Point 3D CoPilot

Description: 15 minutes

Use the new Point 3D CoPilot in 3D Curves and Surfacing commands. This feature increases functionality while decreasing your number of clicks.

Watch a video about Using the Point 3D CoPilot.

Overview

The Point 3D CoPilot is activated in the 3D curve and Surfacing commands.  The Point 3D CoPilot appears on the screen with a local coordinate system shown by 3 arrows (U, V, and W) and 3 planes (UV, VW, and WU). 

 

When Follow Me is switched on in a task dialog, the Point 3D CoPilot will follow the cursor with each click and move to each interpolation point as it is created.

To keep Follow Me on all the time,

  1. Click Settings in the Tools section of the 3D Curve menu.

  2. Click Follow in the Coordinate System section.  Follow Me is now on by default.

Modes

The Point 3D CoPilot operates in two modes: 

Right-click to access the 3D Pick mode, plane mode, and other options. 

Follow the directions in the Prompt Bar to use the Point 3D CoPilot.

3D pick mode

In 3D Pick mode, the Point 3D CoPilot catches to existing geometry elements. 

If there is no existing geometry, the behavior of the tool depends on the visibility of the workplane. 

Plane mode

The options for plane mode are UV, VW, WU.

  1. Switch from 3D Pick mode to plane mode by clicking on an arc between two axes or right-click and select the plane from the context menu.  The arc disappears and the associated CoPilot arrows become green.  The Point 3D CoPilot now has the same functionality as the 2D CoPilot.

 

  1. Click points on your model or in the workplane. 
  2. The 3D Snapping option from the 2D CoPilot is available.  Vertices and edges can be projected temporarily onto the active plane by hovering over these elements with the cursor.  Feedback is drawn as a catchable element in the active plane.  When the cursor approaches one of these catchable elements, the feedback snaps to that element.  Click to use the position of that element as a 3D point.

Menu options

Lift Point

In plane mode, define an offset for the interpolation point in relation to the active plane. 

  1. Select Lift Point from the context menu. A dragger appears at the current cursor position.

  1. When you move the mouse the offset is displayed near the cursor.  Feedback in the form of a 3D box shows the base point in the active plane and the lift point’s position with respect to the active plane.
  2. Drag the mouse and align the point’s position with existing geometry.  When the cursor is on an element that is parallel to the active plane or on a vertex, the point snaps to the same height as that element.  Deactivate the snapping capability by holding down the Shift key while dragging.

View by active plane

Available in plane mode.  While creating points, change the view so that the current plane is shown.

Show Coordinates

In the right-click menu, turn on Show Coordinates to show Global, Local, and Polar coordinates.  When Show Coordinates is on, a Point Coordinates dialog appears below the existing 3D curve dialog.

Use the Point Coordinates dialog to see and specifically determine the exact location of your interpolation points.  If you want to type a value into the dialog, right-click and choose Freeze Coordinates from the CoPilot's context menu. After you type a value(s),

To make the Local and Polar coordinates active, the Point 3D CoPilot must be in plane mode.

Freeze Coordinates

Stop the Point 3D CoPilot so that you can enter coordinates into the Point Coordinates dialog.  When you change a coordinate, the coordinates in the other sections update accordingly.  The point in the viewport will not move, but CoPilot feedback in the viewport is updated.  To continue, click Accept.

2D CoPilot Settings

Modify the 2D CoPilot settings. 

Clear 3D Snaps

In plane mode, clear the temporary projections of elements that appear in the active plane. 

Repositioning menu options

The initial position of the Point 3D CoPilot is determined by the current command.  This position may be the origin of the global or local coordinate system or a previously-defined point from the Follow Me mode.

Reposition the Point 3D CoPilot:

Use the Point 3D CoPilot in the following labs: