Creating Swept Surfaces Using a Linear Profile

You can create swept surfaces that use an implicit linear profile.

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin: Create a 3D shape containing surfaces, sketches, and curves.
See Also
About Swept Surfaces
In the Knowledge Base
Why do the swept surfaces created using a draft direction result in an invalid topology?

Two limits

You can create swept surfaces that use an implicit linear profile by defining two guide curves and limits to each guide.

  1. From the Surface section of the action bar, click Sweep .
    The Swept Surface Definition dialog box appears.
  2. Click the Line profile icon in the Subtype list and select Two Limits.
  3. Select two guide curves.
  4. In the Length 1 and Length 2 boxes, you can enter one or two length values to define the width of the swept surface.


  5. Optional: In the Spine box, select a spine to specify a spine different from the first guide curve.

    If no spine is selected, the guide curve is implicitly used as the spine. If the plane normal to the spine intersects one of the guiding curves at different points, it is advised to use the closest point to the spine point for coupling.

  6. Click OK to create the swept surface.
    The surface (identified as Sweep.xxx) is added to the tree.

Limit and middle

You can create swept surfaces that use an implicit linear profile by defining the limits and using the second curve as the middle curve.

  1. Click Sweep .
    The Swept Surface Definition dialog box appears.
  2. Click the Line profile icon and in the Subtype list, select Limit and Middle.
  3. Select two guide curves.
  4. Select the Second curve as middle curve check box to use the second guide curve as the middle curve.


    Important: Selecting the Second curve as middle curve check box automatically selects this mode.
  5. Optional: In the Spine box, select a spine to specify a spine different from the first guide curve.

    If no spine is selected, the guide curve is implicitly used as the spine. If the plane normal to the spine intersects one of the guiding curves at different points, it is advised to use the closest point to the spine point for coupling.

  6. Click OK to create the swept surface.
    The surface (identified as Sweep.xxx) is added to the tree.

With reference surface

You can create swept surfaces that use an implicit linear profile by defining the reference surface.

  1. Click Sweep .
    The Swept Surface Definition dialog box appears.
  2. Click the Line profile icon and in the Subtype list, select With reference surface.
  3. Select a guide curve, a reference surface and define an angle value.
    Important: The guiding curve must lie completely on this reference surface, except if the latter is a plane.
  4. In the Length 1 and Length 2 boxes, you can enter one or two length values to define the width of the swept surface.


    Important: The angular definition defined by the law (if selected) applies to the projection of the normal to the reference element in the sweeping plane normal to the spine.
  5. Optional: In the Spine box, select a spine to specify a spine different from the first guide curve.

    If no spine is selected, the guide curve is implicitly used as the spine. If the plane normal to the spine intersects one of the guiding curves at different points, it is advised to use the closest point to the spine point for coupling.

  6. Click OK to create the swept surface.
    The surface (identified as Sweep.xxx) is added to the tree.

With reference curve

You can create swept surfaces that use an implicit linear profile by defining the reference curve.

  1. Click Sweep .
    The Swept Surface Definition dialog box appears.
  2. Click the Line profile icon and in the Subtype list, select With reference curve.
  3. Select a guide curve, a reference curve, and define an angle value.
  4. In the Length 1 and Length 2 boxes, you can enter one or two length values to define the width of the swept surface.


  5. Optional: In the Spine box, select a spine to specify a spine different from the first guide curve.

    If no spine is selected, the guide curve is implicitly used as the spine. If the plane normal to the spine intersects one of the guiding curves at different points, it is advised to use the closest point to the spine point for coupling.

  6. Click OK to create the swept surface.
    The surface (identified as Sweep.xxx) is added to the tree.

With tangency surface

You can create swept surfaces that use an implicit linear profile by defining the tangency surface.

  1. Click Sweep .
    The Swept Surface Definition dialog box appears.
  2. Click the Line profile icon and in the Subtype list, select With tangency surface.
  3. Select a guide curve, and a reference surface to which the sweep is to be tangent.
  4. Depending on the geometry, there may be one or two solutions from which to choose. You can either click the solution displayed in red (inactive), using the Previous or Next options or enter a solution number in the Solution(s) box.
  5. You can select the Trim with tangency surface check box to perform a trim between the swept surface and the tangency surface. The portion of the tangency surface that is kept is chosen so that the final result is tangent.
    Two solutions

    Choosing solution 2

    Choosing solution 2 with the Trim option

  6. Optional: In the Spine box, select a spine to specify a spine different from the first guide curve.

    If no spine is selected, the guide curve is implicitly used as the spine. If the plane normal to the spine intersects one of the guiding curves at different points, it is advised to use the closest point to the spine point for coupling.

  7. Click OK to create the swept surface.
    The surface (identified as Sweep.xxx) is added to the tree.

With draft direction

You can create swept surfaces that use an implicit linear profile by defining the draft direction.

  1. Click Sweep .
    The Swept Surface Definition dialog box appears.
  2. Click the Line profile icon and in the Subtype list, select With draft direction.
  3. Select a guide curve and a draft direction (a line, a plane, or, components).
  4. Select the draft computation mode:
    • Square: equivalent to implicit linear profile swept surface with reference surface. Using a plane normal to the draft direction as reference surface, and the projection of the guide curve onto this plane as spine.
    • Cone: envelop of cones defined along a given curve. To have swept start and end planes similar as the square mode, the guide curve needs to be extrapolated and the resulting surface Split as explained in the following figure.
    Select the angular definition tab:
    • Wholly defined: the angular value varies during the whole sweeping operation
    • G1-Constant: a different draft value for every G1 section can be specified; in this case, a relimiting plane is requested when defining lengths.
    • Location values: on given points on the curve, angular values can be defined.
    Important: The Location values tab is only available for a square computation mode and works only on G1 curves.
  5. Select the length types:
    • From curve: the swept surface starts from the curve.
    • Standard: the length is computed in sweeping planes (defining 0 is similar as choosing From curve).
    • From/Up to: the length is computed by intersecting a plane or a surface; a point can be selected: a plane parallel to the draft plane would be computed.
    • From extremum: the lengths are defined along the draft direction from an extremum plane; L1 corresponds to the "maximum plane" in the draft direction, L2 corresponds to the "minimum plane" in the draft direction.
    • Along surface: the length is used as the distance of anEuclidean parallel curve to relimit the swept surface.

    The start (or end) section of the swept surface (in yellow) does not coincide with the expected relimiting plane (in green). As a consequence, the blue portion required is missing.

    Here are the steps performed to create the swept surface. As an information purpose, we put all the elements explaining the steps above in Geometrical Set.2, so that you understand how the sweep surface is created.

    1. The guide curve is extrapolated in curvature (pink curve)
    2. The green plane splits the result to obtain the green end section.

  6. Click OK to create the swept surface.
    The surface (identified as Sweep.xxx) is added to the tree.

With two tangency surfaces

You can create swept surfaces that use an implicit linear profile by defining two tangency surfaces.

  1. Click Sweep .
    The Swept Surface Definition dialog box appears.
  2. Click the Line profile icon and in the Subtype list, select With two tangency surfaces.
  3. In the Spine box, select a spine
  4. Select two tangency surfaces.
  5. You can select the Trim with tangency surface check box to perform a trim between the swept surface and the tangency surface.

    The portion of the tangency surface that is kept is chosen so that the final result is tangent.

    Swept surface without trim

    Trim with both surfaces

    Trim with first tangency surface

    Trim with second tangency surface

  6. Optional: In the Spine box, select a spine to specify a spine different from the first guide curve.

    If no spine is selected, the guide curve is implicitly used as the spine. If the plane normal to the spine intersects one of the guiding curves at different points, it is advised to use the closest point to the spine point for coupling.

  7. Click OK to create the swept surface.
    The surface (identified as Sweep.xxx) is added to the tree.

Preview the Angular Value

You can preview the various solutions you get after completion of the command.

Important: This option is only available with the With reference surface, With reference curve, and With draft direction subtypes.
When creating a sweep, you are now able to preview the four solutions based on the values given for the Angle and Lengths. The first solution corresponds to Angle, Length1 and Length2 values, the second solution to -Angle, Length1 and Length2 values, the third solution to Angle, Length2 and Length1 values, and the fourth solution to -Angle, Length2 and Length1 values.

You can enter the angle value or use the arrows to change the value.