From the Creation section of the action bar, click Blend Surface.
Select the Blend Type.
Analytic: Creates the blend surface in an exact mode, based
on the control points, when the selected surface edges are isoparametric curves.
Moreover, the blend surface presents a point, tangency, and curvature continuity with
the initial surfaces. When the Tangency continuity is selected,
depending on the geometry configuration, twisted surfaces may be generated. In this
case, use the Proportional continuity. It allows the creation of
the blend surface while taking the tangency continuity into account. Then verify the
continuities if required.
Approximated: Creates the blend surface according to an
approximation between the initial surfaces, regardless of the type of the selected
surface edges.
Auto: Optimized the computation mode, trying first to
create an Analytic blend type, then, if impossible, an
Approximated type.
In the App Options panel, click Continuity to display the
continuity information.
Select an edge of the first surface.
indicates that the element has one support.
indicates that the element has more than one support. Right-click the tag to display the available supports and select the one you want to use.
Select an edge of the second surface.
The blend surface is previewed.
Optional:
To edit the position of a handle or keep a record of its position, do one of the
following:
Drag a handle.
Right-click a handle and select Edit or Keep this point.
Optional:
Click a continuity label to change the type.
Optional:
In the App Options panel, click Tensions
The tension values are displayed on the elements. You can
modify them by dragging the handle along the green line.
Optional:
Right-click a tension handle and select Invert direction.
Optional:
In the case of an Approximated blend type, modify the local
tangent and curvature parameters by clicking the continuity tag.
Optional:
Move the coupling points onto the edges of the support surface to only keep the normal
direction for the free edges of the blend.
For an Approximated blend type, the tensions are homogenized.
The borders of a blend surface then have the same shape as the blend curves, provided
that they are built on the same supports.
Optional:
Invert the top tension to come back to the initial surface, click to
deactivate the tensions, and click Contact Points.
Handles are displayed to define the blend limits
interactively by moving them along the edges.
Optional: Right-click on a contact point, select
Edit, and enter a new value, as a percentage of the total
edge.
Optional:
In the App Options panel, click Furtive Display
to display the control points of the blend.
Select the Project end points option to linearly project the
smaller edge onto the other surface.
In the case of a twist between the two surfaces, the blend surface
is not created. Modifying the continuity may enable the blend creation.
Project End Points Option Selected Project End Points Option Cleared
Click OK.
The created blend surface remains selected allowing you to immediately analyze
its connection to the other surfaces, for example.
.
to display the
continuity information.
indicates that the element has one support.
indicates that the element has more than one support. Right-click the tag to display the available supports and select the one you want to use.
The tension values are displayed on the elements. You can modify them by dragging the handle along the green line.
.
Handles are displayed to define the blend limits interactively by moving them along the edges.
to display the control points of the blend.
