Analyzing Using Inflection Lines

You can create inflection lines on a surface. An inflection line is a curve along which every point represents a position on the surface where a local curvature value is zero.

Inflection lines are calculated by the system according to the Local Plane Definition:

  • Robot Plane: Defines the local plane according to the Robot base plane.
  • Parametric: Defines the local plane according to the surface parametric directions.

The system detects points on the surface where the local curvature value is zero. It connects these points to curves that are then displayed as inflection lines on the surface.

Before you begin: Open an existing 3D shape containing a deformed surface.
See Also
Analyzing Surface Curvature
  1. Select the surface to analyze.
  2. From the Analysis section of the action bar, click Inflection Lines .
  3. In the Local Plane Definition section, select Parametric.

    The inflection lines are displayed on the surface.



  4. Select Robot Plane.



  5. Drag the Robot onto the surface.

    The Robot base is orientated in the same plane as the local tangent to the surface and the inflection lines are updated.



  6. Drag the Robot to a new position on the surface.

    In the new position, the orientation of the Robot base plane has changed, therefore the inflection lines are updated on the surface.



  7. Click OK. The analysis is added to the tree and will be updated automatically whenever you modify any of the input elements.

Notes:
  • Creating and retaining inflection lines on a surface is especially useful to determine at which points the curvature of the intersection between the cutting planes and the surface is 0.
  • When you use this command with the Inflection area option of the Surfacic Curvature Analysis command, note that the inflection lines are always created within the green areas.
  • When you select the geometrical set as an input in the tree, all the elements included in this geometrical set are automatically selected.