Create 3D curves

Description: 5 minutes; Lab exercise 1, Lab exercise 2: 40 minutes total

Use the new copilots to create 3D line, arc, circle, and spline curves easily. Define start and end conditions when connecting a curve to an existing edge or face.

Now in 3D Curves:

Follow Me

Each time you create a curve, be sure to turn on Follow Me so that the origin of the curve moves where you want it to. Otherwise, the CoPilot remains static and the origin of the curve is always at the CoPilot's base.

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.

  3. Click .  Follow Me is now on by default.

Start and End conditions

Determine where your curve will be positioned in relation to an existing edge or face. Position is the default and no special conditions are set. The start and end conditions are only available in Interpol mode. For more about connect conditions, please read Curve connect condition.

When you specify an end condition as Closed, you are creating a closed spline curve.

 

Lab exercise 1

These exercises provide hands-on experience using the new 3D Curve features in OneSpace Designer Modeling 2005.

Prerequisites

Create 3D curves

Create a series of 3D curves using the Point 3D CoPilot. Since the creation of 3D curves relies heavily on the Point 3D CoPilot, it is important that you are comfortable with using this new tool.  Remember that all CoPilot options are available via the right-click context menu.

  1. Start OneSpace Designer Modeling and create a workplane.

  2. Using the Create 2D/Construction menu, create four horizontal infinite lines.

  3. Using the Create 2D/Construction menu, create two construction points on each horizontal line.

  1. Click Spline in the Create Directly section.  The Point 3D CoPilot appears.

  2. Name the part 3d_curves.

  3. Go to Edit > Settings > Viewport Settings and click Axes on to show the coordinate system in the viewport. Use the coordinate system to determine which direction your CoPilot is in and where you are creating interpolation points.

  4. Click Follow Me in the dialog.  The Point 3D CoPilot will move to each interpolation point that is selected. (If you have already turned on Follow in the 3D Curve Settings menu, then you do not need to turn on Follow Me in the 3D Curve dialog.)

  5. To specify an interpolation point, click a point in the viewport.  In this case, click one of the construction points. The Point 3D CoPilot is now positioned at that interpolation point.

  6. Now, rotate the CoPilot (or the workplane) so that you can see the W and U arrows on the CoPilot. Click the WU arc or right-click and select WU Plane from the context menu.

 When the arc or arrows are green, the CoPilot is in Plane mode, which allows the CoPilot to move in different planes.

  1. Move the cursor to Length: 40 mm, Angle: 50. Rectangular feedback starts at the origin point of the CoPilot (which is also your first interpolation point since Follow Me is on) and shows you the distance and angle from the CoPilot. Click the viewport to fix the point.

  2. Move the cursor toward the next construction point on the same construction line. Right-click and select 3D Pick. The CoPilot is now in 3D Pick mode and you can "snap" to the construction point. Remember, the snap symbol is an orange circle.

  3. Click to finish the curve.

  4. Click Spline in the Create Directly section again and continue making your 3D curves.  

  5. Save the four curves as a package file called 3d_curves.pkg.

  

While creating your curve, you can modify the tangent of an interpolation point by creating a point and then clicking Tangent in the dialog. The Vector 3D CoPilot appears in modify mode.  Click one of the arcs or the arrow to change the tangency at the specified point. Right-click and choose one of the options from the context menu. Finish the curve or continue making points.

 

Lab exercise 2

Prerequisites

Create a 3D curve with a connect condition

Create a spline curve and connect it to an existing curve using the curve connect condition.

  1. Start OneSpace Designer Modeling and load the 3d_curves.pkg file.
  2. Click Spline in the Create Directly section. The Point 3D CoPilot appears to help you create a curve.
  3. If you haven't turned on Follow in the Settings menu, click Follow Me in the dialog.
  4. Choose Edge for the Start Condition. The Condition dialog is now available and you can define the position of the new curve in relation to an existing edge.
  5. Select the edge you would like to connect to.

At the end point of the edge an arrow appears to show the connect condition.  Orange = curvature continuous. Blue = tangential. Now you can specify the tangent for the curve you will create.

Curvature continuous condition

Tangential condition

  1. After choosing either Tangential or Curv Cont, further specify the tangent with the following options:

Once the tangent is determined, choose one of the following:

  1. Click the viewport to create interpolation points for the curve. Use 3D Pick or plane modes to determine the direction of the curve.

  1. Choose Edge for the End Condition. Select an edge to connect to.

  1. Choose Tangential or Curv Cont and the other tangent specifications.
  1. Click Accept.
  2. Click to complete the operation.

You can also create curves with a connect condition to an existing face.  The dialog works with Face in much the same way as it works with Edge.