Working with a Support

You can create a support from a plane or surface.

This allows you to automatically reference a surface or plane as the supporting element whenever you need one, when creating lines for example. You will no longer have to explicitly select the support element.

It also allows you to create reference points on the fly in the support, whenever you need a reference point to create other geometric elements.

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin: Create a 3D shape containing geometric elements.

Create a Support from a Surface

You can define a surface as a support.

  1. From the Wireframe section of the action bar, click Work on Support .
  2. In the Support box, select a plane or a surface.
    If a plane is selected, a grid is displayed to facilitate visualization.
  3. Optional: In the Point box, select a point.
    By default, the surface's midpoint is selected.

  4. Click OK in the dialog box.
    The element (identified as Working support.xxx ) is added to the tree under the Working supports node.
    Note: The children that appear under any feature may not follow the same order as their order of creation.

Create a Support from a Plane

You can define a plane as a support.

  1. Click Work on Support .
  2. In the Support box, select a plane or a surface.
    By default, the Grid type is set to Cartesian to define a Cartesian plane.
    Note: A grid is displayed to facilitate visualization. To hide the grid, click .
  3. In the Point box, select a point, as the support plane's origin.
    By default, the plane's origin is selected.
    Note: The plane representation may not be located at the plane's origin. In this case, the default point is displayed at the origin and therefore not necessarily onto the plane representation.
  4. In the First direction area, define the scale (H for horizontal), by setting the Primary spacing and Graduations values.
  5. Optional: In the Direction box, select a direction to specify the H direction.
    You can right-click in the editable box to display the context menu and define the direction (by defining its vector, creating a line, and so forth).
  6. Optional: You can define another scale for the Second direction (V for vertical), thus allowing distortions of the grid.
  7. Select the Allow distortions check box to activate the Primary spacing and Graduations boxes of the second direction.
  8. Optional: Select the Shade grid plane check box to visualize the support plane as a solid geometric element.
    Important: This is possible only if the View mode is adequate.
  9. Optional: Select the Selectable grid check box to enable the selection of sub-elements of the grid (lines and points) as a support for a future selection.
    Selected sub-elements are featurized.
  10. Optional: Select the Furtive grid check box to see the grid only when it is parallel to the screen.
    Important: This option is only active only if Selectable grid is selected.
  11. Optional: Select the Position grid plane parallel to screen check box to reset the grid visualization parallel to the screen.
    Important: The Primary spacing and Graduations values are defined in Me > Preferences > App Preferences > 3D Modeling > 3D Modeling Core > Generative Shape Design, Work on Support tab, Work on Support section.
  12. From the App Options panel, click Snap to point to snap the point being created onto the nearest intersection point on the grid.
    Note: The Snap to point option settings are saved as user preferences.
  13. Click OK in the dialog box.
    The element (identified as Working support.xxx ) is added to the tree.

Create an Infinite Plane From a Limited Planar Surface

You can create an infinite plane by selecting a limited planar surface.

  1. Click Work on Support .
  2. In the Support box, select a face.
    A warning message is issued asking you if you want to create an infinite work on support from this face.
    • If you click Yes, the plane is inserted in the current geometrical set or ordered geometrical set and is used as the Support. You will be able to create features on this support.


    • If you click No, only the face is used as the Support. You will only be able to create features on this limited face.


Create an Infinite Axis from the Active Work on Support

You can create an infinite axis from the active work on support.

This capability is only available with the Rotate and Helix commands and with a Work on Support defined by a planar element (whether finite or not).

Let's take an example with the Rotate command.

  1. Click Rotate .
    The Rotate Definition dialog box appears.
  2. In the Element box, select the element to be rotated.
  3. In the Axis box, select the axis.

    There are two ways to create an infinite axis on the fly:

    • Click anywhere on the Work on Support. The point and the axis needed for the axis are created.

    • Select a point in the 3D geometry. The axis is created through this point and is normal to the active Work on Support.

  4. Click OK to create the rotated element.
    The axis is an infinite line normal to the support and passing through the featurized point. This line is aggregated to the Rotate.xxx feature and put in no show.