit > Undo and then adjust the From point,
To point, and deformation region.

If you select another tool, you will not be able to undo

the deformation.
◆ If you continue to adjust the From point, To point, and
deformation region (and click Go), subsequent
deformations will be added onto the original
deformation.

Editing Surfaces
383
Globally Deforming Surfaces
Tips and Notes ● Using the Global deformation tool is an iterative process.
You will likely need to perform several test deformations
before you achieve the desired results.
● To precisely position the From and To points and scale and
size the deformation region, open the Global Deformation
Options box and set the appropriate values.

● The Global deformation tool is best for making very small

deformations.
● When using the Global deformation tool, hold down the
Shift key and click on a surface to select or unselect it.

Options

From
The center of the deformation region before the
deformation takes place.

To
The center of the deformation region after the deformation
takes place.

Offset
The distance between the From point and the To point.

Vol Size
The size of the deformation region. The maximum
deformation will occur at the center of the deformation
region. No deformation will occur at the edges of the
deformation region.

Editing Surfaces
384
Globally Deforming Surfaces
For example, the deformation of the following plane is
very different when the deformation region is scaled
horizontally beyond the edges of the plane.

Rotation
The rotation of the deformation region.

Shade Vol
Displays the deformation region as a shaded cube.

Undo Depth
The number of subsequent global deformations you can
undo by selecting Edit > Undo. You may want to adjust this
value based on the amount of memory your computer has
(for example, set it to 2 if your computer has very little
memory, or set it to 25 if your computer has a large
amount of memory.) The default value is 10.

Editing Surfaces
385
Globally Deforming Surfaces
Surface Edit > Fitting a Surface To Section Data
Fit scan

Purpose Create a surface based on section data.

Overview The Fit scan tool lets you fit an existing surface to section data.
That is, you must first create an intermediate surface that
extends over the section data, and then use the Fit scan tool to
create a new surface (based on the intermediate surface) that
closely matches the section data. You can also display the
maximum deviation between the new surface and the original
section data.

How To To fit a surface to section data

1 Select the surface and all of the section data you want to fit
it to.

2 Click the Fit scan icon, or choose Fit scan from the
Surface Edit menu.
StudioTools creates a new surface that closely fits the
section data and that has the same number of spans and
the same degree as the original surface.

Note If the Fit Scan Settings window is open, you can change
any of the settings and click Apply to update the
surface.

Editing Surfaces
386
Fitting a Surface To Section Data
Options

U Degree, V Degree
The degree of the new surface in the U and V directions.

U Spans, V Spans
The number of spans of the new surface in the U and V
directions.

Show Deviations
Displays the maximum deviation between the new
surface and the original section data.

Keep Originals
Keep the original surface after creating the new fitted
surface.

In This Section Introduction to Labeling and Locators 392

Adding an Annotation 395
Adding Linear and Angular Measurements 397
Adding Radial Measurements 402
Adding a Curvature Measurement to a Curve 406
Adding a Closest Point Measurement 412
Adding a Curve Deviation Measurement 416
Adding Min/Max Deviation Measurements 419
Measuring Arc Lengths 423

389
Locators Palette Summary

Icon Locators > For more information...

Move locator Introduction to Labeling and

Locators on page 392

Measure > Annotate Adding an Annotation on

page 395

Measure > Distance Adding Linear and Angular

Measure > Angle Measurements on page 397

Measure > Radius Adding Radial Measurements

Measure > Diameter on page 402

Deviation > Closest point Adding a Closest Point

Measurement on page 412

Deviation > Deviation Adding a Curve Deviation

Measurement on page 416

Deviation > MinMax deviation Adding Min/Max Deviation

Deviation > MinMax SrfSrf dev. Measurements on page 419
Deviation > MinMax CrvSrf dev.
Deviation > MinMax cloud

Labeling and Measuring

390
Locators Palette Summary
Icon Locators > For more information...

Arc length Measuring Arc Lengths on

page 423

Curve curvature Adding a Curvature

Measurement to a Curve on
page 406

Labeling and Measuring

391
Locators Palette Summary
Locators > Introduction to Labeling and Locators
Move locator

Delete >
Del all locators

Purpose Add objects to the scene showing location, distance, curvature,

and other measurement information.

Overview Locators

The following tools add locators to the scene:

● The Measure tools:
◆ Annotate. See Adding an Annotation on page 395.
◆ Distance and Angle. See Adding Linear and Angular
Measurements on page 397.
◆ Radius and Diameter. See Adding Radial Measurements
on page 402.
● Curve curvature. See Adding a Curvature Measurement to a
Curve on page 406.
● The Deviation tools. See
◆ Adding a Closest Point Measurement on page 412
◆ Adding a Curve Deviation Measurement on page 416,
and
◆ Adding Min/Max Deviation Measurements on page 419.
● The Surface continuity evaluation tool also creates locators.
See Checking Continuity between and within Surfaces on
page 558.

Labeling and Measuring

392
Introduction to Labeling and Locators
These objects are not geometry and hence do not render, but
exist in the scene just like other objects.

Locators are not “one-time” measurements. They persist until

example of a locator you delete them. Locators that are attached to geometry
update their measurement when the geometry is modified.

One-time Measurements

The following tools measure aspects of the scene, but do not

create locators:
● Arc length. See Measuring Arc Lengths on page 423.

● Min/max curvature. See Measuring Minimum and Maximum

Curvature on page 600.
● Mass properties. See Measuring Mass Properties on page 602.

How To To move a locator

1 Click the Move locator icon, or choose Move locator from the
Locator palette menu.

2 Click the locator you want to move.

To pick more than one locator, hold down the Shift key and
click.

3 Drag the mouse.

Use the same procedures to move the locator as with the
Xform > Move tool, or type coordinates to move the locator
exactly.
If a locator is attached to geometry, its movement will be
constrained to that geometry.

To pick a locator

1 Click the Locator icon, or choose Locator from the Pick

palette menu.

2 Click the locator you want to pick.

Labeling and Measuring

393
Introduction to Labeling and Locators
To edit a locator
1 Choose Windows > Information > Information window to open
the Information Window.

2 Click the Move locator icon, or choose Move locator from the
Locator palette menu.

3 Click the locator you want to edit.

To pick more than one locator, hold down the Shift key and
click.

4 Drag the different parts of the locator, or use the options in

the Information Window to edit the object. Details are given
in the following sections for each tool, but the options are
often self-explanatory.

To delete a locator

● To delete all locators in the scene:

◆ Choose Delete > Del locators > All.
● To delete specific locators:

◆ Click the Locator icon, or choose Locator from the Pick

palette menu.
◆ Click the locator you want to delete.
◆ Choose Delete > Del active or press the Delete key.

See Also ● Picking Locators in the General Tools section of the Basic
Tools book
● Moving Objects in the General Tools section of the Basic Tools
book
● Information Window in the Interface section of the Basic Tools
book

Labeling and Measuring

394
Introduction to Labeling and Locators
Locators > Adding an Annotation
Measure > Annotate

Purpose Create a label that points to a locator in the scene. When the
locator moves, the annotation moves with it.

How To To annotate an object or locator

1 Click the Annotate icon, or choose Measure > Annotate from
the Locators palette menu.

2 Click an existing locator, or

◆ Click in empty space to add and annotate a world
space locator, or type 3D coordinates to place the
locator exactly.
◆ Click a curve to add and annotate a curve locator.
◆ Click an isoparm on a surface to add and annotate a
surface locator.

Note The point of an annotation locator is displayed as a

cross only when the Annotate tool or the Move locator
tool is active.

3 Click the point in space where you want the text to begin,
or type a 3D coordinate to place the text exactly.
A “leader” arrow is created from the text to the locator.

4 Type the text string you want to attach to the locator, then
press Enter.

Labeling and Measuring

395
Adding an Annotation
To edit an annotation
1 Choose Windows > Information > Information window to open
the Information Window.

2 Click the Move locator icon, or choose Move locator from the
Locators palette menu.

3 Click the annotation you want to edit.

◆ Drag the label to move it.
◆ Use the options in the Information Window to edit the
object. See Annotation Parameters below.

Annotation Parameters You can change the following parameters of an annotation in

the Information Window:

Text
The text that appears at the end of the leader arrow.

Offset
The relative distance of the text (the endpoint of the leader
arrow) from the locator it points to.

Length
The length of the leader arrow (small horizontal segment
beside the text).

Justify
Choose whether to justify the annotation text Left or Right.

Window
Choose whether the annotation appears in all windows or
only the current window.

See Also ● Information Window in the Interface section of the Basic Tools
book
● Creating Text on page 89

Labeling and Measuring

396
Adding an Annotation
Locators > Adding Linear and Angular
Measure >
Measurements
Distance, Angle

Purpose Add locators that show the distance between two points or the
angle between three points.

How To To measure the distance between two points or locators

1 Click the Distance icon, or choose Measure > Distance from

the Locators palette menu.

2 Click an existing locator for the start point, or

◆ Click in empty space to add a world space locator, or
type 3D coordinates to place the locator exactly.
◆ Click a curve to add a curve locator.
◆ Click an isoparm on a surface to add a surface locator.

3 Click an existing locator for the end point, or click to create

a new locator as in step 2.
If you are using an existing locator:
◆ Click the left mouse button to measure the diagonal
distance between the locators.
◆ Click the middle mouse button to measure the
horizontal distance between the locators.
◆ Click the right mouse button to measure the vertical
distance between the locators.
If you are creating a new locator:
◆ Click the left mouse button to place the end locator
freely.

Labeling and Measuring

397
Adding Linear and Angular Measurements
◆ Click the middle mouse button to place the end locator
horizontal to the start point
◆ Click the right mouse button to place the end locator
vertical to the start point.
◆ If you want to measure horizontal or vertical distance
on an existing distance locator, change the Display
parameter in the Information window.

4 You can edit the parameters of the locator in the Information

Window. See Distance parameters on page 400.

Note The points of a distance locator are displayed as

crosses only when the Distance tool or the Move locator
tool is active.

To measure the angle between three points or locators

1 Click the Angle icon, or choose Measure > Angle from the
Locators palette menu.

2 Click an existing locator for the endpoint of the first arm,

or:
◆ Click in empty space to add a world space locator, or
type 3D coordinates to place the locator exactly.
◆ Click a curve to add a curve locator.
◆ Click an isoparm on a surface to add a surface locator.

3 Click an existing locator for the vertex of the angle, or click

to create a new locator as in step 2.
◆ Click the middle mouse button to place the end point
horizontal to the start point
◆ Click the right mouse button to place the end point
vertical to the start point.

4 Click an existing locator for the end point of the second

arm, or click to create a new locator as in step 2.
◆ Click the middle mouse button to place the end point
horizontal to the start point
◆ Click the right mouse button to place the end point
vertical to the start point.

Labeling and Measuring

398
Adding Linear and Angular Measurements
5 The new locator appears. Pick and drag the label to
change the length of the measurement leaders (see below).

Note The points of an angle locator are displayed as crosses

only when the Angle tool or the Move locator tool is
active.

To edit a linear or angular locator

1 Choose Windows > Information > Information window to open
the Information Window.

2 Click the Move locator icon, or choose Move locator from the
Locator palette menu.

3 Click the locator you want to edit.

◆ Drag the label to change the length of the
measurement leaders.
◆ Use the options in the Information Window to edit the
object. See Annotation Parameters below.

Tips and Notes ● The measurements automatically update when you move
or modify the objects/locators the measurements are
attached to.
● You can extend an angle measurement beyond the
locators. The measurement draws extension lines
connecting itself to the original locators.

Information Window Common parameters

Parameters
You can change these Offset
parameters for each type of The offset of the label and measurement line from the
measurement in the
Information Window. actual measurement point.

Labeling and Measuring

399
Adding Linear and Angular Measurements
Display

This is the same as clicking For a distance locator:

the second locator with
different mouse buttons Choose whether to measure the Diagonal, Horizontal, or
when you create a distance Vertical distance between the locators.
measurement. For an angle locator:
Choose whether to measure the True or Projected Angle. See
the Options section for more information.

Window
Show the locator in all windows or the current window.

Toggle Prefix
Add a letter to the beginning of the label indicating
whether the measurement is true (T) or projected (P).

Distance parameters

DX/DY/DZ
Display the X, Y, and Z distances between the locators.
You cannot edit these fields.

True Length
The distance between the locators. You cannot edit this
field.

Length
Choose whether to measure the True or Projected length.
See the Options section for more information.

Angle parameters

True Angle
The angle at the focus of the three locators. You cannot
edit this field.

Options True
The true measurement in 3D world space (such as seen in
the Perspective window).

Labeling and Measuring

400
Adding Linear and Angular Measurements
Projected
The measurement reports the distance/angle as it appears
in the window in which the measurement was created.

Labeling and Measuring

401
Adding Linear and Angular Measurements
Locators > Adding Radial Measurements
Measure >
Radius, Diameter

Purpose Add locators that show the radius or diameter of objects.

How To To measure the radius of a curve or arc

1 Click the Radius icon, or choose Measure > Radius from the
Locators palette menu.

2 Click the curve you want to measure. You can move the
new measurement while the mouse button is down. When
you release the mouse button, the measurement is
attached to the curve.

3 The new locator appears.

A point (cross) indicates the center of the radius (that is,
the center of a circle having the same radius as the curve at
the position of the locator).
◆ Drag the arrow head to move the measurement along
the curve.
◆ Drag the text or leader line to change the length of the
leader.
◆ Hold Shift and click off the measurement with the
middle mouse button to toggle display of the center of
the circle/center of curvature.

Labeling and Measuring

402
Adding Radial Measurements
To measure the diameter of a circle
1 Click the Diameter icon, or choose Measure > Diameter from
the Locators palette menu.

2 Click the circle you want to measure. You can move the
new measurement while the mouse button is down. When
you release the mouse button, the measurement is
attached to the circle.

3 The new locator appears.

◆ Drag the arrow head to move the measurement along
the curve.
◆ Click the middle mouse button to align the
measurement horizontally. Click the right mouse
button to align the measurement vertically.
◆ Click and drag the text or dimension line to change
the length of the leader.
◆ Hold Shift and click off the measurement with the
middle mouse button to toggle to a different display
that shows the center of the circle.

To edit a radial locator

1 Choose Windows > Information > Information window to open
the Information window.

2 Click the Move locator icon, or choose Move locator from the
Locator palette menu.

3 Click the locator you want to edit.

◆ Drag the arrow head to move the measurement along
the curve.
◆ Drag the text or leader line to change the length of the
leader.
◆ Hold Shift and click off the measurement with the
middle mouse button to toggle display of the center of
the circle (or center of curvature).
◆ Use the options in the Information Window to edit the
object. See Information Window Parameters below.

Labeling and Measuring

403
Adding Radial Measurements
Tips and Notes ● The measurements automatically update when you move
or modify the objects/locators the measurements are
attached to.
● You cannot add a radius measure to a straight line.
● You can add more than one radius locator to a curve or
arc.
● When the “center of curvature” of a measurement is
displayed (Shift-click off the measurement with the middle
mouse button), you can snap to the centerpoint using
Magnet snapping.

See Rational vs. Non-rational ● Using the Radius or Diameter tools on a non-rational circle
Geometry on page 13. will show that the circle is not perfectly round. For
perfectly round circles, you must use rational geometry.
● You can get a continuous comb of radius values along a
curve using the Plot Value > Radius option of the
Curve curvature tool. See Adding a Curvature Measurement to
a Curve on page 406.

Parameters
You can change the U
following parameters in the The U parameter on the curve at which the measurement
Information window.
is taken.
Note that non-rational circles will have slightly different
radii at different points on the circle. See Rational vs. Non-
rational Geometry on page 13.

Radius/Diameter
The radius or diameter measured at this point on the
circle. You cannot edit this field.

Offset
The offset of the label from the measurement (length of the
leader line).

This parameter applies to Length

radial measures only. The length of the horizontal line beside the text (in pixels).

This parameter applies to Justify

radial measures only. Choose whether to justify the annotation text Left or Right.

Labeling and Measuring

404
Adding Radial Measurements
Window
Show the locator in All windows or only the Current
window.

Labeling and Measuring

405
Adding Radial Measurements
Locators > Adding a Curvature Measurement to a
Curve curvature
Curve

Purpose Add a locator that shows the curvature or radius comb of a

curve.

Overview The curve curvature comb shows the amount of curvature at

different sample points along the curve. It also shows how the
curvature changes along the curve, the tangent and normal
directions, inflection points, and torsion.

In orthographic windows, the curve curvature comb displays

the curvature of a curve based on the planar version of the
curve that appears in that window. In perspective windows,
the curve curvature comb displays the curvature of the 3D
curve.

Use the curvature comb to detect the following potential curve

problems:
● Inflection points (or ogees) are marked approximately with
an arrow. You can find the exact inflection point by
zooming in to find the point where the comb outline
crosses the curve.
● Torsion is the amount the curve bends out of the plane of
curvature. You can turn on an option to plot secondary,
perpendicular quills on the curve showing the torsion.
● Tangent discontinuities appear as two separate Unit Normal
quills (see Options) originating from the same point on the
curve but pointing in different directions.

Labeling and Measuring

406
Adding a Curvature Measurement to a Curve
Because the telltale quills are always at an edit point, you
can see them more clearly by setting Density Type to Per
Span and lowering the Samples to 2. Make sure the scale is
high enough to tell whether there is more than one quill.
Tangent discontinues occur when two curves are not
properly aligned. (Or, when a CV on a cubic curve has a
multiplicity of 3.) It can also happen at a multi-knot, if the
corresponding edit point has been moved.
● Curvature discontinuities appear as sudden steps in the
outline of the curvature comb. You should use a high
sampling rate (Samples) to detect curvature
discontinuities.

Degree 2 curves are not Curvature discontinuities between curves occur when two
curvature continuous by curves do not have the same curvature at their end, or
nature. (See Degree on when a CV on a cubic curve has a multiplicity of 2 or 3.
page 12 and Continuity on
page 24.) The curve join may be smooth, but the curvature values
do not change smoothly.

Display

The Curve curvature locator samples points along the curve and
displays colored lines (called “quills” because of their
resemblance to the spines on the back of a porcupine) showing
the amount of curvature at that point.

By default, all quills are green. However, if you turn on the

Radius Limits option you can set a range of radius values within
which quills are green and outside of which quills are rose.

How To To add a curvature comb to a curve

1 Click the Curve curvature icon, or choose Curve curvature

from the Locators palette menu.

2 Click the curve you want to attach the curvature comb to.

3 You can drag the mouse to change properties of the

curvature comb:
◆ Drag the left mouse button to change the sampling
density of the comb.
◆ Drag the middle mouse button to change the scale of
the quills.

Labeling and Measuring

407
Adding a Curvature Measurement to a Curve
To edit a curve curvature comb
1 Choose Windows > Information > Information window to open
the Information Window.

2 Click the Move locator icon, or choose Move locator from the
Locators palette menu.

3 Click the curve curvature comb you want to edit.

◆ Drag the left mouse button to change the sampling
density of the comb.
◆ Drag the middle mouse button to change the scale of
the quills.
◆ Use the options in the Information Window to edit the
locator. See Curve Curvature Parameters below.

To change the curvature of a curve

There are many ways you can modify a curve when you are
trying to fix curvature problems:
● Move CVs.
◆ When you move a CV toward the curve along the
normal, curvature is reduced near the CV.
◆ When you move a CV away from the curve along the
normal, curvature is increased.
◆ When you move a CV along the curve, curvature is
decreased behind the CV and increased ahead of the
CV.
● Use curve editing tools such as Curve editor, Project tangent,
and Align.
● Smooth the curve using the Smooth tool.

Tips and Notes ● Longer quills reveal changes better, but they can obscure
other objects when you are trying to model.
● If you are moving CVs to achieve better curvature, you
should make sure Locator Updates > During Xform is on in
Preferences > Performance options.
When Locator Updates > During Xform is on, the comb will
update interactively as you move the CVs, allowing you to
see the effects on the curvature.

Labeling and Measuring

408
Adding a Curvature Measurement to a Curve
● If you are looking for specific values of curvature, change
the color ranges in the Information Window (see below) so
that the values you are looking for are drawn in one color.
● You can also use the Curve curvature tool to display a radius
comb or a simple normal comb, using the Plot Value option
(see below).
● All curvature combs on a single surface are represented as
a single curvature comb (for example, in the Information
Window or when using the Move Locator tool).

Curve Curvature The following parameters are found in the Information Window
Parameters when a Curve Curvature locator is selected:

Samples
The initial sampling density per curve. You can change
this value after creating the comb by dragging the left
mouse button.

Scale
The scale applied to the quills.

Note The Scale option uses a logarithmic scale.

Plot Value
Curvature—the quill lengths indicate the curvature at that
point on the curve (default).
Radius—the quill lengths indicate the radius at that point
on the curve.
Unit Normal—the quill length is constant, so the quills only
indicate the direction of the normal at that point on the
curve.

Surf Relative
Display the curvature quills, for surface curves, in the
direction of the surface normals.
This option has no effect on free curves.

Comb
Show the comb quills.

Labeling and Measuring

409
Adding a Curvature Measurement to a Curve
Outline
Show the comb outline (the line connecting the endpoints
of the comb quills).

Torsion
Show torsion quills on the curve

Inflection Points
Show the inflection points on the curve with small blue
arrows.
To speed up display, the arrows are only close
approximations. To see the true inflection point, look for
the point where the comb outline crosses the curve.

This option is called Show Radius Limits

Radius Limit in the Option Display regions of the curvature locator using different
window.
colors based on the radius value and the Min. Radius Limit
and Max. Radius Limit values.

Min. Radius Limit, Max. Radius Limit

Regions of the curvature locator between the Min. Radius
Limit and the Max. Radius Limit are drawn in with green
quills. Regions of the curvature locator less than the Min.
Radius Limit or greater than the Max. Radius Limit are drawn
in with rose quills.
These options are only available when Radius Limits is on.

This option is called Enable Comb Cutoff

Comb Cutoff in the Option Limits the length of quills by the Cutoff Value.
window.

Cutoff Value
Limit quills to this length.
This option is necessary because some plot values, such as
the radius of a straight line, are infinite, or very large.

Window
Choose whether the annotation appears in all windows or
only the current window.

Labeling and Measuring

410
Adding a Curvature Measurement to a Curve
Options

See definition for these options under Curve Curvature

Parameters on the previous page.

Labeling and Measuring

411
Adding a Curvature Measurement to a Curve
Locators > Adding a Closest Point Measurement
Deviation >
Closest point

Purpose Add a locator showing the true distance between the locator
and the closest point on a curve or surface.

Overview The Closest point tool creates a locator which can display either:
● the true distance from the locator to the closest point on a
3D curve or surface in all windows (when the Length
option is set to True), or
● the distance from the locator to the closest point on the
planar version of the curve or surface in each orthographic
window and the true distance from the locator to the
closest point on a 3D curve or surface in perspective
windows (when the Length option is set to Projected).

The displayed distance updates interactively as you move the

locator, curve or surface (using the Move locator tool).

Closest Point Locator

Labeling and Measuring

412
Adding a Closest Point Measurement
How To To add a closest point measurement

1 Click the Closest point icon, or choose

Deviation > Closest point from the Locators palette menu.

2 Click the location of the reference point you want to

measure from.

3 Click the object whose closest point you want to measure

from the reference point.

4 The new locator appears.

To edit a closest point measurement

1 Choose Windows > Information > Information window to open
the Information Window.

2 Click the Move locator icon, or choose Move locator from the
Locator palette menu.

3 Click the closest point measurement you want to edit.

◆ Drag the reference point to move the measurement
along the object.
◆ Use the options in the Information Window to edit the
object.

Options

Labeling and Measuring

413
Adding a Closest Point Measurement
Length
True—the locator indicates the true distance from the
locator to the closest point on a 3D curve or surface in all
windows.
Projected—the locator indicates the true distance from the
locator to the closest point on a 3D curve or surface in
perspective windows and the distance from the locator to
the closest point on the planar version of the curve or
surface in each orthographic window.

Parameters

DX, DY, DZ
The XYZ distances from the reference point to the closest
point on the object. You cannot edit these fields.

True Length
The distance from the reference point to the closest point
on the object. You cannot edit this field.

Offset
The offset of the locator from the actual points it
represents.

Length
See Length on page 414.

Window
Displays the locator in All Windows or only in the Current
Window.

Labeling and Measuring

414
Adding a Closest Point Measurement
Toggle Prefix
Displays a prefix before the locator measurement: P if the
measurement is projected or T if the measurement is true.

Labeling and Measuring

415
Adding a Closest Point Measurement
Locators > Adding a Curve Deviation
Deviation >
Measurement
Deviation

Purpose Add a locator showing the distance between a point on one

curve and the closest point on another curve.

Tip This tool shows one line indicating the closest distance
between two curves; to see multiple lines showing the
deviation across the length of curves, see Adding Min/Max
Deviation Measurements on page 419.

How To To add a measurement between two curves or to the seam

between two surfaces

1 Click the Deviation icon, or choose Deviation > Deviation from

the Locators palette menu.

2 Click the first curve, then click the second curve. You can
use free curves, isoparms, trim edges, or curves on
surface.
or

Click the seam between two surfaces.

Click on this seam
You can move the new measurement while the mouse
button is down. When you release the mouse button, the
measurement is attached to the geometry. Note that you
are moving the indicator along the first curve you clicked.

3 The new locator appears.

◆ Drag one of the arrow heads to move the
measurement along the curve.

Labeling and Measuring

416
Adding a Curve Deviation Measurement
◆ Drag the leader line or the label to move the label.

To edit a curve deviation measurement

1 Choose Windows > Information > Information window to open
the Information Window.

2 Click the Move locator icon, or choose Move locator from the
Locator palette menu.

3 Click the deviation measurement you want to edit.

◆ Drag the arrow heads to move the measurement along
the curve.
◆ Drag the leader to change its length.
◆ Use the options in the Information Window to edit the
object. See Curve Deviation Parameters below.

Tips and Notes ● Use the deviation measure to find gaps between surface
edges that need to be coincident.

Curve Deviation
Parameters

True Length
The distance between the two curves at this point. You
cannot edit this field.

Projected
The projected distances between the two curves at this
point, along the X, Y, and Z axes. You cannot edit these
fields.

Labeling and Measuring

417
Adding a Curve Deviation Measurement
Offset
The offset of the leader’s end point from its start point.
This is used to adjust the length and direction of the
leader.

Length
The length of the small horizontal line beside the label (in
pixels).

Justify
Choose whether to justify the label text Left or Right.

Window
Choose whether the annotation appears in all windows or
only the current window.

Labeling and Measuring

418
Adding a Curve Deviation Measurement
Locators > Adding Min/Max Deviation
Deviation >
Measurements
MinMax deviation,
MinMax SrfSrf dev.,
MinMax CrvSrf dev.,
MinMax cloud

Purpose Add a locator showing the deviation between two curves,

labeling the minimum and maximum.

Tip These tools provide multiple lines indicating the deviation

across the length of curves; to see one line indicating the
closest distance between two curves, see Adding a Curve
Deviation Measurement on page 416.

How To To add a deviation comb between two curves

1 Click the MinMax deviation icon, or choose

Deviation measures > MinMax deviation from the Locators
palette menu.

2 Click the first curve, then click the second curve. You can
use free curves, isoparms, trim edges, or curves on
surface.

3 The new deviation comb appears.

◆ Drag the comb with the left mouse button to change
the scale of the quills.
◆ Drag the comb with the middle mouse button to
change the sampling density of the quills.

Labeling and Measuring

419
Adding Min/Max Deviation Measurements
◆ Click and drag a label to move it.

To add a deviation comb between two surfaces

1 Click the MinMaxSrfSrf deviation icon, or choose

Deviation measures > MinMaxSrfSrf deviation from the
Locators palette menu.

2 Click the first surface, then click the second surface.

3 The new deviation comb appears.

◆ Drag the comb with the left mouse button to change
the scale of the quills.
◆ Drag the comb with the middle mouse button to
change the sampling density of the quills.
◆ Click and drag a label to move it.

To add a deviation comb between a curve and a surface

1 Click the MinMaxCrvSrf deviation icon, or choose

Deviation measures > MinMaxCrvSrf deviation from the
Locators palette menu.

2 Click the curve, then click the surface. You can use free
curves, isoparms, trim edges, or curves on surface.

3 The new deviation comb appears.

To add a deviation comb between a surface and a point

cloud

1 Click the MinMax cloud icon, or choose

Deviation measures > MinMax cloud from the Locators palette
menu.

2 Click the cloud, then click the surface.

Labeling and Measuring

420
Adding Min/Max Deviation Measurements
3 The new deviation comb appears.
◆ Drag the comb with the left mouse button to change
the scale of the quills.
◆ Drag the comb with the middle mouse button to
change the sampling density of the quills.
◆ CLick and drag a label to move it.

Tips and Notes ● The MinMax cloud tool is especially useful since you can
check the fit between raw cloud data and surfaces created
to fit the data.

MinMax Parameters

Min Dist.
Max Dist.
The minimum and maximum distances between points on
the two objects. You cannot edit these fields.

Comb Step
The distance between quills in the comb.

Show Comb
Show the comb.

Labeling and Measuring

421
Adding Min/Max Deviation Measurements
Comb Scale
The scale of the quills. The deviation is multiplied by this
value to get the length of a quill.

Threshold
A tolerance value for the deviation between two objects.
In locations where the deviation is greater than this value,
quills will be drawn in brown. The Threshold is initially set
to be equal to Max Dist.

Display parameters

Min Offset
The offset of the leader’s end point from its start point for
the Min deviation measurement. This is used to adjust the
length and direction of the leader.

Min Length
The length of the small horizontal line beside the label for
the Min deviation measurement (in pixels).

Justify
Choose whether to justify the annotation text Left or Right.

Max Offset
The offset of the leader’s end point from its start point for
the Max deviation measurement. This is used to adjust the
length and direction of the leader.

Max Length
The length of the small horizontal line beside the label for
the Max deviation measurement (in pixels).

Window
Choose whether the annotation appears in all windows or
only the current window.

Labeling and Measuring

422
Adding Min/Max Deviation Measurements
Locators > Measuring Arc Lengths
Arc length

Purpose Display the arc length of a curve, curve segment, or surface.

How To To measure the arc length of a curve or curve segment

1 Click the Arc length icon, or choose Arc length from the
Locators palette menu.

2 Click and hold the curve you want to measure.

A locator appears on the curve, and a window opens
showing the locator’s parameter, and the arc length from
the beginning of the curve to the locator.

3 Drag left and right to move the locator along the curve, or
type a parameter value.
Move the locator to the end of the curve to see the arc
length of the entire curve.

To measure the arc length of a surface

1 Click the Arc length icon, or choose Arc length from the
Locators palette menu.

2 Click a U or V isoparm. A window appears showing the

parameter of the isoparm and its arc length.
Drag across the surface, or type a parameter a value, to
measure other isoparms.

Labeling and Measuring

423
Measuring Arc Lengths
Tips and Notes
See Reversing Direction and ● To measure a curve from the end rather than from the
Normals on page 135. beginning of the curve, you must reverse the curve.
● Arc length is not a locator like the others discussed in this
section. It does not persist after you leave the tool.
● See also Adding Linear and Angular Measurements on
page 397.

Labeling and Measuring

424
Measuring Arc Lengths
Adv a n ced Mod eling
Blend Curves

In This Section Introduction to Blend Curves 428

Blend Curve Palette Summary 431
Drawing Blend Curves 432
Editing Blend Curves 435
Changing the Type of a Constraint 439
Changing the Continuity of a Constraint 444
Changing the Curvature Type of a Constraint 446
Changing the Degree and Parameterization Type 448

427
Curves > Introduction to Blend Curves
Blend curve toolbox

Purpose Blend curves let you create and edit curves that maintain a
large amount of construction history. You manipulate blend
curves by placing constraints on the shape of the curve,
including continuity with other objects.

Overview Blend curves provide higher-level, simpler methods for

shaping and manipulating curves. They provide a level of
abstraction on top of the actual geometry of the curve. Blend
curves let you focus on what the curve needs to do, and have
the system calculate the right curve to fulfill those
requirements.
In another sense, however, blend curves are just normal
NURBS curves with more construction history: you can use all
the normal curve tools on blend curves, and when you are not
using blend curve tools, they look like any other curve.
You can create blend curves to intersect surfaces, other curves,
and point clouds. When you move either the intersected
objects or the intersecting constraint, the blend curve updates
automatically.
Blend curves are controlled by constraints:

Position constraint Surface

Position & direction Geometry constraint

constraint manipulator

Blend Curves
428
Introduction to Blend Curves
You create the curve by interactively setting up all the
constraints, such as
● what points in space the curve should pass through,
● which surfaces it should be tangent to,
● which existing curves the blend curve should intersect,
● what direction it should be travelling at a certain point,

and so on. StudioTools draws the curve to satisfy the

constraints, and automatically updates the curve when the
constraints, or the objects the curve is constrained to, change.

Types of Constraints There are three main types of constraint. Each constraint type
differently affects the curve that it controls:
● Location: force the curve to pass through the constraint’s
location in space.
The location constraint is like the edit points of a standard
curve. It is the type of constraint that you create when you
first draw a blend curve.
● Direction: force the curve to pass through the constraint’s
location in space travelling in a certain world space
direction.
There are two sub-types of direction constraints:
◆ Directed: you set an actual direction for the curve
tangent. Use this type when the specific tangent
direction at the point of the constraint is important.
◆ Parallel: you set a line to which the tangent direction
must be parallel. This is easier to enforce and results in
better curve continuity.
● Geometry: force the curve to pass through a point on a
curve or surface and travel in a tangent direction relative
to that curve or surface.

Blend Curves
429
Introduction to Blend Curves
The following table shows the icons used to represent the
different constraints:

Attached to Attached to
Type Not attached
blend curve regular curve

Location

Direction

How To To show the Blend Curve toolbox

1 Click the Blend curve toolbox icon, or choose

Blend curve toolbox from the Curves palette menu.

2 The Blend Curve window appears, with its own palette of

blend curve tools. You can use these tools exactly like the
tools in the standard tool palettes.

3 To close the Blend Curve window, click the

Blend curve toolbox icon again, or click the window’s close
box.

Blend Curves
430
Introduction to Blend Curves
Blend Curve Palette Summary

Icon Blend Curve > For more information...

Blend curve create Drawing Blend Curves on

page 432

Blend curve edit Editing Blend Curves on page 435

Constraint Edits

Constraint Interpolation Changing the Type of a Constraint

Direction on page 439
Constraint Direction Type

Constraint Continuity Changing the Continuity of a

Constraint on page 444

Constraint Curvature Type Changing the Curvature Type of a

Constraint on page 446

Curve Degree Changing the Degree and

Curve Knot Spacing Parameterization Type on page 448

Blend Curves
431
Blend Curve Palette Summary
BlendCrv Tools > Drawing Blend Curves
Blend curve create

Purpose Create new blend curves in the scene by placing location

constraints and edit existing blend curves.

You will use the Blend curve create tool to create the initial
shape of the curve. Then you can add, edit, or delete the initial
constraints using the constraint tools.

How To To create a blend curve

1 Click the Blend curve create icon, or choose
Blend curve create from the Blend Curves palette menu.

2 Click to place the initial location constraints of the new

curve. You can continue to move the constraint while the
mouse button is down. When you release the mouse
Click button, the new constraint is added to the curve.
left,
middle, ◆ Click the left mouse button to place a constraint.
right
mouse ◆ Click the middle mouse button to place a constraint
buttons horizontal to the previous one.
◆ Click the right mouse button to place a constraint
vertical to the previous one.
Click on curve
to attach ◆ Click another curve to attach a new constraint to that
constraint curve.
◆ Type a 3D coordinate to place a constraint exactly.

◆ Use the snapping modifier keys or buttons to snap to

the grid or existing parts of the model. (See Snapping
to Grids, Curves, and Points on page 38.)

Blend Curves
432
Drawing Blend Curves
3 You can also go back and edit the current curve as you
draw:
◆ Click the current curve to add another constraint
between two previous constraints.
◆ Double-click and drag a constrain on the current
curve to move the constraint.

4 Continue adding constraints to the end of the curve as in

Step 2 (see Tips and Notes below).

5 Click the Blend curve create tool again to start another

curve, or choose another tool.

To continue adding to or editing an existing blend curve

1 Click the Blend curve create icon, or choose

Blend curve create from the Blend Curves palette menu.

2 Shift-click the previously completed blend curve.

3 You can now continue to add to or edit the curve as

described above.

Tips and Notes ● If you insert a constraint in the current curve, then try to
add a new constraint, the new constraint will be added to
the end closest to the inserted constraint.
For example, if you draw a blend curve by placing three
constraints, then insert a constraint between the first and
second constraints (that is, near the beginning of the
curve), the next constraint you add will be added to the
beginning of the curve, rather than at the end.
● You can change a blend curve’s knot spacing and degree
easily with the Blend curve chord, Blend curve uniform, and
Blend curve degree tools. See page 448.

Options
“Knot” is another term for Knot Spacing
edit point. Chord—the new curve’s edit points will be parameterized
by the chord length of the curve in current units. The chord
length is the cumulative straight line distance between

Blend Curves
433
Drawing Blend Curves
consecutive edit [Link] starting point of the curve has
the parameter 0.0, and the ending point has the parameter
equal to the total chord length of the curve.

See Parameterization on Uniform—the new curve’s edit points will have integral
page 10. parameters: the first edit point will be parameter 0.0, the
second will be 1.0, and so on.

See Degree on page 12. Curve Degree

The mathematical degree of the curve created, which
control the number of CVs per span: 1 (linear), 2
(quadratic), 3 (cubic), 5 or 7. The default is 5. (For some
products the default may be 3.)

Note Degree 2, 5 and 7 curves are not available for all

StudioTools products.

Purpose ● Select constraints for use with constraint editing tools.

● Move constraints.
● Attach and detach constraints to/from other objects.
● Delete constraints.

Overview To edit the constraints on a blend curve, you must first select
the blend curve with the Blend curve edit tool. This tool allows
you to move constraints and attach them to curves or surfaces.

You also use the Blend curve edit tool to select constraints before
using the constraint editing tools (such as Blend curve interp
direction) to change their properties. See Changing the Type of a
Constraint on page 439.
● To add constraints to an existing curve, use the
Blend curve create tool (see page 432).

● To change the type of a constraint (for example, from

position to direction), see Changing the Type of a Constraint
on page 439.

Blend Curves
435
Editing Blend Curves
How To To begin editing a curve

1 Click the Blend curve edit icon, or choose Blend curve edit
from the Blend Curves palette menu.

2 Click the curve you want to edit.

To move a constraint

1 Select the curve to edit using the Blend curve edit tool (see
above).

2 Double-click and drag the constraint you want to move.

or
Click the constraint and type a 3D coordinate to place the
constraint exactly.

To attach a constraint to a curve, surface, or point cloud

1 Select the curve to edit using the Blend curve edit tool (see
above).

2 Click the constraint you want to attach.

3 Click the curve or surface that you want to attach the

constraint to or click a point in a point cloud.

4 A dialog box appears asking you to confirm the action.

Click Yes to attach the constraint to the object.
The constraint’s position is now locked to the curve,
surface, or point cloud.

To detach (dissociate) a constraint from a curve or

surface

1 Select the curve to edit using the Blend curve edit tool (see
above).

2 Click the constraint you want to detach.

Blend Curves
436
Editing Blend Curves
3 Click the Blend constraint dissociate icon or choose
Constraint Edits > Blend constraint dissociate from the
Blend Curves palette menu.
The constraint stays in the same place, but is no longer
constrained to the curve or surface. It is now a simple
location constraint.

To delete a constraint

1 Select the curve to edit using the Blend curve edit tool (see
above).

2 Click the constraint you want to delete.

3 Click the Blend constraint delete icon or choose

Constraint Edits > Blend constraint delete from the
Blend Curves palette menu.
The selected constraint point is deleted and the curve is re-
interpolated.

Note Do not use the Delete key to delete constraints! The Delete
key will delete the entire curve, not the selected
constraint.

To reverse the master-slave relationship between attached

blend curves

A master-slave relationship between two blend curves is

B (master) defined as follow. Imagine that curve A is attached to curve B
at constraint C. Moving curve B causes curve A to follow.
Hence, curve B is the master, and curve A is the slave at
constraint C. To reverse this relationship:
C
A
(slave)

1 Select the slave curve using the Blend curve edit tool (see
above).

2 Click the constraint for which you want to change the

master-slave relationship.

Blend Curves
437
Editing Blend Curves
3 Click the Blend pt make master icon or choose
Constraint Edits > Blend pt make master from the Blend Curves
palette menu.

When you use the Blend pt make master tool on constraint

B (slave)
C, the tool creates a new constraint attaching curve B to
curve A, and dissociates constraint C. Now moving curve
A causes curve B to follow (the master/slave relationship
A is reversed).
(master)

Tips and Notes ● To edit a different curve while using the Blend curve edit
tool, hold down the Shift key and pick another curve.

See Checking the Continuity ● To evaluate the curvature of the curve as you edit it, click
between Curves on page 554. the Curve curvature tool in the Locators palette, then use
Blend curve edit to edit the curve.

See page 439 to learn how to ● If you use the Blend constraint dissociate tool to detach a
create a direction constraint. direction constraint that was based on the direction of the
curve or surface, the direction information is lost and the
constraint reverts to a location constraint.

Purpose Change how a constraint affects the blend curve.

See Types of Constraints on page 429 for information on the

different types of constraints.

How To To constrain the curve to simply pass through the

constraint

1 Select the curve to edit using the Blend curve edit tool (see
page 436).

2 Click the constraint you want to change.

3 Click the B.C. interp location icon or choose

Constraint Interp. Direction > B.C. interp location from the
Blend Curves palette menu.
The curve will now pass through the constraint freely.
This is the way constraints are created by default.

Blend Curves
439
Changing the Type of a Constraint
To constrain the curve to pass through the constraint in a
certain direction

1 Select the curve to edit using the Blend curve edit tool (see
page 436).

2 Click the constraint you want to change.

3 Click the Blend constraint interp direction icon or choose

Constraint Interpolation Direction > Blend constraint interp
direction from the Blend Curves palette menu. (Note: the
short icon label for the Blend constraint interp direction tool is
“pt xyz”).

4 Use the direction manipulator (see page 442) to set the

direction of the curve at this point.
The curve will now pass through the constraint in the
direction you set with the manipulator.

To change the sub-type of a direction constraint

1 Select the curve to edit using the Blend curve edit tool (see
page 436).

2 Click the direction constraint you want to change.

3 Click one of the Constraint Direction Type tools:

◆ To set an actual direction for the tangent, click the

Blend constraint directed icon or choose Constraint
Direction Type > Blend constraint directed from the Blend
Curves palette menu. (Note: the short icon label for the
Blend constraint directed tool is “pt ray”). This is shown
as a single ended arrow on the manipulator.

◆ To set a line to which the tangent must be parallel,

click the Blend constraint parallel icon or choose
Constraint Direction Type > Blend constraint parallel from
the Blend Curves palette menu. This is shown as a
double ended arrow on the manipulator.

Blend Curves
440
Changing the Type of a Constraint
To constrain the curve tangent relative to another curve,
surface, or point cloud

1 Select the curve to edit using the Blend curve edit tool (see
page 436).

2 Click the attached constraint you want to change.

See page 436 for information on attaching constraints to
geometry.

3 Click the Blend constraint interp geometry icon or choose

Constraint Interpolation Direction >
Blend constraint interp geometry from the Blend Curves
palette menu.
You can only use this tool with constraints that are
attached to other objects.

4 Use the direction manipulator (see page 442) to set the

direction of the curve at this point, relative to the object it is
attached to.
The curve will now pass through the constraint in the
direction that you set with the manipulator.

Blend Curves
441
Changing the Type of a Constraint
To use the tangent direction manipulator

Click an axis line

to align the tangent
to a main axis.

Click this handle to Click an arc to

move the constraint change the rotation.
freely.
Click this box to
Click this handle to scale the tangent
change the rotation magnitude.
freely.
Click the arrow to
move the constraint
along the direction line.

The manipulator for geometry type Click the large circle to

constraints can have two change the curvature
magnitude (if G2 cont.).
additional handles depending on
the level of continuity: Click the small circle to
change the curvature
rate of change (if G3).

● To set the tangent direction, click an axis line.

For direction constraints, the axis lines relate to world
space (X, Y, Z). For geometry constraints, the axis lines
relate to the curve, surface, or point cloud (U, V, Normal).

● To move the constraint, click the center handle or type a

3D coordinate.

● To move the constraint along the manipulator direction

line, click the arrow, then drag left or right.
The constraint will not move if it is attached to another
curve, surface, or point cloud.

● To change the rotation freely, click the rotation handle (the

small circle on the arrow), then drag with the different
mouse buttons or type rotational coordinates.
● To change the rotation in a plane, click an arc, then drag
left and right or type a rotation angle.

● To change the tangent magnitude, click the square, then

drag left or right or type a value.

Blend Curves
442
Changing the Type of a Constraint
● To change the curvature magnitude, click the large circle,
then drag left or right or type a value. The default is 1.0.
This handle appears when the constraint’s continuity is set
to G2 or higher (see Changing the Continuity of a Constraint
on page 444).

● To change the curvature rate of change, click the small

circle, then drag left or right or type a value. The default is
1.0.
This handle appears when the constraint’s continuity is set
to G3 or higher (see Changing the Continuity of a Constraint
on page 444).

Tips and Notes

Direction constraint creates ● You can use a direction constraint to ensure tangent
tangency with reflected half continuity with an imaginary reflected half.
In the example at left, the direction constraint ensures the
Blend Implied blend curve (on the left) is perpendicular to the centerline
curve reflection (usually a major axis). When you reflect the blend curve to
Centerline create the other half, the tangent at the centerline will be
continuous.

Purpose Change the continuity required at a constraint.

Overview When you first create them, all constraints have G2 (curvature)
continuity. Use these tools to require less or more continuity at
a constraint.

The names of tools correspond to the mathematical terms for

the different types of continuity:
● G0: positional.
● G1: tangent.
● G2: curvature.
● G3: constant rate of change of the curvature.
● G4: constant rate of change of the rate of change of the
curvature.

See Continuity on page 24 for explanations of the different

types of continuity.

How To To change the continuity at a constraint

1 Select the curve to edit using the Blend curve edit tool (see
page 436).

2 Click the attached constraint you want to change.

Blend Curves
444
Changing the Continuity of a Constraint
You can only change the continuity on constraints that are
attached to other objects. See page 436 for information on
attaching constraints.

3 Click one of the Constraint Continuity icons (G0, G1, G2, G3

or G4), or choose from the Constraint Continuity sub-menu of
the Blend Curves palette menu.

Tips and Notes ● Use G4 continuity when you want a blend curve to match
an existing curve’s shape as much as possible. This level of
continuity creates a curve join that is difficult to detect.
● Higher levels of continuity require more flexibility in the
curve. If maintaining the continuity is completely
reshaping your curve, try increasing the degree of the
curve. See Changing the Degree and Parameterization Type on
page 448.

Purpose Change how curvature is calculated when a geometry

constraint is attached to a surface.

Overview

Parametric ● Parametric curvature.

Blend curve Align the curvature to an isoparametric direction of the
Surface surface.
This type of curvature is especially useful to achieve
curvature continuity with the edge of a surface.
Curve aligned with
isoparametric Line

Blend Geometric ● Geometric curvature.

curve
◆ Construct a plane from the surface normal and the
Surface constraint direction (or the normal and the tangent of
normal Plane
the curve at the attach point for location constraints).
◆ Create a section curve by intersecting this plane with
the surface.
◆ Align the curvature to this section curve.
Curve
tangent
Curve aligned with
section curve

Blend Curves
446
Changing the Curvature Type of a Constraint
How To To change the way curvature continuity is calculated for a
constraint

1 Select the curve to edit using the Blend curve edit tool (see
page 436).

2 Click the attached curvature continuous constraint you

want to change.
You can only change the curvature type of constraints that
are attached to other objects, and have G2 or greater
continuity. See page 436 for information on attaching
constraints, and page 444 for information on setting
continuity.

3 Click one of the Constraint Curvature Type tools (Geometric or

Parametric), or choose from the Constraint Curvature Type
sub-menu of the Blend Curves palette menu.

Tips and Notes ● You must use geometric curvature if you want the blend
curve to be planar (all points on the curve lie in the same
plane).

Purpose Change the degree or parametrization of a blend curve.

See Parameterization on page 10 and Degree on page 12 for

explanations of parameterization and degree.

How To To change the degree of a blend curve

1 Select the curve or curves to edit using the Blend curve edit
tool (see page 436).

Remember that to pick more than one curve with the

Blend curve edit tool, you must hold down the Shift key
while you pick the other curves.

2 Click one of the Curve Degree icons (Blend curve degree

1,2,3,5, or 7), or choose from the Curve Degree sub-menu of
the Blend Curves palette.

The Blend curve degree tool rebuilds the underlying curve

to the new degree.

Blend Curves
448
Changing the Degree and Parameterization Type
To change the parameterization type of a blend curve

1 Select the curve or curves to edit using the Blend curve edit
tool (see page 436).
Remember that to pick more than one curve with the
Blend curve edit tool, you must hold down the Shift key
while you pick the other curves.

2 Click one of the Curve Knot Spacing icons, or choose from

the Curve Knot Spacing sub-menu of the Blend Curves
palette:
◆ For uniform spacing of edit points, click
Blend curve chord.

◆ For chord-length spacing of edit points, click

Blend curve uniform.
The Blend curve chord or Blend curve uniform tool rebuilds
the underlying curve to the new method of
parameterization.

Tips and Notes ● When you change the degree of a blend curve, surfaces
constructed from the blend curve are also rebuilt to the
new degree, unless they have constraints of their own that
prevent regeneration.
● You can set the parameterization and degree of new blend
curves by setting the corresponding options in the Blend
curve create option box (see page 433).

In This Section Introduction to Curve Networks 452

Basic Curve Network Procedures 459
Creating a New Network 457
Adding and Subtracting Curves 461
Changing the Continuity along Curves 463
Creating Continuity with an Implied Half 465
Editing Curves while Maintaining Intersections 466
Using Sculpt Curves 468
Changing the Influence of Sculpt Curves 473
Troubleshooting Networks 476

451
Surfaces > Introduction to Curve Networks
Curve Networks

Purpose Curve networks let you build surfaces very quickly from a
network of intersecting curves.

Overview Curve networks are powerful and easy-to-use tools for

creating surfaces.

Curve networks provide a level of abstraction from the actual

surface creation tools, allowing you to concentrate on the
construction curves:
1 Build a mesh of good, intersecting curves to describe a
surface (see page 457).

2 Choose the New network tool and pick all the curves.

3 StudioTools interpolates between the curves to create

surfaces automatically.
◆ You can continue to reshape, add or delete the
construction curves, and the curve network surface
will be updated.
◆ Add sculpt curves to reshape the whole curve network
surface by mapping the shape of a free curve onto the
surface. See Using Sculpt Curves on page 468.

The curve network figures out how to build a surface to match

your curves and maintain the continuity you request across
boundary curves.

Curve Networks
452
Introduction to Curve Networks
Terminology

Refer to the diagram at left for illustrations of the following

1
terms used with curve networks:
3 2 1 Curve: one of the curves in the network.

2 Intersection: where two curves in the network cross at the

4 5 exact same point in space. In the interface this is also
called a vertex.

3 Curve segment: a section of a curve defined by intersections

(vertices) at both ends. Many of the curve network tools
work on curve segments, including the continuity tools. In
the interface, and sometimes in this chapter, this is called
an edge.

4 Region: closed area of a curve network bounded by either

three or four curve segments (edges).

5 Curve network surfaces: the surfaces are distinct from the

curve network itself. In fact, the surface can be pulled
away from the network by sculpt curves.

6 Curve network: all the curves defining the surfaces.

StudioTools will not build surfaces until all the curves in
the network are valid.

Valid and Invalid StudioTools creates one surface for each valid region of the
Topology curve network.

All curve network surfaces are grouped under a single node in

the SBD window.

Under certain conditions, you may be able to create a single

surface from the resulting curve network surfaces, by using
the Combine surfaces tool. (See Combining Several Surfaces into
One on page 332.)

Curve Networks
453
Introduction to Curve Networks
The following types of closed regions are valid

● Four sided regions are fitted with standard NURBS

surfaces.

● Three sided regions are fitted with trimmed surfaces.

● Regions with T-junctions that can be “collapsed” into

T T three- or four-sided regions are treated the same as regular
T three- or four-sided regions.

The following regions are not valid

● Regions with more than four sides.

● Regions with only two sides.

T-junctions ● Regions with T-junctions that cannot be “collapsed” into

creating a T T three or four sided regions.
6-sided T T
region. T T
Other rules

Invalid: ● There can be only one curve segment between any two
more than intersections.
one segment
between
intersections.

Curve Networks
454
Introduction to Curve Networks
How To To show the curve network toolbox

1 Click the Curve networks icon, or choose Curve networks...

from the Surfaces palette menu.

2 The Curve Networks window appears, with a new palette of

curve network tools. You can use these tools exactly like
the tools in the standard tool palettes.

3 To close the Curve Networks window, click the Curve

networks tool again, or click the window’s close box.

General Tips and Notes ● Curve networks do have a performance penalty. Do not
use curve networks for surfaces that can be constructed
just as easily with the normal surface creation tools.
● Use more curves in areas with detail, and fewer in areas
with little variation.
● To design very complex shapes, create the network with a
few defining curves, then add more curves and view the
incremental effect on the network.
This lets you monitor continuity and topology
requirements and identify problem curves quickly, which
is more difficult when you add all the curves at once.
● Try to construct the network from curves that all have the
same degree and the same kind of parameterization.
● Curve networks produce best results when every surface
region is four-sided. This means a maximum of four
surface regions meeting at any intersection.
● If you must have triangular regions, keep them as simple
as possible. Use simple curves with little variation.
● Avoid T-intersections by adding more curves to the
network, or extending existing curves.

Curve Networks
455
Introduction to Curve Networks
Options

Double-click the Curve networks icon, or choose Curve networks--

❏ from the Surfaces palette menu to display the option
window.

See Changing the Continuity Default Continuity

along Curves on page 463. The default level of continuity between the different
surfaces in the curve network. The curves in a new
network, and any curves you add later will initially
maintain this level of continuity.

Rebuild Edge
Automatically rebuild all the vertical and all the
horizontal curves of the curve network to match
parameters.
The rebuild occurs before any edit points are inserted to
achieve continuity.

Curve Networks
456
Introduction to Curve Networks
CrvNet Tools > Creating a New Network
New network

Purpose Create a new curve network from a mesh of curves.

How To To create good curves for a curve network

● Use the Adjust intersection tool to make sure the curves

intersect [Link] Making Curves Intersect on page 192.
● The enclosed area of the network should have only three
or four sides.
● Try to ensure the curves have smooth curvature. Use the
Curve curvature measurement tool to check the curvature of
the intersecting curves (see page 406).
● The New network tool will let you create a curve network
from invalid curves (for example, curves that do not
intersect), but the surfaces themselves will not build until
you edit the curves to create a valid network.
Use the Analyze network tool to look for the problem that
prevented the surfaces from building. See page 476.

To create a new curve network surface

1 Click the New network icon, or choose New network from the
CrvNet Tools palette menu.

2 Pick all the curves you want to define the new surface.
◆ It doesn’t matter in what order you pick the curves.
◆ Use the normal pick procedures, including dragging
out pick boxes.

Curve Networks
457
Creating a New Network
3 Click Go to create the curve network surfaces.

Tips and Notes ● Remember the restrictions on the topology of regions

listed on page 454.
● If the surface did not build, or only part of the surface was
built, use the Analyze network tool to find the problem.
See Troubleshooting Networks on page 476.
● You can use any kind of curve (free curves, isoparms,
curves on surface, trim edges), of any parameterization
and degree, rational or non-rational.
● Remember that you do not need to describe the entire
model with a single curve network. Try using several
curve networks for different parts of the model.

Purpose ● Pick existing curve networks.

● Toggle whether to automatically update the curve
network surfaces whenever a curve changes.
● Explicitly rebuild the curve network surfaces.
● Remove construction history from a curve network.

How To To pick a curve network

1 Click the Pick network icon, or choose Pick network from the
CrvNet Tools palette menu.

2 Use the normal picking procedure (as with the regular Pick
tool) to pick one curve network to be the current network.
You must click on a curve from the network, not a surface.
All curve network tools will affect this network from now
on.

To turn Auto-update on or off

1 Click the Toggle auto-update icon, or choose

Toggle auto-update from the CrvNet Tools palette menu.

2 The prompt line displays the current state of the auto-

update toggle. It is ON by default.

Curve Networks
459
Basic Curve Network Procedures
To force a rebuild of the curve network surface

Click the Build network icon, or choose Build network from the
CrvNet Tools palette menu.

To remove history from a curve network

Curve network surfaces are always created with construction

history.

Once you have finished modifying the curve network and the
surfaces are to your satisfaction, you can remove the
construction history to reduce storage space:
1 Pick the curve network using the Pick network tool (see
above).

2 Choose Del constr history from the Delete menu.

All information about the curve network is deleted, and
the surfaces are dissociated from the constructor curves.

Tips and Notes ● Turn auto-update off for very complex curve networks to
speed up workflow. Use the Build network tool when you
want to update the surfaces.
● If you click the Build network tool and the surfaces are
already up to date, they will not rebuild.

How To To add a curve to the curve network

1 Click the Add curve to network icon, or choose Add/

subtract curves > Add curve to network from the CrvNet Tools
palette menu.
The curves of the current network highlight. To pick a
different network, use the Pick network tool (see page 459).

2 Click the curves you want to add to the network, or drag a

pick box around them. As you click each curve, it is added
to the curve network.

To subtract a curve from the curve network

1 Click the Remove curve from network icon, or choose Add/

subtract curves > Remove curve to network from the
CrvNet Tools palette menu.
The curves of the current network highlight. To pick a
different network, use the Pick network tool (see page 459).

Curve Networks
461
Adding and Subtracting Curves
2 Click the curves in the network you want to remove from
the network, or drag a pick box around them. As you click
each curve, it is removed from the curve network.

Tips and Notes ● If the Auto-update tool is toggled off, you will need to click
the Build network tool to update the network with the
changes. See page 460.
● Remember the rules for valid and invalid topology as you
add or subtract curves. See page 453.

Curve Networks
462
Adding and Subtracting Curves
CrvNet Tools > Changing the Continuity along Curves
Continuity >
Positional continuity,
Tangent continuity,
Curvature continuity

Purpose Change the level of continuity across curves in the network.

Overview
You can change this default Tangent continuity is the default for a new network. If you
in the option window (see need more or less smoothness between the different surfaces,
page 456). use the continuity tools to change the continuity required
across any given network curve.

Restrictions

3 To have tangent or curvature continuity across a curve

2 segment, the pairs of intersecting curves on each side must be
1 at least curvature continuous (G2).

4 5 For example, in the illustration at left, in order to have tangent

or curvature continuity along segment 1, segments 2 and 3
must be curvature continuous with each other, and segments 4
and 5 must be curvature continuous with each other.

This restriction does not apply if you only require positional

continuity across the curve segment.

Curve Networks
463
Changing the Continuity along Curves
See Aligning Curves and Surfaces on page 96 and Creating
Continuity between Curves and Other Objects on page 202 for
information on creating continuity between curves.

How To To change the continuity enforced on a curve

1 Click one of the Continuity tool icons (Positional continuity,
Tangent continuity, or Curvature continuity), or choose from the
Continuity sub-menu of the CrvNet Tools palette menu.

2 Click the curve you want to change.

The continuity tool changes the continuity across the
curve you clicked.
Changing the continuity for a curve changes the
continuity for all the segments on this curve. In other
words, the newly specified continuity is enforced between
all surface pairs that are adjacent to each other across this
curve.

Tips and Notes ● The continuity requirements you specify may not be
achievable with the given curves. Use the Analyze network
tool to display labels showing the level of continuity
reached across each curve. See page 476.
● If the Auto-update tool is toggled off, you will need to click
the Build network tool to update the network with the
changes. See page 460.
● Avoid many areas with different types of continuity. The
more consistent the continuity requirements, the better the
surfaces.

Purpose Ensure that tangent continuity is maintained along a

symmetry plane, allowing the model to be reflected later.

Overview This is a powerful feature. It lets you model one half of a

symmetrical surface (such as a car body), and maintain
continuity at the seam. When you duplicate the surface to
create the other half, the surfaces adjacent to each other along
the seam will already be continuous.

How To To keep tangency with an implied surface along a

boundary curve
1 Click the Implied tangency icon, or choose Implied tangency
from the CrvNet Tools palette menu.

2 Click the boundary curve across which you want to

maintain implied tangency.
◆ Implied tangency only works on the network’s
boundary curves, i.e. curves that define the outer
edges of the curve network surfaces.
◆ The curve must be a free curve. It cannot be an
isoparm, curve on surface, or trim edge.

Tips and Notes ● If the Auto-update tool is toggled off, you need to click the
Build network tool to update the network with the changes.

Overview Normally if you edited a curve in the network with, for

example, the Curve editor tool, you run the risk of moving or
reshaping the curve out of intersections with the rest of the
network.

This tool lets you lock a curve into the network so that, as you
edit it, it maintains its intersections.

You can only lock a free curve. Isoparms, trim edges and
curves on surface cannot be locked.

Note You can only lock intersections on networks without

sculpt curves. If you want to use the Lock intersection
tool, you will have to remove any sculpt curves from
the network first.

How To To edit a curve while maintaining intersections

1 Click the Lock intersection icon, or choose Lock intersections
from the CrvNet Tools palette menu.

2 Click on a free network curve you want to lock.

The curve network surfaces become invisible and the
curve highlights.

Curve Networks
466
Editing Curves while Maintaining Intersections
3 Use the normal editing tools to edit the curve.

4 Click the Lock intersection tool again.

◆ Click the highlighted curve to unlock [Link] surfaces
reappear and are updated.
◆ Click another curve to lock and edit that curve. This
automatically unlocks the previously locked curve.

Tips and Notes ● You can only have one locked curve at a time.
● You cannot use curve network tools on the network while
a curve is locked. For example, you cannot add or remove
curves, or change continuity.
To edit the curve network, unlock the locked curve by
choosing the Lock intersection tool and clicking on the
locked curve.
● If you edit any curve other than the locked curve, the
locked curve is unlocked and the curve network returns to
its normal state.
● If you save the file while a curve is locked, it will be
unlocked when you open the file again.

Making complex or subtle changes to surfaces such as adding

bumps, indentations, twists, or cork-screw effects can be very
difficult. Sculpt curves provide the higher level of control
necessary to achieve these effects.

A sculpt curve is like a handle on the surface which lets you

push or pull the surface.

Pinning and Unpinning Edges

In a curve network without sculpt curves, the surfaces are

always bounded by the mesh of curves. In other words, the

Curve Networks
468
Using Sculpt Curves
surfaces always interpolate the curves in the mesh, and their
edges can be seen as “pinned” to the network.

When you add sculpt curves, the system “unpins” from the
network the common edges (edges shared between two
surfaces) that the sculpt curve crosses, allowing the surfaces
along that edge to be pushed or pulled by the sculpt curve. If
you want more of the surface to be influenced by the sculpt
curve, you must unpin more edges.

Using the Pin edge tool, you can pin some of the surfaces to
their corresponding curve network edges so that they are not
influenced by sculpt curves, or unpin them so that they are
influenced by sculpt curves.

How Sculpt Curves Work

1 StudioTools projects the sculpt curve onto the surface
along the surface normals.

2 StudioTools links the points along the sculpt curve to the

points on the projected curve.

3 When a point on the sculpt curve moves, the

corresponding point on the surface moves also.

See Changing the Influence of ◆ The degree to which the point on the surface follows
Sculpt Curves on page 473 for the point on the sculpt curve depends on the weight
details on how to modify the or weights along the sculpt curve.
weights and region of
influence. ◆ The area of the surfaces which is pulled along is the
region of influence of the sculpt curve.

How To To add a sculpt curve to the network

1 Click the Add sculpt curve icon, or choose Add/delete

sculpt > Add sculpt curve from the CrvNet Tools palette menu.
The curves of the curve network highlight. Existing sculpt
curves highlight in red.

2 Click the free curves and/or isoparms you want to use as

sculpt curves, or drag a pick box around them.
As you click each curve, it is added to the curve network
as a sculpt curve and highlighted in red, if it is valid.

Curve Networks
469
Using Sculpt Curves
If the sculpt curve does not map to any of the network
surfaces, it is rejected and remains displayed in its default
color.
Once mapped to the network surfaces, the sculpt curves
act as handles, interactively reshaping the surfaces as you
move or edit them.

To remove a sculpt curve from the curve network

1 Click the Delete sculpt curve icon, or choose Add/delete

sculpt > Delete sculpt from the CrvNet Tools palette menu.
The curves of the curve network highlight. Sculpt curves
highlight in red.

2 Click the sculpt curves you want to stop using, or drag a

pick box around them.
As you click each sculpt curve, it is removed from the
curve network.

To pin or unpin edges

1 Click the Pin edge icon, or choose Pin edge from the
CrvNet Tools palette menu.

2 Click the curve segments you want to pin or unpin.

3 Click Go.
The curve segments you clicked are toggled between
being pinned (not influenced by sculpt curves) and
unpinned (influenced by sculpt curves).

To reset the mapping, weight, and influence of sculpt

curves

1 Click the Reset sculpt curves mapping icon, or choose

Reset sculpt curves mapping from the CrvNet Tools palette
menu.

2 A dialog box asks if you really want to reset the mapping

of the sculpt curves.

Curve Networks
470
Using Sculpt Curves
◆ Click Yes to disconnect the sculpt curves from the
network, eliminating all the modifications made to the
surfaces from the time the sculpt curves were first
mapped, and then remap them onto the network.
◆ Click No to cancel.

Note The same effect can be obtained by deleting all the

sculpt curves, then adding them back to the network.

Tips and Notes ● If the Auto-update tool is toggled off, you will need to click
the Build network tool to update the network with the
changes. See page 460.
● To speed up rebuilds, keep the sculpt curves simple.
● Just as if you were editing the surface manually, the sculpt
curve can only reshape the surface if it has enough CVs to
control it.
For example, mapping a sculpt curve to a degree 3 surface
with one span in each direction will not allow detailed
modifications of the surface. The four interior CVs in this
example are not enough to make the sculpting effort
worthwhile.
● Ideally, you will add sculpt curves to the network only
after you are satisfied with the topology and continuity of
the surface.
Sculpt curves are generally most useful as “post-
processing” tools, especially since it can take a long time
to rebuild a curve network that has sculpt curves.
● Even when the curve network is influenced by sculpt
curves, it still maintains the continuity you specify with
the continuity tools (see page 463).
● Sculpt curves can be applied only to four-sided regions in
a curve network. Surfaces fitted to triangular regions and
regions with collapsible T-junctions remain unchanged by
sculpt curves.
● You can only use free curves and isoparms as sculpt
curves. You cannot use curves-on-surface or trim edges.

Curve Networks
471
Using Sculpt Curves
● Once sculpt curves are mapped onto the curve network,
any changes to the topology of the network (such as
adding or removing curves) requires StudioTools to remap
the sculpt curves.
Because this operation can potentially take a long time, a
dialog box will ask you if you really want to make the
change.
● See also, Changing the Influence of Sculpt Curves on page 473

Curve Networks
472
Using Sculpt Curves
CrvNet Tools > Changing the Influence of Sculpt
Influence Weights,
Curves
Region of influence

Purpose ● Change the amount of influence a sculpt curve has on the

network surfaces.
● Change the size of the surface region influenced by a
sculpt curve.

Overview If a sculpt curve is like a handle on the surface, you can

imagine the handle being attached to the surface by a series of
springs. To control how much the handle pushes and pulls on
the surface, you change the stiffness of the springs. This
corresponds to the weight(s) of the sculpt curve.

You can specify how much the sculpt curve influences the
surface (how much it pulls or pushes) along its length:
● Unit weight: the entire sculpt curve exerts the same
amount of influence on the surface.
● Multi weight: you can specify different amounts of
influence (weights) along the length of the curve.

You can also specify a sculpt curve’s region of influence. This is

how much of the surface is affected around the sculpt curve.
● A Large region of influence makes the surface act like a
very flexible material: pulling the sculpt curve pulls a lot
of the surface.
● A Medium region of influence make the surface seem
stiffer: pulling a sculpt curve pulls less of the surface.

Curve Networks
473
Changing the Influence of Sculpt Curves
● A Small region of influence makes the surface seem very
stiff: pulling a sculpt curve does not pull much of the
surface.

How To To make a sculpt curve have the same amount of

influence along its entire length

1 Click the Unit weight icon, or choose

Influence weights > Unit weight from the CrvNet Tools palette
menu.
All sculpt curves in the network highlight in red.

2 Click the sculpt curve you want to change.

The Unit weight tool displays the current weight profile of
the sculpt curve.

3 Drag the mouse left or right to change the weight of the

curve, or type an exact value.

4 Click Go.
The Unit weight tool changes the weight of the curve.

To set different amounts of influence at different points

along a sculpt curve

1 Click the Multi weight icon, or choose

Influence weights > Multi weight from the CrvNet Tools palette
menu.
All sculpt curves in the network highlight in red.

2 Click the sculpt curve you want to change.

The Multi weight tool displays the current weight profile of
the sculpt curve.

3 Edit the weight profile by manipulating the “needle”

handles which extend above the weight profile comb:
◆ Click the profile comb, then click again to insert a new
needle for editing.
◆ Click one of the labeled needles, then drag with the
left mouse button to change the weight at that point in
the profile.

Curve Networks
474
Changing the Influence of Sculpt Curves
◆ Click one of the labeled needles, then drag with the
middle mouse button to move the needle in the profile.
◆ Click one of the labeled needles, then click with the
right mouse button to remove the needle from the
profile.

4 Click Go.
The Multi weight tool changes the weights of the curve.

To change a sculpt curve’s region of influence

1 Click one of the region of influence tools (Large region,

Medium region, or Small region), or choose from the Region of
influence sub-menu of the CrvNet Tools palette menu.
The sculpt curves highlight in red and are labeled with
their current regions of influence.

2 Click the sculpt curve you want to change, or drag a pick

box around more than one sculpt curve.
The tool changes the region of influence of the curve(s).

Tips and Notes ● If the Auto-update tool is toggled off, you will need to click
the Build network tool to update the network with the
changes. See page 460.

Purpose Display information about the network, allow inspection of

curve segments and sculpt curves, and recommend fixes for
problems with continuity.

How To To show network information

1 Click the Analyze network icon, or choose Analyze network
from the CrvNet Tools palette menu.
The Analyze network tool displays information about
components of the current curve network (see the Analysis
section below for explanations of the information shown).

2 Click and hold on a curve segment or sculpt curve to show

more information, including a recommendation on how to
edit the network if continuity could not be achieved (see
the Analysis section below for explanations of the different
recommendations).

Tip To see how to make a network the current one, see To pick a
curve network on page 459.

Curve Networks
476
Troubleshooting Networks
Analysis The Analyze network tool labels the curve network with the
following information:

Network component Indicated by

Intersections Red dots

Continuity type for each curve segment Label at the midpoint of the curve segment (Pos,
Tan, Curv).

Curve segments with at least one adjacent White lines

surface
Curve segments with no adjacent surfaces Green lines
Sculpt curves Red lines
Pinned curve segments Pin icon

Note If the tool fails to build a surface in a valid closed

region of the network, the edges are displayed in red.
When this happens, query the edge (see below) to
obtain more information about the probable cause of
the failure.

The Analyze network tool also lets you click on curve segments
and sculpt curves to get specific information:

Information Description

Curve Type Network or Sculpt.

Region of Influence Large, Medium, or Small.
(for sculpt curves) See Changing the Influence of Sculpt Curves on page 473).
Nature Pinned or Free.
Whether or not the surface is pinned to the curve segment.
(See how to use the Pin edge tool on page 470).
Edge Type • Interior: the curve segment is inside the network (the
surfaces are on both sides of the segment).
• Boundary: the curve segment is on the edge of the network
(the surfaces are only on one side of the segment).
• Orphan: the curve segment is not connected to any surface
at all.

Curve Networks
477
Troubleshooting Networks
Information Description

Continuity Achieved or Not achieved.

If continuity was not achieved, the Analyze network tool will
give a recommended action.
Recommended Action A recommendation for how to modify the network so that
(for curve segments where the curve network can achieve the requested continuity.
continuity was not achieved)

If the curve network could not achieve the requested

continuity at a particular curve segment, the Analyze network
tool will recommend a course of action to fix the problem and
achieve the requested level of continuity:

Note The Recommended Action is only an educated guess.

In many cases it is impossible to pinpoint the exact
reason why continuity could not be achieved.

“Recommended Action” Possible Cause Suggestions

End point(s) belong to One or more of the surfaces • The intersection causing the
degenerate surface(s) meeting at one of the problem is indicated with an
intersections that define the arrow.
curve segment is a degenerate • Try to redefine the network with
surface. curves that do not require
degenerate surfaces.
Check network topology at One of the intersections that • The intersection causing the
end point(s) defines the curve segment may problem is indicated with an
be part of a region with more arrow.
than four sides. • Try to redefine the network with
curves that do not require non-
rectangular surfaces.

Curve Networks
478
Troubleshooting Networks
“Recommended Action” Possible Cause Suggestions

Conflicting surfaces There may be a conflict • The intersection causing the

incident at endpoint(s) between the normals or problem is indicated with an
curvatures of the surfaces arrow.
(outside the network) which • Check the alignment of the
meet at this intersection. surfaces at the endpoint of the
Outside curve segment, and reshape to
surfaces provide required continuity.
misaligned
boundary

Curve segment
Problem curve at One or both of the curves • The intersection causing the
endpoint(s) intersecting this curve segment problem is indicated with an
do not have sufficient curvature arrow.
quality. • Use the Curve curvature
measurement tool to check the
Intersecting
curves not curvature of the intersecting
curvature curves (see page 406).
continuous
Curve segment
Align curves at edge The curves intersecting this • Check the alignment of both
end(s) curve segment are badly pairs of curve segments.
misaligned.
Intersecting
curves
misaligned
w/each other
Curve segment
Smooth curve incident at One or both of the curves • Turn on display of edit points
ends intersecting this curve segment and look for bunched up edit
have some kind of quality points on the intersecting
problem. curves.
• Use the Curve curvature
Intersecting
curves have measurement tool to check the
problems curvature of the intersecting
curves (see page 406).
Curve segment • Use the Smooth tool to smooth
the intersecting curves (see
page 126).

Curve Networks
479
Troubleshooting Networks
“Recommended Action” Possible Cause Suggestions
Outside
Conflicting surfaces surfaces
There may be a conflict • The intersection causing the
incident at endpoint(s) between misaligned
the normals or
boundary problem is indicated with an
curvatures of the surfaces arrow.
(outside thesegment
Curve network) which • Check the alignment of the
meet at this intersection. surfaces at the endpoint of the
curve segment, and reshape to
provide required continuity.

Intersecting
curves not
Problem curve at One or both of the curves
curvature • The intersection causing the
endpoint(s) continuous
intersecting this curve segment problem is indicated with an
do not have sufficient
Curve segment curvature arrow.
quality. • Use the Curve curvature
measurement tool to check the
curvature of the intersecting
curves (see page 406).
Intersecting
curves
misaligned
Align curves at edge w/each
The curves other
intersecting this • Check the alignment of both
end(s) curveCurve
segment are badly
segment pairs of curve segments.
misaligned.

Intersecting
curves have
Smooth curve incident at One or problems
both of the curves • Turn on display of edit points
ends intersecting this curve segment and look for bunched up edit
haveCurve
some segment
kind of quality points on the intersecting
problem. curves.
• Use the Curve curvature
measurement tool to check the
curvature of the intersecting
curves (see page 406).
• Use the Smooth tool to smooth
the intersecting curves (see
page 126).

Curve Networks
480
Troubleshooting Networks
“Recommended Action” Possible Cause Suggestions

Check edge curve for The curves that this curve • Turn on display of edit points
problems segment belongs to has some and look for bunched up edit
kind of quality problem. points.
• Use the Curve curvature
Curve has
problems measurement tool to check the
curve’s curvature (see page 406).
• Use the Smooth tool to smooth
Curve segment the curve (see page 126).
Check knot spacing on The curve that this curve • Edit or rebuild the curve to
edge curve segment belongs to may have spread out the edit points.
“bunched up” edit points or
multi-knots.
Bunched up
edit points

Curve segment
Simplify triangle curves The curves defining a • Use the Rebuild curve tool to
triangular region are too reduce the number of edit
complex. points in the curves (see
page 210).
• Use the smooth tool to remove
Triangular sharp bends in the curves (see
region
page 126).

See Also
● Introduction to Curve Networks on page 452

Curve Networks
481
Troubleshooting Networks
Curve Networks
482
Troubleshooting Networks
Working with Point Cloud
Data

In This Section Point Clouds Palette Summary 484

Introduction and General Point Cloud Procedures 485
Importing Point Clouds 488
Dividing and Merging Point Clouds 490
Projecting a Curve onto a Point Cloud 492
Creating Surfaces from Point Clouds 496
Creating a Polyset from a Point Cloud 502

483
Point Clouds Palette Summary

Icon Point Clouds > For more information...

Subset Dividing and Merging Point Clouds on

page 490

Project curve Projecting a Curve onto a Point Cloud on

page 492

Surfaces Creating Surfaces from Point Clouds on

page 496

Merge Dividing and Merging Point Clouds on

page 490

Tessellate Creating a Polyset from a Point Cloud on

page 502

Working with Point Cloud Data

484
Point Clouds Palette Summary
Pick > Cloud Introduction and General Point Cloud
Procedures

DisplayTgls > Object

Toggles > Clouds

Overview Despite all the advances in modeling directly from concepts

and criteria, it is still often necessary to digitize existing 3D
models and transfer their point data into a computer so that it
can be used as part of the design process. This is especially
necessary when free-form shapes are involved.

Point Cloud Data

Point clouds are collections of 3D points acquired from real

world subjects through laser or touch scanners. StudioTools
provides tools for working with and creating surfaces from
these unstructured collections.

The basic workflow for creating surfaces from a point cloud is:

1 Import the data with File > Import > Cloud.

2 Pick the cloud using Pick > Cloud.

3 You can then do the following:

◆ Create curves on the cloud with blend curves (see
page 428) or with the Point Clouds > Project curve tool
(see page 492).
◆ Create a surface over the cloud with the cloud
surfacing tools (see page 496), such as
Point Clouds > Surfaces > Gridded.

You can also:

Working with Point Cloud Data

485
Introduction and General Point Cloud Procedures
● Create blend curve constraints on point clouds. See Blend
Curves on page 427.
● Use the MixMax cloud tool to check the deviation between
a surface and the point cloud. See Adding Min/Max
Deviation Measurements on page 419.

Section Data

For information on using Section data (also known as scan data) consists of cross-
section data, see Working sections of an object. Using software like EvalViewer you can
with Section Data on organize cloud data into cross-sections (section data), which
page 505.
you can then use to build surfaces with in StudioTools.

We have specifically enhanced two point cloud tools to work

with point clouds that are preprocessed into cross-sections:

See Projecting a Curve onto a ● Project Crv: use the Approximate Point Location Method option
Point Cloud on page 492. to create quick curves on sectioned point clouds.

See Creating Surfaces from ● Gridded: use the Fit Surface to > Cross section Data or
Point Clouds on page 496. Scattered Data option to improve the fit of gridded surfaces
to section data.

The best way to create class-A surfaces is to:

● First, organize the raw point data into cross-sections using
EvalViewer.
Cross-sectioning is the process of imposing order on the
scanned points by organizing them into a polygonal mesh,
then into sections. This is especially necessary with raw
laser-scanned data, which is usually not ordered in any
way.
● Then, import the data into StudioTools and build surfaces
using blend curves (see page 428) and the section data
tools (see page 505) or the point cloud tools presented in
this chapter.

How To To pick a point cloud

1 Click the Pick > Cloud icon, or choose Cloud from the Pick
palette menu.

2 Click a point in the point cloud to pick the entire cloud.

Working with Point Cloud Data

486
Introduction and General Point Cloud Procedures
To transform a point cloud

1 Pick the cloud using the Pick > Cloud tool.

2 You can now:

◆ Transform the cloud using the tools from the Xform
palette.
◆ Use Edit > Zero transforms to reset the transformations
of the cloud.
◆ Use Edit > Undo to undo the last transformation on the
cloud.

To toggle the display of clouds on or off

Once you have built curves and surfaces on top of a cloud, you
will sometimes want to hide the point clouds in the scene to
see only the curves and surfaces.
● To hide or show all the point clouds in the scene, choose
DisplayTgls > Object Toggles > Clouds.

● To hide a picked point cloud, choose

ObjectDisplay > Invisible. To reveal all invisible objects,
choose ObjectDisplay > Visible.

To display information about clouds

1 Pick the cloud using the Pick > Cloud tool.

2 Choose Windows > Information > Information window.

The Information Window shows the number of points in the
cloud, as well as the transformations and bounding box
information.

Working with Point Cloud Data

487
Introduction and General Point Cloud Procedures
File > Import > Importing Point Clouds
Cloud

File > Import > File

Purpose Import point cloud data from a file or directly from

EvalViewer.

Overview You should have some cloud data available from your own
scanner, the network, DAT tape, or CD-ROM. StudioTools can
currently import Cyberware, Hymarc, and IGES point cloud
files.

How To To import point clouds from storage

1 Choose File > Import > Cloud from the menus.
The file requester appears.

2 Type the path to the cloud point file you want to import.
or
Use the file list to browse through directories, then
double-click the icon of the point cloud file you want to
import.

To import point clouds directly from EvalViewer

1 In EvalViewer, choose Edit > Copy from the menus.

2 Switch to StudioTools, and choose Edit > Paste from the

menus.

Tips and Notes You may want to copy or link your scanner data directory to
the relevant directory inside the cloud directory of your
project. For example:

Working with Point Cloud Data

488
Importing Point Clouds
● To copy Cyberware data to your StudioTools project
directory from your current working directory, type the
following in a Unix Shell window:
cp * ~/user_data/projdir/cloud/cyberware/
(Where projdir is the name of your project directory. The
default is demo).
● To link Steinbichler data on a CD-ROM into your Alias
project directory, type the following:
mv ~/user_data/projdir/cloud/steinbichler
~/[Link]
ln -s /CDROM ~/user_data/projdir/cloud/
steinbichler
(Where projdir is the name of your project directory. The
default is demo).
These steps move your current steinbichler
subdirectory out of the way (to the directory [Link])
and then create a symbolic link to the CD-ROM from your
cloud subdirectory.

Options Sample every nth pt

Only read in one out of a number of points you set. For
example, set the option to 2 to only read every other point.
Set the option to 3 to only read every 3rd point.
Use this option as a last resort to import enormous point
cloud files that are too large to load otherwise.

Working with Point Cloud Data

489
Importing Point Clouds
Point Clouds > Dividing and Merging Point Clouds
Subset, Merge

Purpose ● Discard unwanted points from a cloud.

● Divide a large cloud into smaller clouds.
● Merge smaller clouds into a new large cloud.

Overview When working with very large point clouds, you will want to
divide the cloud into more manageable pieces. This allows
you to work on one area without running into the rest of the
cloud. Use the Subset tool to divide the cloud into smaller sub-
clouds.

On the other hand, you may need to merge these divided

clouds back into a large cloud. Or, you may want to merge
several small clouds gathered from different sources. Use the
Merge tool to merge clouds into a larger combined cloud.

How To To take a subset of a cloud

1 Use the Pick > Cloud tool to pick the cloud you want to
divide.

2 Double-click the Subset icon, or choose Subset from the

Point Clouds palette menu.
The Point Cloud Subset Options window appears.

3 Choose whether you want to:

Working with Point Cloud Data

490
Dividing and Merging Point Clouds
◆ keep only the points you select (choose Points inside
region).
◆ discard the points you select (choose Points outside
region).
◆ create a new cloud containing the points you select
(choose Both).

4 Click Go to close the option window.

5 Use the mouse to select/deselect the points for the subset.

You can drag a pick box to select/deselect many points at
once.

6 Click Go.
The Subset tool either creates a subset of the cloud
containing the points you selected, deletes the subset you
selected and keeps the remaining points, or makes a new
cloud from the subset, depending on the option you chose.

To merge point clouds

1 Use the Pick > Cloud tool to pick the clouds you want to
merge.

2 Click the Merge icon, or choose Merge from the Point Clouds
palette menu.

3 Click Go.

Subset Options Keep which region

Points inside region—keep the points you select, delete the
rest of the cloud.
Points outside region—delete the points you select, keep the
rest of the cloud.
Both—create a new point cloud with the points you select,
while keeping the unselected points in the original cloud.

Working with Point Cloud Data

491
Dividing and Merging Point Clouds
Point Clouds > Projecting a Curve onto a Point Cloud
Project curve

Purpose Create a new curve by projecting an existing curve onto a

point cloud.

Overview Use this tool to create a curve on a point cloud by projecting

any curve onto the cloud.

The Project curve tool requires that you choose a vector along
which to project the curve. You can use either of the following:
● the view direction of the current window, or
● any reference vector (see Reference Vectors on page 44).

The Project curve tool has two different internal methods of

projecting the curve:
● One method keeps the same number of spans as the
original curve.
● The other method fits the curve to the cloud within a
tolerance value you set. This is the default.

Set the Initial Projection option depending on whether it is more

important to you to preserve the number of spans of the curve,
or to fit closely to the point cloud.

Once the curve is projected, you can adjust the fit to the point
cloud by changing the tolerance. When Create History is on,
you can modify the original curve and the projected curve will
update automatically.

Working with Point Cloud Data

492
Projecting a Curve onto a Point Cloud
How To To project a curve onto a point cloud

1 Use the Pick > Cloud tool to pick the cloud you want to
project the curve onto.

2 Click the Project curve icon, or choose Project curve from the
Point Clouds palette menu.

3 If the Initial Projection option is To Tolerance, type the initial

tolerance.

4 If you want to project a curve along a view vector of a

window, select that window.
Otherwise, select the vector you want to use to represent
the projection direction (see Reference Vectors on page 44).

5 Click a curve to project onto the point cloud.

Note If you want to project the curve along a view vector of

a window, make sure to click the curve in that
window.

6 You can adjust the curve’s fit to the cloud by typing a new
tolerance from the prompt line.

7 Click another curve to project onto the same point cloud,

or choose another tool.

To change the projection vector of the Project curve tool

See the information on the Project tool on page 346.

Tips and Notes ● The To Tolerance option creates a very complex curve. In
many cases you will want to use the Same Number Spans
option instead.
● To make a projection quickly, tumble, track and dolly the
perspective window to “sight” down the direction you
want to project along. Or use the orthographic windows
when the projection direction is along a major axis.

Working with Point Cloud Data

493
Projecting a Curve onto a Point Cloud
Options

Project Curve Onto

Front—Project the curve onto the front of the point cloud
(that is, the first part of the cloud it “hits” along the
projection direction).
Front and Back—Project the curve onto both the front and
back of the cloud.

Initial Projection
Same Number Spans—the projected curve has the same
number of spans as the original curve.
To Tolerance—the projected curve fits the point cloud
within the tolerance you set.

Point Location Method

Approximate—quicker but less accurate projection. Use this
option with cross-sectioned data, or when you don’t
require high precision.
Surface Intersection—slower but more accurate projection.

Working with Point Cloud Data

494
Projecting a Curve onto a Point Cloud
Maximum Iterations
The maximum number of iterations to try when fitting
within a tolerance. More iterations is slower but may give
a better fit.
You will usually not need to change this option.

Create History
Save the construction history of the projected curve for
later editing. If you turn Create History on, you can modify
the curve that was used to create the projected curve, and
the projected curve will update.

Working with Point Cloud Data

495
Projecting a Curve onto a Point Cloud
Point Clouds > Creating Surfaces from Point Clouds
Surfaces

Purpose Create new surfaces from point clouds.

Overview The three tools provide different ways of creating surfaces

from point clouds:
● Gridded: takes four boundary curves and creates a surface
between them that fits to a sampling of the points in the
cloud.
Use the Gridded tool to quickly creates surfaces. This tool
gives you control over the amount of cloud detail used to
create the surface, and has an option for better fits to cross-
sectioned data.
● Detailed: takes any number of boundary curves and creates
a surface from all the points in the bounded area of the
cloud.
This tool uses more detail from the cloud than Gridded.
Unlike Gridded, it automatically creates trimmed surfaces,
depending on the number of boundary curves you select.
This tool also typically takes longer than Gridded.
● Corners: takes four points from the cloud and creates a
surface with those points at the corners. (Interior surface
points are fitted to interior cloud data points.)
This tool does not allow continuity with adjacent surfaces.

Working with Point Cloud Data

496
Creating Surfaces from Point Clouds
How To To create a surface from a sampling of the cloud points

You can use the Project 1 Create four curves that will be the boundaries of the new
curve tool to create curves surface. These boundary curves must intersect each other.
that fit to the point cloud
(see page 492). You can also create curves to use as isoparms of the new
surface. The isoparm curves must intersect the boundary
curves.

2 Use the Pick > Cloud tool to pick the cloud you want to
create a surface from.

3 Click the Gridded tool, or choose Surfaces > Gridded from

the Point Clouds palette menu.

4 Click the four boundary curves (in any order), then click
Go.

5 Click any curves you want to use as isoparms on the new

surface, then click Go.

6 The system prompts you to set both the density of the

sampling grid and the number of spans on the surface.
A red grid appears when you press a mouse button,
showing the sampling grid. The tool samples the point
cloud at the vertices of the grid and uses the sampled
points to create the surface. The default grid is 15 by 15.
◆ Drag the left mouse button to set both the U and V
sampling density at the same time.
◆ Drag the middle mouse button to set the U sampling
density.
◆ Drag the right mouse button to set the V sampling
density.
◆ Type two numbers to set the number of spans in U
and V. The default is (2,2).

7 Click Go to create the surface.

Working with Point Cloud Data

497
Creating Surfaces from Point Clouds
To create a detailed surface with any number of edges

You can use the Project 1 Create three or more curves that will be the boundaries of
curve tool to create curves the new surface. These boundary curves must intersect
that fit to the point cloud each other.
(see page 492).

2 Use the Pick > Cloud tool to pick the cloud you want to
create a surface from.

3 Click the Detailed tool, or choose Surfaces > Detailed from

the Point Clouds palette menu.

4 Click all the boundary curves, then click Go.

The Detailed tool builds the new surface. To abort the
process, press the Esc key. You may have to press the Esc
key more than once.
If the Detailed tool could create the surface within the
required tolerance, the new surface will appear.
Otherwise, the prompt line will show an error message.

To create a surface by specifying corner points

1 Use the Pick > Cloud tool to pick the cloud you want to
create a surface from.

2 Click the Corners tool, or choose Surfaces > Corners from

the Point Clouds palette menu.

3 Click four points in the point cloud to serve as the corners

of the new surface.
The Corners tool builds the new surface. To abort the
process, press the Esc key. You may have to press the Esc
key more than once.

Tips and Notes ● You may not be able to see the new surface clearly,
especially if it achieved a very good fit to the point cloud.
Choose DisplayTgls > Object toggles > Clouds from the
menus to hide the point cloud and see the new surface
clearly.

Working with Point Cloud Data

498
Creating Surfaces from Point Clouds
Options Gridded options

Spans Between U/V Isoparms

The number of spans (the distance between two edit
points) between each of the original boundary and/or
isoparm curves used to create the surface.
Set the values for the U and the V directions. You can
adjust these values interactively when using the tool.

Continuity to Adjacent Surface(s)

The kind of influence neighboring surfaces have on the
new surfaces. This option only works when you use
isoparms or edges of another surface as construction
curves for the new surface.
project boundary to cloud—this creates a better fit to the
point cloud, but may cause the edges of the new surface to
pull away from neighboring surfaces. Do not use this
option if you have already projected the curves onto the
point cloud.
hold position—this option keeps the edges of the new
surface on the boundary curves, and so keeps positional
continuity with neighboring surfaces.

Working with Point Cloud Data

499
Creating Surfaces from Point Clouds
hold position and tangent—this option keeps the edges of the
new surface on the boundary curves, and also tries to
maintain tangency with neighboring surfaces.

Fit Surface To
Choose the type of data you are fitting the surface to.
For cross-sectioned data, enter the spacing between cross-
section slices in the Spacing Between Cross sections field.
This allows the Gridded tool to calculate a much better fit.

Detailed options

Tolerance
The maximum distance allowed between the new surface
and the point cloud.

Percent of Points Within Tolerance

The percentage of points that must be within the tolerance
range for the surface to build.
This accounts for “stray” points in the cloud that might
otherwise keep the surface from building.

Continuity
The degree of continuity with neighboring surfaces
(Positional, Tangent, or Curvature).

Working with Point Cloud Data

500
Creating Surfaces from Point Clouds
This option only works when you use isoparms or edges
of another surface as construction curves for the new
surface.

This option only affects Create Trimmed Surface

surfaces with four boundary Make surfaces created from four boundary curves be
curves. All other surfaces are
trimmed automatically. trimmed surfaces.

Corners options

Tolerance
The maximum distance allowed between the new surface
and the point cloud.

Percent of Points Within Tolerance

The percentage of points that must be within the tolerance
range for the surface to build.
This accounts for “stray” points in the cloud that might
otherwise keep the surface from building.

Working with Point Cloud Data

501
Creating Surfaces from Point Clouds
Point Clouds > Creating a Polyset from a Point Cloud
Tessellate

Purpose Create a polyset by sampling points in a point cloud.

How To To create a polyset from a point cloud

1 Use the Pick > Cloud tool to pick the cloud you want to
create a polyset from.

2 Click the Tessellate tool, or choose Tessellate from the Point

Clouds palette menu.

3 A representation of the new polyset appears, and the

prompt line displays the number of polygons in the new
polyset and the current sampling resolution.
◆ Drag the left mouse button to set both the latitude and
longitude density at the same time.
◆ Drag the middle mouse button to set the latitude
sampling density.
◆ Drag the right mouse button to set the longitude
sampling density.
◆ Type two numbers to set the latitude and longitude
sampling densities.

4 Click Go to create the polyset.

Tips and Notes ● In addition to creating a polyset for use in modeling, you
can use this tool to simply help visualize the point cloud.

Working with Point Cloud Data

502
Creating a Polyset from a Point Cloud
Create a polyset using the Tessellate tool, then choose
DisplayTgls > Polygon control-❏ from the menus to shade the
polyset.

Options Latitude / Longitude Resolution

The number of points along each latitude or longitude line
to use in the new polyset.
Set the values for the latitude and the longitude directions.
You can adjust these values interactively when using the
tool.

Working with Point Cloud Data

503
Creating a Polyset from a Point Cloud
Working with Point Cloud Data
504
Creating a Polyset from a Point Cloud
Working with Section Data

In This Section Introduction to Section Data 506

Importing Section Data 508
Displaying Section Data 509
Picking Section Data 512
Transforming Section Data 514
Deleting Section Data 515
Partitioning and Merging Section Data 517
Creating Surface Cross Sections 519

505
Introduction to Section Data

For more information on When you scan an object using a 3D scanner, the information
point cloud data, see is represented as point cloud data. Typically, you import this
Working with Point Cloud point cloud data into EvalViewer and convert it into cross
Data on page 483.
sections or section data (also referred to as scan data).

If you have EvalViewer, see Section data consists of ordered sets of points that describe the
the EvalViewer User’s Guide shape of a scanned object. (That is, section data consists of
for more information on section data sets; a section data set is a single ordered set of
creating cross-sections.
section data points.)

You can then import this section data into StudioTools and use
it to create surfaces to represent the scanned object.

The following table summarizes the main tasks that involve

section data.

Working with Section Data

506
Introduction to Section Data
To... See...

Import section data Importing Section Data on

page 508
Display section data Displaying Section Data on
page 509
Pick section data Picking Section Data on
page 512
Transform section data Transforming Section Data on
page 514
Delete section data Deleting Section Data on
page 515
Partition section data Partitioning and Merging
Section Data on page 517
Attach section data
Fit curves to section data Fitting a Curve to a Cross-
section Line on page 151
Fit surfaces to section data Fitting a Surface To Section
Data on page 386
Display deviation between • Measuring Scan Data to
curves/surfaces and section Surface Deviation on
data page 541
• Adding a Closest Point
Measurement on page 412
• Adding a Curve Deviation
Measurement on page 416
• Adding Min/Max
Deviation Measurements
on page 419
Create surface cross-sections • Creating Surface Cross
Sections on page 519
• Viewing Cross Sections on
a Surface on page 544

Working with Section Data

507
Introduction to Section Data
Importing Section Data

Purpose Import section data into StudioTools.

Overview You can import section data that is stored in EvalViewer, IGES,
DES, and Alias (wire) files into StudioTools. You can also copy
section data from EvalViewer and paste it directly into
StudioTools.

How To To import section data from a file

1 Choose File > Import > File from the menus.
The file requester appears.

2 Type the path to the file you want to import.

or
Use the file list to browse through directories, then
double-click the icon of the file you want to import.

To import section data directly from EvalViewer

1 In EvalViewer, select the section data and choose Edit >
Copy.

2 In StudioTools, choose Edit > Paste.

Tips and Notes ● If you are importing an IGES file, open the File Import
Options box (File > Import > File ❐) and in the IGES Options
section turn on Create Section Data. This will import degree
1 curves as section data.
● If you are importing an IGES or DES file, you may want to
open the File Import Options box (File > Import > File ❐) and in
the IGES Options or DES Options section turn on Group. This
will automatically group the section data.

Working with Section Data

508
Importing Section Data
Displaying Section Data

Purpose Control the display of section data, and display information

on section data.

Overview You can toggle the display of section data, section data lines,
and/or section data points, control how section data points
are displayed, and display information on section data.

How To To toggle the display of section data on or off

See Picking Section Data on To hide picked section data, choose ObjectDisplay > Invisible. To
page 512. reveal all invisible objects, choose ObjectDisplay > Visible.

To toggle the display of section data points

1 Choose ObjectDisplay > Control ❐ to open the Control Window.

2 Set Scope to ALL.

3 Set CVs either on (to show section data points) or off (to
hide section data points).

4 Click Go.

Tip You can also toggle the display of section data points by
picking the section data and then clicking the Cv/Hull -
button in the Display section of the Control Panel.

Section data points displayed Section data points hidden

Working with Section Data

509
Displaying Section Data
To toggle the display of section data lines

See Picking Section Data on 1 Pick the section data.

page 512.
2 Choose DisplayTgls > Model ❐ to open the Toggle Model
Options.

3 Set Toggle Type to Picked Objects.

4 Click Go.

Section data lines displayed Section data lines hidden

To change the display of section data points

1 Choose ObjectDisplay > Draw style.

2 In the SectionData section of the DrawStyle window, select

the icon you want to display section data points as.

Section data points displayed Section data points displayed

as large crosses as large circles and crosses

To display information about section data (using the

Information Window)

See Picking Section Data on 1 Pick the section data.

page 512.
2 Choose Windows > Information > Information window.
The Information Window shows the transformations and
bounding box information.

Working with Section Data

510
Displaying Section Data
To display information about section data (using the
Query Edit tool)

1 Choose the Query Edit tool from the Object Edit palette, or
choose Query Edit from the Object Edit palette menu.

2 Click the right mouse button on the section data to display

information on it.

See Also ● Viewing and Hiding Controls in the General Tools section of
the Basic Tools book
● Displaying or Hiding Features of the Picked Geometry on
page 528
● Displaying and Hiding Wireframe Models in the General Tools
section of the Basic Tools book
● Specifying Drawing Style in the General Tools section of the
Basic Tools book
● Information Window in the General Tools section of the Basic
Tools book
● Showing Basic Information about an Object on page 61

Working with Section Data

511
Displaying Section Data
Picking Section Data

Purpose Pick section data sets or section data points.

How To To pick section data sets

1 Choose the Object tool from the Pick palette, or choose

Object from the Pick palette menu.

2 Click all section data sets that you want to pick (or drag a
box around them).

To pick only section data sets

1 Double-click the Component tool from the Pick palette, or

choose Component ❐ from the Pick palette menu.

2 In the Pick Components Options box, turn off all options

except Sections.

3 Click all section data sets that you want to pick (or drag a
box around them).
Only section data sets will be selected.

To pick section data points

1 Choose the Point Types > CV tool from the Pick palette, or
choose Point Types > CV from the Pick palette menu.

2 Click all section data points that you want to pick (or drag
a box around them).

Notes and Tips ● If you are working with several section data sets, you may
want to either group (Edit > Group) them together or assign
them to a separate layer to make it easier to pick them.

Working with Section Data

512
Picking Section Data
For example, if your section data is divided into X
sections, Y sections, and Z sections, you may want to
assign all X sections to a layer, all Y sections to another
layer, and all Z sections to another layer. You can even
give each layer an appropriate color (for example, the X
section layer could be red, the Y section layer could be
green, and the Z section layer could be blue).

See Also ● Picking Objects in the General Tools section of the Basic Tools
book
● Picking Components by Type in the General Tools section of
the Basic Tools book
● Picking Points by Type in the General Tools section of the
Basic Tools book

Working with Section Data

513
Picking Section Data
Transforming Section Data

Purpose Transform section data sets or points.

Overview You can transform and edit section data sets as you do for
other objects in StudioTools. You can transform and edit
section data points as you do for CVs.

How To To transform or edit section data sets or points

See Picking Section Data on 1 Pick the section data sets or points.
page 512.
2 You can now:
◆ Transform the section data sets or points using the
tools from the Xform palette.
◆ Use Edit > Zero transforms to reset the transformations
of the section data sets or points.
◆ Use Edit > Undo to undo the last transformation on the
section data sets or points.

To transform section data points

1 Choose the Move CV button from the Control Panel.

2 Click a section data point to select it.

3 Drag the mouse to move the section data point.

See Also ● Transforming Objects in the General Tools section of the Basic
Tools book
● Moving CVs on page 538

Working with Section Data

514
Transforming Section Data
Deleting Section Data

Purpose ● Delete stray points from section data.

● Reduce the amount of section data by deleting
unnecessary section data sets or points.

Overview You may want to delete stray section data points that do not
follow the smooth contour of surrounding section data points.
These stray points are usually caused by noise in the original
3D scan.

Deleted stray
section data point

You may also want to focus on a small region of the section

data (for example, when you are fitting a surface to section
data) by deleting unnecessary section data sets.

Tips and Notes ● Before you delete any stray points from section data, you
may want to save a backup copy of the original section
data.
● Before you delete section data sets and/or points, you
should first duplicate the section data and assign it to a
separate layer. Then make the original section data
invisible and delete section data sets from the duplicated
section data.
When you are finished working with the small region of
section data, delete the duplicated section data and make
the original section data visible again.

Working with Section Data

515
Deleting Section Data
How To To delete section data sets or points

See Picking Section Data on 1 Pick the section data sets or points.
page 512.
2 Select Delete > Del active to delete the section data sets or
points.

See Also ● Working with Layers in the General Tools section of the Basic
Tools book
● Deleting Active Items in the General Tools section of the Basic
Tools book

Working with Section Data

516
Deleting Section Data
Partitioning and Merging Section Data

Purpose ● Divide a section data set into smaller sets by intersecting it

with a free curve, surface, reference plane, or construction
plane.
● Merge separate section data sets into one section data set.

Overview You will often want to focus on a small region of section data
(for example, when you are fitting a surface to section data) by
dividing large section data sets into smaller sets.

You can also merge separate section data sets into a single
section data set.

Tips and Notes ● You can only merge two section data sets together at a
time.
● Before you partition section data sets, you should first
duplicate them and assign them to a separate layer. Then
make the original section data sets invisible and partition
the duplicated section data sets.
When you are finished working with the partitioned
section data sets, delete the duplicated section data sets
and make the original section data sets visible again.

How To To partition a section data set

1 Double-click the Curve section icon, or choose Curve

section ❐ from the Curve Edit palette menu.
◆ To trim section data sets, set Sectioning Mode to Trim.
◆ To detach section data sets, set Sectioning Mode to
Segment.
Set Sectioning Criterion to Geometry. Then click Go.

Working with Section Data

517
Partitioning and Merging Section Data
2 Click the section data sets you want to trim or detach (or
drag a box around them).
◆ Click the section data sets in the view window where
they intersect the curve, surface, reference plane, or
construction plane.
◆ For trims, click the part of the section data sets you
want to keep. Red arrows show the “kept” part of the
section data.
◆ To unpick a section data set, click on it again.

3 Click the Go button.

4 Click the curve, surface, reference plane, or construction

plane you want to intersect the section data with.
If there is a problem, immediately select Edit > Undo to
undo the operation.

To merge two section data sets together

1 Choose the Attach > Attach tool from the Object Edit palette,
or choose Attach > Attach from the Object Edit palette menu.

2 Click on the first section data set (as close as possible to

the end you want to attach to the second section data set).

3 Click on the second section data set (as close as possible to

the end you want to attach to the first section data set).
The two section data sets are merged together.

Working with Section Data

518
Partitioning and Merging Section Data
Creating Surface Cross Sections

Purpose Create cross-sections on a surface that correspond to the

position of section data sets.

How To To create surface cross sections

1 Pick the surface (that you want to create cross sections on)
and the section data sets (that will represent the position
of the cross sections).

2 Click the Cross sections tool in the Control Panel to open the
options.

3 Set the Spacing option in the Cross Section options to Picked

Ref.

Working with Section Data

519
Creating Surface Cross Sections
Working with Section Data
520
Creating Surface Cross Sections
Using the Direct Modeling
Control Panel

In This Section Introduction 522

Using the Shelf Area in the Control Panel 525
Displaying or Hiding Features of the Picked Geometry 528
Using Diagnostic Shading 530
Moving CVs 538
Measuring Scan Data to Surface Deviation 541
Viewing Cross Sections on a Surface 544
Working with Curvature Combs 548

521
Start EvalViewer Introduction
Pop-up menu
Trash

shelf
The Control Panel (also called the Direct Modeling control panel)
provides quick access to tools and options commonly used in
the workflow of technical surfacing.
Shelf
area
To show or hide the control panel, choose Preferences >
tab Interface > Tgl control panel from the modeling window.

Pick list Note Depending on the options your purchased, your

Name package may not contain this tool. If this is the case,
you still have access to some of the Diagnostic
Rebuild
Shading modes through ObjectDisplay > Diagnostic
shading (see Diagnostic Shading in the General Tools
section of the Basic Tools book).

The Control panel is useful for the following workflows:

Display
area ● Moving CVs on page 538
● Measuring Scan Data to Surface Deviation on page 541
● Viewing Cross Sections on a Surface on page 544
● Working with Curvature Combs on page 548

Diagnostic
Shading Interface Summary

Start EvalViewer button

Starts the EvalViewer tool and loads the picked geometry
into it. For information, see the EvalViewer manual.

Control Shelf area, pop-up menu, and Trash icon

tools
The Shelf area contains shelf sets, which are sets of tools
you can customize to help with your workflow. You can
customize the contents and number of shelf sets in this
Curvature
Cross sections area, and compress them or expand them using tabs.
Show deviations Use the following controls, at the top of the window, in
Move CV conjunction with this area:

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

522
Introduction
◆ Pop-up menu—lets you load and save shelf sets in the
shelf area.
◆ Trash button—lets you remove tool icons or shelves
from the shelf area (drag them with the middle mouse
button).
For more information on these controls, see Using the Shelf
Area in the Control Panel on page 525.

Pick list
This pop-up menu lets you pick a particular object from a
number of picked objects. It is useful when you are trying
to pick a particular object out of a clutter of objects in a
small area; you can pick multiple objects in the modeling
window and then pick the particular object you want to
work with from this list.
This list is useful when used in conjunction with controls,
such as the Name and Geometry fields, that require that
only one object be picked.
The menu contains the names of all currently picked
objects. As you move the mouse pointer over the items,
the named object highlights in the view windows.

You can enter the name in Name

the Information window, to Lets you rename the picked object. To use this tool, only
change it.
one object can be picked (use the Pick list to select it).
Naming objects makes it easier to find them in the SBD
and Information windows, and allows you to pick objects
by typing their names on the prompt line.

Rebuild tools: Degrees, Span

These fields let you quickly change the degree (from 1 to
9) and the spans of the picked curve or surface.
For more information on these tools, see Rebuilding
Geometry on page 527.

Display area
These controls let you show or hide picked geometry—for
example:

Controls available in this ◆ Control points

area vary depending on the
type of geometry that is ◆ Hulls (see also Moving CVs on page 538)
picked ◆ Isoparms

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

523
Introduction
◆ Curvature locators (see also Curvature Button on
page 548)
◆ Cross-sections (see also Viewing Cross Sections on a
Surface on page 544)
◆ Deviation locators (see also Measuring Scan Data to
Surface Deviation on page 541)
To show a type of display feature for all picked geometry,
click the plus sign; to hide it, click the minus sign.
For more information on the display area, see Displaying or
Hiding Features of the Picked Geometry on page 528.

Diagnostic Shading
These icons shade your geometry so that you can see and
evaluate your surfaces. You can continue to pull and
adjust CVs while this shading is on.
For more information, see Using Diagnostic Shading on
page 530.

Control tools
This area contains tools that help you with your workflow.
The name of this area varies, as do the controls available in
it, depending on which of the control tool buttons you’ve
selected. These buttons help you with different
workflows; access them at the bottom of the Control
panel:

◆ Move CV—Lets you move CVs and hulls. See Moving

CVs on page 538.

◆ Show Deviations—Lets you view deviation combs and

labels for minimum, maximum, and mean deviation
points between curves and surfaces. See Measuring
Scan Data to Surface Deviation on page 541.

◆ Cross sections—Lets you view cross-section curves.

See Viewing Cross Sections on a Surface on page 544.

◆ Curvature—Lets you view curvature combs. See

Curvature Button on page 548.

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

524
Introduction
Using the Shelf Area in the Control
Panel

The Control panel’s shelf area contains shelf sets, which are sets
Pop-up menu
of tools you can customize to help with your workflow.
Trash
This area is a compact alternative to the main Shelf window.
For example, you can put all the symmetry tools in this area,
and then close the main shelf window to free up the modeling
shelf window real estate for a larger view of your model.

You can customize the contents and number of shelf sets in

Shelf this area, and compress them or expand them using tabs.
area

tab

For more information on

shelves and on using the
Shelf window, see the
Interface section of the Basic
Tools book.

How To To move tool icons or entire tool palettes to the shelf area of
the Control Panel, drag them from the main Shelf window into
the shelf area with the middle mouse button.

Use the following controls (above the shelf area) to control the
shelf sets contained in this area:

Trash button
Lets you remove tool icons or shelves from the shelf area.
(Drag them with the middle mouse button and drop them
over this icon.)

Shelf Options Pop-up menu

Lets you load and save shelf sets in the shelf area.

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

525
Using the Shelf Area in the Control Panel
◆ New—Adds a new shelf set to the shelf area. This will
automatically delete the current shelf set.
◆ New Tab—Appends a new tab to the shelf set. A
window appears to let you name the tab. Tabs provide
click
here a convenient way to organize your shelf set, and let
to see you compress the tools they contain.
menu
◆ Save—saves the current set of shelves to the default
directory ($HOME/.Alias/Prefs.2/shelves/
ControlPanelShelves). The file lister appears to
prompt you for its file name, which subsequently
appears in the pop-up menu.
◆ Replace—replaces the current set of shelves with a
saved shelf file from disk. The file lister appears, from
which you can choose a name from the list to load a
shelf set saved in the default directory.
◆ List of available shelves—the list of previously stored
shelf sets appears in the menu. Click on one of these
entries to load that shelf set. It will replace the current
shelf set.

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

526
Using the Shelf Area in the Control Panel
Rebuild tools Rebuilding Geometry

Purpose

Change the degrees and spans of a curve or surface. If the

degree or spans of a curve or a surface are modified, this tool
rebuilds the geometry with uniform parameterization. The
geometry can be changed in succession and the maximum
deviation from the original geometry is reported in the prompt
line with each change in degree or span.
U values V values

See Interface Summary on The rebuild tool works with only one curve or surface at a
page 522 for a description of time. Use the Pick list to narrow down the curve or surface
other controls, including the from a collection of curves and surfaces.
Pick list.

How To To change a degree or span

1 Pick the curve or surface whose degree or spans you want
to modify.

2 Modify a field in the Rebuild tool:

◆ To modify the degree in the U direction, enter a value
in the left-hand column of the Degree row. To modify
the degree in the V direction, use the right-hand
column of the Degree row.
◆ To modify the spans in the U direction, enter a value
in the left-hand column of the Spans row. To modify
the spans in the V direction, use the right-hand
column of the Spans row

3 Check the maximum deviation in the prompt line to see if

the deviation from the original geometry is acceptable. If
not, modify the values in the fields some more.

4 To keep the changes, click the Accept button that appears

in the lower right corner of the modeling view window. To
cancel the changes, click the Cancel button.
If you choose another tool or unpick the geometry before
accepting the result, the changes are cancelled.

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

527
Rebuilding Geometry
Display Area Displaying or Hiding Features of the
Picked Geometry

Purpose

These controls let you display or hide the following items on

the picked geometry:
● Control points
● Hulls
● Isoparms
● Curvature locators
● Cross sections
● Deviation locators

Controls available in this area vary depending on the type of

geometry that is picked. In fact, the way you use these controls
varies depending on which of the buttons you’ve selected at
the bottom of the Control panel.

For more information on how these controls will help you

with your workflow, refer to the following:
● Moving CVs on page 538
● Working with Curvature Combs on page 548
● Viewing Cross Sections on a Surface on page 544
● Measuring Scan Data to Surface Deviation on page 541

How To To display a feature

1 Find the feature you want to display in the Display section
of the Control Panel.

2 Click the plus sign to display that feature on the picked

geometry.

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

528
Displaying or Hiding Features of the Picked Geometry
To hide a feature
1 Find the feature you want to hide in the Display section of
the Control Panel.

2 Click the minus sign to hide that display feature on the

picked geometry.

Features
For information, see Deviation
Measuring Scan Data to Display/hide deviation combs and minimum/maximum
Surface Deviation on
page 541. deviation labels.
Use the Show Deviation tool at the bottom of the Control
panel to create and change deviation combs.

CV/Hull
Display/hide CVs and hulls.

For information, see Moving Use the Curvature tool at the bottom of the Control panel to
CVs on page 538. create and change curvature combs.

Iso U/V
Display/hide interior isoparms.

Curvat U/V
Display/hide curvature combs on U and V isoparms.

For information, see Use the Curvature tool at the bottom of the Control panel to
Curvature Button on create and change curvature combs.
page 548.
Cross sections X/Y/Z
Display/hide cross sections on the surface parallel to the
X, Y, or Z axes.

For information, see Use the Cross sections tool at the bottom of the Control
Viewing Cross Sections on a panel to change the display of cross sections.
Surface on page 544.
Curvature on sections
Display/hide curvature combs on the cross sections.

For information, see Use the Curvature tool at the bottom of the Control panel to
Curvature Button on create and change the display of curvature combs.
page 548.

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

529
Displaying or Hiding Features of the Picked Geometry
Diagnostic Shading Using Diagnostic Shading
Tools

Overview

These options let you work with shaded geometry instead of

wire frames so that you can see and evaluate your surfaces.

There are different shading modes available that provide

different diagnostic information about your surfaces. These
shading modes use highly optimized, high performance
routines to allow you to interactively work in the shaded
mode.

For example, with the Transparency option, you can visualize

the model as you tumble the camera—you can see CVs and
continue to pull and adjust them while any of the shading
modes is turned on.

By default, Diagnostic Shading uses a point light located at the

eye position of the camera. You cannot see or pick this light as
an object, but you can change its parameters through the
Diagnostic Shading options (see page 531).

How To To shade objects

1 Pick the objects you want to shade.

2 Click a shading button to shade the picked objects.

Note If no objects are picked, clicking a shading button

shades all objects.

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

530
Using Diagnostic Shading
To control the speed and quality of the shading

The Tolerance slider and the ● Set the Tessellator option to Fast (fast but rougher display)
Tessellator option control or Accurate (slower but more a accurate display).
the accuracy of the
tessellation. ● Increase the Tolerance slider setting for a faster but rougher
display.
● Decrease the Tolerance slider setting for a slower but more
accurate display.

To change the options for a shading mode

● Click the little arrow below the shading buttons to open

the controls for the current diagnostic shading mode.
● When the arrow is pointing right, the options section is
hidden. When the arrow is pointing down, the options are
available beneath the shading mode buttons.
Click here

The Shading Modes

The illustration at left shows the different shading modes.

1 2 3 4 Refer to the following sections for information on each of these
modes, and the options available for them.
5 6 7 8

1. No shading
1
The wireframe model appears with no shading.

No settings are available with this shading mode.

2 2 and 3. Single and random color

Single color mode shades all the picked surfaces with a single
color which you can set.

Random color mode shades the surface with random colors.

As a result the adjacent surfaces show up in different colors,
making it easier to see the patch structure.

Control the type of shading with the following options:

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

531
Using Diagnostic Shading
Lock Light Position
Normally the light source for the shading comes from the
camera (like a headlight). Turn this option on to lock the
light source in its current position.

Light Intensity
Set the brightness of the light source.

Transparency
Set the transparency of the shaded surfaces, from 0.0
(totally opaque) to 1.0 (totally transparent).

Specularity
Set the “shininess” of the surfaces.

RGB Color
3
Click the color swatch to set the color, or drag the slider to
change the color’s brightness. (This option is available
only in single color mode.)

Color Saturation
Set the common saturation (the “vividness” of the color)
for the random colors.

4 4. Surface evaluation map

This mode shows a curvature map, as well as a draft angle

map (that is, this mode shows which parts of the surface are
in-draft and out-of-draft).

Note This option is not available for all StudioTools

products.

Control the type of shading with the following options:

Surface Evaluation Type

Choose how to calculate the curvature:
Crv V, Crv U—display the curvature in the surface’s V or U
parameter direction at each point.
Crv Z, Crv Y, Crv X—display the curvature in the Z, Y, or X
direction at each point.
Mean—use the average of the two principal curvatures to
approximate the average curvature through each point.

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

532
Using Diagnostic Shading
Gaussian—use the product of the two principal curvatures.
Princ Min—use the minimum curvature values (that is, the
curvature of the flattest curves that pass through each
point).
Princ Max—use the maximum curvature values (that is, the
curvature of the steepest curves that pass through each
point).
Draft Angle—color in-draft parts of the surface blue, out-of-
draft parts of the surface red, and the parting line white.
Distinct options appear for this evaluation type (see the
description following the next section).

Crv V, Crv U, Crv Z, Crv Y, Crv X, Mean, Gaussian, Princ

Min, and Princ Max types of evaluation

The following options are available for the Crv V, Crv U, Crv Z,
Crv Y, Crv X, Mean, Gaussian, Princ Min, and Princ Max surface
evaluation types:

Curvature Color Scale

Scales the radius ramp to show finer details of curvature
variation.

Radius Ramp
Shows the range of colors that will be applied to the
curvature map (and their corresponding curvature radius
values) in the active modeling window.
If the +/- band is set to 0.0, the curvature map is relative,
and the ramp colors, from left to right, represent
increasing curvature values. (The colors are not associated
to specific values.)
If you adjust the Curvature Color Scale value, the radius
ramp updates interactively.

Min. Radius Limit

Surface regions having a radius less than the Min. Radius
Limit value are indicated by one color, and surface regions
having a radius greater than the Min. Radius Limit value are
indicated by a different color.

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

533
Using Diagnostic Shading
This option is only available for the Princ Max evaluation
type.

Transparency
Sets the transparency of the shaded surfaces, from 0.0
(totally opaque) to 1.0 (totally transparent).

Draft Angle Evaluation

Some manufacturing processes, like injection molding, need

you to design molds. A section of a mold only moves in a
certain direction during removal. This direction is the pull
vector.

Angle-to-pull is the angle between the surface tangent plane at

a surface point and the pull vector. When the angle-to-pull is 0
degrees, the pull vector is parallel to the surface tangent plane
at that point. When the angle-to-pull is 90 degrees, the pull
vector lies normal to the surface.

Most manufacturing processes require that the angle-to-pull

for a molded surface be greater than some angle, for example 1
degree, or else the molded part will not separate from the
mold. This angle is the draft angle.

When the angle-to-pull is less than the draft angle, the surface
point is out-of-draft. When the angle-to-pull is more than the
draft angle, the surface point is in-draft.

This shading mode shows you which parts of a surface are in-
draft and out-of-draft for a specified pull vector and draft
angle. In-draft points are shaded blue, while out-of-draft
points are shaded red.

See Creating Curves-on- Use the Evaluate > Surface evaluate tool to get an accurate curve-
Surface for Various Criteria on on-surface for the parting line. To see the changes made from
page 591. the Surface evaluate tool on the draft map, click on the surface
evaluate shading button again.

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

534
Using Diagnostic Shading
The following options are available for the Draft surface
evaluation type:

Show pull direction as

Rotation—Displays values (that you can edit) for the X, Y,
and Z rotation of a vector that defines the pull direction.
Vector—Displays values (that you can edit) for the X, Y,
and Z coordinates of a vector that defines the pull direction.

Draft Angle
Angle defining the boundary between in-draft (blue) and
out-of-draft (red).

Transparency
Sets the transparency of the shaded surfaces, from 0.0
(totally opaque) to 1.0 (totally transparent).

5 5. Iso-Angle highlights

This mode shows iso-angle lines on surfaces to help you

visually evaluate continuity across surface boundaries. For
more information, see Displaying Iso-Angle Lines on page 588.

Control the type of shading with the following options:

Single, Multiple
Controls whether a single black and white iso-angle line is
displayed (Single) or multiple colored iso-angle lines are
displayed (Multiple).

Blur
The blurriness of iso-angle line edges.

Transparency
The transparency of surfaces with iso-angle lines.

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

535
Using Diagnostic Shading
6 6. Horizontal or vertical highlights

This mode shows horizontal or vertical highlights on the

surface.

Note Highlighting helps you find surface flaws by using a

color texture to simulate natural highlights. It maps a
color pattern onto a surface based on the angle (from
90 to -90 degrees) at which a viewing ray hits the
surface.
A common use for highlighting is to identify adjacent
surfaces with mismatched tangents. (You can also use
Surface continuity for this, but highlighting gives you
a clearer view of the surfaces.)
If your particular package does not have the Control
panel, you can also use Evaluate > Highlights. (See
Showing Surface Features with Highlights on page 577.)
Note also that not all StudioTools packages include
the highlighting features.

Control the type of shading with the following options:

Vert., Horz.
Sets the highlights to be vertical or horizontal.

Lock Texture
Normally the highlights are projected from the camera, so
the projection changes as you move around the surface.
(This is the unlocked mode.) You can turn this option on
so that the texture remains locked relative to the surface.

Repeats
Sets the rate at which the texture repeats. Increasing this
number will increase the number of highlight lines on the
surfaces.

Transparency
Sets the transparency of the shaded surfaces, from 0.0
(totally opaque) to 1.0 (totally transparent).

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

536
Using Diagnostic Shading
7 7. Double-horizon texture

This mode shows a texture map with a double-horizon image.

The options are the same as for horizontal highlights (see the
note and descriptions above).

8 8. Texture

This mode shows a user-defined texture reflected on the

picked surfaces. You can use the default horizon texture, or
load one of your own.

All options are the same as for horizontal highlights (see the
note and descriptions above), except for:

User Defined Texture

Enter the name of a texture file to use instead of the
default horizon texture. You can use Alias PIX, SGI’s RGB,
TIF and various other image file formats. (The GIF and
JPEG file formats are not supported.)
Click the arrow button to choose the texture from a file
requester.

Using Other Lights

For more information on Instead of the default Diagnostic Shading light, you may choose
lights, see Lights in the to use up to eight regular lights to illuminate your model while
Rendering book. in Diagnostic Shading mode. These lights can be edited through
the Multi-Lister in the usual fashion.

The following types of lights can be used: spot lights, point

lights, directional lights (handled as point lights), ambient
lights, and linear lights.

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

537
Using Diagnostic Shading
Move CV Button Moving CVs

Purpose Move CVs and hulls in world space or in the parameter space
of the curve or surface. This tool combines the functions of
Move and Move CV normal.

How To To move CVs using the Move CV tool

1 Click the Move CV tool at the bottom of the control panel.
The CV Move section appears in the control tools area of
the Control panel.

2 Choose how to move the CV(s):

◆ Choose XYZ from the left Mode menu to move the
CV(s) in absolute world space.
◆ Choose NUV from the left Mode menu to move the
CV(s) in the parameter space of the curve or surface.
This allows you to move surface CV(s) along the U and
V contours of the surface, and up and down the
surface normal, or to move curve CV(s) normal to the
curve, along the tangent vector, or orthogonal to these
two directions.
◆ Choose SLIDE from the left Mode menu to move the
CV(s) along their respective U or V hull lines.

3 Choose CV from the right Mode menu and click the CV you
want to move, or choose HULL and click a hull to move an
entire row of CVs.
To pick or unpick more CVs or hulls, hold down the Shift
key, and click or drag a pickbox around them.

4 Use the mouse or keyboard to move the CVs:

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

538
Moving CVs
◆ Drag the left mouse button to move the CV along the X
axis (in XYZ mode), or along the normal (in NUV
mode).
◆ Drag the middle mouse button to move the CV along
the Y axis (in XYZ mode), or to move the surface CV
along the U direction of the surface or the curve CV
along the tangent vector of the curve (in NUV mode).
◆ Drag the right mouse button to move the CV along the
Z axis (in XYZ mode), or to move the surface CV along
the V direction of the surface or the curve CV
orthogonal to both the normal and tangent vector
directions (in NUV mode).

◆ In SLIDE mode, all mouse buttons behave the same

way. You must click on one of the four small
arrowheads (two for curves) to determine the
direction of motion.

If you select all CVs for a hull, you can also move the
CVs non-proportionally by dragging one of the large
green arrowheads. CVs close to the arrowhead (along
the hull) move more than CVs further away from the
icon, and the CV furthest from the arrowhead (at the
Drag the large green opposite end of the hull) does not move at all.
arrowhead to move ◆ Use the arrow keys to move the CV by the amount
all hull CVs non- you set in the Step Size field. In NUV mode the arrow
proportionally
keys move the CV along the normal. In XYZ mode the
arrow keys move the CV along the unlocked axes (see
Options X Y Z below).
◆ Type a 3D coordinate on the prompt line to move the
CV(s) exactly.
◆ Use Edit > Undo if you need to undo the last move.

Options

The CV Move options appear in the control tools section of the

Control panel when you click the Move CV button:

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

539
Moving CVs
Left Mode (XYZ/NUV/SLIDE)
Choose whether to move the CV in absolute world space
(XYZ), in parameter space (NUV) or along the hull lines
(SLIDE).

Right Mode (CV/Hull)

Choose whether to move single CVs or hulls.
Note that even in CV mode, you can still click hulls to
select them (using Shift + mouse button to create a pickbox).

These options appear when XYZ

the left Mode menu is XYZ. Click the boxes to lock the movement of the CV along the
X, Y, and/or Z axes.

This option applies when the Step Size

left Mode menu is XYZ; in Enter the world space distance the CV(s) will move when
NUV and SLIDE modes, it
acts as sensitivity only. you use the cursor keys.
In SLIDE mode, this option controls the way the CV(s)
move when you use the mouse. If it is off, all CVs move the
same percentage of the way along their hulls. If it is on,
they move in discreet steps equal to the specified distance.

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

540
Moving CVs
Show Deviation Measuring Scan Data to Surface
Button
Deviation

Purpose Create deviation combs and label minimum, maximum, and

mean deviation points between scan-lines, section data (or any
curve) and surfaces.

See Examining Deviation To view numeric deviation values, create a deviation locator,
Values on page 567. then choose Windows > Information > Deviation Table.

Overview The Show Deviation tool sets up the deviation measure between
scan-line/section data (curves) and surfaces, and remembers
the connection. The display attributes of the deviation comb
can be set by the Deviation options.

Use the Deviation +/- buttons in the Display section of the Control
panel to quickly display or hide the deviation comb. Hiding
the deviation comb helps to reduce the clutter on the screen
and improves the interactive performance. To display it again,
you do not have to set up the deviation again.

How To To create deviation combs

1 Pick all the scan-lines/section data sets (curves) and
surfaces between which you want to calculate the
deviation.

2 Click the Show Deviation tool in the Control panel.

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

541
Measuring Scan Data to Surface Deviation
To quickly display the deviation comb
1 Pick either the surface or the scan-line/section data
(curve) which contains the deviation comb.

2 Click the “+” button next to Deviation in the Display area of

the Control panel.

To quickly hide the deviation comb

1 Pick either the surface or the scan-line/section data
(curve) which contains the deviation comb.

2 Click the “-” button next to Deviation in the Display area of

the Control panel.

To delete deviation combs

1 Click the Pick > Locator tool, and then click on the
deviation comb. This will highlight the deviation comb.

2 Select Delete > Del active to delete this active locator.

Options

The Deviation options appear in the Control panel when you

click the Show Deviation tool.

Pick the scan-line/section data (curves) or surface to enable

the buttons of Deviation options. Only those deviation combs
whose related scan-line(curves) or surfaces are picked will be
modified.

Min, Max, Mean

Show/hide labels pointing to the points with maximum,
minimum, and average (mean) deviation.

Scale
The scale of the deviation quills. The deviation is
multiplied by this number to get the length of the quills.
To get a scale higher than the one given by the slider, type
the value in the adjacent area.

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

542
Measuring Scan Data to Surface Deviation
Min./Max. Threshold
Choose the minimum and maximum values to include in
the comb and labels.
Use these values to eliminate “rogue points” from scan/
section data, or to highlight values in a specific range.

Precision
Set the number of decimal places to print in labels.

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

543
Measuring Scan Data to Surface Deviation
Cross-Sections Viewing Cross Sections on a Surface
Button

Purpose Create cross-sections on a surface, trimmed surface or shells.

Overview
To see curvature combs on Cross-sections are displayed on the surface in the X, Y and Z
cross-sections, see Working planes of the current coordinate system. The cross-sections are
with Curvature Combs on maintained and automatically updated with any change to the
page 548.
surface.

Use Evaluate palette >Cross A surface cross-section can be switched between visual
section to set radial cross- geometry and NURBS geometry. The NURBS geometry cross-
sections on the surface. sections are also automatically updated with a change to the
surface; they are saved as curves in a file, and any operation
can be applied to them similar to other curves and surfaces.
However, they are slower in comparison to the visual
geometry cross-sections.

Cross-sections at fixed Cross-sections can be created in the X,Y or Z planes with a

steps regular step size starting from the origin (zero point of the
model space). For example, with a step size of 2.5 cm, the
cross-sections are created at ...-2.5, 0.0, 2.5, 5.0... and so on.

Set fixed spacing with the options described below. By default,

when the auto range option is turned on, the cross-sections are
shown over the entire surface. However, you can also
explicitly set the range over which you see the cross-section.

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

544
Viewing Cross Sections on a Surface
To display/remove cross-sections on objects with a fixed
step size in the X, Y, or Z planes
1 Pick the surfaces on which you want to display/remove
cross sections.

2 Click the “+” or “-” buttons of the axis along which you
want the cross-sections displayed or removed. The
buttons appear under Cross-sections in the Display area of
the Control Panel.

Note To change the cross-section settings, click the cross-

section tool to display the option box.

To display/remove cross-sections on objects with a fixed

step size in an arbitrary plane

Because cross-sections can 1 Create a reference/construction plane such that it matches

be created only in the X,Y, that arbitrary plane. (Use Grids > Free Plane—see Snapping
and Z planes, to display to Grids, Curves, and Points on page 38.)
them in an arbitrary plane
you have to create and set a
construction plane which 2 Pick the surfaces on which you want to display/remove
matches the arbitrary plane. cross sections.

3 Click the “+” or “-” buttons of the reference/construction

plane axis along which you want the cross-sections
displayed or removed. The buttons appear under Cross-
sections in the Display area of the Control Panel.

Note To change the cross-section settings, click the cross-

section tool to display the option box.

Cross-sections in Sometimes the scan lines along which we need cross-sections

unevenly spaced scan are not regularly spaced. This uneven spacing can be achieved
by specifying the corresponding scan-lines (curves) or
lines reference planes and using the Picked Ref. spacing options in
the cross-section options described below.

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

545
Viewing Cross Sections on a Surface
To set cross sections at uneven spacing in the X, Y or Z
planes
1 Pick the scan-lines(curves) or reference planes to describe
the surfaces on which you want to create cross section
lines.

2 Click the Cross sections tool to open the options.

3 Set the Spacing option in Cross-section option to Picked Ref.

To display/hide cross sections at uneven spacing in the X,

Y or Z planes
1 Pick the cross-sectioned surfaces on which you have set
irregular spacing cross-sections.

2 Click the +/- Cross-section buttons in the Display section of

the Control Panel.

To set cross-sections on surfaces at uneven spacing in an

arbitrary plane

Use this workflow if the scan-lines (curves) in whose plane

you want the cross-sections are irregularly spaced and lie in an
arbitrary plane other than X, Y, or Z.
1 Create a reference plane such that it matches that arbitrary
plane. Please refer to the section on Construction > Plane on
how to create a reference plane.

2 Follow the steps in the “Cross-sections at fixed steps”

section above.

Cross-section Options

The Cross Section options appear in the Control panel when

you click the Cross-sections tool:

Geometry
Visual—show the cross-section lines using fast, display-
only geometry.
Nurbs—create NURBS geometry curves from the cross-
section lines.

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

546
Viewing Cross Sections on a Surface
Spacing
Fixed—create cross-sections at a fixed step size.
Picked Ref—create cross-sections by projecting picked
scan-data curves or reference planes. (Curves must be
planar and perpendicular to the X, Y or Z axis.)

This option appears when Step

Spacing is Fixed. The distance between cross-section lines.

This option appears when Auto Range

Spacing is Fixed. Turn this option on to project cross-sections across all the
picked geometry.
Turn this option off to project cross-sections only across an
area you specify with the Start and End coordinates.

These options appears when Start

Auto Range is off. End
Enter the 3D corners of a box within which the cross-
sections will be created.

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

547
Viewing Cross Sections on a Surface
Curvature Button Working with Curvature Combs

Purpose Create a curvature comb on a curve, on a surface in the U and

V directions, or on the surface cross-sections. The surface
curvature can also be displayed as a color map on a surface.

The display of a curvature comb, a color map, and various

settings of UV curvature can be set through the options for the
Curvature tool of the Control Panel.

Curvature combs on The UV curvature comb on a surface creates a curvature comb

curves or surface in the U and V directions. These combs can be spaced in the U
and V directions by two spacing methods. In the length
spacing, any number of evenly spaced combs can be created in
both U and V directions. This is useful even when the surface
has uneven parameterization.

In the Parameter spacing, the curvature combs are created on

the isoparms lines. This is useful even when surface has
uneven parameterization.

The display of the curvature comb can be changed through

Curvature Options in the Control Panel. Pick curvature combs
with Pick > Locator, and delete them with Delete > Delete active.

To show curvature combs on curves or surfaces

1 Pick the curves or surfaces on which you want to show
curvature combs.

See Displaying or Hiding 2 Click the Curvat U/V buttons in the Display section of the
Features of the Picked Control Panel.
Geometry on page 528.

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

548
Working with Curvature Combs
3 To set the display options, see the Curvature options
below.

Curvature combs on Curvature combs can also be displayed on surface cross-

cross-sections sections, and can be refined by picking the surface and
decreasing the Diagnostic Shading tolerance in the Control Panel.

See Viewing Cross Sections on To control the display of cross-sections, use the Cross-section
a Surface on page 544. tools in the Control panel.

See Working with Curvature To change the scaling of the curvature comb, use the
Combs on page 548. Curvature tools in the Control Panel.

To show curvature combs on cross-sections

1 Pick the surface.

2 Click on the desired axis of Curvature on Section buttons in

the Display section of the Control Panel.
If the cross-sections are not already present, they are
created according the current settings.

Curvature Options

Click the Curvature button to use the curvature options in the

Control panel. The controls in the curvature options are
enabled only when a related geometry is picked. Otherwise,
they remain disabled.

Note When you create a curvature locator from the Control

Panel, the settings in the Curve Curvature Options box
are used for those options not contained in the Control
Panel (see Adding a Curvature Measurement to a Curve
on page 406).

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

549
Working with Curvature Combs
Comb Scale
This option scales the length of the curvature combs, on
the surface as well as cross-sections on surface.

The UV curvature options— Samples

Samples, Spacing, and Enter the total number of samples to take on each comb.
Num— apply only to the
picked surfaces which have Increasing the sample results in a finer curvature comb.
UV curvature. Otherwise the
controls remain disabled. Spacing
Length— evenly space the curvature combs along the edge.
Parameter—place the curvature combs only on edit point
isoparms.

This option only appears Num

when Spacing is Length. Set the number of curvature combs on the surface in each
direction.

Using the Direct Modeling Control Panel

550
Working with Curvature Combs
Evaluating Your Model

In This Section Checking the Continuity between Curves 554

Checking Continuity between and within Surfaces 558
Examining Deviation Values 567
Showing Surface Curvature 570
Showing Surface Features with Highlights 577
Creating Cross-Section Lines 582
Viewing a Dynamic Cross-Section 586
Displaying Iso-Angle Lines 588
Creating Curves-on-Surface for Various Criteria 591
Measuring Minimum and Maximum Curvature 600
Measuring Mass Properties 602

For more tools for evaluating your surfaces, see Using the
Direct Modeling Control Panel on page 521.

551
Evaluate Palette Summary

Icon Evaluate > For more information...

Continuity > Surface continuity Checking Continuity between and within

Surfaces on page 558

Continuity > Curve continuity Checking the Continuity between Curves

on page 554

Cross section Creating Cross-Section Lines on page 582

Dynamic section Viewing a Dynamic Cross-Section on

page 586

Iso-angle Displaying Iso-Angle Lines on page 588

Surface evaluate Creating Curves-on-Surface for Various

Criteria on page 591

Surface curvature Showing Surface Curvature on page 570

Highlights Showing Surface Features with Highlights

on page 577

Evaluating Your Model

552
Evaluate Palette Summary
Icon Evaluate > For more information...

Min/max curvature Measuring Minimum and Maximum

Curvature on page 600

Mass properties Measuring Mass Properties on page 602

Evaluating Your Model

553
Evaluate Palette Summary
Evaluate > Checking the Continuity between
Continuity > Curve
Curves
continuity

Purpose Check the position, tangent and curvature continuity between

curves.

How To To show the continuity between two curves

1 Click the Curve continuity icon, or choose
Continuity > Curve continuity from the Evaluate palette menu.

2 Click the intersection between two curves.

The curves can be free curves or surface isoparms.

3 If the Curvature Check option is on, the Curve continuity tool

prints a message about the curvature continuity in the
prompt line.

This message goes by very quickly. Click the prompt line

history button (to the left of the prompt line) to see the
curvature message.

4 The Curve continuity tool prints a message about the tangent

continuity in the prompt line (see Messages below).

Evaluating Your Model

554
Checking the Continuity between Curves
5 If the curves are not tangent continuous, the Curve
tangent directions
continuity tool draws lines showing the tangents of each
curve. The angle between the tangents is given on the
prompt line.
Drag left or right to change the scale of these tangent lines,
or type a number to scale the lines exactly. This changes
the display of the lines only, and does not affect the curves.
curves intersection

Messages The Curve curvature tool prints messages in the prompt line
about the continuity at the intersection you clicked:
● Curves are curvature continuous.
The curves are exactly curvature continuous.
● Curves are curvature continuous within
tolerance - curvature deviation is (1/cm)
<deviation>
The curves are not exactly curvature continuous, but are
still within the tolerance set in Preferences > Construction
options. <deviation> is the difference in curvatures at
the intersection.
● Curvature deviation between curves is (1/
cm) <deviation>
The curves are not curvature continuous. <deviation> is
the difference in curvatures at the intersection.
● “Curves are tangent vector continuous.”
The curves are exactly tangent continuous.
● “Curves are tangent vector continuous
within tolerance - angle is (degrees)
<angle>.”
The curves are not exactly tangent continuous, but are still
within the tolerance set in Preferences > Construction
options. <angle> is the angle between the curves tangents
at the intersection.
● “Angle between the curves at their
intersection is (deg) <angle>.”
The curves are not tangent continuous. <angle> is the
angle between the curves tangents at the intersection.
● “Select curve intersection.”

Evaluating Your Model

555
Checking the Continuity between Curves
You did not click where two curves (and only two curves)
intersect.

Tips and Notes ● Set the Maximum Gap Distance value in the Construction
Options window to set the maximum distance allowed
between curve endpoints when clicking an intersection to
examine.
● If the distance between the curve endpoints is greater than
the Maximum Gap Distance, a red line is drawn between the
endpoints indicating that the curves are not positionally
continuous.

Options

Tangency Scale
The initial scale of the lines which show the tangents of the
two curves. The actual length of the lines is proportional
to the angle times this scaling value.
You can change this value interactively when you use the
tool by holding down the Shift key and dragging the left
mouse button.

Curvature Scale
The initial scale of the lines which show the curvature of
the two curves. The actual length of the lines is
proportional to the angle times this scaling value.

Evaluating Your Model

556
Checking the Continuity between Curves
You can change this value interactively when you use the
tool by holding down the Shift key and dragging the
middle mouse button.

Locator Persistence
Creates a persistent locator that displays the continuity
between curves (that is, the locator remains even after the
Curve Continuity tool is no longer active). This allows you to
monitor curve continuity as you edit curves.

Simple Display
The locator appears only as a green circle (the curves are
continuous) or a red circle (the curves are not continuous).

Display
The locator indicates whether the curves’ position,
tangents, or curvature are continuous.

Evaluating Your Model

557
Checking the Continuity between Curves
Evaluate > Checking Continuity between and
Continuity > Surface
within Surfaces
continuity

Purpose Check the positional, tangent plane, and curvature continuity

between and inside surfaces.

Overview The Surface continuity tool helps you diagnose surfaces that you
may need to rebuild:
● Click common edges between surfaces to show the
continuity along that boundary.
● The tool can also check for continuity breaks within the
surfaces.
These checks are performed automatically at multi-knots,
and at every edit point on degree 1 (linear) surfaces when
the Check Interior option is on.
This is very useful since CAD systems, to which you may
want to transfer your model, do not allow interior
discontinuities in surfaces.

Selection and Display Common Edges

When you click the common edge between two surfaces after
selecting the Surface evaluation tool, the tool shows information
about the continuity between the surfaces.

This information can take several forms: color-coded lines,

symbols, comb and text. You control which ones you want to
see.

Evaluating Your Model

558
Checking Continuity between and within Surfaces
The comb shows the relative size of gaps, tangency and
curvature breaks along the surface boundary. The longer the
comb line, the larger the break between the surfaces.

Symbols and comb lines appear at each point on a boundary

where a discontinuity is found. You control how often points
are checked along a given boundary by adjusting the sampling
density.

The tool uses the symbols and line colors listed in the table on
page 560.

Tip You can prevent the creation of combs by turning off Show
Comb in the options window.

Surfaces

When you pick a single surface and click the Surface evaluation
tool, or hold Shift and click a surface while within the Surface
evaluation tool, the tool shows information about the internal
continuity of the surface if the Check Interior option is turned on
(see Options on page 556).

If the gap between the If you pick several surfaces, the tool tries to determine which
surfaces is large, the tool surface edges are adjacent and gives continuity information
may fail to find the along these edges as well.
adjacencies.
The tool uses the symbols and line colors listed in the table on
page 560.

Tip You can prevent the checks of internal surface continuity by

turning off Check Interior in the options window.

Common Symbols and Line Colors

A minimum deviation of 0.0 ● The Surface continuity tool marks the minimum and
is not displayed. maximum deviation points on all the boundaries it
examines. On inactive boundaries, minimums are shown
as blue symbols or comb lines; maximums are shown as
red symbols or comb lines.
Clicking these symbols with the right mouse button will
show you the corresponding deviation values.

Evaluating Your Model

559
Checking Continuity between and within Surfaces
See Show Max Labels option Optionally, the tool also labels the maximum deviation
on page 564 [Link] allows you to quickly see the areas with the
. largest continuity problems.

Minimum and maximum deviation points are also useful

when you want continuity at an angle. For example, if you
want to build a surface at 30 degrees to another surface,
+/- 0.1 degrees. The maximum and minimum tangent
min gap indicator angle deviations tell you if that tolerance has been
achieved.
● The Surface continuity tool uses the following symbols and
line colors to show information about surfaces and
common edges:

Symbol/Line Meaning

Cross Requested continuity achieved at

this point.
T Tangent/normal break at this point.
C Curvature break at this point.
O Gap in the common edge at this
point (think of the “O” as a hole).
Pale green dotted This edge has no adjacent surface, or
line. the adjacent surface is not selected.
Thick bright green Requested continuity achieved along
line this isoparm.
Thick dark green Requested continuity achieved along
line this non-selected isoparm.
Thick yellow line Continuity break at this isoparm.
Thick red line Continuity break at this non-selected
isoparm.

Note The colors in the above table can be modified through

the User Colors window. See Setting Colors for your
Studio Interface in the Interface section of the Basic Tools
book.

Evaluating Your Model

560
Checking Continuity between and within Surfaces
How To To show the continuity in and between surfaces
1 Pick the surfaces you want to check for internal continuity.

2 Double-click the Surface continuity icon, or choose

Continuity > Surface continuity-❏ from the Evaluate palette
menu.
Turn on the Check Interior option in the option window if
you want to check the interior continuity of the surfaces.
Set any other option you may need (see Options on
page 563).

To check individual Click Go.

boundaries, select the tool
first, then click on the 3 The Surface continuity tool checks the picked surfaces.
boundaries.
This step can take a long time for very large models. To
speed up the process, increase the Distance Between Checks
value (see Options on page 563).
To terminate the check before its normal completion, press
the Esc key.

4 The Surface continuity tool prints a message in the prompt

line about the continuity between the surfaces.
The messages go by very fast. Click the prompt line
history button (to the left of the prompt line) to see the
continuity messages.

The Surface continuity tool draws lines and symbols

Checking continuity between between (and possibly on) the picked surfaces to indicate
4 surfaces.
whether the required continuity exists, and if not, the
areas of discontinuity.
red lines
mean 5 Use the mouse to show more detailed continuity
continuity information on the model:
break
no ◆ Hold the Shift key and click a surface to add it or
adjacent remove it from the continuity calculations. The mouse
surface
buttons use the same interaction as with the Pick tool
(Left: toggle, Middle: replace, Right: remove).
◆ Click a boundary with the left mouse button to add it
or remove it (toggle) from the continuity calculations.

Evaluating Your Model

561
Checking Continuity between and within Surfaces
◆ Click a common edge between two surfaces with the
Using the middle mouse button middle mouse button to toggle between comb and
deviation symbol displays.
combs
“T” for ◆ Hold the right mouse button on a comb line or symbol
tangent
break to show a small window displaying information on
the point you clicked. The window moves with the
mouse pointer and disappears when you release the
mouse button.

“C” for curvature break

◆ Drag the left mouse button to change the scale of the

active continuity combs on the common edges
between surfaces.
◆ Drag the middle mouse button to change the sampling
density along the active boundary.

Note If the Locator Persistence option is on, the combs

created on explicitly selected surface boundaries are
locators, just like those described in Introduction to
Labeling and Locators on page 392. Unless you remove
each comb, they persist in the scene even after you
choose another tool.
For information on how to delete a comb, see
page 394.

Tips and Notes

● Set the tolerances for continuity checks in the

Tolerances > Continuity section of the
Preferences > Construction options window:
◆ Maximum Gap Distance: the maximum allowable gap
between adjacent surfaces.

Evaluating Your Model

562
Checking Continuity between and within Surfaces
◆ Continuity Angle: The maximum allowable angle
deviation between tangents.
◆ Continuity Curvature: The maximum allowable
difference between curvatures.

Options

Find

Positional Continuity
Only check for gaps between surfaces (labeled with “O”
symbols).

Tangent Continuity
Check for gaps and tangent discontinuities (labeled with
“T” symbols).

Curvature Continuity
Check for gaps, tangent, and curvature discontinuities
(labeled with “C” symbols).

Evaluating Your Model

563
Checking Continuity between and within Surfaces
Check Spacing By

Arc Length
Check the continuity at equally spaced points along the
surface, determined by the Distance Between Checks
option.

# Per Span
Check the continuity at a number of points in each span
equal to the value of the Fitting > Curve Fit Checkpoints
option of the Preferences > Construction options window.

This option only appears Distance Between Checks

when Check Spacing By is The arc-length distance between continuity checks when
Arc Length.
using the Arc Length option.

Display Options

Locator Persistence
If this option is toggled on, the surface continuity
indicators have the ability to become a persistent locator
which will update with changes to the geometry. Note that
Locator Persistence only takes effect if boundaries are
explicitly selected by clicking on them (not by selecting
surfaces with a pickbox or prior to selecting the tool).

This option applies to the Check Interior

case of surfaces selected with If this option is toggled on, continuity is checked and
the Shift key or selected
before clicking the tool. displayed along multiple-knot isoparms in the surface’s
interior.

Show Max Labels

If this option is toggled on, points of maximum positional,
tangency angle and curvature deviation are shown. Note
however that these labels will only appear if part of the
boundary has discontinuities (gaps, tangent or curvature
breaks) that are out of tolerance.

Show Edge Labels

If this option is toggled on, indicators showing areas of
discontinuities (“O”, “C” and “T” labels) are initially
displayed along the boundaries. Red symbols indicate
areas of maximum discontinuity. Blue symbols indicate
areas of minimum discontinuity.

Evaluating Your Model

564
Checking Continuity between and within Surfaces
Show Comb
This option only appears if Show Edge Labels is on. Toggle
it on to see the comb lines for gaps, tangency breaks and
curvature breaks.

Surface/Surface If Locator Persistence is on, this tool creates true locators on

Continuity Evaluation explicitly selected boundaries.

Parameters The following parameters are found in the Information Window

when such a locator is selected:

Check Distance only Find, Check Spacing By, Check Distance

appears when Check Same as in Options.
Spacing By is # Per Span.

Checkpoints only appears Checkpoints, Gap Tolerance, Norm Angle Tol, Curvature Tol.
when Check Spacing By is These are initially set to their corresponding values in the
Arc Length.
Tolerances section of the Construction Options window.
You can change them to give each locator its own set of
tolerances.

Evaluating Your Model

565
Checking Continuity between and within Surfaces
Min/Max Gap Size, Angle btw Normals, Curvature Dev.
These fields give the minimum and maximum deviation
values for positional, tangent and curvature continuities.
These fields are not editable.

Display Parameters

Show Edge Labels, Show Comb, Show Max. Labels

Same as in Options.

Unlike other locators, the Max Gap/Angle/Curv. Offset

Max Offset parameters Adjust the length of the leader for the three labels.
cannot be adjusted
interactively with the
mouse. Max Length
The length of the small horizontal line beside the labels (in
pixels).

Justify
Choose whether to justify the label text Left or Right.

Window
Choose whether the locator appears in all windows or
only the current window.

Evaluating Your Model

566
Checking Continuity between and within Surfaces
Windows > Examining Deviation Values
Information >
Deviation Table

Purpose Show detailed, numeric deviation gap, angle, and curvature

gap values in a scrolling window.

How To To list deviation values in a table

The comb must be a 1 Make sure there is a deviation comb locator somewhere in
persistent locator such as the scene. The deviation table only lists information from
those created by the existing deviation combs.
Locators tools or by clicking
a boundary in the Surface
Continuity tool. 2 Choose Windows > Information > Deviation table from the
menus. The Deviation Table window appears.

Evaluating Your Model

567
Examining Deviation Values
To highlight values within a certain range
1 Set the minimum and maximum values for the
measurement you want to check.
For example, to find deviations greater than 0.01, set the
Gap Band Min. option to 0.01 and the Gap Band Max. option
to some very large value (or leave it as Infinity).

2 Values within the range you set are highlighted with a

white background in the window.

3 You can choose to list only the samples that fall within the
range:
◆ Click the Clip To Band button at the bottom of the
window to show only samples that fall within the
range.
◆ The Clip To Band button changes to Show All. Click the
button again to show all samples.

4 To reset the ranges to the defaults, click the Reset Band

button at the bottom of the window.

To save the information in a file

1 Click the Save button at the bottom of the window.

2 Use the file requester to save the information to a file on

disk.

Tips and Notes ● The deviation table updates interactively as you change
the model.
● The clipping values in the deviation table window are
affected by changing the threshold values in the control
panel’s Deviation tool.

● Click and hold a mouse button over a row of the table to

see a red arrow indicating the corresponding position on
your model.
● If you select Preferences > User Options > Save options, the
values at the top of the Deviation Table are saved in your
user preference file.

Evaluating Your Model

568
Examining Deviation Values
See Also ● Checking Continuity between and within Surfaces on page 558
● Adding a Curvature Measurement to a Curve on page 406
● Adding Min/Max Deviation Measurements on page 419

Evaluating Your Model

569
Examining Deviation Values
Evaluate > Surface Showing Surface Curvature
Curvature > Surf
curvature, Surf curv
params

Purpose Show the amount of curvature (or the radii) across a surface
using a color texture.

Overview The Surf curvature tool creates a QuickRender showing the

amount of curvature at each point on the surface as a different
color.

Use the Surf curv params tool to edit the color ramp used to
show curvature values, as well as how values are mapped to
colors.

The How To section lists a few “recipes” for diagnosing

surfaces using this tool, but there are many more uses than can
be listed here. When you need specific curvature information
on a surface, asking yourself two questions will help you set
the options for the diagnosis you want:
● What kind of curvature values am I looking for? High
curvature (close to the maximum)? Zero curvature
(inflections)? Use the answer to set the Range.
● What part or parts of the range do I want to highlight? The
extremes? The middle? Use the answer to set the color
ramp.

Setting the Range

The Range option has two settings:

Evaluating Your Model

570
Showing Surface Curvature
● Automatic: this setting calculates the range of curvature
values present in the model, then copies this range to the
parameter window (the window that opens when you
click the Surf curv params tool).
This takes about twice as long as the other setting.
● From Parameter Window: simply uses whatever range is set
in the parameter window.

Here are some general rules you can use to get the best results:
● The first time you display curvature for a particular
model, use the Automatic option to set the best range for the
model.
● After you use the Automatic option the first time, set the
option to From Parameter Window. This will double the
speed of the evaluation.
● If you change the range in the parameter window (for
example, to highlight inflections), do not use the Automatic
option, since it overwrites the range in the parameter
window with the values it calculates.

Setting the color ramp

See Ramp Texture Parameters in the Rendering book for

information on editing a color ramp.

How To To show the curvature across a surface

● Click the Surf curvature icon, or choose

Surface Curvature > Surf curvature from the Evaluate palette
menu.
A QuickRender window opens and displays the curvature
values on the model using the color ramp and other
parameters in the parameters window.

To customize the parameters of the Surf curvature display

● Click the Surf curv params icon, or choose

Surface Curvature > Surf curve params from the Evaluate
palette menu. The parameters window opens.

Evaluating Your Model

571
Showing Surface Curvature
To find irregularly changing curvature

Click the Surf curv params tool and set the following options in
the parameters window:
● Set Curvature Type to Gaussian.
● Set Display to Curvature.
● Use the standard “rainbow” color ramp. The goal is to
have as smooth a transition between colors as possible, so
that irregularities stand out.
● Choose Render > QuickRender-❏ from the menus. Set the
Shading Frequency to 10 (the maximum). This ensures you
don’t confuse chunkiness in the texture with curvature
irregularities.

Now use the Surf curvature tool to QuickRender the curvature

values. Look for abrupt changes in the color ramp across the
surface.

To create a diagnostic color ramp

The default, “rainbow” color ramp is best for giving you an

overall picture of the curvature across the whole surface.

However, another very useful technique is to set the Range to a

small subset of all the values in the model. Only the values in
this range will be mapped to colors in the color ramp. The rest
of the model will render black.

To best highlight the range you are looking for, modify the
color ramp as follows:
● Set almost the entire color ramp to a bright, noticeable
color.
● At the top and bottom of the ramp, use another bright,
contrasting color. Make sure to have crisp transitions to
these extreme colors.
● You may want to add still more bright bands, for example
at the center of the ramp, depending on the diagnostic
technique you are using.

Evaluating Your Model

572
Showing Surface Curvature
To find small radii

For some manufacturing processes you must prevent a surface

from having a radius smaller than some number. You can find
small radii with the Surf curvature display.

Click the Surf curv params tool and set the following options in
the parameters window:
● Set Curvature Type to Princ Max.
● Set Display to Radius.
● Enter the minimum allowable radius as the Range max.
Enter the negative of that number as the Range min.
● Use a diagnostic color ramp as explained above.

Now use the Surf curvature tool to QuickRender the radius

values. Only the radii less than you minimum allowable
radius show up. The rest of the model is rendered in black.

To find the areas with the most curvature

Click the Surf curv params tool and set the following options in
the parameter window:
● Note the maximum curvature of the model you are
looking at. You can get this information in various ways:
◆ Use the Surf curvature tool with the Automatic option,
then note the Range max. option in the parameter
window.
◆ Use measurement tools, especially Min/max
curvature (see Measuring Minimum and Maximum
Curvature on page 600).
● Set Curvature Type to Gaussian.
● Set Display to Curvature.
● Set both the Range min. and Range max. to the known
maximum curvature value in the model to highlight only
the areas with the maximum curvature. Increase the range
to highlight areas with curvature close to the maximum.
● Use a diagnostic color ramp as explained above.

Evaluating Your Model

573
Showing Surface Curvature
Now use the Surf curvature tool to QuickRender the curvature
values. Only the curvature within the range you set will show
up. The rest of the model is rendered in black.

To find inflections and saddle points

Click the Surf curv params tool and set the following options in
the parameter window:
● Set Curvature Type to Gaussian.
● Set Display to Curvature.
● Set the Range min. and Range max. to equal numbers
around 0 (for example, -0.1 and 0.1).
● Create a color ramp with a thin, bright, highly visible
stripe across the halfway point (0.5), as well as different
colors for the top and bottom halves.
The halfway point of the color ramp corresponds to the
halfway point in the range you set, which is 0 (the
inflection point). Thus, the stripe color will show up at
inflection points on the model.

A saddle point has a negative Gaussian curvature, and

will be displayed in the bottom ramp color.

Now use the Surf curvature tool to QuickRender the curvature

values. The bright stripe color appears at inflection points on
the surface, and outlines dents.

urvature map applied to surface

Tips and Notes ● When you set a specific range in the parameters window,
make sure you change the Range to From Parameter Window
in the Surf curvature options window.
● Since the Automatic setting in the Surf curvature options
window calculates the range of curvature of the model,
you will have to use the Automatic setting every time you
change the model.

Parameters Name
Assign a name to your shader.

Evaluating Your Model

574
Showing Surface Curvature
For more information about Clicking the arrow to the left of the Name field, opens the
shaders and textures, see the Common Shader Parameters window where you can choose
Rendering book. different shaders, change color properties, and adjust
raytrace parameters.

Curvature Texture Parameters

Curvature Type
How to calculate the curvature values:
Mean—use the average of the two principal curvatures to
approximate the average curvature through each point.
Gaussian—use the product of the two principal curvatures.
Princ Min/Princ Max—use the minimum or maximum
curvature values (that is, the curvature of the steepest or
flattest curves that pass through each point).
The Mean and Gaussian options are most useful for
detecting surface irregularities. The Princ Min/Max options
are most useful for finding inflection points.

Display
Choose whether to show the Curvature or Radius at each
point on the surface.

Scale
Map the curvature values in the model to colors in the
color ramp using a Linear or Logarithmic scale. Choose Log
for models with a wide range of curvature values.

Range
Enter the minimum and maximum curvature values in the
model to map to the lowest and highest colors in the color
ramp.
The limits of the sliders are -10.0 to 10.0. You can enter
smaller and large values in the text boxes with the
keyboard.

Evaluating Your Model

575
Showing Surface Curvature
Show Mapping

This section shows a graphical representation of the mapping

between curvature values and colors. Drag the indicator up
and down the color ramp to show the color associated with
each value.

Use this section to visualize the effects of the Scale and Range
options.

Ramp Parameters and Color Balance

The Ramp and Color Balance sections are identical to the

controls in normal color textures.

For information on editing a color ramp and using the Rgbmult

and Rgboffset options, see Ramp Texture Parameters and Color
Balance in the Rendering book.

Surf curvature options Mode

Choose whether to QuickRender only Active (picked)
objects, or All objects.

Range
Where to get the range of curvature values to represent.
Automatic—calculate the range from curvature values in
the model.
From Parameter Window—use the range set in the parameter
window (the Surf Curv Params tool).

Evaluating Your Model

576
Showing Surface Curvature
Evaluate > Showing Surface Features with
Highlights
Highlights

Purpose Show surface flaws by using a color texture to simulate natural

highlights.

Overview Highlight maps a color pattern onto a surface based on the angle
(from 90 to -90 degrees) at which a viewing ray hits the
surface.

The system simulates the object being surrounded by a

patterned cylinder of infinite size that is aligned along a
particular axis. The image shows what would be reflected by
the surface under those conditions.

A common use for Highlight is to identify adjacent surfaces

with mismatched tangents. You can also use Surface continuity
for this, but Highlight gives you a clearer view of the surfaces.

How To To show the highlights on a surface

● Click the Highlight icon, or choose Highlights > Highlight from

the Evaluate palette menu.
A QuickRender window opens and displays highlights on
the model using the color ramp and other parameters in
the parameters window.

Evaluating Your Model

577
Showing Surface Features with Highlights
To customize the parameters of the Highlight display

● Click the Highlight parameters icon, or choose

Highlights > Highlight parameters from the Evaluate palette
menu. The parameters window opens.

Tips and Notes ● The color ramp is oriented perpendicular to the Direction.
● If you see a lot of aliasing (moire patterns and artifacts)
where the highlight is oblique to the U and V directions,
increase the subdivision values in Windows > Render stats.

● To find tangent discontinuities between surfaces, look for

mismatched highlight stripes.
● You can change the standard zebra-stripe color ramp to
get different effects.
For example, to simulate a showroom, place a few white
bands near the top of the range to represent rows of lights.
To simulate an outdoor scene, use a solid color on the
bottom half of the ramp (the ground), and a gradient blue
on the top half (the sky).
Another interesting technique is to create a blended color
map with two different colors at the top and bottom ends
of the ramp and black in the middle. This produces an
effect like lights shining on the surfaces from opposite
directions. It works more convincingly if the Range values
are 90 and -90.
● You can use highlight stripes to make sure a model is
aligned with an axis by checking whether stripes along the
edges run the length of the model.
● You can use a rainbow color ramp to check the orientation
of surfaces. For example, if the ramp has red at the top,
anything colored red is facing up.

Parameters Name
Assign a name to your shader.

Evaluating Your Model

578
Showing Surface Features with Highlights
For more information about Clicking the arrow to the left of the Name field, opens the
shaders and textures, see the Common Shader Parameters window where you can choose
Rendering book. different shaders, change color properties, and adjust
raytrace parameters.

Highlight Texture Parameters

Range min/max
The range of angles (minimum and maximum from 90 to
-90 degrees) over which the highlight map will display.

Direction X,Y,Z
These values represent the direction in which the
highlights flow.

Show Mapping

This section shows a graphical representation of the mapping

between angles and colors. Drag the indicator up and down
the color ramp to show the color associated with each angle.
Use this section to visualize the effects of the Range options.

Symbolic Surface

The Symbolic Surface section shows how the highlight colors

would be distributed on a smooth cylindrical surface.

Use this section to visualize how changes to the Range and

Direction options and the color ramp change the highlight
coverage and look.

Evaluating Your Model

579
Showing Surface Features with Highlights
Ramp Parameters and Color Balance

The Ramp and Color Balance sections are identical to the

controls in normal color textures. See Ramp Texture Parameters
and Color Balance in the Rendering book for information on
editing a color ramp and using the Rgbmult and Rgboffset
options.

Highlight options

Mode
Choose whether to QuickRender only Active (picked)
objects, or All objects.

Criteria

If non-adaptive subdivisions Color—If Adaptive Subdivision is set in Windows >

are used, triangles are Render stats, the subdivision level is increased when the
created evenly across the three corners of a subdivision triangle have different
surface which might lead to
loss of detail. colors.

Evaluating Your Model

580
Showing Surface Features with Highlights
Value—If Adaptive Subdivision is set in Windows >
Render stats, the subdivision level is increased when the
three corners of a subdivision triangle have different
highlight angle values.
Use Value to see very thin highlight lines.

Show Range
Calculate and print the minimum and maximum values
on the prompt line.

Auto-Range
Automatically calculate the minimum and maximum
highlight angles used in the rendering of the model, and
set the Range options in the parameter window.

Tolerance
This slider controls the quality of the rendering. Lower the
tolerance for a higher quality but slower render. Raise the
tolerance for a lower quality but faster render.

Evaluating Your Model

581
Showing Surface Features with Highlights
Evaluate > Creating Cross-Section Lines
Cross section

Purpose Display cross-sections on the picked geometry, according to

the current construction plane.

Overview The Cross section tool can produce two types of cross-section
lines: Parallel and Radial.

● Parallel cross-section lines are created by intersecting a

series of parallel planes with the geometry. These planes
are perpendicular to the main axes (X, Y or Z).
● Radial cross-section lines are created by intersecting a
rotating plane with the geometry. The plane passes
through a user-defined pivot point and axis, around
which it rotates. This axis is parallel to either the X, Y or Z
axis.

You can use the Cross section tool on shells as well as surfaces
and trimmed surfaces.
parallel cross-sections

Evaluating Your Model

582
Creating Cross-Section Lines
How To To show cross-section lines on a mode
1 Pick the surfaces on which you want to show cross-
sections.

2 Click the Cross section icon, or choose Cross section from

radial the Evaluate palette menu.
pivot
3 If the Section type option is set to Radial, you must position
the radial pivot.

4 A locator appears in the scene. Move the locator with the

mouse, then click Go.

The Cross section tool creates cross section curves from the
picked geometry.
If Create History is on, you can modify the model and the
cross-section lines will automatically update.

To remove cross-section lines

1 Pick only the group of cross-section curves.

2 Choose Delete > Del active.

radial cross-sections

Tips and Notes ● Try to avoid situations where cross-sections pass through
the pole of an object (such as a sphere). Cross sections
around poles are not created.
As a workaround, you can try to move the surface slightly.
● Cross-section lines are actually grouped degree 3 curves.
They appear as a compressed node in the SBD window.

Evaluating Your Model

583
Creating Cross-Section Lines
Options

See Overview above for more Section Type

details on these two types. Parallel—the cross-section lines are parallel to each other.
Radial—the cross-section lines are created from
intersections with a rotating plane.

This option appears when Radial pivot point

Section Type is Radial. X,Y,Z coordinates of the pivot point for radial cross-
section lines.

This option appears when Number of radial sections

Section Type is Radial. Number of radial cross-section lines.

Axis Usage X/Y/Z

Choose the axes perpendicular to which you want to
create parallel cross-sections, or around which you want to
create radial cross-sections.

Auto Range
Use the bounding box of the picked objects to determine
where to compute the cross-sections, independently of the
object’s position in space.

These options appears when Start/End Coordinate

Auto Range is off. Enter the 3D coordinates of two corners of a bounding
box. The cross-sections will be calculated for the region of
the selected object(s) that intersect this box.

Evaluating Your Model

584
Creating Cross-Section Lines
If Start Coord equals End Coord, a single cross-section line is
created.

Step Size
The spacing between cross-section lines along the X, Y,
and Z axes.

Rebuild Cross-section
Rebuild the cross-section curves to remove multi-knots.
Leave this option off if you are using the cross-section
lines for evaluation. If you want to use the cross-section
curves for modeling, turn this option on.

Create History
Save the construction history of the cross-section curves. If
you turn Create History on, you can modify the surfaces
that were used to create the cross-section curves, and the
cross-section curves will update.

Evaluating Your Model

585
Creating Cross-Section Lines
Evaluate > Dynamic Viewing a Dynamic Cross-Section
section

Purpose View cross-sections on surfaces by dragging a cross-section

plane through the model.

Unlike the regular Cross section tool, this tool can produce
cross-sections in an arbitrary orientation.

How To To create a cross-section line

1 Select one or more surfaces that you want to examine.

2 Click the Dynamic Section icon, or choose Dynamic Section

from the Evaluate palette menu.

3 Use the plane manipulator to set the cross-section plane,

as shown below.
As you modify the plane, the cross section (which appears
as a red line) is updated. To create more sections, change
the value of Number in the option window.
Click an arrow to move
cross section the plane along an axis.

Click a square to flip

the plane to this orientation.
Click the center handle
to move or rotate the
plane freely.
Click a sphere or an arc
to rotate the plane
around an axis.

Evaluating Your Model

586
Viewing a Dynamic Cross-Section
◆ Drag a handle to move/rotate interactively.
◆ Click an arrow to change the center handle to the free
move handle. Then drag the center handle to move
the plane freely.
◆ Click a sphere to change the center handle to the free
rotate handle. Then drag the center handle to rotate
the plane freely.
The visual lines created by the Dynamic section tool do not
persist after you choose another tool.

4 Optionally, click one of the buttons in the bottom-right

hand corner of the view window:
◆ Click Geom to create real curves from the cross-section
lines.

◆ Click Curvature to create curvature combs on the cross-

section lines.

Note If you cannot see the combs, adjust the Curvature Scale
value in the Dynamic Sections Options box.

urvature comb on cross section

Options Number of Planes

The number of cross-section lines to create.

Step Size
The distance between cross-section lines (when Number of
Planes is greater than 1).

Curvature Scale
Controls the size of the curvature combs on the cross-
section lines.

Evaluating Your Model

587
Viewing a Dynamic Cross-Section
Evaluate > IsoAngle Displaying Iso-Angle Lines

Purpose Display iso-angle lines on surfaces to visually evaluate

continuity across surface boundaries or to create iso-angle
curves-on-surface.

Overview Iso-angle lines can consist of either shaded lines (a single

white line or multiple colored lines) or curves-on-surface, or
both. Use the display mode you prefer for evaluating surface
continuity.

single iso-angle lines multiple iso-angle lines

Note The IsoAngle tool is also in the Diagnostic Shading

section of the Direct Modeling Control Panel (see 5. Iso-
Angle highlights on page 535).

Evaluating Your Model

588
Displaying Iso-Angle Lines
How To To display iso-angle lines
1 Select one or more surfaces that you want to examine.

2 Click the IsoAngle icon, or choose IsoAngle from the

Evaluate palette menu.

The iso-angle lines are displayed on the surface.

arrow icon cross-hatch
(light source) on axis arc To adjust the position of the iso-angle lines, drag either the
arrow icon (which represents a light source), the cross-
hatches on the axis arcs, or the actual iso-angle lines on the
surface.
(Dragging on the surface with the left mouse button
rotates the iso-angle lines about the center of the surface’s
volume; dragging on the surface with the right mouse
button rotates the iso-angle lines about a point on the
surface.)
To hide the manipulator, click the Hide Manipulator button.
To show it again, click the Show Manipulator button.

Options

Type of Bands
Controls whether iso-angle lines are white (Single) or
colored (Multiple).

Shaded surface
Controls whether iso-angle lines are displayed as shaded
lines (ON) or not (OFF).

Evaluating Your Model

589
Displaying Iso-Angle Lines
Visual Curves
Controls whether iso-angle lines are displayed as curves-
on-surface (ON) or not (OFF).

Width of Single Band

The width of white band iso-angle lines. This option is
only available if Type of Bands is Single.

Repeat Multiple Bands

The number of times colored band iso-angle lines are
repeated on each surface. This option is only available if
Type of Bands is Multiple.

Blur
The blurriness of iso-angle line edges. This option is only
available if Shaded surface is on.

Vector
The position of the vector represented by the arrow icon
(light source).

Transparency
The transparency of surfaces with iso-angle lines.

Evaluating Your Model

590
Displaying Iso-Angle Lines
Evaluate > Creating Curves-on-Surface for
Surface evaluate
Various Criteria

Purpose Create curves-on-surface corresponding to highlights, iso-

curvature lines, contours, horizon lines, or parting lines.

How To To create curves-on-surface from highlights

1 Pick the surfaces on which you want to create curves-on-
surface.

2 Double click the Surface evaluate icon, or choose

Surface evaluate-❏ from the Evaluate palette menu.
The Surface Evaluate control window opens.

3 Set the Evaluation Type to Highlights.

The highlight manipulator appears.

4 Set the following options (see Highlights Options on

page 595 for more details):
◆ The number of lights you want to create highlights
from.
◆ The spacing between the lights (if there is more than
one)
◆ The width of the light (if there is only one).
◆ Set the Subdivision option from 1 to 6. The higher the
value, the more precise the result. Use low values for
draft quality, use higher values for final results.
The manipulator reflects the changes.

Evaluating Your Model

591
Creating Curves-on-Surface for Various Criteria
5 Drag different handles on the manipulator to orient the
light(s), or type exact values into the Light Origin, Light
Direction, and Spacing Plane fields of the Surface Evaluate
window.

6 Click Go to create the curves-on-surface.

You can click the Undo button in the control window to
remove the curves on surface, or change the manipulator
and click Recalc.

To create curves on surface along lines of constant

curvature
1 Pick the surfaces on which you want to create curves-on-
surface.

2 Double click the Surface evaluate icon, or choose

Surface evaluate-❏ from the Evaluate palette menu.
The Surface Evaluate control window opens.

3 Set the Evaluation Type to Curvature.

4 Set the following options (see Curvature Options on

page 596 for more details):
◆ The Curvature Type.
◆ The Curvature Value at which you want to create curves
on surface. For example, enter 0 to create curves-on-
surface along inflection lines.
◆ Set the Subdivision option from 1 to 6. The higher the
value, the more precise the result. Use low values for
draft quality, use higher values for final results.

5 Click Go to create the curves-on-surface.

You can click the Undo button to remove the curves on
surface, or change the manipulator and click Recalc.
CoS at
curvature
0.0 To create curves-on-surface along a contour line
1 Pick the surfaces on which you want to create curves-on-
surface.

2 Double click the Surface evaluate icon, or choose

Surface evaluate-❏ from the Evaluate palette menu.

Evaluating Your Model

592
Creating Curves-on-Surface for Various Criteria
The Surface Evaluate control window opens.

3 Set the Evaluation Type to Contour.

The contour manipulator appears.

4 Drag different handles on the manipulator to orient the

cross-section plane, or type exact values in the Plane Origin
and Plane Normal fields of the Surface Evaluate window.
(See Contour Options on page 597 for details.)

5 Click Go to create the curves-on-surface.

You can click the Undo button to remove the curves on
surface, or change the manipulator and click Recalc.
contour
CoS
To create curves on surface along the horizon line
1 Pick the surfaces on which you want to create curves-on-
surface.

2 Double click the Surface evaluate icon, or choose

Surface evaluate-❏ from the Evaluate palette menu.
The Surface Evaluate control window opens.

3 Set the Evaluation Type to Horizon.

4 Set the Horizon Type.

If the Horizon Type is Perspective, a viewpoint locator

appears. Drag this locator to move the viewpoint, or type
exact coordinates in the View Point fields in the Surface
Evaluate window.

If the Horizon Type is Orthogonal, type a direction in the View

Direction fields in the Surface Evaluate window.
See Horizon Options on page 597 for more details on these
options.

Evaluating Your Model

593
Creating Curves-on-Surface for Various Criteria
5 Click Go to create the curves-on-surface.
You can click the Undo button to remove the curves on
surface, or change the manipulator and click Recalc.

perspective
horizon line To create curves on surface along the parting line

view point 1 Pick the surfaces on which you want to create curves-on-
surface.

2 Double click the Surface evaluate icon, or choose

Surface evaluate-❏ from the Evaluate palette menu.
The Surface Evaluate control window opens.

3 Set the Evaluation Type to Parting Line.

The parting line manipulator appears.

4 Set the following options (see Parting Line Options on

page 598 for more details):
◆ The Draft Angle.
◆ Set the Subdivision option from 1 to 6. The higher the
value, the more precise the result. Use low values for
draft quality, use higher values for final results.

5 Drag different handles on the manipulator to orient the

pull vector or type exact values into the Pull Vector fields of
the Surface Evaluate window.

6 Click Go to create the curves-on-surface.

You can click the Undo button to remove the curves on
surface, or change the manipulator and click Recalc.
Part lines

Tips and Notes ● When using the Horizon evaluation type, note that if the
horizon does not cross the surfaces when viewed from the
point or direction you set, the Surface evaluate tool will not
create any curves on surface.
● The Surface Evaluate tool creates curves-on-surface with
construction history.

Evaluating Your Model

594
Creating Curves-on-Surface for Various Criteria
Surface Evaluate Option Evaluation Type
Window
Highlights
Create curves-on-surface corresponding to highlight lines
produced by light sources.

Curvature
Create curves-on-surface along lines of constant
curvature.

Contour
Create curves-on-surface from a single-plane cross-
section.

Horizon
Produce curves-on-surface from horizon lines as seen
from a point in space or from a direction.

Parting Line
Creates curves-on-surface at the boundaries of out-of-
draft areas.

These options appear when Highlights Options

Evaluation Type is
Highlights.
Light Origin
The 3D coordinates of the first light’s origin (center point).
You can set this interactively with the highlight
manipulator when you use the tool.

Light Direction
The direction in which the light sources point.
You can set this vector interactively with the highlight
manipulator when you use the tool.

Number of Lights
The number of lights from which to create curves-on-
surface highlights.
If you use more than one light, the multiple lights are
always parallel to each other.

This option appears when Light Width

Number of Lights is 1. The width of the single light source.

Evaluating Your Model

595
Creating Curves-on-Surface for Various Criteria
Set the width to 0 to create a single curve-on-surface. Set
the width greater than 0 to create two curves-on-surface
corresponding to the edges of a wide highlight.
This option has no effect if Visual is turned on.

This option appears when Light Spacing

Number of Lights is greater The spacing between multiple light sources.
than 1.

This option appears when Spacing Plane

Number of Lights is greater The vector perpendicular to the plane of the lights.
than 1.
You can set this vector interactively with the highlight
manipulator when you use the tool.

Subdivision
The quality of the curve-on-surface projection, from 1 to 6.
The higher the value, the more precise the result. Use low
values for draft quality, use higher values for final results.

Visual
Draw fast polylines instead of curves-on-surface.
Unlike curves-on-surface, these lines are for display only,
and cannot be picked or used to create geometry.
The lines are represented in the SBD window by one node
that contains a white box and no text/name.
To delete these lines, open the SBD window and delete the
node representing the lines.

Vector/Plane
Enter the name of a vector to align the Surface Evaluate
manipulator with that vector. (You can also click on a
vector to align the Surface Evaluate manipulator with that
vector.) See Reference Vectors on page 44.

These options appear when Curvature Options

Evaluation Type is
Curvature.
Curvature Type
Choose the method of calculating curvature on the
surface:
Mean—average the two principal curvatures at each point
on the surface.
Gaussian—multiply the two principal curvatures at each
point on the surface.

Evaluating Your Model

596
Creating Curves-on-Surface for Various Criteria
Principal Min/Principal Max—use the minimum or maximum
curvature values (that is, the curvature of the steepest or
flattest curves that pass through each point).
Mean or Gaussian curvature is most useful for detecting
surface irregularities. Principal Min or Max curvature is most
useful for detecting inflection points.

Curvature Value
Enter the curvature value for the iso-curvature lines you
want to create.
The Surface evaluate tool will create curves-on-surface
along these lines of constant curvature.

These options appear when Contour Options

Evaluation Type is Contour.
Plane Origin
The 3D coordinates of the origin of the plane which will
intersect the surfaces to create curves-on-surface.
You can set this interactively with the contour
manipulator when you use the tool.

Plane Normal
The vector perpendicular to the plane.
You can set this vector interactively with the contour
manipulator when you use the tool.

These options appear when Horizon Options

Evaluation Type is Horizon.
Horizon Type
Choose how to project the horizon line onto the surfaces.
Perspective—use the horizon as seen from a certain point
in space.
Orthogonal—view the horizon from a certain direction.
With this technique, the “sightlines” are parallel and the
viewpoint is infinity.
Note that if the horizon does not cross the surfaces when
viewed from this point or direction, the Surface evaluate
tool will not create any curves on surface.

This option appears when View Point

Horizon Type is Perspective. The point in space from which to look at the picked
surfaces and the horizon.

Evaluating Your Model

597
Creating Curves-on-Surface for Various Criteria
You can set this interactively with the viewpoint locator
when you use the tool.

This option appears when View Direction

Horizon Type is Orthogonal. The view direction from which to look at the picked
surfaces and the horizon.

These options appear when Parting Line Options

Evaluation Type is Parting
Line. Some manufacturing processes, such as injection molding,
impose restrictions on the shape of an object. To avoid
problems you should understand the following concepts:
● The mold parts are pulled away from the object in a
straight line, the pull vector.

● If the sides of the mold are too steep, the object cannot
leave the mold. As well, the object cannot leave the mold if
Pull the mold undercuts itself. (See figure on the left.)
Object
Vector
● The minimum allowable angle between the sides of the
mold and the pull vector is the draft angle.
Undercut
● If part of a surface has an angle less than the draft angle, it
is said to be out-of-draft.

Pull Vector
Enter 3D coordinates to define a vector.
For example, if you want the pull vector to run along the
Z axis, enter 0, 0, 1.

Draft Angle
Enter the draft angle.
If the angle between a surface point and the pull vector is
less than this value, the surface point is out-of-draft, and is
colored pink.
If the angle between a surface point and the pull vector is
more than this value, the surface point is in-draft, and is
colored green.

Evaluating Your Model

598
Creating Curves-on-Surface for Various Criteria
Control Options

Create History
Save the history of the new curves-on-surface for later
editing. If you turn Create History on, you can modify the
surfaces and the curves-on-surface will update.

Auto Recalc.
Update the curves-on-surface automatically as you
change the values in the Surface Evaluate window.

Buttons

Recalc
When Auto Recalc. is off, use this button to update the
curves on surface to correspond to the current options.

Undo
Undo all the changes made by the Evaluate surface tool and
return to the original surface.

Next
Finish creating curves-on-surface on the current surface
and prompt for a new surface to evaluate.

Evaluating Your Model

599
Creating Curves-on-Surface for Various Criteria
Evaluate > Measuring Minimum and Maximum
Min/max curvature
Curvature

Purpose Find the points with minimum and maximum curvature on a

surface or a set of surfaces.

How To To show the minimum and maximum curvature values on

one or more surface(s)
1 Pick the surface(s) you want to evaluate.

2 Double-click the Min/max curvature icon, or choose Min/max

curvature-❏ from the Evaluate palette menu.

3 In the option window, set Mode to Active.

The Min/max curvature tool places temporary locators at the

minimum and maximum curvature points on the
surface(s), and opens a window displaying detailed
information about the points.

Max and Min curvature locators

Evaluating Your Model

600
Measuring Minimum and Maximum Curvature
Note When selecting more than one surface, the Min and
Max curvatures are calculated over all the surfaces,
rather than for each surface individually.

Options Mode
Choose whether to compute the curvatures on only Active
(picked) objects, or All objects. All is the default.

Curvature Type
Choose how to calculate the curvature values:
Mean—use the average of the two principal curvatures to
approximate the average curvature through each point.
Gaussian—use the product of the two principal curvatures.
Principle Mininum/Principle Maximum—use the minimum or
maximum curvature values (that is, the curvature of the
steepest or flattest curves that pass through each point).
From Curvature Texture—use the same type as in the Surface
Curvature > Surf curv params window.
The Mean and Gaussian options are most useful for
detecting surface irregularities. The Princ Min/Max options
are most useful for finding inflection points.

Evaluating Your Model

601
Measuring Minimum and Maximum Curvature
Evaluate > Measuring Mass Properties
Mass properties

Purpose Display mass properties (such as volume) of a model.

Overview The Mass properties tool provides three ways of specifying the
object to measure:

Example Cross-sections ● Solid: the surfaces you pick represent the boundaries of a
closed, solid object.
● Shell Interior and Shell Exterior: the surfaces you pick
Solid
represent one side of a thin shell enclosing a hollow space
(e.g. modeling a bottle with a single surface of revolution).
You specify the thickness of the shell.
Shell Interior
Restrictions

To get accurate statistics on an object, the following conditions

Shell Exterior must be met:
● The surfaces must completely enclose a volume. The
edges of surfaces must meet within the tolerance value set
in the Mass properties option window.
● The normals on all NURBS surfaces must point out of the
solid, and, when moving along a face boundary in the
increasing U direction, the face area must be to the left
when viewed from outside the solid.
or
The normals on all NURBS surfaces must point into the
solid, and, when moving along a face boundary in the
increasing U direction, the face area must be to the right
when viewed from outside the solid.

Evaluating Your Model

602
Measuring Mass Properties
You can check the seam between two surfaces by placing a
Deviation measurement on the seam (see page 561). You can
check the orientation of normals using the Reverse direction tool
(see Reversing Direction and Normals on page 135)

Display

The Mass properties window displays the following

information:

Label Description Formula

volume Volume enclosed by

the picked surfaces, ∫ ∫ ∫ dV
or volume occupied
by shell surface with
given thickness.
origin Moment of inertia
inertia about the origin. ∫ ∫ ∫ ( x 2 + y 2 + z 2 ) dV
area Area of the picked
surfaces. ∫ ∫ dA
cur. Current unit of
dimen measurement (default
is centimeters).
centroid X, Y, Z coordinates of (
the center of the object ∫ ∫ ∫
x dV ), ( ∫ ∫ ∫ y dV ), ( ∫ ∫ ∫ z dV )

∫ ∫ ∫ dV ∫ ∫ ∫ dV ∫ ∫ ∫ dV
inertia Moments of inertia
about the X, Y, and Z ∫ ∫ ∫ ( y 2 + z 2 ) dV (X axis)
axes. ∫ ∫ ∫ ( z2 + x 2 ) dV (Y axis)
∫ ∫ ∫ ( x 2 + y 2 ) dV (Z axis)
1st First moments along
moment the X, Y, and Z axes. ∫ ∫ ∫ x dV
∫ ∫ ∫ y dV
∫ ∫ ∫ z dV
2nd Second moments
moment along the X, Y, and Z ∫ ∫ ∫ x 2 dV
axes. ∫ ∫ ∫ y 2 dV
∫ ∫ ∫ z 2 dV

Evaluating Your Model

603
Measuring Mass Properties
Note If you are using a construction plane when you click
the tool, the calculations use the X, Y, and Z axes of the
current construction plane.

How To To show the mass properties of a model

1 Pick all the surfaces that make up the model. Make sure
the surfaces completely enclose the volume of the object.

2 Click the Mass properties icon, or choose Mass properties

from the Evaluate palette menu.
When the Mass properties tool completes its calculations,
the Mass properties window appears, containing statistics
about the object.
If you change the options of the Mass properties tool, the
window will update.

Tips and Notes ● Using the Mass properties tool with the Solid option on a
group of surfaces with gaps will not produce an error.
In fact, the results are still meaningful if the gaps between
surfaces are not too large.

See Reversing Direction and ● If some of the inertia and moment values are negative,
Normals on page 135. some of the surfaces probably have normals pointing
inward. Use the Reverse direction tool to find and reverse
the surfaces so they have normals pointing out.
● Depending on surfaces and normals, it is possible to
confuse Shell Int. and Shell Ext. as to which are the exterior
and which are the interior surfaces.
When in doubt, run the calculations with both and
compare. The results with the smaller volume and surface
area are those associated with Shell Int (i.e the picked
surfaces are the exterior surfaces).

Evaluating Your Model

604
Measuring Mass Properties
Options

Volume, Surface Area, Centroid,

Inertia, 1st Moment, 2nd Moment
Check the values you want to display in the
Mass properties window.

Type
Describe the way the selected surfaces or faces define the
solid.
Solid: the surfaces you pick represent the boundaries of a
closed, solid object.
Shell Int/Shell Ext: the surfaces you pick represent the
exterior/interior of a thin shell enclosing a hollow space
(e.g. modeling a bottle with a single surface of revolution).
The Thickness option (below) specifies the thickness of that
shell.

Evaluating Your Model

605
Measuring Mass Properties
Bounded
Z
Turn this option on to calculate mass properties for only
1.0 that part of a solid bounded between two planes (see
X below).

-1.0 Axis
Specify whether the two bounding planes are
Bounded sphere. Calculations
are done for the green region. perpendicular to the X, Y or Z axis (in the current
corrdinate system).
In the diagram on the left, the Axis is Z.

The Axis, Min and Max Min

options appear when Max
Bounded is on.
Specify the values for the position of the planes along the
chosen axis.
In the diagram on the left, the Min and Max are -1.0 and 1.0.

This appears only when Tolerance

Solid is on. The maximum distance allowed between adjacent
surfaces for them to form a closed volume

The Thickness and Precision Thickness

options appear only when The uniform thickness of the shell when using the Shell Int
Shell Int or Shell Ext is on.
or Shell Ext options (above). In these cases, the Volume
corresponds to the volume of the shell, rather than that of
the enclosed space. The Area corresponds to the sum of the
interior and exterior surface areas.

Precision
Control the accuracy of the result. The higher this value is,
the more accurate the result. The default value of 16
results in less than 1% error. Doubling the precision
number usually quadruples the amount of calculations
and the computational time.

Evaluating Your Model

606
Measuring Mass Properties

Alias - Wavefront Fundamentals
No ratings yet
Alias - Wavefront Fundamentals
141 pages
Alias - Wavefront BasicTools
No ratings yet
Alias - Wavefront BasicTools
620 pages
Alias - Wavefront Rendering
No ratings yet
Alias - Wavefront Rendering
566 pages
Alias Studio Tools Getting Started
No ratings yet
Alias Studio Tools Getting Started
52 pages
Alias - Wavefront Polygons
No ratings yet
Alias - Wavefront Polygons
130 pages
Maya 5: Advanced 3D Animation Software
100% (1)
Maya 5: Advanced 3D Animation Software
2 pages
Alias Detail Brochure Us English
No ratings yet
Alias Detail Brochure Us English
10 pages
Technical Surfacing
No ratings yet
Technical Surfacing
120 pages
Auto Studio Detail Broch r1 v6
No ratings yet
Auto Studio Detail Broch r1 v6
7 pages
Moving To Alias Studio From Rhino Users
No ratings yet
Moving To Alias Studio From Rhino Users
36 pages
Alias - Wavefront ReleaseNotes-9 - 5
No ratings yet
Alias - Wavefront ReleaseNotes-9 - 5
159 pages
Alias - Wavefront OpenModel
No ratings yet
Alias - Wavefront OpenModel
940 pages
Alias - Wavefront OpenRender
No ratings yet
Alias - Wavefront OpenRender
67 pages
3 Dwbook
No ratings yet
3 Dwbook
340 pages
Alias vs. ICEM: Class A Surfacing Tools
100% (2)
Alias vs. ICEM: Class A Surfacing Tools
36 pages
MTEXT Format Codes Explained
No ratings yet
MTEXT Format Codes Explained
1 page
Create Class A Surfaces With Autodesk Alias Surface
No ratings yet
Create Class A Surfaces With Autodesk Alias Surface
3 pages
NYU Tisch Welcome Guide to LA
100% (2)
NYU Tisch Welcome Guide to LA
21 pages
Environment Variables: Aliasstudio 2008
No ratings yet
Environment Variables: Aliasstudio 2008
20 pages
Matter
No ratings yet
Matter
248 pages
Terragen 2 Water Shader Guide
No ratings yet
Terragen 2 Water Shader Guide
24 pages
Alias - Wavefront DataTransfer
No ratings yet
Alias - Wavefront DataTransfer
215 pages
Blender Training: 3D Character Creation
No ratings yet
Blender Training: 3D Character Creation
20 pages
HALion 6 Operation Manual en
No ratings yet
HALion 6 Operation Manual en
550 pages
Volume 2 - Sound Design
No ratings yet
Volume 2 - Sound Design
192 pages
Alias API
100% (1)
Alias API
1,152 pages
Alias Intro
100% (3)
Alias Intro
41 pages
AutoCAD User Secrets and Puzzlers
100% (1)
AutoCAD User Secrets and Puzzlers
35 pages
Wreckfest Engine Audio Modding Guide
No ratings yet
Wreckfest Engine Audio Modding Guide
8 pages
Moog Theremini Live Performance Guide
No ratings yet
Moog Theremini Live Performance Guide
34 pages
Pro Tools Reference Guide
No ratings yet
Pro Tools Reference Guide
728 pages
The Official Publication THE: OF Yamaha Users Group
No ratings yet
The Official Publication THE: OF Yamaha Users Group
20 pages
3D Tool Manual
No ratings yet
3D Tool Manual
127 pages
Hydra Pixar Presentation S5327-Jeremy-Cowles
No ratings yet
Hydra Pixar Presentation S5327-Jeremy-Cowles
23 pages
St. Louis Symphony Broadcast Program, May 4, 2013
No ratings yet
St. Louis Symphony Broadcast Program, May 4, 2013
16 pages
Nick's AutoLisp Utility Routines
No ratings yet
Nick's AutoLisp Utility Routines
12 pages
Behringer Pro vs Mini Waveforms Guide
No ratings yet
Behringer Pro vs Mini Waveforms Guide
2 pages
PowerMill 2017 Getting Started Guide
No ratings yet
PowerMill 2017 Getting Started Guide
87 pages
Fusion 360 Simulation Results Guide
No ratings yet
Fusion 360 Simulation Results Guide
53 pages
Beginner's Guide to Butterfly Animation
No ratings yet
Beginner's Guide to Butterfly Animation
10 pages
Next Gen Character Rendering
No ratings yet
Next Gen Character Rendering
311 pages
BMD Design Guidelines for Studio System
No ratings yet
BMD Design Guidelines for Studio System
15 pages
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro
No ratings yet
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro
5 pages
Python Programming Fundamentals Guide
No ratings yet
Python Programming Fundamentals Guide
37 pages
RC-600 Parameter Eng04 W
No ratings yet
RC-600 Parameter Eng04 W
48 pages
MiniLab Setup Guide for Ableton Users
No ratings yet
MiniLab Setup Guide for Ableton Users
4 pages
EOS Design/Cost Tradeoff Report
No ratings yet
EOS Design/Cost Tradeoff Report
356 pages
Adskpid Gs PDF
No ratings yet
Adskpid Gs PDF
108 pages
3D World UK Christmas 2019
No ratings yet
3D World UK Christmas 2019
101 pages
Autodesk Alias Digital Sculpting Guide
No ratings yet
Autodesk Alias Digital Sculpting Guide
31 pages
Introduction to Autodesk Alias Design
No ratings yet
Introduction to Autodesk Alias Design
12 pages
Autodesk AliasStudio User Guide
No ratings yet
Autodesk AliasStudio User Guide
10 pages
NURBS Modeling Techniques in Maya
No ratings yet
NURBS Modeling Techniques in Maya
202 pages
Ice M 2 Alias Studio
No ratings yet
Ice M 2 Alias Studio
53 pages
Learning Alias Studio 01
100% (10)
Learning Alias Studio 01
418 pages
Autodesk Maya: 3D Animation Overview
No ratings yet
Autodesk Maya: 3D Animation Overview
12 pages
Advanced 3D Modeling in AutoCAD
100% (2)
Advanced 3D Modeling in AutoCAD
3 pages
Advance Rhino
No ratings yet
Advance Rhino
2 pages
AutoCAD 2D/3D Course Curriculum
No ratings yet
AutoCAD 2D/3D Course Curriculum
5 pages
Heads-Up Nash Push/Fold Strategy
No ratings yet
Heads-Up Nash Push/Fold Strategy
1 page
Methods for Solving Linear Systems
No ratings yet
Methods for Solving Linear Systems
11 pages
Pon Pure Chemical - R-31082018
No ratings yet
Pon Pure Chemical - R-31082018
8 pages
TPK Enterprises 6062022 23 22 Nov 22
No ratings yet
TPK Enterprises 6062022 23 22 Nov 22
1 page
Understanding the Unruh Effect
No ratings yet
Understanding the Unruh Effect
16 pages
Assessing Matrix Effects in HPLC-MS/MS
No ratings yet
Assessing Matrix Effects in HPLC-MS/MS
9 pages
Understanding Malware: Viruses, Worms, Trojans
No ratings yet
Understanding Malware: Viruses, Worms, Trojans
16 pages
Coal Combustion Products Utilization Handbook
100% (2)
Coal Combustion Products Utilization Handbook
448 pages
Footballer Interview Lesson Plan
No ratings yet
Footballer Interview Lesson Plan
4 pages
Retaining Wall Design Project Report
No ratings yet
Retaining Wall Design Project Report
38 pages
Multi-Purpose Building Bill of Materials
No ratings yet
Multi-Purpose Building Bill of Materials
1 page
Smart Window Mechanism Overview
No ratings yet
Smart Window Mechanism Overview
6 pages
Hema Lakshmi: Java Developer Profile
No ratings yet
Hema Lakshmi: Java Developer Profile
1 page
Canal Estimate for Aggregate Supply
No ratings yet
Canal Estimate for Aggregate Supply
192 pages
DVB Overview and Packet Structure
No ratings yet
DVB Overview and Packet Structure
22 pages
SDS MG3DF 2020
No ratings yet
SDS MG3DF 2020
11 pages
Overview of Distributed Systems Concepts
No ratings yet
Overview of Distributed Systems Concepts
50 pages
International Stock Exchange Codes List
No ratings yet
International Stock Exchange Codes List
14 pages
Understanding Cell Structure and Function
No ratings yet
Understanding Cell Structure and Function
4 pages
CBSE Class 10 Physics Exam Paper
No ratings yet
CBSE Class 10 Physics Exam Paper
3 pages
Essential Quantitative Aptitude Guide
No ratings yet
Essential Quantitative Aptitude Guide
2 pages
CNR User's Guide 6.3
No ratings yet
CNR User's Guide 6.3
594 pages
LDM2 Planning for Teachers at Rojas School
No ratings yet
LDM2 Planning for Teachers at Rojas School
2 pages
Luxury Villas in Bhimtal's Eden
No ratings yet
Luxury Villas in Bhimtal's Eden
20 pages
Introduction to Smooth Manifolds
No ratings yet
Introduction to Smooth Manifolds
114 pages
Kardashev Scale: Types I-VII Timeline
No ratings yet
Kardashev Scale: Types I-VII Timeline
6 pages
Civil Engineering History in the Philippines
0% (1)
Civil Engineering History in the Philippines
2 pages
Extraction Lab 2 - Group2
No ratings yet
Extraction Lab 2 - Group2
19 pages
2-Principles For Financial Market Infrastructures
No ratings yet
2-Principles For Financial Market Infrastructures
188 pages
Vortex Mixer Specifications and Features
No ratings yet
Vortex Mixer Specifications and Features
7 pages