Creating Points, Axes, and Planes

You can create points, axes, and planes using context toolbar commands.

This task shows you how to:

See Also
About Working with Context Toolbars
Creating a Point Using the Center of a Circle/Sphere/Ellipse
Creating an Axis
Creating Planes

Create a Center Point

You can create a point on the center of a circle, ellipse, or sphere.

Before you begin: Open a 3D Shape containing a circle.
  1. Select the circle.
  2. Click Point Center in the context toolbar.
    A point is created at the circle center.

Create an Axis

You can create an axis for a circle, an ellipse, an oblong, a revolution surface, or a sphere.

Before you begin: Open a 3D Shape containing a circle and an ellipse.
  1. Select the circle.
  2. Click Axis in the context toolbar.
    An axis is created using by default the Axis type: Normal to circle option of the Axis command.

  3. Select a circle and a direction (for instance, a line or a plane) simultaneously and then Axis .
    An axis is created with the Aligned with Reference Direction type. A panel appears allowing you to choose another axis type. For more information, see Create an Axis using a Circle.
  4. Select the ellipse.
  5. Click Axis in the context toolbar.
    An axis is created with Normal to Ellipse type.

    A panel appears allowing you to choose another axis type. For more information, see Create an Axis using an Ellipse.

    Note: You can create an axis along a particular direction by selecting the ellipse and a direction (for instance, a line or a plane) simultaneously and then Axis .

Create Planes

You can create planes of the following types:

Parallel to a Plane and through a Point

Before you begin: Open a 3D Shape containing a plane and a point.
  1. Press Ctrl and select a plane and a point.
  2. Click Plane parallel through point in the context toolbar.
    A plane parallel to the reference plane and passing through the selected point is created.

Through Three Points

Before you begin: Open a 3D Shape containing three points.
  1. Press Ctrl and select the three points.
  2. Click Plane through three points in the context toolbar.
    A plane passing through the three points is created.

Through two lines

Before you begin: Open a 3D Shape containing lines.
  1. Press Ctrl and select two lines.
  2. Click Plane through two lines in the context toolbar.
    A plane defined by the direction vectors of the selected lines is created on the line selected first.

Through point and line

Before you begin: Open a 3D Shape containing points and lines.
  1. Press Ctrl and select a line and a point.
  2. Click Plane through point and line in the context toolbar.
    A plane passing through the point and the line is created.

Through planar curve

Before you begin: Open a 3D Shape containing a planar curve.
  1. Select the planar curve.
  2. Click Plane through planar curve in the context toolbar.
    A plane lying in the curve plane is created.

Normal to curve

Before you begin: Open a 3D Shape containing a curve and a point.
  1. Select the curve and the point.
  2. Click Plane normal to curve in the context toolbar.
    A plane lying normal to the curve is created.

Tangent to surface

Before you begin: Open a 3D Shape containing surfaces and points.
  1. Press Ctrl and select a surface and a point.
  2. Click Plane tangent to surface in the context toolbar.
    A plane tangent to the surface at the specified point is created.