Sweep profile curves along one or more path curves

Create a surface from one profile

1. Choose Surfaces > Swept Surfaces > Profile .

   The Profile Control window opens.

2. Select the curves or surface curves that make up the profile, and click Accept, then Done.

   The curves must be planar. The profile can have sharp bends and can be closed.

3. Click the curves or surface curves that define the rail, and click Build.

   Rails can include curves and surface curves. Rails must be position and tangent continuous. They can be closed. You can use multiple tangent continuous rail curves with chain select or by making additional selections before accepting the rail input.

   Note: If Profile orientation is set to Surface normal, you must click Accept (instead of Build) then select the surface used to orient the profile.

Create a surface from multiple profiles

The profile curve sets can have different shapes but must have a similar structure (segmentation between sharp bends or number of spans). Each profile set can have an individual position and orientation relative to the rail curve. If the curves within a profile set are disconnected (not G0), it is best to create a separate profile surface for each element of the set.

1. Choose Surfaces > Swept Surfaces > Profile .

   The Profile Control window opens.

2. Select all the curves for the first profile, then click the Accept button. (If Chain select is on, all curves that are tangent continuous with the first curve are also picked).
3. Select the curves for the second profile, click Accept, and so on.
4. After the last profile has been selected, click Done.
5. Select the rail curves and click the Build button.

   The profile surfaces are built.

   

   Profile surface built from three profiles (each made up of three planar curves).

6. Set option Transition type to specify the type of blend between the multiple profiles. This option affects the shape of the surface isoparms that run in the direction of the rail curve (U direction).

Use manipulators to vary the profile shape along the rail

If you use only one profile, you can click the rail curve to position any number of profile manipulators. These manipulators look like copies of the original profile. You can rotate and scale the manipulators to create a profile surface with a variable section that interpolates the manipulators but not the original profile. Any modification to the shape of the original profile curve also updates the shape of the manipulators.

1. Choose Surfaces > Swept Surfaces > Profile .

   The Profile Control window opens.

2. Select all the curves for the profile, then click the Accept button. (If Chain select is on, all curves that are tangent continuous with the first curve are also picked).
3. Click Done.
4. Select the rail curves and click the Build button.

   The profile surfaces are built.

5. Click on the rail curve to add one or more manipulators.

   Green manipulators in the shape of the profile curve appear.

6. Use the handles to scale, rotate, or move the manipulator along the rail (see Anatomy of a profile manipulator). Hold the key and click the dot handle at the base of a manipulator to delete it.
7. Click Update (or turn on Auto Update in the option window).

   The surfaces update to interpolate the manipulators.

   
8. Set option Transition type to specify the type of blend between the manipulator profiles. This option affects the shape of the surface isoparms that run in the direction of the rail curve (U direction).

Anatomy of a Profile manipulator

1. Dot: moves the manipulator along the rail. Also acts as the pivot for rotation and scaling. Clicking anywhere on the rectangular frame and dragging has the same effect. Holding and clicking the dot deletes the manipulator.
2. Blue arc: rotates the manipulator around the rail (click the center circle or end arrows).
3. Red square: scales the manipulator along the direction of the curvature vector of the rail curve.
4. Green square: scales the manipulator along a direction perpendicular to both the tangent and curvature vector of the rail curve.
5. Blue squares: scale the manipulator proportionally in both directions.