Guided loft: Create a surface using matchlines

Description: 5 minutes; Lab exercise: 20 minutes

Use the Matchlines option to get the desired result from multiple profiles with an unequal number of vertices. If the number of edges and vertices of all profiles is not identical, the relative position of a vertex within its profile is used to determine positions in the other profiles. This often leads to unwanted results. Create matchlines to fix the problem. Matchlines show where you want the vertices of the profile edges to be connected together.

Conditions for working with matchlines

Limitations for matchlines

Lab exercise

  1. Save the file matching.pkg on your system.
  2. Load the matching.pkg file.
  3. Right-click and select Show Settings. Click Vertices on.
  4. Click Surfacing .
  5. Click Guided Loft in the Create Face section.
  6. Select the line as the Spine.
  7. Select everything else as the Profile Edges.
  8. Click Preview.
  9. Expand the Matchlines section.
  10. Click Create.
  11. Select the vertex of the profile where you want to define the matchline. Select a vertex from each of the other two profiles to complete the matchline.  It will turn purple.
  12. Click Modify in the Matchlines section.
  13. Select a new vertex for the matchline.  The surface is updated.
  14. Click Remove in the Matchlines section.
  15. Select the vertex of the matchline to remove.  The matchline is removed and the surface goes back to its original shape.
  16. Practice adding and modifying matchlines.  When you are finished, click to complete the operation.

Lab exercise

  1. Save the file nonPlanarProfile.pkg on your system.
  2. Load the nonPlanarProfile.pkg file.
  3. Click Surfacing .
  4. Click Guided Loft in the Create Face section.
  5. Select the two curves as the Spine.
  6. Select the edges of the non-planar opening on the cylinder and the edges of the planar rectangle as the Profile Edges.
  7. Click Preview.
  8. Expand the Matchlines section.
  9. Click Create.
  10. Select the bottom vertex on the end of the spout and the top vertex on the other profile to complete the matchline.  It will turn purple. Do this on both "sides" of the spout.
  11. When you are finished, click to complete the operation.

Preview of surface without matchlines

Result of guided loft

Preview of surface with matchlines - one on either side of the spout

Result of guided loft with matchlines.
The spout is twisted according to the matchlines.