About the Surface Connection User Interface
The Surface Connection tab consists of commands, tabs, connection symbols, and shortcut menus. Click > to open the Surface Connection tab.
Commands
• Surface
◦ Surfaces collector—Displays surface connection references.
• Options
◦ Show Selected—Displays connections for only the selected neighbor surfaces.
◦ Show Draft Connections—Displays connections that can be converted to draft connections.
Tabs
• References
◦ Surfaces collector—Displays the surface set to be connected.
Connection Symbols
The connection symbol shows the connection type, the parent surface, and the child surface. The following symbols represent surface connections:
Symbol | Description |
---|
G0 - Position | Dashed line with a circle in the middle |
G1 - Tangent | Arrow with a circle in the middle. Points from the parent to the child |
G2 - Curvature | Arrow made of two lines with a circle in the middle. Points from the parent to the child |
G3 - Acceleration | Arrow made of three lines with a circle in the middle. Points from the parent to the child |
Normal | Arrow that points from the connected boundary, but does not cross the boundary |
Draft | Dashed arrow that points from the connected boundary, but does not cross the boundary |
Shortcut Menus
The following selection and connection commands are available when you move the pointer over a connection symbol and right-click:
Right-click a connection symbol when the Surface Connection tab is open to access shortcut menu commands:
• G0 - Position
• G1 - Tangent
• G2 - Curvature
• G3 - Acceleration
• Normal
◦ Flip Direction—For a loft surface that has a boundary curve whose points and endpoint tangents are coplanar, a Normal connection type is available. For these Normal connections, Flip Direction flips the normal direction of the connection to the other side of the curve, and therefore flips the loft surface to the other side of the boundary curve.
• Draft
Right-click the graphics window to access shortcut menu commands.
• Clear—Clears the currently selected collector.
• 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.