About the Curve through Points User Interface
The Curve through Points user interface consists of commands, tabs, and shortcut menus. Click > > > to open the Curve through Points tab.
Commands
• —Connects the point to the previous point with a spline connection.
• —Connects the point to the previous point with a straight connection.
◦ —Adds a fillet to the curve.
▪ R=—Sets the fillet radius value.
Tabs
• Placement
◦ Point set list—Displays a list of point sets defined for the curve. A point set is a point and its settings. When a point is selected in the list, the collector and settings for that point are displayed.
▪ Add Point—Adds a new point set to the point list.
▪ —Reorders the selected point upward in the points list.
▪ —Reorders the selected point downward in the points list.
◦ Point collector—Displays a point, vertex, curve end, or feature (for example, a datum point feature that includes several points) as a reference to place the curve.
◦ Spline—Uses a spline to connect the point to the previous point.
◦ Straight line—Uses a straight line to connect the point to the previous point.
▪ Add fillet check box—Adds a fillet to the curve.
▪ Radius box—Sets the fillet radius value.
▪ Group with equal radius points check box—Makes the point part of a logical group of points that have the same fillet radius.
◦ Place curve on surface check box—Forces the entire curve to be placed on the selected surface.
▪ Surface collector—Displays a single surface, quilt, or body on which to place the curve.
• Ends Condition
◦ Curve side list—Selects the start point or end point of the curve and displays the point’s settings.
◦ End Condition list—Sets the condition type at the selected curve’s end.
▪ Free—Makes the curve free of any tangency constraint at this end.
▪ Tangent—Makes the curve tangent to a selected reference at this end.
▪ Tangent to collector—Displays the selected axis, edge, curve, plane, or surface to which the curve is tangent.
▪ Flip button—Flips the tangent direction to the other side of the reference. Available only if an edge is selected.
▪ Make end curve to be perpendicular check box—Makes the curve end perpendicular to a selected edge when the selected tangency reference is a surface or plane.
▪ Perpendicular to collector—Displays the edge to which the curve end is perpendicular.
▪ Flip button—Flips the perpendicular direction to the other side of the reference.
▪ Curvature continuous—Makes the curve tangent to a selected reference at this end, and applies a continuous curvature condition to the curve.
▪ Curvature continuous to collector—Displays the selected axis, edge, curve, plane, or surface to which the curve is tangent.
▪ Flip button—Flips the tangent direction to the other side of the reference. Available only if an edge is selected.
▪ Make end curve to be perpendicular check box—Makes the curve end perpendicular to a selected edge when the selected tangency reference is a surface or plane.
▪ Perpendicular to collector—Displays the edge to which the curve end is perpendicular.
▪ Flip button—Flips the perpendicular direction to the other side of the reference.
▪ Normal—Makes the curve normal to a selected reference at this end.
▪ Normal to collector—Displays the axis, edge, curve, plane, or surface to which the curve is normal.
▪ Flip button—Flips the normal direction to the other side of the reference.
• Options
◦ Tweak curve check box—Applies tweak settings to the curve.
▪ Tweak Curve Settings button—Opens the Modify Curve dialog box.
• Properties
◦ Name box—Sets a name for a feature.
◦ —Displays detailed component information in a browser.
Shortcut Menus
Right-click the graphics window to access shortcut menu commands.
• Point—Activates the Point collector.
• Start Point Tangent to and End Point Tangent to—Activates the Tangent to collector for the end that is selected on the Ends Condition tab.
• Start Point Normal to and End Point Normal to—Activates the Normal to collector for the end that is selected on the Ends Condition tab.
• Start Point Perpendicular to and End Point Perpendicular to—Activates the Perpendicular to collector for the end that is selected on the Ends Condition tab.
• Lie on Surface—Activates the Surface collector.
• Clear—Empties the active collector.
• Connect by Spline—Connects the point to the previous point with a spline connection.
• Connect by Straight Line—Connects the point to the previous point with a straight connection.
◦ Add Fillet—Uses a value to connect the point to the curve.
▪ Group with Equal Radius Points—Makes the point a part of a logical group of points with the same radius.
• Add Point—Adds a new point to the point set list.
• Delete—Deletes the selected point set from the list.
Right-click the Point set list on the Placement tab to access shortcut menu commands.
• What’s wrong—Launches the troubleshooter for the selected failed point set.
• Insert Point Above—Inserts a new point above the selected point.
• Insert Point Below—Inserts a new point below the selected point.
• Delete—Deletes the selected point set from the list.
• Convert to Points—Converts the point set to a regular datum point and removes it from the point set list.
Right-click an endpoint to access shortcut menu commands.
• Free—Makes the curve free of any tangency constraint at this end.
• Tangent—Makes the curve tangent to a selected reference at this end.
• Normal—Makes the curve normal to a selected reference at this end.
• Curvature continuous—Makes the curve tangent to a selected reference at this end, and applies a continuous curvature condition to the point.