About the Curve Edit User Interface
The Curve Edit user interface consists of commands, tabs, and shortcut menus. Click > to open the Curve Edit tab.
Commands
• Curve
◦ collector—Displays the curves to edit.
• Type
◦ Free Curve—Changes the selected curves to free curves.
◦ Planar Curve—Changes the selected curves to planar curves.
◦ Curve on Surface—Changes the selected curves to curves on surface.
• Settings
◦ Control Points—Edits a selected curve using control points.
◦ Degree box—Sets the curve degree.
◦ Periodic Curve—Makes closed curves periodic. Available when at least one active curve is closed.
◦ Show Original—Displays a copy of the original curves to compare to the edited curves.
• Symmetry
◦ Symmetrical Curve—Creates a curve that is symmetric and continuous on both sides of a datum plane, for free and planar curves.
▪ Plane collector—Defines the symmetry plane for the symmetric curve.
• Operations
◦ Smooth—Smooths the selected curve. Available if at least one selected point is not a soft point or endpoint.
◦ Simplify—Simplifies curves inside Style by reducing the number of points in a curve.
Tabs
• References
◦ Collector changes depending on the curve type:
▪ Plane collector—Collects a planar or surface reference for a
Free Curve.
▪ Offset—Sets a distance between a planar curve and its reference plane.
▪ —Exports the parameter value for editing outside of Style.
▪ Reference collector—Collects a plane or curve reference for a
Planar Curve.
▪ Surface collector—Collects a surface on which to place a
Curve on Surface.
◦ Radial Plane
▪ Type—Sets the type of radial plane.
▪ Value—Defines a radial plane value. This parameter becomes external to the Style feature.
▪ —Exports the parameter value for editing outside of Style.
◦ Symmetry
▪ Symmetrical curve check box—Creates a curve that is symmetric and continuous on both sides of a datum plane, for free and planar curves.
▪ Plane collector—Defines the symmetry plane for the symmetric curve.
• Point
◦ Soft Point
▪ References collector—Collects a vertex, point, curve, edge, axis, datum plane, facet, or surface for the soft point to lie on. When one curve or edge is selected, you can press and hold CTRL to select a second curve or edge that intersects the first one.
▪ Type—Sets the soft point type.
▪ Length Ratio—Maintains the position of the soft point to the percentage of the length from the beginning of the curve to the point, relative to the total length of the curve.
▪ Length—Determines the distance from the beginning of the referenced curve to the point.
▪ Parameter—Maintains the position of the point by keeping its parameter along the curve constant.
▪ Offset from Plane—Determines the position of the point by intersecting the referenced curve with a plane at a given offset.
▪ Intersection—Snaps a point of a curve to the intersection of curves, edges, axes, curves and a surface, curves and a plane, axes and a surface, or axes and a plane. For curves on surface or planar curves, the intersecting surface or plane must be the one on which the curve lies. Displays as an “x” in the graphics window.
▪ Lock to Point—Locks the soft point to a defining point on the reference curve, finding the closest defining point on the parent curve, typically an endpoint.
▪ Linked—Indicates that the point is a soft point, but that none of the above soft point types are applicable. This includes soft points on a surface or a plane and soft points to a datum point or vertex. For example, a curve point that is snapped to a surface is linked.
▪ Unlink—Disconnects the soft point from the parent geometry. The point becomes free and defined at the current location.
▪ Value—Creates an external a soft point value.
▪ Plane Reference collector—Collects a plane as a reference from which to offset the soft point, when the soft point type is Offset from Plane.
◦ Coordinates
▪ X, Y, and Z—Sets the x-, y-, and z-coordinate values for the selected point.
▪ Relative check box—Toggles the Relative mode for the coordinates on and off.
◦ Point Movement
▪ Drag—Sets a constraint for dragging points with your mouse.
▪ Free—Drags points freely.
▪ Horizontal/Vertical (Ctrl + Alt)—Drags points parallel to the active plane, either along the horizontal direction only, or along the vertical direction only.
▪ Normal (Alt)—Drags points perpendicular to the active plane.
▪ In View—Drags points parallel to the computer screen.
▪ Extend—Sets curve extension type.
▪ Free
▪ Tangent
▪ Curvature
▪ Adjust—Sets an incremental move value for the
,
,
, and
buttons to nudge the selected point.
| You can only nudge free points. The button availability is based on the movement constraint you set. |
• Tangent
◦ Constraints
▪ First and Second—Sets a constraint type for the primary constraint from the First box, and in some cases, sets a secondary constraint type from the Second box:
▪ Natural—Tangent angle and length change only when curve points are dragged. No properties are displayed.
▪ Free—Tangent angle and length change when the tangent is moved. The tangent moves in the horizontal and vertical directions.
▪ Fix Angle—Locks the tangent angle. The tangent length can change.
▪ Horizontal—Locks the tangent angle in the horizontal position, aligned with H in the glyph. The tangent length can change.
▪ Vertical—Locks the tangent angle in the vertical position, aligned with V in the glyph. The tangent length can change.
▪ Normal—Constrains the tangent so it is perpendicular to the reference plane.
▪ Smooth Normal—Constrains the tangent so it is perpendicular to the reference plane. When a curve is mirrored, the connection between the original curve and the mirrored curve is G3 at the mirror plane.
▪ Align—Aligns the tangent on the selected curve to the tangent of a reference curve, at the point you pick on the reference curve.
▪ Symmetric—For two curves whose endpoints are coincident, makes the tangent of one curve symmetric to the tangent of the other curve by averaging their tangent angles.
▪ G1 - Tangent—For two curves whose endpoints are coincident, aligns the direction angle of the tangents at the coincident endpoint of each curve with each other.
▪ G2 - Curvature—For two curves whose endpoints are coincident, aligns the direction angle of the tangents at the coincident endpoint of each curve with each other, and aligns the radius curvature of the two curves.
▪ G3 - Acceleration—For two curves whose endpoints are coincident, aligns the direction angle of the tangents at the coincident endpoint of each curve with each other, aligns the radius curvature of the two curves, and aligns the rate of change in curvature.
▪ G1 - Surface Tangent—For a curve that connects to a boundary curve of a surface, aligns the direction angle of the tangents at the boundary curve with each other.
▪ G2 - Surface Curvature—For a curve that connects to a boundary curve of a surface, aligns the direction angle of the tangents at the boundary curve with each other, and aligns the radius curvature at the boundary curve.
▪ G3 - Surface Acceleration—For a curve that connects to a boundary curve of a surface, aligns the direction angle of the tangents at the boundary curve with each other, aligns the radius curvature at the boundary curve, and aligns the rate of change in curvature.
▪ Draft Tangent—Sets a draft angle in relation to a reference plane or surface, similar to setting a draft angle to make a part easier to remove from a mold in manufacturing.
▪ Normal to Edge/Curve
▪ Sets primary constraint for COSs.
▪ Sets secondary constraint for free curves when the primary constraint is G1 - Surface Tangent or G2 - Surface Curvature.
▪ Along U—Constrains the tangent so it can only move along the U direction.
▪ Sets primary constraint for COSs.
▪ Sets secondary constraint for free curves when the primary constraint is G1 - Surface Tangent or G2 - Surface Curvature.
▪ Along V—Constrains the tangent so it can only move along the V direction.
▪ Sets primary constraint for COSs.
▪ Sets secondary constraint for free curves when the primary constraint is G1 - Surface Tangent or G2 - Surface Curvature.
◦ Properties
▪ Fix Length—Fixes tangent length proportionally. Define one or more of the following parameters:
▪ Length—Sets the tangent length.
▪ Angle—Sets the angle of the tangent in respect to a reference plane.
▪ Elevation—Sets tangent elevation angle from a reference plane.
▪ Relax Length—Relaxes tangent length proportionally.
▪ Plane collector—Displays a reference plane for the tangent.
◦ Tangent
▪ Drag—Sets a constraint for dragging a tangent with your mouse:
▪ Free
▪ Equal Length (Alt)
▪ Angle + Elev (Alt + Ctrl)
▪ Length (Alt + Shift)
• Options
◦ Proportional Update check box—Moves the curve free points in proportion to the soft points to maintain the curve shape.
Shortcut Menus
Right-click the graphics window when the Curve Edit tab is open to access shortcut menu commands:
• Plane Collector—Activates the plane collector when the
Free Curve curve type is selected.
• Reference Collector—Activates the reference collector when the
Planar Curve curve type is selected.
• Surface Collector—Activates the surface collector when the
Curve on Surface curve type is selected.
• Curve Collector—Activates a curve collector.
• Tangent Plane Collector—For symmetric curves, activates the collector for the plane across which the two sides of a curve are symmetric.
• Point Reference Collector—When a soft point is selected, collects a vertex, point, curve, edge, axis, datum plane, facet, or surface for the soft point to lie on. When one curve or edge is selected, you can select a second curve or edge that intersects the first one.
• Point Plane Collector—When a soft point is selected, collects a plane as a reference from which to offset the soft point.
• Clear—Clears the currently selected collector.
• Symmetrical Curve—Creates a curve that is symmetric and continuous on both sides of a datum plane, for free and planar curves.
• Deselect All Points—Deselects any currently selected points.
• Free—Changes a curve to a free curve type.
• Planar—Changes a curve to a planar curve type.
• COS—Changes a curve to a curve on surface curve type.
• Curve—Opens the
Curve tab.
• Surface—Opens the
Surface tab.
• Edit Definition——Opens the appropriate
Curve Edit or
Surface Edit tab.
• Standard Orientation—Displays the model in standard orientation.
• Active Plane Orientation • Set Active Plane • Show All Views • Show Only—Hides the display of all the Style entities except the selected entities.
• Show All—Displays all the previously hidden features or Style entities.
Right-click a curve to access shortcut menu commands:
• Add Point—Adds a free point to the curve.
• Add Midpoint—Adds a free point at the curve midpoint.
• Planar on Endpoints—Fixes curve endpoints to a plane.
• Flip Curve Direction—Reverses the direction of the curve points of a symmetrical curve for free, planar, and COS curves.
• Delete Curve—Deletes the curve.
Right-click points on a curve to access shortcut menu commands:
• Smooth—Smooths the selected curve. Available if at least one selected point is not a soft point or endpoint.
• Simplify—Simplifies curves inside Style by reducing the number of points in a curve.
Right-click a soft point on a curve to access shortcut menu commands:
• Delete—Deletes the soft point.
• Split—Splits a curve into two curves. Available for internal points, not for endpoints.
• Extend to Boundary—Extends a COS to its surface boundary. Relevant to COS curve end points.
• Pick Soft Point—Opens the Pick Soft Point dialog box so you can select a soft point reference.
• Combine—Combines two curves into one curve. Available on endpoints that connect two curves.
• Flip Soft Point—Flips the following soft point parameters under these conditions:
◦ Flips the soft point parameter to the opposite end of the reference on which it is located, when the soft point is of the type Length Ratio, Length, or Parameter.
◦ Flips the direction of the soft point tangent, when the first constraint is G1-tangent, G2-curvature, or G3-acceleration.
• Length Ratio—Maintains the position of the soft point to the percentage of the length from the beginning of the curve to the point, relative to the total length of the curve.
• Length—Determines the distance from the beginning of the referenced curve to the point.
• Parameter—Maintains the position of the point by keeping its parameter along the curve constant.
• Offset from Plane—Determines the position of the point by intersecting the referenced curve with a plane at a given offset.
• Intersection—Snaps a point of a curve to the intersection of curves, edges, axes, curves and a surface, curves and a plane, axes and a surface, or axes and a plane. For curves on surface or planar curves, the intersecting surface or plane must be the one on which the curve lies. Displays as an “x” in the graphics window.
• Lock to Point—Locks the soft point to a defining point on the reference curve, finding the closest defining point on the parent curve, typically an endpoint.
• Linked—Indicates that the point is a soft point, but that none of the above soft point types are applicable. This includes soft points on a surface or a plane and soft points to a datum point or vertex. For example, a curve point that is snapped to a surface is linked.
• Unlink—Disconnects the soft point from the parent geometry. The point becomes free and defined at the current location.
Right-click a tangent vector on a curve to access shortcut menu commands. The definitions for the shortcut commands are the same as the definitions of the constraints on the Tangent tab.
• Natural
• Free
• Fix Angle
• Horizontal
• Vertical
• Normal
• Smooth Normal
• Align
• Symmetric
• G1 - Tangent
• G2 - Curvature
• G3 - Acceleration
• G1 - Surface Tangent
• G2 - Surface Curvature
• G3 - Surface Acceleration
• Draft Tangent