Surface modelling

There is no tool similar to the Style (ISDX) feature so all surface modelling is through traditional boundary blends.

Again very similar functionality and workflow:

• Create your curve structure – 2D sketch or 3D curves
• Set appropriate end conditions
• Create boundary blend surfaces
• Set appropriate boundary conditions
• Trim, Knit (merge) etc.
• Move to solids

Example build using year 2 tennis racquet frame exercise:

 

 

Toggle selection

With multiple option under your cursor position, RMB > Select Other

 

Curves

 Sketch > Spline 

Double click to place the last point to finish the spline or RMB > Select or select new tool

Return to first point to create a closed spline

Ctrl select spline + entity to set relationship (constraints)

Tangency Handle – this is the vector display for the endpoints or the internal control points

 

Diamond – vector direction only

Arrow head – vector weight only

Dot – direction and weight

Although they are available, be cautious about adjusting the vectors on internal control points, the system has created the best fit through that point.If you want to adjust the magnitude on these internal points with two vector arrows such that they remain equal, hold Alt whilst dragging the arrow.

Control Polygon

Although there is a control polygon available – RMB menu > Display control polygon – it is limited to dragging, you cannot apply constraints directly.

 

 Spline on Surface – through sketch tools

 

3D Spline – looking for a comparison to the Creo Curve through points or Style curve.

There is a Curve through reference points but you can’t set end conditions.

Best option is 3D Sketch > Spline

 

Tab function in above – if you tumble the model whilst sketching to align to a different plane (xy, xz, yz) the origin will automatically switch to that plane without having to use Tab.

 

Mutual Trim – Trim tool > tick the Mutual option – similar to the Creo Merge intersecting surfaces can be trimmed and merged into a single body in one operation.  Selection is a little tricky as there is not option to toggle which elements to trim or keep

• elements to discard in the first box
• elements to keep in the second

 Thicken – simply pick the surface and define a thickness.  No drag handles and no advanced options – excluding surfaces etc.

 

Solid from watertight volume – look for the options Try to form solid in the Knit tool and Create solid from enclosed volume  in the Thicken tool.

 

Trimming surfaces – there is no Surface > Extrude > Cut so either:

Surface > Extrude a sketch then Trim Surface

or;

Curve > Project Curve from a sketch then Trim Surface

both pretty similar on workflow.

 

 Boundary Blend

Select 1st and 2nd direction curves and set your boundary conditions, normal rules apply, if you haven’t got the appropriate underlying curve end conditions you cannot set the boundary conditions. Poor curves will give poor surfaces.

Chain of Curves

If your boundary is constructed from a number of edges then you need to use the Selection Manager to construct a chain of edges.

 

 

Boundary Conditions

Once the surface is constructed you can then set any required boundary conditions, select a setting from the boundary condition list.

Direction Vector – select a surface to make the boundary Normal to

Tangent to Face – select the adjacent surface to which the feature is connected with G1 tangency (you can also set G2 Curvature to Face)

 

Tangent Face Relation 

The above image has 4 section curves for a boundary surface, 3 are set tangent to the solid edges they connect to – Ctrl select the spline and the edge > apply tangent relation.

The 4th highlighted one needs to be tangent to the adjacent surface – Ctrl select the spline, the edge and the surface > apply the Tangent Face relation.

Once this relation is set the rotation control on the vector is locked but you can still vary the length, therefore set the exit direction of the spline from the surface before you apply the relation eg. perpendicular to the edge.

The above is the same for connection to solid patches or surface patches.

 

Normal to Plane

Select the spline control vector which is connected to the plane and use the option Along X, Y or Z.  This can only be used for plane aligned with the environment coordinate system.

 

 

Copying Surfaces

A common scenario is we need to create a copy of an undeveloped surface or solid surface patch to use later for trimming etc.

Select the surface or solid surface patch >  Offset > set 0.00 offset dimension and the feature will change to Copy Surface.