Drawing a Mesh

You can create a plane mesh, directly by drawing it on a support screen or create a 3D mesh on a 3D support such as surfaces or polygons.

This task shows you how to:

Draw and Modify Curves

You can draw and modify curves.

  1. From the Shape Sculpt section of the action bar, click Mesh Drawing .
    Tip: You can also access this command by pressing ALT+SHIFT+M.
  2. From the Tools Palette, click one of the following:
    OptionDescription
    Support Type Activates the support mode before starting to draw. The manipulation is allowed only in the plane where the curve is to be created.
    Plane Selection Changes the working plane before or while the mesh is being drawn.
    Sketch Creates a curve.
    Sketch Primitive Creates primitives. See Creates Primitives.
    Merge Merges vertices. See Merge Vertices.
    Erase Erases pixels of the curves.
    Tip: Press Ctrl to erase only the pixels of one curve (highlighted in blue).
    Delete Deletes curves (highlighted in blue) by picking or crossing them.
    Tip: Press Ctrl to delete the part of a curve that intersects with another curve (highlighted in blue).
    Mesh View Defines the visualization of the mesh.
    Apply (Enter) Validates the command.
  3. Click Sketch to start drawing curves and define the mesh.
    Notes:
    • You can define a polyline using the pointer.
    • To end the creation of polylines, either click on the last extremity or click the first extremity to create a closed polyline (the circular point is highlighted in blue to indicate that it can be clicked), or double-click to create the last extremity. You can also pick and move the pointer to end the polyline.
    • Control points are created at the intersection between two curves.

Use Ctrl and Alt Keys

You can use the Ctrl key to adjust a curve to another curve or the Alt key to modify a curve. First, create the two curves.

  1. Press Ctrl to start and/or end a curve up to a nearby curve:


  2. Press Alt and modify an existing curve.
    The modification can be an internal modification, a modification at the end of a curve or the addition of a polyline.

    Note: You can also press first Alt to modify a curve then Ctrl to adjust it to another curve.

Merge and Extrapolate

You can merge curves and vertices, extrapolate or limit a curve by another curve.

  1. Click Merge .
  2. Either circle the zone in which the intersections are to be merged if you are using a graphic pen or pick each intersection using the Ctrl key if you are using the pointer.


    The Merge Tolerance slider appears. The tolerance is automatically adjusted, however you can also use the slider to modify the tolerance.



    Note: You can press both Crtl and Alt keys to merge a curve with another one.

Create Primitives

You can create primitives, such as circles, arc of circles, smoothing curves, ellipses, and so on.

  1. Click Sketch Primitive .
    The pointer is turned into a pen and the curve is turned into a primitive when you lift the pen or release the pointer.
  2. Press Ctrl to create a circle arc between two curves.


    Notes:
    • You can press Alt to add a primitive to an existing curve or primitive, either by picking or by drawing the primitive.
    • You can also press both Ctrl and Alt keys and move the pointer to merge a primitive with another one.

View the Mesh

You can decide to view the mesh or the curves.

Repeatedly click Mesh View to sequentially display the different levels of visualization.
Show mesh only

Show curves only