Creating Swept Surfaces Using an Explicit Profile

You can create swept surfaces that use an explicit profile. These profiles must not be T- or H-shaped profiles.

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin: Create a 3D shape containing sketches and curves.
See Also
About Swept Surfaces

With reference surface

You can create swept surfaces that use an explicit profile by defining a guide curve and reference surface.

  1. From the Surface section of the action bar, click Sweep .
  2. Click the Explicit profile icon and in the Subtype list, select With reference surface.
    It is not mandatory that the profile is a sketch.
  3. In the Profile box, select the profile to be swept out.
  4. In the Guide curve box, select a guiding curve.
  5. In the Surface box, select a surface.

    By default, the reference surface is the mean plane of the spine to control the position of the profile during the sweep.

    In this case, the guiding curve must lie completely on this reference surface, except if it is a plane. You can impose an Angle on this surface.



    Important: The angular definition defined by the law (if selected) applies to the projection of the normal to the reference element in the sweeping plane normal to the spine.
  6. Optional: In the Spine box, select a spine.

    If no spine is selected, the guide curve is implicitly used as the spine. Here is an example.



    Important: If the plane normal to the spine intersects one of the guiding curves at different points, it is advised to use the closest point to the spine point for coupling.
  7. Click OK to create the swept surface.
    The surface (identified as Sweep.xxx) is added to the specification tree.

With two guide curves

You can create swept surfaces that use an explicit profile by defining two guide curves. You can also specify the anchor points for the guide curves.

  1. Click Sweep .
  2. Click the Explicit profile icon and in the Subtype list, select With two guide curves from the Subtype list.
  3. In the Profile box, select the profile to be swept out.
  4. In the Guide curve 1 box, select a guiding curve.
  5. In the Guide curve 2 box, select another guiding curve.


    You can also specify anchor points for each guide. These anchor points are intersection points between the guides and the profile's plane or the profile itself, through which the guiding curves passes.

    There are two anchoring types:

    • Two points: select anchor points on the profile that is matched respectively to Guide Curve 1 and 2. If the profile is open, these points are optional and the extremities of the profile are used.
    • Point and direction: select an anchor point on the profile that is matched onto Guide Curve 1 and an anchor direction. In each sweeping plane, with the two guide curves, from Guide Curve 1 to Guide Curve 2.
    Sweep without positioning / Two points anchoring type
    Sweep without positioning / Point and direction anchoring type

    If the profile is manually positioned defining anchor points position the profile between the guides, matching the anchor points with guide intersection points, before performing the sweeping operation.



    If you do not explicitly select anchor points or anchor direction, they are automatically computed if the profile is planar. Note that the selection is still available. The anchor points are computed as follows:

    • For Anchor point 1: intersection between the profile plane and Guide curve 1 (I1).
    • For Anchor point 2: intersection between the plane, passing through Anchor point 1 and normal to the spine, with Guide curve 2 (I2).
    • For Anchor direction: line between I1 and I2.
      Automatic computation for Two points anchoring type

      Automatic computation for Point and direction anchoring type

  6. Optional: In the Spine box, select a spine.

    If no spine is selected, the guide curve is implicitly used as the spine. Here is an example.

    Important: If the plane normal to the spine intersects one of the guiding curves at different points, it is advised to use the closest point to the spine point for coupling.
  7. Click OK to create the swept surface.
    The surface (identified as Sweep.xxx) is added to the specification tree.

With pulling direction

You can create swept surfaces that use an explicit profile by defining a guide curve and pulling direction.

This subtype is equivalent to the With reference surface subtype with a reference plane normal to the pulling direction.

  1. Click Sweep .
    The Swept Surface Definition dialog box appears.
  2. Click the Explicit profile icon and in the Subtype list, select With pulling direction.
  3. In theProfile box, select the profile to be swept out.
  4. In the Guide curve box, select the guiding curve.
  5. In the Direction box, select a direction.
  6. Optional: In theAngle box, enter the angle value or use the arrows to change the value.
  7. Optional: In theSpine box, select a spine.

    If no spine is selected, the guide curve is implicitly used as the spine. Here is an example with DemoGuide2.

    Important:
    • If the plane normal to the spine intersects one of the guiding curves at different points, it is advised to use the closest point to the spine point for coupling.
    • Select the Projection of the guide curve as spine check box so that the projected spine is the projection of the guide curve onto the reference plane.
  8. Click OK to create the swept surface.
    The surface (identified as Sweep.xxx) is added to the various solutions specification tree.

Preview the Angular Value

You can preview the angular value. You get after the completion of the command.

Warning: This option is unavailable with the With two guides curves subtype.

When creating a sweep, you are now able to preview the four solutions based on the values given for the Angle. The first solution corresponds to the Angle value, the second solution to the -Angle value, the third solution to the 180deg+Angle value, and the fourth solution to the 180deg-Angle value.

Use the spinners to define an Angle.



The orange arrow corresponds to the current solution. You can click any arrow then Preview or OK to recompute the swept surface. You can also use Previous or Next or enter a solution number in the Angular sector box.

Position Parameters

You can define the position parameters for the swept surface. These parameters allow you to position the profile in the first sweep plane.

Click Show Parameters>> to directly manipulate the profile using the graphic handles in the geometry or access positioning parameters.

Position Parameters with Reference Surface and with Pulling Direction sub-types

You can specify the position parameters for the swept volumes created using reference surfaces and by defining pulling directions.

  • Specify a positioning point in the first sweep plane by either entering coordinates or selecting a point.
  • Specify the x-axis of the positioning axis system by either selecting a line or specifying a rotation angle.
  • Select the X axis reversed check box to invert the x-axis orientation (while keeping the y-axis unchanged).
  • Select the Y axis reversed check box to invert the y-axis orientation (while keeping the x-axis unchanged).
  • Specify an anchor point on the profile by selecting a point. This anchor point is the origin of the axis system that is associated with the profile.
  • Specify an on the profile by selection a direction. If no anchor direction was previously defined, the x-axis of the positioning axis system is used to join the extremities of the profile. The x-axis is aligned with the reference surface.
    Reference Surface

Position Parameters with two guides sub-types

You can define the position parameters for the swept surfaces created by defining the guide curves.

  • Select the Profiles extremities reversed check box to invert the profile extremities that are connected to the guide curves.
  • Select the Vertical orientation reversed check box to invert the vertical orientation of the profile.



    If you want to go back to the original profile, clear thePosition profile check box: