Editing a Spline

You can edit the spline by using various options available in the Spline.x dialog box.

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin: Create a spline.
See Also
Creating Splines

Modify the Spline Control Points

You can change the control points of a spline using a graphical handle.

  1. Double-click the control point you want to edit.
    The tangency and curvature radius handles appear in gray ( ) along with the CtrlPoint.x dialog box.



  2. Enter new coordinates in the H (horizontal) and V (vertical) boxes respectively.
  3. Select the Tangency check box in the table to impose a tangency on this control point.
    The tangency handle is highlighted and the Reverse Tangent option and the Curvature Radius check box becomes available in the table.
    Note: The curvature radius computation is dependent on the tangency option.
  4. Rotate the tangency handle around the control point till you get the desired angle with respect to the H direction of the Sketcher axis system.
    The tangency angle value is updated in the dialog box and simultaneously the spline curve is modified.

  5. Optional: Click to reverse the tangent direction.
  6. Select the Curvature Radius check box.
    The curvature handle is highlighted using which you can change the radius of curvature.
  7. Drag the curvature handle along the direction perpendicular to the direction of the tangent till you get the required radius.
    The curvature radius value is updated in the dialog box and simultaneously the spline curve is modified.

    Note: Both the manipulations are independent of each other. If the radius curvature handle is under manipulation, the tangency value remains constant and vice versa for the tangency handle.

  8. Click OK.
    The point is moved and an arrow appears on this point to indicate the tangency.

    Tips:
    • You can modify the spline shape by selecting a point and then dragging it.
    • You can also modify the control point by right-clicking it and selecting CtrlPoint.X object > Edit Tangency-Curvature.

Add a Point

You can add a point to a spline. There are several possibilities, depending on whether you want to add an existing point, or create a point on the sketch while editing the spline.

  1. Double-click the spline.
    The Spline.x dialog box appears.
  2. In the dialog box, select the spline point after or before which you want to add a point.

    • Click to add a point after the selected point.
    • Click to add a point brfore the selected point.
    • Click to replace the selected point.

  3. Click the sketch, at the location where you want to add the new point.

    Important: Right-click the spline and select Spline.x object > Add Control Point to directly insert intermediate control points. You can also use Spline.x object > Add Tangency-Curvature command to define the tangency angle and curvature radius of the inserted control point.

  4. Optional: Select the Constructioncheck box and click OK.
    The spline becomes a construction element. To make it a standard element, clear the Constructioncheck box in the Spline dialog box.

Close a Spline

You can close a given spline.

  1. Double-click the spline.
  2. In the Spline dialog box, select the Close Spline check box to close a spline.
    The spline is closed in such a way that it is continuous in curvature at the closure point.

    Important: To edit closed splines using a continuity in point at the closure point, select Close spline which makes such splines continuous in curvature at the closure point.

Remove a Point

You can remove the point on a spline.

  1. Click the cross before a point in the table to remove a particular point.
  2. To remove all points, click .

    Note: When the spline contains only two points, the points are not removed.

Modify a Spline

You can modify the spline by modifying its control points.

  1. Double-click the spline.
    The tangency and curvature radius handles appear in gray at the first control point along with the Spline Definition dialog box.
  2. Select the point you want to modify in the Spline dialog box.
  3. Select the Tangency check box in the table.
    This activates the Curvature Radius check box and the Reverse Tangent option.
  4. Follow the steps 4 through 8 as explained in Modify the Spline Control Points.
    The control point is modified and as a result the spline is modified accordingly.
    Note: The handles for corresponding control point are displayed when you move the pointer over the associated control point. When the editing of the spline begins, the handle is displayed at the first control point, by default. The handles remain associated with the previous control point until you move the pointer over other control point belonging to the same spline in edition.