Analyzing Using a Split Curve

You can separate the splittable part of a surface from its nonsplittable part to identify the transition areas.

Before you begin: Open a 3D shape containing a set of surfaces suitable for being split.
See Also
About Split Analysis
  1. Select Shading with Material in the View Modes dialog box (View section of the action bar).
  2. From the Analysis section of the action bar, click Split Analysis .
  3. Select a surface or a set of surfaces.
  4. If you select more than one surface, select Align to adjust all the normals to the exterior.
  5. In the Direction area, define the split direction. Otherwise, the Z direction is taken by default.
  6. Define the Positive draft angle and the Positive tolerance angle.

    The tolerance angle defines the transition area.

  7. Click Apply.


    You can see the splittable area in green color, the transition (gray wash) area in yellow, and the nonsplittable area in red.

    You can see the split line as the boundary between the red and the yellow area. If the tolerance angle is 0, the curve represents the boundary between the red and the green area.

  8. Clear Shaded and select Pos. in the Curves area to show only the split curve.


  9. Select Shaded.
  10. Optional: Define a Negative draft angle and a Negative tolerance angle.


    You can investigate the negative side as well.

  11. Optional: In the Color Scale area, individually specify the five colors from positive to negative.
  12. Optional: Select Zero and Neg. in the Curves area to show the split lines for the zero angle and the negative angle respectively.

    The zero line shows where the draft direction is orthogonal to the surface normal.

  13. Click OK.

Note: If the quality of the shaded analysis display is not satisfying, select the following in Me > Preferences > Common Preferences > 2D 3D View Display > Selection:
  • Highlight section: Glow
  • Prehighlight section: XOR