Cad-Cam Modeling PDF

Modeling
Version 13
All rights reserved by Cimatron Ltd.

No part of this software or document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, for any purpose, without
written permission from Cimatron Ltd.
Cimatron may make improvements and changes in the software described in this document at any
time and without prior notice. These changes will be documented in future editions of this
publication.
Copyright Cimatron Ltd. 1984-2002
Cimatron, Cimatronit, Cimulator, Sketcher, CimaRender, CimaDEK, MoldBase, MoldBase 3D,
Re-Enge, CPDM, MPDM, Cimagrafi and the C logo design are trademarks of Cimatron Ltd.
QuickCompare, QuickElectrode, QuickConcept, QuickSplit, QuickMold and Quick Tooling are
pending trademarks of Cimatron Ltd. Cimatron, Cimulator, Sketcher, CimaRender, CimaRender
Pro, CimaDEK, Cimagrafi, and the C logo design are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office. CimaRender and CimaRender Pro are copyrighted by Graffiti Software Industries Ltd.
MoldBase 3D is based on a product copyrighted by R&B Ltd. Cimatron IMSpost is based on a
product copyrighted by Intelligent Manufacturing Software, Inc. IMSpost is a trademark of
Intelligent Manufacturing Software, Inc. MODView is copyrighted by Dataface, Co. Ltd.
All other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective
owners.
All references to other trademarks and/or copyrighted material is for identification purposes and/or
unintentional.
Cimatron Ltd. is not necessarily associated with any other product or vendors mentioned herein.
Disclaimer of Warranty and Liability.
No representations or warranties, expressed or implied, of any kind are made by or
with respect to anything in this document.
In no event shall Cimatron Ltd., its employees or previous employees, be liable for
any incidental, direct or indirect, special or consequential damages whatsoever
(including but not limited to loss of profits) arising out of or related to this manual,
and/or the product, or any use thereof.
Revised 2002.
Preface
Cimatron develops, markets and supports tools to automate the mechanical engineering process.
Our systems support all phases of product development, with solutions for computer aided design
(CAD) and manufacturing (CAM). Cimatrons integrated technology approach combines design
tools with optimized command output to computer-controlled manufacturing equipment.
Drafting-table-to-shopfloor integration lets Cimatron clients realize dramatic efficiencies in product
development and manufacturing.
Cimatronit - Cimatrons flagship product - covers the entire spectrum of design, engineering and
manufacturing processes, including:
A complete range of wireframe, surface and parametric solid modeling tools

with rendering capabilities;
Advanced assembly, sub-assembly and part management, and associative

drafting functionality;
Comprehensive, accurate data exchange interface utilities covering DXF,

DWG, IGES, JAMA-IS, VDA, PTC, STEP, SAT, CATIA and
UNIGRAPHICS;
Powerful and intelligent NC applications for precise multi-axis machining.
The modular yet integrated structure of Cimatronit grows to accommodate cutting edge tools and
techniques. These now include the new Quick Tooling applications:
QuickSplit
QuickSplit automates the search and separation of core, cavity and sliders to
assist in determining the number of actions required to create a mold. After
separating core, cavity and slides, QuickSplit identifies the parting lines and
generates the parting surface.
Automatic and interactive tools allow the construction of parting surfaces for
any complex geometry. Embedded Draft Analysis enables designers to identify
potential problems with undercuts and confirm minimum draft per side.
QuickSplit is tolerant of surface models with gaps, mismatched boundaries or
missing faces, therefore bypassing data corrections and saving precious time.
Component motion animation, dynamic cross-sectioning and clipping planes,
reduce human error and verify parting design. QuickSplit enables several trial
and error iterations in a very short time - resulting in optimal draw directions.
QuickElectrode
QuickElectrode is an EDM electrode design solution used for shortening the
electrode process. QuickElectrode is used for burn area selection, electrode
design, management, documentation and manufacturing.
The QuickElectrode Navigator enables full control over the display and
activation of electrodes, while allowing several users to collaborate on the same
part.
QuickElectrodes report generation features includes set-up sheets, burn location
Preface-1
reports and a full electrode schedule, therby alleviating the tedious task of
documenting the process .
QuickConcept
QuickConcept is a preliminary design and review package which allows tool
designers and their suppliers to hold virtual review meetings over the Internet
in real-time. Multiple users can connect to each other to section, label,
dimension, and identify points of interest and problem areas of any given tool.
All members of the review meeting will interactively view the same screen at
the same time.
QuickCompare
QuickCompare assists the tool designer in determining the scope and effect of
Engineering Changes (ECOs) on the tooling process. QuickCompare
mathematically compares the geometrical differences between two sets,
graphically marks these differences and documents the changes in a CAD file.
Here, the designer updates related components and tooling, while archiving
ECOs. The typically long CAD investigation process is significantly shortened.
QuickCompare ensures that all ECOs have been located, whether or not they
were communicated from design.
MoldBase 3D
MoldBase3D offers an innovative wizard-based approach to parametric mold
base design. MoldBase3D automatically creates 3D solid (parametric &
associative) moldbases, with all components and accessories, from
industry-standard catalog suppliers such as HASCO, DME, PCS, FUTABA,
DMS, PEDROTTI, RADOURDIN, SIDECO, STRACK and MISUMI. Creation
of the assembly and detailed drawings of each plate are automated, complete
with 2D and 3D section views, ordinate dimensions, labels, balloons, and an
itemized Bill of Materials. This module is fully associative to the mold design
and changes are automatically reflected in all stages of the design process.
Cimatrons automated engineering expertise benefits many industries, as competition requires

tighter development cycles and efficient fabrication.
Powerful modules within Cimatronit expand your systems capabilities. These may be purchased
from your Cimatron representative.
This publication provides a detailed description of the major features of the appropriate Cimatronit
application/topic. It is intended to help users in the daily operation of Cimatronit.
A list of Cimatronit documentation, for the current version, is shown on the next page.
Preface-2
Cimatron Documentation
Cimatronit documentation comprises Reference Manuals, On-Line Help and Tutorials which
together provide a comprehensive guide to Cimatronit.
The list of Cimatronit documentation, for the current version, is as follows:
Publication
Cimatronit
Reference
Manuals
Fundamentals &
General Functions
Modeling
QuickSplit
QuickElectrode
QuickCompare
Drafting
Solid Modeling
MoldBase 3D
Numerical Control
Cimatron IMSpost
General Post Processor
Finite Element Modeling
Utilities
Data Interface Utilities

CimaDEK
CimaRender Pro
MPDM: Getting Started
MPDM: Administrator
Re-Enge
* Legend:
Acrobat PDF
HTML
Winhelp
Description
Introduction to the fundamentals of Cimatronit and
description of the General functions.
Description of the wireframe and surface Modeling
functions.
QuickSplit automates the search and separation of core,
cavity and sliders to assist in determining the number of
actions required to create a mold.
QuickElectrode is an EDM electrode design solution used
for shortening the electrode process.
QuickCompare mathematically compares the geometrical
differences between two models, graphically marks these
differences and documents the changes in a CAD file.
Description of the Drafting functions.
Solid Modeling functions including Sketcher.
Description of the functions associated with the detailed
design of mold plates and components.
MoldBase3D offers an innovative wizard-based approach
to parametric mold base design.
Description of the NC functions.
Cimatron IMSpost is a macro-based system for
developing and customizing postprocessors.
General Post Processor (GPP) functions.
Description of Finite Element Modeling (FEM) functions.
Various utilities that may be used with Cimatronit. These
utilities are either Internal, run via the USER function, or
External, run via the Main Menu.
Description of Cimatrons comprehensive data interface
utilities; DXF, DWG, IGES, JAMA-IS, VDA, PTC, STEP,
SAT, CATIA and UNIGRAPHICS.
Cimatrons specialized Developers kit, for programming
customized functions.
A photo-realistic rendering package.
Description of how to use Manufacturing Product Data
Management to track and organize all files and data
associated with a project.
Description of Reverse Engineering design functions.
Display
Options *
A
A
A
H
H
A
A
A
A
Preface-3
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
About This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Intro-1
Typographical Conventions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Intro-2
SECTION I Modeling Functions

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-1
Chapter 1 Wireframe Modeling Functions

CIRCLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2
COMCRV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
CONIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-17
CORNER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-21
HELIX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-25
LINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-30
MOVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-49
OFFSET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-59
POINT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-72
PROJECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-88
SPLINE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-101
STRETCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-109
SWEEP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-113
TRIM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-120
WIRE_EDM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-126
Chapter 2 Assembly Design and Management

EXPLODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2
EXTRACT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
GROUP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15
PLACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20
Cimatron Modeling 13
Table of Contents
Chapter 3 Parametric Shape Functions

PATTDIM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
PATTERN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-22
PATTUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-25
SECTION II Surface Functions

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . II-1
Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . II-2
Surface Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . II-2
Trimmed Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . II-3
Trimming by Parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . II-4
Differences Between a Trimmed Surface and Other Surfaces . . . . . . . . II-4
Summary of Surface Types Available in Cimatron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . II-5
Display of the Surface on the Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . II-6
Chapter 4 Basic Surface Functions

REVOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
RULED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
SURF_CUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-13
ii
Table of Contents
Chapter 5 Advanced Surface Functions

BLEND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
COMSRF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-19
DRIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-21
EDIT_SET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-43
FILLET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-44
MESH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-63
MODIFY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-67
PARTLN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-109
PLFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-112
PNTSRF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-114
SCALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-117
SRFCRV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-119
SRFLAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-128
SRFSEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-130
SURF_EXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-136
SURFSORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-146
SWEEPF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-148
TRMPLF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-151
TRMSRF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-152
iii
Introduction
We recommend that new users of Cimatronit read at least the first three chapters of the
Fundamentals & General Functions Manual, to acquire a working knowledge of Cimatronit.
As you work with the system, different function overlays will be displayed. At the beginning of
many chapters, you will find an overlay diagram which shows the functions described in the chapter
and indicates how to access them. Within chapters, functions are listed in alphabetical order. The
names of the functions and their options appear in capital letters. At the top of each page a status
line tells you which option or sub-option is described on that page.
Although you may only need one particular option within a function, we recommend that you read
the description of the interaction for the entire function. Modal parameters, which determine the
mode which will be active when the function is executed, are explained at the end of each function.
After you are familiar with the basic system, scan the manual occasionally to discover functions you
are not using and to learn how to take full advantage of the power of Cimatronit.
About This Manual

This manual provides explanations of the functions used in the Modeling application, and describes
the advanced surface functions used to create sophisticated surfaces in Cimatron.
SECTION I, Modeling Functions

Chapter 1
Wireframe Modeling Functions, describes the wireframe modeling

functions, used to create entities, and perform operations on entities
to create models.
Chapter 2
Assembly Design and Management, explains the functions used to

handle the assembly, design and management of entities.
Chapter 3
Parametric Shape Functions, presents the functions used to handle

parametric shapes.
SECTION II, Surfaces Functions

Chapter 4
Basic Surface Functions, describes the functions used to create

basic surfaces.
Chapter 5
Advanced Surfaces Functions, presents the advanced surface

functions used to create different types of surface entities within
Cimatron.
Introduction
Intro-1
Typographical Conventions
Throughout this manual, certain conventions have been used to present different types of
information.
For each function in the manual the following information is presented (in the order listed below):
Function & Purpose

The name of the function as it appears in the function bank, presented in large bold upper case type,
followed by the purpose of the function. For example:
LINE
The purpose text, presented in

describes what the function does.
regular
type,
Main Options
Presents the first level of options within each function in table format, as they appear on the screen.
For example:
Main Options:
SELECT
2 POINTS
PARALLEL
OFFSET
PT-ANGLE
PT-CURVE
LN-CURVE
2 CURVES
HOR/VER
BOX
DIVID-LN
SURF-TAN
SURF-NRM
TAN/NORM
2 PLANES
The interaction for each main option is described separately within the function. Where the
description begins, the main option name is presented, preceded by the function name and graphic
arrows. For example:
LINE >> PT-ANGLE
Intro-2
Introduction
Sub-options
When branching occurs in the interaction of a function, the interaction for each option is described
separately. The option names are presented in bold, block letters and the option path is represented
by graphic arrows. For example:
PT-ANGLE >> FROM UCS +X AXIS

Actions (optional)
Summarizes the recommended interaction to be followed in the current function/option, presented
in sans serif type. For example:
Action:
1. Set the parameters in the option table.
2. Pick a given line.
3. Indicate a reference point. It does not have to be on the line.
4. Indicate the position for the new line.
Interaction
The prompts which tell you how to execute the function are listed in upper case sans serif italic
letters.
Prompt explanations are shown to the right of the prompts. (Some additional notes are also provided
in the right column.) For example:
PICK 1ST CURVE
Pick any curve on the closed contour.
Modal Parameters
The modal parameters for each function appear at the end of the function under the heading
<function name> Modal Parameter Definitions. For example:
MODIFY Modal Parameter Definitions

Within this section, modal parameters are listed in alphabetical order. Modal parameters are
represented in the text by a filled box as shown below. Modal parameters marked with an asterisk
are system generated and cannot be changed.
Parameter explanations are to the right of the parameters.
For example
n * ANG =
For CYLINDRICAL coordinates, this is the angle between the

X axis and the line defined by the projection of the points on
the XY plane.
Introduction
Intro-3
Notes
Provides information to help you avoid problems and achieve accurate results. Each note is
preceded by a bullet character for immediate identification. For example:
Notes:
The default active work plane is the XY plane of the active
coordinate system.
System Messages
System messages appear in upper case sans serif type and are preceded by an explanation stating
that they are system messages. For example:
CURRENT SURFACE ALREADY SATISFIES TOLERANCE + SLOPE CONDITIONS
End of Function
The end of a function or section is marked by a box character (q).
Intro-4
Introduction
SECTION I
Modeling Functions
Introduction
The Modeling Application Functions are organized in seven overlays, as shown below. (To switch
from one overlay to the next, press <SUBMENU>. To access the previous overlay press
<REJECT>.)
The first overlay (and part of the second overlay) contains wireframe modeling functions. These
functions are used to create entities and perform operations on entities to create models. These
functions are explained in Chapter 1, Wireframe Modeling Functions.
Four of the functions in the second overlay (GROUP, PLACE, EXPLODE and EXTRACT)
handle the assembly, design and management of entities. These functions are described in detail in
Chapter 2, Assembly, Design and Management.
Three of the functions in the second overlay (PATTDIM, PATTERN and PATTUSE) are used to
create and work with parametric shapes or patterns. These are described in detail in Chapter 3,
Parametric Shape Functions.
Overlays III and IV contain surface modeling functions and are described in Section II of this
manual. Overlay IV contains the function SURFSORT which is described in the UTILITIES
manual.
Overlay V contains the BEND, RE-ENGE and WIRE_EDM applications. BEND produces an
unfolded version of a given geometry and is described in the Utilities Manual. The RE-ENGE
Manual describes the Reverse Engineering design functions. The WIRE_EDM function runs the
Cimatron-WireEDM program (the Cimatronit part of the program is explained in this manual).
Overlay VI contains the functions associated with QuickElectrode. See the QuickElectrode Manual
and the on-line help for additional information.
Most of the functions in Overlay VII are associated with QuickSplit. The function COMPARE
runs QuickCompare. See the QuickSplit and QuickCompare Manual and the appropriate on-line
helps for additional information.
Overlay I
Overlay II
Overlay III
Overlay IV
Overlay V
POINT
GROUP
DRIVE
PLFACE
BEND
LINE
PLACE
RULED
SWEEPF
RE_ENGE
CIRCLE
EXPLODE
REVOL
TRMPLF
CORNER
EXTRACT
MESH
EDIT SET
TRIM
PATTDIM
PNTSRF
OFFSET
PATTERN
FILLET
PATTUSE
SWEEP
QSPLIT
E_MANAGE
P_SURF
QE_BLANK
COMPARE
WIRE_EDM
BLEND
SCALE
EXTNSION
PARTLN
SIDE_EXT
SRFLAT
AUTO_EXT
CONIC
COMCRV
SRFCRV
PROJECT
HELIX
SRFSEC
MOVE
STRETCH
TRMSRF
Overlay VII
ELECTROD
COMSRF
SPLINE
Overlay VI
MODIFY
SURFSORT
Modeling Functions
EXTR_OBJ
TOOLS
QE_TOOLS
EDIT
PREFRNCE
Q_DISP
I-1
Chapter 1
Wireframe Modeling Functions
The first overlay of modeling functions (and part of the second overlay) contains wireframe
modeling functions. These functions are used to create entities, and perform operations on entities
to create models. The fifth overlay conatins the function that accesses the Cimatron-WireEDM
program.
Overlay I
Overlay II
Overlay V
POINT
LINE
CIRCLE
CORNER
WIRE_EDM
TRIM
OFFSET
SWEEP
SPLINE
CONIC
COMCRV
PROJECT
HELIX
MOVE
STRETCH
CIRCLE
Create a circle/arc entity.
COMCRV
HELIX
Create a composite curve or NURBS spline entity from a

sequence of specified curves, or explode a composite curve
into its original entities.
Create a conic section entity.
Create a rounded, chamfered or sharp corner at the
intersection point of two lines or curves.
Create a helix entity.
LINE
Create a line entity.
MOVE
Translate, rotate, mirror, copy and scale entities.
OFFSET
Create an offset entity.
POINT
Create a point entity.
PROJECT
Create a new entity by projecting curves or points onto a

plane, planar face or surface.
SPLINE
Create a spline entity.
STRETCH
Stretch all line entities and planar faces which were picked
by defining a BOX around them and move all other entity
types which were in the box.
SWEEP
Sweep entities along a vector or about a rotation axis; create

a bounding box around selected entities.
TRIM
Trim, divide or extend curves.
WIRE_EDM
Run the Cimatron WireEDM program.
CONIC
CORNER
Wireframe Modeling
1-1
CIRCLE
CIRCLE
Create a circle/arc entity.
Main Options:
SELECT:
CENTER + RADIUS/DIAM
CENTER + POINT
2 POINTS
3 POINTS
POINT + CURVE (RAD)
POINT + CURVE (PT)
2 CURVES
3 CURVES
POINT + 2 CURVES
2 POINTS + CURVE
CENTER+ RADIUS
/DIAM
Create a circle/arc defined by its radius (or diameter) and

center point.
CENTER+POINT
Create a circle/arc defined by its center and a point on the

circumference.
2 POINTS
Create a circle/arc with a given radius, between two points

which are projected onto a plane parallel to the active work
plane.
3 POINTS
Create a circle/arc
circumference.
POINT+CURVE(RAD)
Create a circle/arc defined by a point on its circumference, a

curve tangent to the circle and a defined radius.
POINT+CURVE(PT)
Create a circle/arc defined by a point on its circumference

and a curve tangent to the circle.
2 CURVES
Create a circle/arc defined by two curves tangent to the circle

and a defined radius.
3 CURVES
Create a circle/arc defined by three curves tangent to the

circle.
POINT + 2 CURVES
Create a circle defined by a point on its circumference and

two curves tangent to the circle.
2 POINTS + CURVE
Create a circle defined by two points on its circumference and

tangent to the circle.
Notes:
defined
by
three
points
on
its
The first three options create the circle/arc on the active work plane
or on a plane which is parallel to the active work plane. In the next

seven options, the arcs plane is implicitly defined by the input.
coordinate system.
1-2
Wireframe Modeling
CIRCLE
CIRCLE >> CENTER + RADIUS

CIRCLE >> CENTER + DIAM
Create a circle/arc defined by its radius (or diameter) and center point.
DELTA ANGLE
START ANGLE
CENTER
RADIUS
Figure 1-1: CIRCLE >> CENTER + RADIUS/DIAM
How To:
1. Set the center, radius/diameter parameters in the modal table.
2. Pick screen area as center of circle.
Interaction:
IND. CENTER POINT
.CENTER POINT
RADIUS
RADIUS =
DIAMETER
DIAMETER =
START =
DELTA =
DEFINE PLN
The circle/arc is created on a plane which is parallel to the

active work plane and contains the center point.
Wireframe Modeling
1-3
CIRCLE
CIRCLE >> CENTER + POINT

Create a circle/arc defined by its center point and a point on the circumference.
IND. POINT ON CIRCLE

IND. CENTER POINT
Figure 1-2: CIRCLE >> CENTER + POINT
How To:
2. Pick screen area to define center point and then a point through which the
circumference will pass.
Interaction:
IND. CENTER POINT
START =
DELTA =
CENTER DEPTH /
DEFINE PLN
POINT DEPTH /
ACTIVE UCS DEPTH
1-4
. CENTER POINT
Indicate the circles center point.
. POINT ON CIRCLE
Indicate a point on the circles circumference.
Wireframe Modeling
CIRCLE
CIRCLE >> 2 POINTS

Create a circle/arc with a given radius, between two points which are projected onto a
plane parallel to the active work plane.
INDICATE SIDE
IND.1ST ENDPOINT
IND. 2ND ENDPOINT
Figure 1-3: CIRCLE >> 2 POINTS
How To:
2. Pick screen area to define a the start point of the circle and then a point through
which the circumference will pass.
Interaction:
IND. 1ST ENDPOINT
RADIUS =
ARC /
1ST POINT DEPTH
DEFINE PLN
CIRCLE
1ST POINT DEPTH

2ND POINT DEPTH
ACTIVE UCS DEPTH
. 1ST ENDPOINT
Indicate the first point.
. 2ND ENDPOINT
Indicate the second point.
INDICATE SIDE
Indicate a side of the two points to determine the orientation

of the arc/circle in the specified plane.
If an ARC is being created, the smallest arc between the two
points will be displayed first. Confirm that it is the one you
want or answer NO to display its complement.
ARC O.K.? YES NO
YES
NO
The arc will be created.

The complement to the first arc will be displayed.
If CIRCLE was specified, it will be created as soon as a side

is indicated.
CIRCLE O.K.? YES NO
YES
NO
The circle will be created.

The complement to the first circle will be displayed.
Wireframe Modeling
1-5
CIRCLE
CIRCLE >> 3 POINTS

Create a circle/arc defined by three points on its circumference. The circle/arc is created on the
plane that passes through the three points.
IND. 3RD POINT
IND. 2ND POINT
IND. 1ST POINT
Figure 1-4: CIRCLE >> 3 POINTS
How To:
1. Pick screen area to define a the start point of the circle and then 2 points through
which the circumference will pass.
Interaction:
IND. 1ST POINT
ARC /
CIRCLE
1-6
IND. 1ST POINT
Indicate first point.
IND. 2ND POINT
Indicate second point.
IND. 3RD POINT
Indicate third point.
Wireframe Modeling
CIRCLE
CIRCLE >> POINT + CURVE(RAD)

Create a circle/arc defined by a curve tangent to the circle, a defined radius and a point on the
circles circumference. The circle is created on the plane that passes through the curve and the
point.
IND. POINT
PICK CURVE
Figure 1-5: CIRCLE >> POINT + CURVE(RAD)
How To:
1. Set the value in the parameter table.
2. Pick a curve
3. Pick a point through which the circumference will pass.
Interaction:
PICK CURVE
RADIUS =
ARC /
CIRCLE
PICK CURVE
Pick a curve which is tangent to the circle close to its point

of tangency.
IND. POINT

If there are two arcs which meet the given conditions,
indicate which one is desired.
Wireframe Modeling
1-7
CIRCLE
CIRCLE >> POINT + CURVE(PT)

Create a circle/arc defined by a curve tangent to the circle, a point on that curve and a point on the
circles circumference. The circle is created on the plane that passes through the curve and the
points.
IND. POINT ON CURVE
PICK CURVE
IND. POINT
Figure 1-6: CIRCLE >> POINT + CURVE(PT)
How To:
1. Pick a curve
2. Pick a point on the curve then a point where the circles circumference will pass.
Interaction:
PICK CURVE
ARC /
CIRCLE
PICK CURVE
Pick a curve which is tangent to the circle close to its point

of tangency.
IND. POINT ON CURVE
Indicate a point on the curve.
IND. POINT

If there are two arcs which meet the given conditions,
indicate which one is desired.
POINT O.K.? YES NO
YES
NO
1-8
The circle/arc will be created.

Re-indicate the point on the circles circumference.
Wireframe Modeling
CIRCLE
CIRCLE >> 2 CURVES

Create a circle/arc defined by two curves tangent to the circle and a defined radius. The circle/arc is
created on the plane that passes through the two curves.
CIRCLE
ARC
PICK 1ST CURVE
PICK 2ND CURVE
PICK 2ND CURVE
PICK 1ST CURVE
Figure 1-7: CIRCLE >> 2 CURVES
How To:
1. Set a radius value.
2. Pick 2 curves.
Interaction:
PICK 1ST CURVE
RADIUS =
ARC /
CIRCLE
PICK 1ST CURVE
Pick a curve which is tangent to the circle. In the modeling

application, the curves must be coplanar.
PICK 2ND CURVE
Pick a second curve which is tangent to the circle.
Wireframe Modeling
1-9
CIRCLE
CIRCLE >> 3 CURVES

Create a circle/arc defined by three curves tangent to the circle. The circle/arc is created on the
plane that passes through the three points of tangency.
How To:
1. Pick 3 curves.
Interaction:
PICK 1ST CURVE
ARC /
CIRCLE
IND. 1ST CURVE
Pick a curve, tangent to the circle. In the modeling

application, the curves must be coplanar.
IND. 2ND CURVE
Pick a second curve, tangent to the circle.
IND. 3RD CURVE
Pick a third curve, tangent to the circle.
CIRCLE >> POINT + 2 CURVES

Create a circle defined by a point on its circumference and two curves tangent to the circle.
IND. POINT
PICK 2ND CURVE

PICK 1ST CURVE
Figure 1-8: CIRCLE >> POINT + 2 CURVES
How To:
1. Pick 2 curves plus a point
Interaction:
PICK 1ST CURVE
Pick a curve which is tangent to the circle.
PICK 2ND CURVE
Pick a second curve which is tangent to the circle.
IND. POINT

If more than one circle meets the given conditions, indicate
the desired circle:
CIRCLE O.K. ? YES NO YES

NO
1-10
The circle will be created.

The complement to the first circle will be displayed.
Wireframe Modeling
CIRCLE
CIRCLE >> 2 POINTS + CURVE

Create a circle defined by two points on its circumference and tangent to the circle.
PICK CURVE
IND. 1ST POINT
IND. 2ND POINT
Figure 1-9: CIRCLE >> 2 POINTS + CURVE
How To:
1. Pick a curve plus 2 points
Interaction:
PICK CURVE
Pick a curve which is tangent to the circle.
IND. 1ST POINT
IND. 2ND POINT
Indicate a second point on the circles circumference.
CIRCLE Modal Parameter Definitions

This section explains each of the modal parameters used in this function.
n 1ST POINT DEPTH
Create the circle/arc on a plane which is parallel to the active

work plane and with the circumference passing through this
first indicated point.
n 2ND POINT DEPTH

work plane and with the circumference passing through this
second indicated point.
n ACTIVE UCS DEPTH
Create the arc on the work plane. In this case, both the
center point and the point on the circumference will be
projected onto the active work plane and they define only the
circles radius, and not the plane on which it will be created.
n ARC
Create an arc.
n CENTER DEPTH
Create the arc on a plane which is parallel to the active work

plane and contains the indicated center point.
n CIRCLE
Create a circle.
n DEFINE PLN
Select this modal to define a different temporary active work

plane.
Wireframe Modeling
1-11
CIRCLE
See Defining a Plane in Chapter 3, of the Fundamentals &

General Functions Manual.
1-12
n DIAMETER
Define the circle/arc by its diameter.
n DIAMETER =
Diameter of the circle/arc.
n DELTA =
Delta angle from the start angle.
n POINT DEPTH

work plane, with the circumference passing through the
indicated point.
n RADIUS
Define the circle/arc by its radius.
n RADIUS =
Radius of the circle/arc.
n START =
Start angle. The arcs starting point is defined by an angle

which is measured from the active work planes X axis. A
positive angle is in a counterclockwise direction. q
Wireframe Modeling
COMCRV
COMCRV

sequence of specified curves, or explode a composite curve
into its original entities.
Main Options:
SELECT OPTION
CREATE
EXPLODE
CREATE

sequence of specified curves.
EXPLODE
Explode a composite curve into its original entities.
Notes:
A composite curve may be created from a sequence of specified
curves and/or the boundaries of surfaces and trimmed surfaces.
Curves with break points are not applicable.
COMCRV >> CREATE

Create a composite curve or a NURBS spline entity from a sequence of specified curves.
GAP
SPLINE APPROXIMATION
IND. DIRECTION
PICK NTH CRV/EXIT
PICK 1ST CRV

COMPOSITE
CURVE
DEFINE
RADIUS
AUTO SMOOTH
Figure 1-10: Comparison of COMPOSITE CURVE and SPLINE APPROXIMATION

SELECT OPTION
COMPOSITE CURVE
Wireframe Modeling
SPLINE APPROXIM.
1-13
COMCRV
CREATE >> COMPOSITE CURVE

Create a composite curve from a sequence of specified curves.
SELECT
Notes:
2D CURVE
3D CURVE
coordinate system.
To create a 2D composite curve, the specified curves must lie on the
same plane.
CREATE >> COMPOSITE CURVE >> 2/3D CURVE

How To:
1. Pick a curve then indicate the direction of the curve to be created.
2. Set the modal options then pick the other curves to form the new curve.
Interaction:
PICK CONTOUR
DELETE ORIGINAL /
KEEP ORIGINAL
PICK CONTOUR
Pick the first curve to be used to form the new composite

curve.
INDICATE DIRECTION
Indicate the desired direction.
PICK 2ND CURVE

. . . . PICK NTH CURVE
When the modals are set, pick the curves and <EXIT>.
EXECUTING . . .
The composite curve is created.
CREATE >> SPLINE APPROXIM.

Create a NURBS spline entity from a sequence of specified curves. Gaps are automatically closed,
and corners are smoothed. The radius used for smoothing can be defined by the user, or set
automatically by the system.
SELECT
Note:
2D CURVE
3D CURVE
The spline entity may not be exploded into its original entities.
When creating a 2D curve, the specified curves must lie on the same
plane.
1-14
Wireframe Modeling
COMCRV
CREATE >> SPLINE APPROXIM. >> 2/3D CURVE

How To:
1. Pick a curve then indicate the direction of the curve to be created.
2. Set the modal options then pick the other curves to form the new curve.
Interaction:
PICK CONTOUR
DELETE ORIGINAL /
TOL =
KEEP ORIGINAL
PICK CONTOUR
Pick the first curve to be used to form the new spline entity.
INDICATE DIRECTION
PICK 2ND CURVE/EXIT

When the modals are set, pick the curves and <EXIT>.
. . . PICK NTH CURVE/EXIT
If the contour is smooth, the spline will be created.

If the contour is not smooth, the break points are highlighted
in red, and following message appears:
CONTOUR NOT SMOOTH
CONTINUE? YES NO
YES
NO
<CR> TO CONTINUE
Smooth the contour.

Redefine the contour.
DELETE ORIGINAL /
TOL =
KEEP ORIGINAL
EXECUTING . . .
DEFINE RADIUS
RADIUS =
AUTOSMOOTH
The spline entity is created.
COMCRV >> EXPLODE

Explode a composite curve into its original entities.
How To:
1. Pick a composite curve then confirm its selection.
Interaction:
PICK COMPOSITE CURVE
DELETE ORIGINAL /
KEEP ORIGINAL
PICK COMPOSITE CURVE Pick a composite curve.

COMPOSITE CURVE OK? YES
NO
Confirm the composite curve.

Select a different curve.
EXECUTING . . .
The composite curve is exploded into its original entities.
Note:
A NURBS spline entity may not be exploded into its original

entities.
Wireframe Modeling
1-15
COMCRV
COMCRV Modal Parameter Definitions

n AUTOSMOOTH
The system will fit a spline to the contour according to the

defined tolerance, including the regions where breakpoints
were located. Therefore, the radius of curvature in these
regions will vary.
n DEFINE RADIUS
A spline will be created which has the defined radius of

curvature in the regions where the breakpoints were located,
and is within the tolerance in all other regions.
Enter a radius value and <CR>. If the value entered is too
large, the following message appears.
COULD
NOT
CREATE
RECOMMENDED RADIUS = 10.5
SMOOTH
CONTOUR,
The largest radius that can be used will be suggested by the

system.
CONTINUE? YES NO
YES
NO
The recommended radius will appear in the modal. Use

this radius, or enter another value, and <CR>.
n DELETE ORIGINAL
The original curves (in EXPLODE: the composite curve) will

be deleted.
n KEEP ORIGINAL
The original curves (in EXPLODE: the composite curve) will

be retained.
n RADIUS
Radius used to smooth the contour when creating a spline

entity.
n TOL =
Tolerance used to approximate the selected curves when

creating a spline entity.
COMCRV Usage Envelope

SPLINE APPROXIMATION
1. The algorithm starts to search for a suitable radius using the input radius and reduces
the value until a good radius is achieved. This radius is not necessarily the ideal
radius (i.e. the largest possible good radius).
2. When smoothing with a user-defined radius, the following relation should be followed:
RADIUS > TOL > GAP. q
1-16
Wireframe Modeling
CONIC
CONIC
Create a conic section entity on the active work plane, or a

plane parallel to it..
Main Options:
SELECT
ELLIPSE
ENDS & SHLDR PT
ENDS & P/Q
ELLIPSE
Create an ellipse by defining its axes.
ENDS & SHLDR PT
Create a conic section by indicating two endpoints and a

shoulder point.
ENDS & P/Q
Define a conic section by its endpoints and a shape

parameter.
Note:
coordinate system.
CONIC >> ELLIPSE

Create an ellipse by defining its axes.
IND. CENTER POINT
A =
B =
ROTATION =
DEFINE PLN
START =
DELTA =
How To:
1. Set the modal parameters then pick the center point of the ellipse to be created.
Interaction:
IND. CENTER POINT
Set the modal parameters, then indicate the ellipses center

point.
The ellipse is created on a plane which is parallel to the
active work plane and contains the center point.
Wireframe Modeling
1-17
CONIC
CONIC >> ENDS & SHLDR PT

Create a conic section by indicating two endpoints and a shoulder point.
IND. CONIC 1ST END PT
IND. CONIC 2ND END PT
IND.SHOULDER POINT
IND. SLOPE INTERSECTION
Figure 1-11: CONIC >> ENDS & SHLDR PT
Notes:
The shoulder point must be indicated within the triangle created by
the tangent vectors at the two endpoints of the conic section.
The tangent vectors can be defined either by point indication of their
intersection, or by separate direction definition.
The intersection occurs between the projected vectors on the active
work plane.
How To:
1. Pick 4 points to form the 2 end points of the conic, the shoulder point and the slope
intersection point.
Interaction:
IND.CONIC 1ST END PT
SLOPES INTERS. /
DEFINE PLN
DEFINE SLOPES
IND.CONIC 1ST END PT
Indicate the conic sections first endpoint.

If DEFINE SLOPES was selected, press <SUBMENU> to
use one of the five DEFINE SLOPE submenu options to
define the slope at the first endpoint. See Defining a Slope in
Chapter 3, of the Fundamentals & General Functions
Manual.
IND.CONIC 2ND END PT
Indicate the conic sections second endpoint.

If DEFINE SLOPES was selected, define the slope for the
second endpoint as described above.
1-18
Wireframe Modeling
CONIC
IND. SHOULDER POINT
Indicate a point on the conic section.

The shoulder point must be included within the triangle
created by the two endpoints and the intersection point of the
tangents.
IND. SLOPES INTERS.
If SLOPES INTERS. was selected, indicate the intersection

point of both tangents.
CONIC >> ENDS & P/Q

Define a conic section by its endpoints and a shape parameter.
IND. CONIC 1ST END PT
IND. CONIC 2ND END PT
P/Q=0.25
ELLIPSE
P/Q=0.5
PARABOLA
P/Q=0.75
HYPERBOLA
INTERSECTION POINT
Figure 1-12: CONIC >> ENDS & P/Q
How To:
1. Set the modal parameters.
2. Pick 3 points to form the 2 end points of the conic and the slope intersection point.
Interaction:
IND.CONIC 1ST PT
SLOPES INTERS. /
P/Q =
DEFINE PLN
DEFINE SLOPES
IND.CONIC 1ST PT
Indicate the conic sections first endpoint.
IND.CONIC 2ND PT
Indicate the conic sections second endpoint.

For DEFINE SLOPES modal option, follow the slope
definition for the endpoints as described above.
IND. SLOPES INTERS.
If SLOPES INTERS. was selected, indicate the intersection

point of both tangents.
Wireframe Modeling
1-19
CONIC
CONIC Modal Parameter Definitions

n A=
Half the length of major symmetry axis.
n B=
Half the length of minor symmetry axis.
n DELTA =
Delta angle from the start angle. This is the angle between
the first and the second endpoints of the conic section. A
positive angle is in a counterclockwise direction.
n DEFINE PLN
Use one of the work plane options to define a different active

plane temporarily.
Note:
A different work plane may not be defined after the first endpoint
has been indicated.
n DEFINE SLOPES
Define the slopes of the conic section by defining the tangent

vectors at each endpoint separately.
See Defining a Slope in Chapter 3, of the Fundamentals &
Remember: The tangent vectors at both endpoints must intersect.

n P/Q =
Shape parameter of the conic section (0<P/Q<1):

Ellipse:
0.0 < P/Q < 0.5
Parabola:
P/Q = 0.5
Hyperbola: 0.5 <P/Q < 1.0
n ROTATION =
The rotation angle of the conic section on the active work

plane. This is the angle between the X axis of the active
work plane and the major symmetry axis of the ellipse.
n START =
Start angle. The conic sections starting point is defined by an

angle which is measured from the major symmetry axis of the
ellipse. A positive angle is in a counterclockwise direction.
n SLOPES INTERS.
Define the direction for the slopes of the conic section at the
two endpoints by indicating their intersection point.
Indicate a point which defines a triangle with both endpoints.
q
1-20
Wireframe Modeling
CORNER
CORNER
Create a corner at the intersection point of two lines or curves.
Main Options:
SELECT
RADIUS
CHAMFER
MULTI RADIUS
CORNER
RADIUS
Create a rounded corner between two curves. This option

creates an arc entity between the two lines or curves.
CHAMFER
Create a new line between two lines at a specified angle with

the first line.
MULTI RADIUS
Create rounded corners between multiple curves.
CORNER
Create a sharp corner between two curves by extending them

until they intersect, or trimming them beyond the intersection
point.
CORNER >> RADIUS

Create a rounded corner between two curves. An arc is created between coplanar 2D curves,
and a 3D Rational NURBS spline is created between 3D curves, or curves which are not
coplanar.
PICK 1ST CURVE
RADIUS =
TRIM OFF
TRIM OFF
TRIM 1ST
TRIM 2ND
TRIM BOTH
How To:
2. Pick 2 curves between which the corner is to be formed
Interaction:
PICK 1ST CURVE
Pick the first curve near the intersection with the second
curve.
PICK 2ND CURVE
Pick the second curve near the intersection point.

If the curves are 3D or are not coplanar, define a plane to be
used in the calculations.
DEFINE PLANE
Select an option and define a plane.
Wireframe Modeling
1-21
CORNER
CORNER >> CHAMFER

Create a new line between two lines at a specified angle with the first line.
The chamfer starts at a point on the first line, whose distance from the intersection
point of the lines equals the value of the LENGTH parameter. The extensions of the
two lines, which are between the chamfer and the intersection point of the lines, may
be trimmed.
PICK 1ST LINE
LENGTH =
ANGLE =
TRIM OFF
TRIM OFF
TRIM 1ST
TRIM 2ND
TRIM BOTH
How To:
1. Set the modal parameters and pick 2 curves.
Interaction:
PICK 1ST LINE
Pick the first curve near the intersection point with the second
curve.
PICK 2ND LINE
Pick the second curve near the intersection point with the first
curve.
CORNER >> MULTI RADIUS

Create rounded corners between multiple curves.
IND. DIR.
PICK 1ST CRV
PICK NTH CRV/EXIT
MULTI RADIUS
Figure 1-13: CORNER >> MULTI RADIUS
1-22
Wireframe Modeling
CORNER
How To:
2. Pick the first curve, indicate the direction and then pick the remaining curves
Interaction:
PICK 1ST CRV/EXIT RADIUS =
TRIM ON /
TRIM OFF
PICK 1ST CRV/EXIT
Select the first curve in the contour.
INDICATE DIRECTION
Indicate the direction in which the contour will be defined.

Define the contour and then <EXIT>. See Defining Contours
in Chapter 3, of the Fundamentals & General Functions
Manual.
CORNER >> CORNER

Create a sharp corner between two curves by extending them until they intersect, or
trimming them beyond their intersection point.
PICK 1ST CURVE
PICK 2ND CURVE
Figure 1-14: CORNER >> CORNER
How To:
1. Pick 2 curves.
Interaction:
PICK 1ST CURVE
Pick the first curve close to the intersection point with the
second curve.
PICK 2ND CURVE
Pick the second curve close to the intersection point with the
first curve.
Wireframe Modeling
1-23
CORNER
CORNER Modal Parameter Definitions

n ANGLE =
The chamfer lines angle with the first line. Positive angle is
in the counterclockwise direction.
n LENGTH =
Distance from the intersection point of both corner lines to

the starting point for the chamfer line, along the first line.
n RADIUS =
Define the radius of the arc or the radius of curvature of the

3D Rational NURBS spline.
n TRIM 1ST
Trim the 1st curve beyond the corner (or extend up to it).
n TRIM 2ND
Trim the 2nd curve beyond the corner (or extend up to it).
n TRIM BOTH
Trim both curves beyond the corner (or extend up to it).
n TRIM OFF
Do not trim curves.
n TRIM ON
Trim all curves at the corners.
CORNER Usage Envelope

GENERAL
1. 3D curves may be selected in 2D mode.
2. In VIEW/MACSYS, a 2D curve in a plane that is perpendicular to the VIEW/MACSYS
plane initially appears as a line. After some functions, such as CORNER and TRIM,
the curve actually becomes a line.
RADIUS
1. When the curves are coplanar 2D curves, this option creates an arc entity with the
specified radius.
2. When the curves are not coplanar, and/or at least one is a 3D curve, this option
creates a 3D Rational NURBS spline with the specified radius.
CHAMFER
1. In 3D mode, both curves must be coplanar.
MULTI RADIUS
1. All contours are treated as open contours. For closed contours, define the contour as
usual, then use the MP function (from the Immediate Function Menu), to add the first
curve to the end of the contour.
2. This option can be used to create a smoothly connected contour as required by
COMCRV >> SPLINE APPROXIMATION.
3. When the intersecting curves are coplanar 2D curves, this option creates an arc entity
with the specified radius.
4. When the intersecting curves are not coplanar, and/or at least one is a 3D curve, this
option creates a 3D Rational NURBS spline with the specified radius. q
1-24
Wireframe Modeling
HELIX
HELIX
Create a helix entity.
Main Options:
SELECT RADIUS TYPE
FIXED
LINEAR
EXPONENTIAL
FIXED
Create a helix with a constant radius.
LINEAR
Create a helix whose radius changes linearly by a specific

increment.
EXPONENTIAL
Create a helix whose radius changes exponentially from a

specified start radius to a specified end radius.
Note:
If the PITCH is equal to 0, a 2D entity will be created.
How To:
1. Select a radius type to determine the shape of the helix.
2. Set modals which define the direction (C.C.W./C.W.), the number of cycles
(THREADS), the rise between cycles (PITCH) and radius size(s) and/or increment.
Indicate the base point of the helix which will be the center point of the first cycle.
3. Indicate the points that will determine the positioning of the helix.
Wireframe Modeling
1-25
HELIX
HELIX >> FIXED

Create a helix with a constant radius.
IND. AXIS DIRECTION
PITCH = 1.00
THREADS = 6.00
RADIUS = 1.00
IND. BASE POINT
IND. START POINT
Figure 1-15: HELIX >> FIXED
How To:
2. Pick 3 points to indicate start point, base point and axis direction.
Interaction:
IND. BASE POINT
C.C.W. /
THREADS =
PITCH =
RADIUS =
C.W.
1-26
IND. BASE POINT
Indicate the center point of the first cycle.
IND. AXIS DIRECTION
The axis of the helix will start from the BASE POINT and
pass through the indicated point.
IND. START POINT
The first cycle of the helix will begin on the line joining the
START POINT and the BASE POINT.
EXECUTING . . .
The helix will be created and displayed.
Wireframe Modeling
HELIX
HELIX >> LINEAR

Create a helix whose radius changes linearly by a specific increment.
IND. START POINT
RADIUS STEP
START RADIUS
IND. BASE POINT
PITCH
IND. AXIS DIRECTION
Figure 1-16: HELIX >> LINEAR
How To:
2. Pick 3 points to indicate base point, axis direction and start point.
Interaction:
IND. BASE POINT
C.C.W. /
THREADS =
PITCH =
RADIUS =
C.W.
RADIUS STEP =
IND. BASE POINT
IND. AXIS DIRECTION
IND. START POINT
EXECUTING . . .
Wireframe Modeling
1-27
HELIX
HELIX >> EXPONENTIAL

Create a helix whose radius changes exponentially from a specified start radius to a
specified end radius.
IND. START POINT
IND. BASE POINT
START RAD. = 2.00

PITCH = 1.00
THREADS = 6.00
END RAD. = 10.00
IND. AXIS DIRECTION
Figure 1-17: HELIX >> EXPONENTIAL
How To:
2. Pick 3 points to indicate base point, axis direction and start point.
Interaction:
IND. BASE POINT
C.C.W. /
THREADS =
PITCH =
START RAD =
C.W.
END RAD =
1-28
IND. BASE POINT
IND. AXIS DIRECTION
IND. START POINT
EXECUTING . . .
Wireframe Modeling
HELIX
HELIX Modal Parameter Definitions

n C.C.W.
The helix will be created in a counterclockwise direction.
n C.W.
The helix will be created in a clockwise direction.
n END RAD =
The radius of the last cycle.
n PITCH =
Rise between cycles.
n RADIUS =
Radius of helix, if FIXED, or of the first cycle, if LINEAR.
n RADIUS STEP =
The amount which the radius will be incremented per cycle.
n START RAD =
The radius of the first cycle.
n THREADS =
Number of cycles in the helix.
Wireframe Modeling
1-29
LINE
LINE
Create a line entity.
Main Options:
SELECT
2 POINTS
PARALLEL
OFFSET
PT-ANGLE
PT-CURVE
LN-CURVE
2 CURVES
HOR/VER
BOX
DIVID-LN
SURF-TAN
SURF-NRM
TAN/NORM
2 PLANES
1-30
2 POINTS
Create a line by defining its endpoints.
PARALLEL
Create a line which is parallel to a given line and positioned

relative to a position point.
OFFSET
Create a line on the active work plane, offset a specified

distance from a given line.
PT-ANGLE
Create a line on the active work plane defined by a starting

point, a given angle and a specified length.
PT-CURVE
Create a line perpendicular or tangent to a curve and passing

through an indicated point.
LN-CURVE
Create a line that is tangent to an indicated curve at a

user-defined angle from the specified direction.
2 CURVES
Create a line tangent or perpendicular to two curves.
HOR/VER
Create a horizontal or vertical line on the active work plane.
BOX
Create four lines in a box formation which passes through an

indicated point, by specifying the length and width, or by
dragging a dynamic rectangle.
DIVID-LN
Create a line which divides two specified lines.
SURF-TAN
Create a line which is tangent to a surface and passes through

an indicated point.
SURF-NRM
Create a line which is perpendicular to a surface and passes

through an indicated point.
TAN/NORM
Create a line which is perpendicular or tangent to a curve at

an indicated point on the curve.
2 PLANES
Create a line at the intersection of two planes.
Wireframe Modeling
LINE
Notes:
Three of the options to create a line, OFFSET, PT-ANGLE and
HOR/VER, operate on the active work plane. In these options a

local plane may be defined, which is valid only during the current
session of the function. When LINE is <EXIT>ed, the active plane
reverts to the one which was active before entering this function.
coordinate system.
LINE >> 2 POINTS

Create a line by defining its two endpoints.
IND. 2ND POINT
LINE
IND. 1ST POINT
Figure 1-18: LINE >> 2 POINTS
How To:
2. Indicate the two end points of the line you wish to create.
Interaction:
IND. 1ST POINT
CONTINUOUS /
SINGLE
FREE
DEFINE PLN
FREE
HORIZONTAL
VERTICAL
PERPEND.
IND. 1ST POINT
Indicate the lines first endpoint. See Defining Points in

Manual.
A line follows every movement of the mouse. A dynamic
line connects the first point with the current position of the
mouse.
Wireframe Modeling
1-31
LINE
Indicate the second endpoint of the line.
IND. 2ND POINT
Note:
If the point indication option displayed in the STATUS area of the
screen is SCREEN, and the modal option which sets the orientation
of the line is either HORIZONTAL or VERTICAL; use the cursor
arrows to move the cursor. The mouse will be able to move the
cursor in any direction but the line can only be drawn horizontally
or vertically.
This action is repeated for a continuous sequence of lines. In such a
case, the first point of each line is the second point of the previous
line.
If CONTINUOUS is selected (in the first modal), indicate the
next point of the continuous line.
IND. NEXT POINT
LINE >> PARALLEL

Create a line which is parallel to a given line and is positioned relative to a position
point as it was to a given reference point.
The new line passes through the position point only if the reference point lies on the
given line. If the reference point is outside the given line, then the new line is
positioned relative to the position point as the given line was to the reference point.
IND. REF. PT. ON LINE
PICK LINE
IND. NEW POSITION
Figure 1-19: LINE >> PARALLEL
How To:
2. Pick a given line.
3. Indicate a reference point. It does not have to be on the line.
4. Indicate the position for the new line.
Interaction:
PICK LINE
1-32
AS ORIGINAL /
NO ATTRIB /
SAME LENGTH /
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB.
NEW LENGTH
NEW LENGTH =
PICK LINE
Pick a given line.
IND. REF. PT. ON LINE
Indicate a reference point for the given line.
IND. NEW POSITION
Indicate a position point for the new line.
Wireframe Modeling
LINE
LINE >> OFFSET

Create a line on the active work plane which is parallel to a given line at a specified
distance from it.
LINE
IND. OFFSET SIDE
OFFSET
PICK LINE
Figure 1-20: LINE >> OFFSET
How To:
2. Pick a given (reference) line.
3. Indicate the side on which to create the new line.
Interaction:
OFFSET: PICK LINE
OFFSET =
NO. LINES =
AS ORIGINAL /
NO ATTRIB /
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB
DEFINE PLN
OFFSET: PICK LINE
Pick a reference line which lies on a plane which is parallel

to the active work plane.
IND. OFFSET SIDE
Indicate the desired side.
Wireframe Modeling
1-33
LINE
LINE >> PT-ANGLE

Create a line on the active work plane defined by a starting point, a given angle and a
specified length.
DEFINE ANGLE:
FROM UCS +X AXIS
FROM REFERENCE AXIS
PT-ANGLE >> FROM UCS +X AXIS

Create a line which forms a given angle with the positive X axis of the active work
plane.
LINE
ANGLE = 30
Y
X
IND. LINE START PT.
Figure 1-21: LINE >> PT-ANGLE >> FROM UCS +X AXIS
How To:
2. Indicate the starting point of the line you wish to create.
3. Either accept the displayed line forming the given angle with the X axis, or select NO
to display a line forming the opposite angle.
Interaction:
IND. LINE START PT.
ANGLE =
DEFINE PLN
IND. LINE START PT.
Indicate the starting point of the line.
RIGHT SIDE? YES NO
YES
NO
1-34
LENGTH =
To accept the displayed line.

To create the line in a clockwise direction from the X
axis.
Wireframe Modeling
LINE
PT-ANGLE >> FROM REFERENCE AXIS

Create a line which forms a given angle with a reference axis.
LINE
IND. LINE START PT.
ANGLE = 30
IND. AXIS DIREC. PT
IND. AXIS START PT.
Figure 1-22: LINE >> PT-ANGLE >> FROM REFERENCE AXIS
How To:
1. Indicate the start point and direction of the reference axis.
3. Indicate the starting point of the line you wish to create.
4. Either accept the displayed line forming the given angle with the reference axis,
or select NO to display a line forming the opposite angle.
Interaction:
IND. AXIS START PT.
DEFINE PLN
IND. AXIS START PT.
Indicate starting point for the reference axis.
IND. AXIS DIREC. PT.
Indicate direction point for the reference axis.
IND. LINE START PT.
ANGLE =
LENGTH =
IND. LINE START PT.
Indicate the starting point of the line.
RIGHT SIDE? YES NO
YES
NO
To accept the displayed line.

To create the line in a clockwise direction from the
reference axis.
Wireframe Modeling
1-35
LINE
LINE >> PT-CURVE

Create a line perpendicular or tangent to a curve, and passing through an indicated
point.
PICK CURVE
LINE
IND. POINT
Figure 1-23: LINE >> PT-CURVE
How To:
1. Pick a curve at a point on the curve close to the expected intersection point.
2. Indicate a point to define the starting point of the line to be created. Depending upon
the position of the indicated point, a line will be produced either normal (perpendicular)
to the curve or tangent to it.
Interaction:
1-36
PICK CURVE
Pick a curve at a point on the curve close to the expected

intersection point.
IND. POINT
Indicate a point. The program will either produce a line

normal (perpendicular) to the curve or tangent to it,
depending upon the position of the indicated point.
Wireframe Modeling
LINE
LINE >> LN-CURVE

Create a line that is tangent to the indicated curve, at a user-defined angle in the
specified direction.
PICK CURVE
ANGLE = 10
IND. DIRECTION
PICK CURVE
Figure 1-24: LINE >> LN-CURVE
How To:
2. To define a direction, pick a curve or press <SUBMENU>.
3. Indicate the direction.
4. Pick the curve to which the new line will be tangent.
Interaction:
DIRECTION: PICK CURVE
LENGTH =
ANGLE =
Pick a curve to define the direction.
DIRECTION:
PICK CURVE
or:
Press <SUBMENU> to choose a sub-option for indicating the

desired direction.
INDICATE DIRECTION
PICK CURVE
Pick the curve to which the new line will be tangent.

line is then created.
Wireframe Modeling
The
1-37
LINE
LINE >> 2 CURVES

Create a line tangent or normal (perpendicular) to two curves depending on where the
curves are picked.
LINE
PICK 2ND CURVE
PICK 1ST CURVE

LINE
PICK 2ND CURVE

PICK 1ST CURVE
Figure 1-25: LINE >> 2 CURVES
How To:
1. Pick the first curve.
2. Pick the second curve.
3. Confirm the curves. The line between the two curves is drawn.
Interaction:
PICK 1ST CURVE
Pick the first curve at a position near which the new line will
pass.
PICK 2ND CURVE
Pick the second curve at a position near which the new line
will pass.
CURVES O.K.? YES NO
YES
NO
1-38
Confirm the picked curves.

Pick new curves.
Wireframe Modeling
LINE
LINE >> HOR/VER

Create horizontal or vertical lines on the active work plane (parallel to the X or Y
axis of the active work plane).
IND. DIRECTION
IND. 1ST POINT
LINE
Figure 1-26: LINE >> HOR/VER
How To:
2. Indicate the starting point of line.
3. Indicate the direction in which to create the line (horizontal or vertical).
Interaction:
IND. 1ST POINT
CONTINUOUS /
BY LENGTH /
SINGLE
BY POINT
LENGTH =
DEFINE PLN
IND. 1ST POINT
Indicate the lines starting point.
IND. DIRECTION
Point to either a horizontal or a vertical direction.
Wireframe Modeling
1-39
LINE
LINE >> BOX

Create a rectangle from four line entities by specifying length and width, or
dynamically by dragging.
IND. 1ST POINT ( CENTER )
BOX
Figure 1-27: LINE >> BOX >> BY LENGTH >> LOWER LEFT
How To:
1. Pick a point on the screen and drag the rectangle to the desired size or set the
height and width parameters and indicate a position the screen.
Interaction:
IND. 1ST POINT
BY LENGTH
WIDTH =
HEIGHT =
CENTER
DEFINE PLN
BY POINT
CENTER
LOWER LEFT
LOWER RIGHT
UPPER RIGHT
UPPER LEFT
IND. 1ST POINT
Set modals and indicate a point.
IND. 2ND POINT / EXIT
A dynamic rectangle appears. Drag the rectangle to the

desired size, and pick the second point.
A rectangle consisting of four line entities is created.
1-40
Wireframe Modeling
LINE
LINE >> DIVID-LN

Create dividing lines between two given lines.
If the given lines are parallel, the dividing lines will be equally spaced between the
given lines and parallel to them.
If the two lines are not parallel, the angle formed by them will be equally divided
into the number of sections entered in the first modal below, and the dividing lines
will be created accordingly.
In both cases, the length of the dividing lines will be limited by invisible lines which
connect the endpoints of the picked lines.
DIVIDING LINE
DIVIDING LINES
24.4
24.4
PICK 1ST LINE
PICK 1ST LINE
PICK 2ND LINE
PICK 2ND LINE
DIVISIONS = 3
Figure 1-28: LINE >> DIVID-LN
How To:
1. Set the modal parameters then pick the lines between which the dividing lines will be
created.
Interaction:
PICK 1ST LINE
DIVISIONS =
PICK 1ST LINE
Pick the first line.
PICK 2ND LINE
Pick the second line.
Wireframe Modeling
1-41
LINE
LINE >> SURF-TAN

Create a line entity which is tangent to a surface and passes through an indicated
point. The tangent may be in either the U or V direction.
IND. PT. ON SURFACE
LINE
PICK SURFACE
U
U - DIR
IND. PT. ON SURFACE

V - DIR
Figure 1-29: LINE >> SURF-TAN
How To:
1. Set the parameters for the V and U directions.
2. Pick a surface and then a point on the surface where the line is to begin.
Interaction:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
DIRECT. +U
LENGTH =
DIRECT. +U
DIRECT. -U
DIRECT. +V
DIRECT. -V
1-42
PICK SURFACE
Pick a surface to which the line will be tangent.
IND. PT ON SURFACE
Indicate a point on the surface from which the line will begin.
Wireframe Modeling
LINE
LINE >> SURF-NRM

Create a line entity which is perpendicular to a surface and passes through an
indicated point.
SELECT NORMAL:
FROM PNT TO SURFACE
AT A PNT ON SURFACE
FROM PNT TO SURFACE
Create a line entity which is perpendicular to a

surface and passes through an indicated point.
AT A PNT ON SURFACE
Create a line entity which is perpendicular to a

surface and passes through an indicated point
SURF-NRM >> FROM PNT TO SURFACE

indicated point
IND. POINT
LINE
PICK SURFACE
Figure 1-30: LINE >> SURF-NRM >> FROM PNT TO

SURFACE
How To:
1. Pick a surface and then a point outside the surface from where the line is to begin.
Interaction:
PICK SURFACE
Pick a surface to which the line will be perpendicular.
IND.POINT
Indicate a point, not on the surface, from which the line will
begin.
EXECUTING . . .
The line will be created.

If the perpendicular is outside the surface area, the following
message is displayed:
THE LINE IS NORMAL AT A SURFACE POINT THAT
IS OUTSIDE THE SURFACE BOUNDARY.
Wireframe Modeling
1-43
LINE
SURF-NRM >> AT A PNT ON SURFACE

indicated point
IND. SIDE
PICK SURFACE
IND. POINT ON SURFACE
Figure 1-31: LINE >> SURF-NRM >> AT A PNT ON SURFACE
How To:
1. Choose option: tangent or normal.
2. Pick a surface and then a point on the surface from where the line is to begin.
3. Indicate the direction in which to create the tangent or normal.
Interaction:
PICK SURFACE
1-44
LENGTH =
PICK SURFACE
Pick the surface from which the line will be created.
IND. PT ON SURFACE
Indicate a point on the surface from which the line will begin.
INDICATE SIDE
Indicate the direction in which to extend the line.
Wireframe Modeling
LINE
LINE >> TAN/NORM

Create a line entity that is either normal or tangent to a specified curve at an
indicated point.
PICK CURVE
IND. SIDE
PICK CURVE
IND. POINT ON CURVE
IND. SIDE
IND. POINT ON CURVE
NORMAL
TANGENT
Figure 1-32: LINE >> TAN/NORM
How To:
1. Pick a curve and indicate a starting point for the line.
2. Indicate the direction in which to extend the line.
Interaction:
PICK CURVE
NORMAL /
LENGTH =
TANGENT
Note:
A line created normal to a 3D curve will be parallel to the active
work plane.
PICK CURVE
The curve may be 2D or 3D.
IND. POINT ON CURVE
Indicate a starting point for the line.
INDICATE SIDE
Indicate the direction in which to extend the line.
Wireframe Modeling
1-45
LINE
LINE >> 2 PLANES

Create a line entity of a specified length at the intersection of two planes.
LINE
IND. LINE MID POINT
IND. 2ND PLANE
IND. 1ST PLANE
Figure 1-33: LINE >> 2 PLANES
How To:
1. Indicate 1st and 2nd planes.
2. Indicate the midpoint of the line to be created.
Interaction:
IND. 1ST PLANE
IND. 2ND PLANE
Indicate the planes using the displayed plane definition

options. The prompts displayed are dependent upon the
chosen method of defining the planes.
IND. LINE MID POINT:
IND. LINE MID POINT:
1-46
LENGTH =
Indicate the MID point of the line to be created.
Wireframe Modeling
LINE
LINE Modal Parameter Definitions

n ANGLE =
Enter an angle value for the creation of a new line.
n AS ACTIVE
Assign the active level, line font, pen and color to the line.
n AS ORIGINAL
Assign the level, line font, pen and color of the original line
to the new line.
n BY LENGTH
Create lines with a specified length. LINE >> BOX: Create a

box by specifying its length and width.
n BY POINT
LINE >> HOR/VER: Determine the length of the lines from

the projection of the direction point on the axis.
LINE >> BOX: Create a box by dragging a dynamic
rectangle.
n CENTER
When creating a box, the indicated point lies at the center of

the box.
n CONTINUOUS
Create a continuous sequence of lines where the second

endpoint of a line is the first endpoint for the next line.
n DEFINE PLN
Change the active work plane temporarily. Access this field

to display the options. Defining a Plane in Chapter 3, of the
Fundamentals & General Functions Manual.
n DIRECT. +U
Select the direction in which the line is to be created.

Depending upon the position of the point on the surface, the
U and/or V directional arrows are displayed on the picked
surface.
DIRECT. -U
DIRECT. +V
DIRECT. -V
n DIVISIONS =
Enter the number of divisions. The minimum value, which is

2, results in the bisection of the space or angle, thereby
creating one section line between the two picked lines.
n FREE
The line can assume any direction.
n HEIGHT =
When creating a box, enter its height.
n HORIZONTAL
The line will be parallel to the X axis of the active work

plane. The second point is projected onto the active work
planes X axis.
n LENGTH =
Enter line length.

When creating a box, enter its length.
n LOWER LEFT
When creating a box, the indicated point lies at the lower left
corner of the box.
n LOWER RIGHT
When creating a box, the indicated point lies at the lower

right corner of the box.
n NEW LENGTH
Length of line will be defined ( >> PARALLEL).
Wireframe Modeling
1-47
LINE
n NO ATTRIB
Do not attach any attribute records to the new line.
n NO. LINES =
The number of lines to be created.
n NORMAL
The line will be normal to the curve.
n OFFSET =
Enter offset value. Distance of the offset line from the

reference line.
n PERPEND.
The line will be parallel to the Z axis. The second point is

projected onto the active work planes Z axis.
n SAME ATTRIB
Attach attribute records of the original line to the new line.
n SAME LENGTH
Line will have length of previous line ( >> PARALLEL).
n SINGLE
Create a single line.
n TANGENT
The line will be tangent to the curve.
n UPPER LEFT
When creating a box, the indicated point lies at the upper left
corner of the box.
n UPPER RIGHT
When creating a box, the indicated point lies at the upper

right corner of the box.
n VERTICAL
The line will be parallel to the Y axis of the active plane.

The second point is projected onto the active work planes Y
axis.
n WIDTH =
When creating a box, enter its width.

q
1-48
Wireframe Modeling
MOVE
MOVE
Translate, rotate, and scale entities.
Main Options:
SELECT OPTION
POINT-ANGLE
DELTA
ROT.AXIS
REF. POINT(S)
MIRROR
UCS TO UCS
POINT-ANGLE
Scale, and move or copy entities by rotating them a given

angle in the active work plane.
DELTA
Move or copy entities by translating them delta distances in a

given coordinate system.
ROT.AXIS
Move or copy entities by rotating them around a defined

axis.
REF. POINT(S)
Scale, and move or copy entities from one coordinate system

to another. This option performs translation and optional
rotation.
MIRROR
Copy or move entities by mirroring them onto a given plane.
UCS TO UCS
Scale, and move or copy entities from one UCS to another.
PICK ENTITIES & <EXIT> Pick the entities to be transformed and terminate with
<EXIT> to display the main options.
Wireframe Modeling
1-49
MOVE
MOVE >> POINT-ANGLE

Scale, and move or copy entities by rotating them by a given angle in the active work
plane.
IND. REF. POINT
ANGLE = 0.0
SCALE = 1.0
ANGLE = 0.0
PICK ENTITY
SCALE = 0.5
IND. REF. POINT
PICK ENTITY
COUNT = 1
COUNT = 1
IND. POSITIONING PNT.
ANGLE = 45
ANGLE = 45
IND. REF. POINT
SCALE = 1.0
SCALE = 1.0
PICK ENTITY
COUNT = 1
COUNT = 2
IND. REF. POINT

PICK ENTITY

( CLOSE )
ANGLE
Figure 1-34: MOVE >> POINT-ANGLE
How To:
1. Indicate a reference point according to which the picked entity will be moved or
copied.
2. Indicate the new location for the reference point.
Interaction:
IND. REFERENCE POINT Indicate a reference point which will be used to move or copy
the picked entities.
IND. POSITIONING PNT
1-50
Indicate a new location for the reference point.
Wireframe Modeling
MOVE
<CR> TO
CONTINUE
COPY /
AS ORIGINAL/
NO ATTRIB /
MOVE
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB
ANGLE =
SCALE =
COUNT =
DEFINE
PLN
<CR> TO CONTINUE
Set the modals and press <CR>.
IND. POSITIONING PNT
Indicate a new location for the reference point or press

<EXIT> if finished.
Wireframe Modeling
1-51
MOVE
MOVE >> DELTA

Move or copy entities by translating them delta distances in a given coordinate
system.
SELECT
TWO POINTS
KEY IN
TWO POINTS
Move or copy entities by indicating two points that define the

distance and direction to be moved/copied.
KEY IN
Move or copy entities by translating them delta distances in a

given coordinate system.
DELTA >> TWO POINTS

Move or copy entities by indicating two points that define the distance and direction
to be moved/copied.
IND. 1ST POINT
IND. 2ND POINT
Figure 1-35: MOVE >> DELTA >> TWO POINTS
How To:
1. Indicate the 1st and 2nd points for locating the picked entitiy.
Interaction:
IND. 1ST POINT
IND. 2ND POINT
<CR> TO CONTINUE
<CR> TO CONTINUE
1-52
COPY
AS ORIGINAL
NO ATTRIB
MOVE
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB
COUNT =
The defined MOVE or COPY will be performed each time

<CR> is pressed. <EXIT> when finished.
Wireframe Modeling
MOVE
DELTA >> KEY IN

Move or copy entities by translating the delta distances in a given coordinate system.
DX = 80.000
DY = 30.000
DZ = 0.000
DX = 0.000
DY = 0.000
DZ = 0.000
Y
X
Figure 1-36: MOVE >> DELTA >> KEY-IN
How To:
1. After picking the entity, set the modal parameters.
2. Click continue to create the new entity.
Interaction:
<CR> OR PICK UCS
<CR> OR PICK UCS

<CR> TO CONTINUE
<CR> TO CONTINUE
DX =
DY =
DZ =
CARTESIAN /
MODEL /
CYLINDRICAL /
UCS /
SPHERICAL
UCS LIST
Set modal parameters and press <CR>.

COPY /
AS ORIGINAL /
NO ATTRIB /
MOVE
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB
COUNT =

Wireframe Modeling
1-53
MOVE
MOVE >> ROT.AXIS

Move or copy entities by rotating them around a defined axis.
IND. AXIS DIR./EXIT
PICK ENTITIES ( ALL )
ANGLE = 90
IND. AXIS ORIGIN
Figure 1-37: MOVE >> ROT.AXIS
How To:
1. After picking the entity, pick axis origin then axis direction.
2. Set modal parameters and press Continue.
Interaction:
IND. AXIS ORIGIN
Indicate a point for the origin of the rotation axis.
IND. AXIS DIR/EXIT
In 3D mode, indicate a point to define the direction of the

rotation axis.
In 2D mode, press <EXIT> to define the rotation axis which
is always perpendicular to the work plane.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
<CR> TO CONTINUE
1-54
COPY /
AS ORIGINAL /
NO ATTRIB /
MOVE
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB
ANGLE =
COUNT =

Wireframe Modeling
MOVE
MOVE >> REF. POINT(S)

Scale, and move or copy entities from one coordinate system to another. This option
performs translation and optional rotation.
How To:
1. After picking the entity, pick the axis origin then the axis X, Y directions.
2. If required, define the second coordinate system (origin and directions).
3. Set modal parameters and press Continue.
Interaction:
IND. 1ST ORIGIN
Indicate an origin point for the first reference coordinate

system.
IND.1ST +X AXIS/EXIT
Indicate a point on the first +X axis, or <EXIT> to accept

the active UCS orientation.
IND. 1ST +Y/EXIT
Indicate a point in the direction of the first +Y axis, or

<EXIT> to accept the active +Y axis direction.
POINTS O.K.? YES NO
YES
NO
Accept the orientation of the defined axes.

Redefine the axes.
IND. 2ND ORIGIN
Indicate an origin point for the second reference coordinate

system.
IND. 2ND +X AXIS/EXIT
Indicate a point on the second +X axis, or <EXIT> to accept

the active UCS orientation.
IND.2ND +Y/EXIT
Indicate a point in the direction of the second +Y axis, or

<EXIT> to accept the active +Y axis direction.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
COPY /
AS ORIGINAL /
NO ATTRIB /
MOVE
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB
SCALE =
<CR> TO CONTINUE
IND. 2ND ORIGIN
Indicate an origin point for the second reference coordinate

system.
The defined MOVE or COPY will be performed each time a
second coordinate system is defined. <EXIT> when finished.
Wireframe Modeling
1-55
MOVE
MOVE >> MIRROR

Copy or move entities by mirroring them onto a given plane.
DEFINE PLANE
PICK ENTITIES
Figure 1-38: MOVE >> MIRROR
How To:
1. Define the plane onto which the entities will be copied or moved.
2. Press Continue.
Interaction:
DEFINE PLANE
<CR> TO CONTINUE
<CR> TO CONTINUE
1-56
Use one of the DEFINE PLANE options to define a plane

onto which the entities will be copied or moved. See Defining
a Plane in Chapter 3, of the Fundamentals & General
Functions Manual.
COPY /
AS ORIGINAL /
NO ATTRIB /
MOVE
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB

Wireframe Modeling
MOVE
MOVE >> UCS TO UCS

Move or copy entities from one UCS to another.
How To:
1. Pick the UCS from which the entities will be copied or moved.
2. Set the modals.
3. Pick the UCS to which the entities will be copied or moved.
Interaction:
PICK START UCS
<CR> TO CONTINUE
<CR> TO CONTINUE
Pick the UCS from which the entities will be copied or

moved.
COPY /
AS ORIGINAL /
NO ATTRIB /
MOVE
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB
SCALE =
PICK DESTINATION UCS Pick the UCS to which the entities will be copied or moved.
<EXIT> when finished.
MOVE Modal Parameter Definitions

n ANGLE =
Rotation angle.
n AS ACTIVE
Assign the active level, line font, pen and color to the copies.
n AS ORIGINAL
Assign the level, line font, pen and color of the original
entities to the copied entities.
n CARTESIAN
Type of coordinate system for the delta translation.
CYLINDRICAL
SPHERICAL
n COPY
Create copies of the original entities.
n COUNT =
Enter the number of times to perform the move or copy.
n DEFINE PLN
Define an active work plane.
n DX
Delta distances in CARTESIAN coordinates.
DY
DZ
n MOVE
Transform the picked entities.
n MODEL
Express the delta distance according to the MODEL UCS .
n NO ATTRIB
Do not attach any attribute records to the new entity.
n SAME ATTRIB
Attach attribute records to the new entity.
n SCALE =
Enter a scaling factor.
Wireframe Modeling
1-57
MOVE
MOVE Usage Envelope

1. This function has two stages. In the PICK ENTITIES stage, the original entities are
selected. In the transformation stage, the actions of translation, rotation and scaling
are performed. The selected entities may be transformed again without being
reselected, by using another translating option.
2. If MOVE is selected, the resulting entity will always be AS ORIGINAL and with the
SAME ATTRIButes.
The parameters, AS ORIGINAL / AS ACTIVE, and SAME ATTRIB / NO ATTRIB
appear only if COPY is selected.
3. In NC applications, only closed Toolpaths may be moved.
4. A UCS may not be copied or moved with the MOVE function.
5. Reference assemblies may not be moved.
6. The scaling factor is equal in all directions. To scale with different factors, use the
function SCALE.
POINT ANGLE
1. The rotation axis is perpendicular to the active work plane.
ROT. AXIS
1. In 3D mode, indicate a point to define the direction of the rotation axis.
2. In 2D mode, press <EXIT> to define the rotation axis which is always perpendicular to
the work plane.
REF. POINTS
1. The active coordinate system is the default.
2. The default X axis will be parallel to the X axis in the active coordinate system.
3. The default Y direction is the same as that indicated by the +Y axis of the active
coordinated system.
4. To accept a default, press <EXIT> instead of indicating a point.
1-58
Wireframe Modeling
OFFSET
OFFSET
Create an offset entity.
Main Options:
SELECT OPTION
CURVE
CONTOUR
3D OFFSET
SURFACE
MULTI-SURFACES
SURFACE CONTOUR
CURVE
Create an offset curve.
CONTOUR
Create an offset contour.
3D OFFSET
Create an offset curve by projecting a curve onto a selected

plane, within a specified tolerance.
SURFACE
Create an offset surface.
MULTI-SURFACES
Create an offset for a multi-surfaces shape in a given

direction.
SURFACE CONTOUR
Create an offset for a contour which lies on a surface within

a specified tolerance.
Wireframe Modeling
1-59
OFFSET
OFFSET >> CURVE

Create an offset curve from a 2D curve.
SELECT
FIXED OFFSET
VARIABLE OFFSET
CURVE >> FIXED OFFSET

Create an offset curve at a fixed distance.
OFFSET
IND. OFFSET SIDE
PICK CURVE
Figure 1-39: OFFSET >> FIXED CURVE
How To:
1. Pick a 2D curve as the entity from which to create an offset.
2. Indicate the side to create the offset.
Interaction:
PICK CURVE
1-60
OFFSET =
TRIM LOOPS /
KEEP ORIGINAL /
AS ORIGINAL /
NO ATTRIB /
KEEP LOOPS
DELETE ORIGINAL
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB
PICK CURVE
Pick a 2D curve as the entity from which you wish to create

an offset.
IND. OFFSET SIDE
Indicate the side to create the offset.
EXECUTING
The offset curve is created.
Wireframe Modeling
OFFSET
CURVE >> VARIABLE OFFSET

Create an offset curve at a variable distance.
OFFSET SIDE
OFFSET DIR.
OFFSET 1
PICK CURVE
OFFSET 2
Figure 1-40: OFFSET >> VARIABLE OFFSET
How To:
1. Pick a 2D curve as the entity from which to create an offset.
3. Indicate the direction of the offset entity.
Interaction:
PICK CURVE
TOL =
OFFSET1 =
OFFSET2 =
KEEP ORIGINAL /
AS ORIGINAL /
NO ATTRIB /
DELETE ORIGINAL
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB
PICK CURVE
Pick a 2D curve as the entity from which you wish to create

an offset.
IND. OFFSET SIDE
IND. OFFSET DIR.
Indicate the direction of the offset entity. The start point will
be offset with the value OFFSET1 and end point with the
value OFFSET2.
EXECUTING
Wireframe Modeling
1-61
OFFSET
OFFSET >> CONTOUR

Create an offset contour.
PICK NTH CRV/EXIT
IND. OFFSET SIDE
IND. DIRECTION
PICK 1ST CRV.
Figure 1-41: OFFSET >>

OPEN CONTOUR >> SHARP CORNER
IND. OFFSET SIDE
PICK NTH CRV.
PICK 1ST CRV.
IND. DIRECTION
Figure 1-42: OFFSET >>

CLOSED CONTOUR >> ROUND CORNER
How To:
1. Pick the first curve of the open or closed contour.
1-62
Wireframe Modeling
OFFSET
Interaction:
SELECT
CLOSED CONTOUR
OPEN CONTOUR
CLOSED CONTOUR
The first and the last curves of the contour will be trimmed
at their intersection point.
OPEN CONTOUR
Trimming will not be applied to the first curve at its first

endpoint or to the last curve at its second endpoint.
PICK 1ST CURVE
OFFSET =
ROUND CORNER /
KEEP ORIGINAL /
SHARP CORNER
DELETE ORIGINAL
PICK 1ST CURVE
Pick the first curve of the open or closed contour.
IND. OFFSET SIDE
EXECUTING
The offset is created.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
OFFSET =
<CR> TO CONTINUE
ROUND CORNER /
KEEP ORIGINAL /
FROM SAME CONTOUR /
SHARP CORNER
DELETE ORIGINAL
FROM NEW CONTOUR
Press <CR> to continue offset creation.
Wireframe Modeling
1-63
OFFSET
OFFSET >> 3D OFFSET

Create an offset curve by projecting a curve onto a selected plane, within a specified tolerance.
OFFSET CONTOUR
OFFSET 3D OFFSET
IND. OFFSET SIDE
PICK CURVES
DEFINE OFFSET PLANE

( CURVES )
Figure 1-43: OFFSET >> 3D OFFSET
How To:
1. Define offset plane.
2. Pick a curve from which to create an offset.
Interaction:
PICK CURVE
TOL =
OFFSET =
KEEP ORIGINAL /
AS ORIGINAL /
NO ATTRIB /
DELETE ORIGINAL
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB
1-64
DEFINE OFFSET PLANE
Use a work plane option to define a plane. See Defining a

Plane in Chapter 3, of the Fundamentals & General
Functions Manual.
PICK CURVE
Pick a curve from which you wish to create an offset.
IND. OFFSET SIDE
EXECUTING
Wireframe Modeling
OFFSET
OFFSET >> SURFACE

Create an offset surface.
SELECT
FIXED OFFSET
VARIABLE OFFSET
SURFACE >> FIXED OFFSET

Create an offset surface at a fixed distance.
OFFSET SIDE
PICK SURFACE
Figure 1-44: OFFSET >> FIXED OFFSET
How To:
1. Pick an existing surface.
Interaction:
PICK SURFACE
OFFSET =
KEEP ORIGINAL /
AS ORIGINAL /
NO ATTRIB /
DELETE ORIGINAL
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB
PICK SURFACE
Pick an existing surface.
IND. OFFSET SIDE
EXECUTING
Wireframe Modeling
1-65
OFFSET
SURFACE >> VARIABLE OFFSET

Create an offset surface at a variable distance.
TOL. = 0.1
OFFSET 1ST CORNER
IND. 2ND CORNER
OFFSET 2ND CORNER
IND.1ST CORNER
OFFSET 3RD CORNER

IND. OFFSET SIDE
OFFSET 4TH CORNER
PICK SURFACE
IND.3RD CORNER
Figure 1-45: OFFSET >> VARIABLE OFFSET
How To:
1. Set the offset parameters in the modal table.
4. Indicate the three surface corners to be offset.
Interaction:
PICK SURFACE
IND. OFFSET SIDE
IND. 1ST CORNER
1-66
TOL =
OFFSET 1ST
CORNER =
OFFSET 2ND
CORNER =
KEEP
ORIGINAL
AS ORIGINAL
NO ATTRIB
OFFSET 3RD
CORNER =
OFFSET 4TH
CORNER =
DELETE
ORIGINAL
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB
IND. 1ST CORNER
Indicate the surface corner to be offset by the value

OFFSET1.
IND. 2ND CORNER

OFFSET2.
Wireframe Modeling
OFFSET
IND. 3RD CORNER/EXIT

OFFSET3 or press <EXIT>.
CONTINUE ? YES NO
YES
NO
Accept the defined offset.

Define a different offset.
The offset surface is created.
EXECUTING
OFFSET >> MULTI-SURFACES

Create offset surfaces for a group of surfaces.
PICK SURFACE
IND. DIRECTION
Figure 1-46: OFFSET >> MULTI-SURFACES
How To:
1. Pick a group of surfaces.
1. Indicate the direction of the offset and set the modals.
Interaction:
PICK SURFACES & EXIT
OFFSET =
Pick a group of surfaces. The multi-pick submenu is

available.
INDICATE DIRECTION
An arrow will appear for each group of connected surfaces.

Indicate the direction of the offset.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
OFFSET =
KEEP ORIGINAL /
AS ORIGINAL /
NO ATTRIB /
DELETE ORIGINAL
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB
<CR> TO CONTINUE
Set modals and press <CR>.
EXECUTING
The offset surfaces are created.
Wireframe Modeling
1-67
OFFSET
OFFSET >> SURFACE CONTOUR

Create an offset either for a contour which lies on a surface or for an implicit surface
boundary.
PICK 2ND CRV
IND. DIRECTION
PICK 1ST CRV.
PICK 3RD CRV/EXIT
IND. OFFSET SIDE
PICK SURFACE
Figure 1-47: OFFSET >> SURFACE CONTOUR
How To:
2. Indicate the side to create the offset and define the contour.
Interaction:
PICK SURFACE
1-68
OFFSET =
TOL =
PICK SURFACE
IND. OFFSET SIDE
PICK 1ST CRV/EXIT
Define the contour.
EXECUTING
Wireframe Modeling
OFFSET
OFFSET Modal Parameter Definitions

n AS ACTIVE
Assign the level, line font, pen and color of the active level
to the new entity.
n AS ORIGINAL
entity to the new entity.
n DELETE ORIGINAL
Delete the original entity.
n FROM NEW CONTOUR
Define a new contour to be offset.
n FROM SAME CONTOUR
This modal option appears only after the first contour has
been offset. It allows a new offset contour to be created from
the same original contour.
n KEEP LOOPS
Keep any loops produced by the offset.

TRIM LOOPS
KEEP LOOPS
Figure 1-48: OFFSET >> TRIM LOOPS, KEEP LOOPS

n KEEP ORIGINAL
Retain the original entity.
n NO ATTRIB
Do not attach any attribute records to the new entity.
n OFFSET =
Enter an offset distance.
n OFFSET1 =
Enter variable offset curve values.
OFFSET2 =
n OFFSET 1ST CORNER
Enter variable offset surface values.
OFFSET 2ND CORNER

OFFSET 3RD CORNER
OFFSET 4TH CORNER
n ROUND CORNER
If two
by an
picked
Figure
n SAME ATTRIB
Attach the attribute records of the original entity to the new

entity.
offset curves do not intersect, they will be connected

arc whose center is on the intersection point of the
curves and whose radius is the OFFSET VALUE. See
1-42, page 1-62.
Wireframe Modeling
1-69
OFFSET
n SHARP CORNER
If two offset curves do not intersect, they will be extended by

lines up to the intersection point. See Figure 1-41, page 1-62.
n TOL =
Maximum approximation tolerance.
n TRIM LOOPS
Trim any loops produced by the offset. See Figure 1-48.
OFFSET Usage Envelope

CURVE
1. The offset of a line is always a line entity.
2. With the exception of the two entity types below, the FIXED OFFSET of an entity
results in a special entity type: OFFSET entity with reference to the original entity.
The FIXED OFFSET of a circle/arc results in a circle/arc entity.
The FIXED OFFSET of a composite curve results in a composite curve
entity.
3. The VARIABLE OFFSET of an entity (with the exception of a line), results in a
NURBS Spline.
4. VARIABLE OFFSET is only used for smooth curves.
5. The TRIM LOOPS option is not implemented for VARIABLE OFFSET.
6. If VARIABLE OFFSET is selected and OFFSET1 = OFFSET2, the result is similar to
the FIXED OFFSET option without TRIM LOOPS.
7. If DELETE ORIGINAL is selected, the result is the same as the AS ORIGINAL option.
8. After offsetting a composite curve, the modal TRIM LOOPS / KEEP LOOPS is toggled
to modal ROUND CORNER / SHARP CORNER.
9. All offset values must be less than the minimum curvature of the curve.
CONTOUR
1. The options ROUND CORNER / SHARP CORNER are only used if two offset curves
do not intersect.
2. All curves must lie on one plane.
3. Composite curves will be exploded during the offset operation.
4. Only contour loops will be trimmed automatically.
The options TRIM LOOPS / KEEP LOOPS are applicable for looped curves.
3D OFFSET
1. If DELETE ORIGINAL is selected, the new entity has the same attributes as the
original entity.
2. 3D OFFSET is not implemented for unsmooth curves.
3. The result is a NURBS Spline.
4. An offset plane cannot be perpendicular to the curve plane ( if the curve lies on a
plane).
SURFACE
1. Unsmooth surfaces are considered illegal input.
2. VARIABLE OFFSET is not implemented yet for trimmed surfaces.
3. All offset values must be less than the minimum curvature of the surface.
1-70
Wireframe Modeling
OFFSET
4. If offset values are different, the result of a VARIABLE OFFSET is a NURBS surface.
5. If offset values are equal, the result of a VARIABLE OFFSET is a surface of the
same type as the original.
6. With VARIABLE OFFSET:
If the picked surface has 4 edges, 4 parameters are displayed:
OFFSET 1ST CORNER =, OFFSET 2ND CORNER =,
OFFSET 3RD CORNER =, OFFSET 4TH CORNER =.
The user is required to indicate 3 corners.
OFFSET 1ST CORNER =, OFFSET 2ND CORNER =,
OFFSET 3RD CORNER =.
The user is required to indicate 2 corners.
OFFSET 1ST CORNER =, OFFSET 2ND CORNER =.
The user is required to indicate only 1 corner.
7. To offset 2 opposite edges and not each corner, indicate 2 corners as follows:
1st corner - a corner of one of the edges to be offset;
2nd corner - a corner of the other edge to be offset.
Both corners must share a common edge.
The 2 remaining corners will assume the corresponding values.
Press <EXIT> to execute.
8. With VARIABLE OFFSET, U-V start and end arrows are indicated when the surface is
picked.
MULTI-SURFACE
1. Unsmooth surfaces are considered illegal input.
SURFACE CONTOUR
1. Implicit surface boundaries may be used for contour definition.
2. Curves have to be completely within a surface boundary. The TRIM LOOPS option is
not implemented.
3. The result is a NURBS Spline.
Wireframe Modeling
1-71
POINT
POINT
Create a point entity.
Main Options:
SELECT
SINGLE POINT
MULTI-POINTS
SINGLE POINT
Create one point entity.
MULTI-POINTS
Create one or more point entities along a curve or along its

extension.
Notes:
Point entities are represented by a small cross on the screen.

coordinate system.
POINT >> SINGLE POINT

Create one point entity.
These options are described in detail in the order they are listed in the menu.
SCREEN
END
MID
INTERS
CENTER
PIERCE
CLOSE
PICK
KEY IN
DELTA
SURF
SURF-B
SURF-C
SURF-X
UCSORG
INSORG
TP NOD
DIGITIZ
FEMNOD
1-72
Wireframe Modeling
POINT
SINGLE POINT >> SCREEN

Create a point entity on the active work plane by graphically indicating its position
on the screen.
IND. POSITION ( SCREEN )
Figure 1-49: POINT >> SINGLE POINT >> SCREEN
How To:
1. Indicate a points position on the screen.
Interaction:
Note:
If the active work plane, is perpendicular to the screen, the point
will be created where a line perpendicular to the screen intersects a

plane which is parallel to the display. The line will pass through the
picked position. The plane which is parallel to the display will pass
through the origin of the Model coordinate system.
SCREEN: IND. POSITION Indicate a points position on the screen.
Note:
If GRID is ON, the point entity is created in the position of the
nearest grid point.
SINGLE POINT >> END

Create a point entity at the endpoint of a curve closest to the pick position.
PICK CURVE ( END )
Figure 1-50: POINT >> SINGLE POINT >> END
How To:
1. Pick the curve in a position close to the desired endpoint.
Interaction:
END: PICK CURVE
Pick the curve in a position close to the desired endpoint.
Wireframe Modeling
1-73
POINT
SINGLE POINT >> MID

Create a point entity at the midpoint of a curve.
PICK CURVE ( MID )
Figure 1-51: POINT >> SINGLE POINT >> MID
How To:
1. Pick a curve.
Interaction:
MID: PICK CURVE
Pick a curve.
SINGLE POINT >> INTERS

Create a point entity at the intersection point of two curves.
1ST CURVE
INTERS.
2ND CURVE
Figure 1-52: POINT >> SINGLE POINT >> INTERS
How To:
1. Pick two curves close to the intersection point.
Interaction:
1-74
INTERS: 1ST CURVE
Pick a curve at a position close to the intersection point.
INTERS: 2ND CURVE
Pick the second curve at a position close to the intersection

point.
Wireframe Modeling
POINT
SINGLE POINT >> CENTER

Create a point entity at the geometric center of an arc, circle or conic section.
PICK ARC ( CENTER )
Figure 1-53: POINT >> SINGLE POINT >>

CENTER
How To:
1. Pick the arc, circle or conic section.
Interaction:
CENTR: PICK ARC/CONIC Pick the arc, circle or conic section.
Wireframe Modeling
1-75
POINT
SINGLE POINT >> PIERCE

Create a point entity at the intersection of a curve and a surface or a plane.
PICK CURVE
POINT PIERCE
PICK SURFACE
Figure 1-54: POINT >> SINGLE POINT >> PIERCE
How To:
1. Pick a curve that intersects a surface or plane or indicate a plane.
2. Pick a surface.
Interaction:
PIERCE: PICK CURVE
Pick a curve that intersects a surface or plane.
PIERCE:IND. PLN/SURF
Pick a surface.
or:
Pick a UCS to use its XY plane.
or:
Press <EXIT> to use the active work plane.
or:
Pick a curve.
PICK 2ND CURVE
Note:
1-76
Pick another curve to define a work plane.
When using a PIERCE point as the implicit point in another
function, the interaction will not be displayed.
Wireframe Modeling
POINT
SINGLE POINT >> CLOSE

Create a point entity on a curve close to where the curve was picked.
PICK CLOSE
Figure 1-55: POINT >> SINGLE POINT >> CLOSE
How To:
1. Pick the curve close to the desired location of the point entity.
Interaction:
CLOSE: PICK CURVE
Pick the curve close to the desired location of the point

entity.
SINGLE POINT >> PICK

Create a point entity which coincides with another point entity.
PICK: PICK POINT
Pick an existing point entity.
Wireframe Modeling
1-77
POINT
SINGLE POINT >> KEY IN

Create a point entity by keying in its coordinates.
How To:
1. Key in the coordinate system values and press SELECT COORD. SYSTEM to create
the point.
Interaction:
Note:
The default values for the modals will be those entered the last time
this option was used.
See Verify, Change or Increment the Coordinates of Points in

Manual, for a detailed explanation of the modals below.
SELECT COORD. SYSTEM
X = 0.000
Y =
CARTESIAN /
MODAL
Z =
CYLINDRICAL /
SPHERICAL
1-78
Press <CR> or <PICK> the prompt area to create the

point.
Continue to create points or <EXIT>.
Wireframe Modeling
POINT
SINGLE POINT >> DELTA

Create a point entity by entering increments for the X, Y and Z coordinates of a
reference point.
IND. POSITION
10
B
A
20
B. CARTESIAN COORD. SYSTEM
DX = 20.00 DY = 10.00 DZ = 0.00
Figure 1-56: POINT >> SINGLE POINT >> DELTA
How To:
1. Key in the coordinate values and press SELECT COORD. SYSTEM to create the
point or given delta from another point.
Interaction:
Note:
The default values for the modals will be those entered the last time
this option was used.
SCREEN: IND.POSITION
Indicate a reference point. SCREEN is the default. The

prompt will vary depending on the active point indication
option which is displayed in the status area.
Press <SUBMENU> to use a different option to indicate the
reference point.
The coordinates of the reference point will be incremented to
determine the coordinates of the point to be created.
See Verify, Change or Increment the Coordinates of Points in
Manual, for a detailed explanation of the modals below.
X =
Y =
CARTESIAN /
MODAL
Z =
CYLINDRICAL /
SPHERICAL
Press <CR> or <PICK> the prompt area to update

changes.
Continue to create points or <EXIT>.
Wireframe Modeling
1-79
POINT
SINGLE POINT >> SURF

Create a point entity on a surface at the display curve closest to where the surface
was picked.
IND. POSITIONS SURF.
PICK SURFACE
Figure 1-57: POINT >> SINGLE POINT >> SURF
How To:
1. Pick the surface at a position close to where the point is to be created.
Interaction:
PICK SURFACE
Pick the surface at a position close to where the point is to be

created.
SINGLE POINT >> SURF-B

Create a point entity on a surfaces boundary close to where the surface was picked.
IND. POSITIONS SURF.-B
PICK SURFACE
Figure 1-58: POINT >> SINGLE POINT >> SURF-B
How To:
1. Pick a surface as close as possible to the desired position on the surfaces boundary.
Interaction:
PICK SURFACE
1-80
Pick a surface in a spot as close as possible to the desired

position on the surfaces boundary.
Wireframe Modeling
POINT
SINGLE POINT >> SURF-C

Create a point entity at a surface corner close to where the surface was picked.
PICK SURFACE
IND. POSITIONS SURF - C
Figure 1-59: POINT >> SINGLE POINT >> SURF-C
How To:
1. Pick a surface as close as possible to the desired corner.
Interaction:
PICK SURFACE
Pick a surface in a position as close as possible to the

desired corner.
Wireframe Modeling
1-81
POINT
SINGLE POINT >> SURF-X

Create a point entity at the intersection point of two display curves of a surface.
IND. POSITIONS SURF.-X
PICK SURFACE
Figure 1-60: POINT >> SINGLE POINT >> SURF-X
How To:
1. Pick a surface close to the desired intersection point of two display curves.
Interaction:
PICK SURFACE
Pick a surface in a position close to the desired intersection

point of two display curves.
SINGLE POINT >> UCSORG

Create a point entry at the origin or a displayed UCS.
How To:
1. Pick the UCS to create a point entity.
Interaction:
PICK UCS
Pick the UCS to create a point entity.
SINGLE POINT >> INSORG

If an instance is displayed, create a point entity at the origin of the instance.
PICK INSTANCE
1-82
Pick the instance to create a point entity.
Wireframe Modeling
POINT
SINGLE POINT >> TP NOD

In the NC application, if a tool path is open, use this option to create a point at a picked node in a
tool path. TP NOD will be displayed in the status area when it is on.
SINGLE POINT >> DIGITZ

If a digitizer is open, use this option to create a point entity.
<PICK> FOR DIGTZR
Press <PICK> to create a point.
SINGLE POINT >> FEMNOD

In the FEM application, if a FEMSYS is open, use this option to create a point at a picked node on
a finite element. FEMNOD will be displayed in the status area when it is on.
Wireframe Modeling
1-83
POINT
POINT >> MULTI-POINTS

Create one or more points along a curve or along its extension.
POINTS ON CURVE:
BY DISTANCE
NO. OF INTERVALS
ANGLES ON ARC
BY DISTANCE
Create points at given distances from a reference point and

from one another along a curve or its extension.
NO. OF INTERVALS
Create points along a curve which divide the curve into a

given number of intervals.
ANGLES ON ARC
Create points at a given number of degrees from a reference

point or the X axis, and from one another, along a curve or
its extension.
MULTI-POINTS >> BY DISTANCE

Create points at given distances from a reference point and from one another along a
curve or its extension.
COUNT = 4
DIRECTION
PICK CURVE
DISTANCE
IND. POINT
IND. DIRECTION
Figure 1-61: POINT >> MULTI-POINTS >> BY DISTANCE
How To:
1. Pick a reference curve and indicate a reference point from which the first distance will
be measured.
Interaction:
DIST: PICK CURVE
DISTANCE =
COUNT =
DIST: PICK CURVE
Pick a reference curve along which points are to be created.
DIST: IND.POINT
Indicate a reference point from which the first distance will

be measured.
DIST: IND. DIRECTION
Indicate the direction along the reference curve in which the

distance should be measured.
The points will be created. Create more points or <EXIT>.
1-84
Wireframe Modeling
POINT
MULTI-POINTS >> NO. OF INTERVALS

Create points along a curve which divide the curve into a given number of intervals.
PICK CURVE
IND. 1ST. POINT
IND. 2ND. POINT
NO OF INTERVALS = 5
Figure 1-62: POINT >> MULTI-POINTS >> NO. OF INTERVALS
How To:
1. Enter the number of intervals.
2. Pick a reference curve. (If PART is selected, indicate two points).
Interaction:
PICK CURVE
WHOLE /
NO. OF INTERVALS =
PART
PICK CURVE
Pick the reference curve.

If WHOLE is selected, the points will be created. Create
more points or <EXIT>.
If PART is selected, the following appears:
IND. 1ST POINT

IND. 2ND POINT
Indicate two points to define the PART of the reference

curve that will be divided into intervals to determine the
positions of the new points.
Wireframe Modeling
1-85
POINT
MULTI-POINTS >> ANGLES ON ARC
PICK ARC
ANGLE = 30
IND. POINT
DELTA = 30 / COUNT = 3
Figure 1-63: POINT >> MULTI-POINTS >>

ANGLES ON ARC
How To:
1. Pick an arc or circle.
2. Enter the angle and the number of points (where applicable).
Interaction:
PICK ARC
FROM START POINT /

FROM GIVEN POINT
PICK ARC
Pick an arc/circle entity on which, or on whose extension, the

points will be created.
If the modal FROM START POINT is selected, enter the
angle to be formed by the center point of the arc/circle, the
starting point, and the new point.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
ANGLE =
Repeat for each point.

If the modal FROM GIVEN POINT is selected, enter the
increment angle from the indicated point and between new
points which will be measured to determine the position of
each new point.
IND.POINT
DELTA =
COUNT =
1-86
Wireframe Modeling
POINT
POINT Modal Parameter Definitions

n ANGLE =
Enter the angle.
n FROM GIVEN POINT
Create a first point at a given number of degrees from a

reference point on the arc/circle.
n FROM START POINT
Create a point on the arc/circle a given number of degrees

from the starting point of the arc/circle.
n COUNT =
Enter the number of points to be created. If COUNT > 1,

create subsequent points at a given number of degrees
(DELTA) from one another.
n DELTA =
Increment angle.
n DISTANCE =
Enter the distance between the reference point and the first
new point, and between any other new points. The distance
will be measured along the curve.
n NO. OF INTERVALS =
Enter the number of intervals into which the curve will be

divided to determine the positions of the new points.
n PART
Part of the reference curve will be divided into intervals.
n WHOLE
The entire reference curve will be divided into intervals.
POINT Usage Envelope

1. The option SINGLE POINT >> SURF-X is not appropriate for clipped boundaries of
trimmed surfaces.
q
Wireframe Modeling
1-87
PROJECT
PROJECT
Create a new entity by projecting an original entity onto a

plane, surface(s) or planar face(s).
Main Options:
SELECT OPTION
PROJECT POINTS
PROJECT CURV & PNT
PROJECT CONTOUR
PROJECT POINTS
Project points (including implicit points) onto a plane,

surface(s) or planar face(s).
PROJECT CURV & PNT Project entities (curves or points) onto a specified plane,
surface(s) or planar face(s).
PROJECT CONTOUR
Project a contour onto a plane, surface(s) or planar face(s).
PROJECT >> PROJECT POINTS

Project points (including implicit points) onto a plane, surface(s) or planar face(s).
IND. 1ST POINT
Indicate the first point, or use <SUBMENU> for selecting the

points.
IND. NTH POINT
Indicate the Nth point.

Press <EXIT> when all the points to be projected have been
picked.
POINTS O.K.? YES NO
YES
NO
SELECT OPTION
Accept the points.

Repick the points.
PLANE PROJ
SURFACE PROJ
PROJECT POINTS >> PLANE PROJECT

Project points onto a plane.
How To:
1. Define the projection plane.
Interaction:
SELECT
DIRECTION PROJECT
NORMAL PROJECT
DEFINE PLANE
1-88
Define a plane for projection, or use <SUBMENU> to select

a plane.
Wireframe Modeling
PROJECT
PROJECT POINTS >> PLANE PROJECT >> DIRECTION PROJECT

Project points onto a defined plane in a specified direction.
How To:
1. Indicate a direction.
Interaction:
DIRECTION: PICK CURVE Indicate a direction, or define a direction using <SUBMENU>.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
LINE OFF /
LINE ON
<CR> TO CONTINUE
Set parameters and press <CR>.
EXECUTING
The projection will be created.
PROJECT POINTS >> PLANE PROJECT >> NORMAL PROJECT

Project points normally onto a defined plane.
How To:
1. Set the modal parameters and press <CR>.
Interaction:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
LINE OFF /
LINE ON
<CR> TO CONTINUE
EXECUTING
PROJECT POINTS >> SURFACE PROJECT

Project points onto a surface(s) or planar face(s).
How To:
1. Pick a surface(s) or planar face(s) and confirm the selection.
Interaction:
Pick a surface(s) or planar face(s) onto which to project the

points. Use <SUBMENU> to pick many surfaces and planar
faces. Press <EXIT> when finished.
Wireframe Modeling
1-89
PROJECT
SURFACES O.K.? YES NO

YES
NO
SELECT
Accept the surfaces.

Repick the surfaces.
DIRECTION PROJECT
NORMAL PROJECT
PROJECT POINTS >> SURFACE PROJECT >> DIRECTION PROJECT

Project points onto a defined surface(s) or planar face(s) in a specified direction.
How To:
Interaction:
DIRECTION: PICK CURVE Indicate
a direction,
<SUBMENU>.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
LINE OFF /
or
define
direction
using
TOL =
LINE ON
<CR> TO CONTINUE
EXECUTING
PROJECT POINTS >> SURFACE PROJECT >> NORMAL PROJECT

Project points normally onto a defined surface(s) or planar face(s).
How To:
Interaction:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
LINE OFF /
TOL =
LINE ON
1-90
<CR> TO CONTINUE
EXECUTING
Wireframe Modeling
PROJECT
PROJECT >> PROJECT CURVES & PNT

Project entities (points and curves) onto a plane, surface(s) or planar face(s).
How To:
1. Pick the curves and points to be projected and confirm the selection.
Interaction:
PICK ENTITIES & EXIT
Pick the curves and the points to be projected, or use

<SUBMENU>. Press <EXIT> when finished.
ENTITIES O.K.? YES NO YES

NO
SELECT OPTION
Accept the entities.

Repick the entities.
PLANE PROJ
SURFACE PROJ
PROJECT CURVES & PNT >> PLANE PROJECT

Project entities (points and curves) onto a plane.
How To:
1. Define a plane for projection.
Interaction:
DEFINE PLANE
SELECT

to plane.
DIRECTION PROJECT
NORMAL PROJECT
Wireframe Modeling
1-91
PROJECT
PROJECT CURVES & PNT >> PLANE PROJECT >> DIRECTION PROJECT
Project entities (points and curves) onto a defined plane in a specified direction.
DEFINE PLANE
IND. DIRECTION
NORMAL
PICK DIR. CURVE
PICK ENTITIES
DIRECTION
LINE ON
LINE OFF
Figure 1-64: PROJECT CURVES & PNT >> PLANE PROJECT >> DIRECTION
PROJECT
How To:
1. Indicate a direction,
Interaction:
a direction,
<SUBMENU>.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
1-92
or
define
KEEP ORIGINAL /
AS ORIGINAL /
NO ATTRIB /
LINE OFF /
DELETE ORIGINAL
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB
LINE ON
<CR> TO CONTINUE
EXECUTING
Wireframe Modeling
direction
ANGLE =
using
TOL =
PROJECT
PROJECT CURVES & PNT >> PLANE PROJECT >> NORMAL PROJECT
Project entities (points and curves) normally onto a defined plane.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
KEEP ORIGINAL /
AS ORIGINAL /
NO ATTRIB /
LINE OFF /
DELETE ORIGINAL
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB
LINE ON
<CR> TO CONTINUE
EXECUTING
PROJECT CURVES & PNT >> SURFACE PROJECT

Project entities (points and curves) onto a surface(s) or planar face(s).
How To:
Interaction:

entities. Use <SUBMENU> to pick many surfaces and planar

YES
NO
SELECT

DIRECTION PROJECT
NORMAL PROJECT
Wireframe Modeling
1-93
PROJECT
PROJECT CURVES & PNT >> SURFACE PROJECT >> DIRECTION

PROJECT
Project entities (points and curves) onto a defined surface(s) or planar face(s) in a
specified direction.
PICK SURFACE
IND. DIRECTION
PICK ENTITIES
PICK REF. CURVE
GLOBAL BOTH SIDES
GLOBAL ONE SIDE
LOCAL
Figure 1-65: PROJECT CURVES & PNT >> SURFACE PROJECT >> DIRECTION PROJECT
How To:
1. Indicate a direction
a direction,
<SUBMENU>.
1-94
Wireframe Modeling
or
define
direction
using
PROJECT
<CR> TO
CONTINUE
GLOBAL BOTH
SIDES
KEEP ORIGINAL /
AS ORIGINAL /
NO ATTRIB /
LINE OFF /
DELETE ORIGINAL
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB
LINE ON
ANGLE =
TOL =
GLOBAL BOTH SIDES

GLOBAL ONE SIDE
LOCAL
<CR> TO CONTINUE
EXECUTING
The projection(s) will be created.
PROJECT CURVES & PNT >> SURFACE PROJECT >> NORMAL PROJECT
Project entities (points and curves) normally onto a defined surface(s) or planar
face(s).
How To:
Interaction:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
KEEP ORIGINAL
AS ORIGINAL
NO ATTRIB
LINE OFF
DELETE ORIGINAL
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB
LINE ON
<CR> TO CONTINUE
EXECUTING
Wireframe Modeling
TOL =
1-95
PROJECT
PROJECT >> PROJECT CONTOUR

Project a contour onto a plane, surface(s) or planar face(s).
How To:
1. Pick the first curve of the contour.
2. Indicate the desired direction.
3. Pick the nth curve.
Interaction:
SELECT
CLOSED CONTOUR
OPEN CONTOUR
See Defining Contours in Chapter 3, of the Fundamentals & General Functions Manual for a
detailed description of Open and Closed Contours.
Define the contour to be projected.
PICK 1ST CURVE
Pick the first curve of the contour.
INDICATE DIRECTION
PICK NTH CURVE
Pick the nth curve.
SELECT OPTION
PLANE PROJ
SURFACE PROJ
PROJECT CONTOUR >> PLANE PROJECT

Project a contour onto a plane.
How To:
1. Define a plane for projection.
Interaction:
DEFINE PLANE
SELECT

a plane.
DIRECTION PROJECT
NORMAL PROJECT
1-96
Wireframe Modeling
PROJECT
PROJECT CONTOUR >> PLANE PROJECT >> DIRECTION PROJECT

Project a contour onto a defined plane in a specified direction.
How To:
1. Indicate a direction and set the modal parameters.
Interaction:
a direction,
<SUBMENU>.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
or
define
direction
KEEP ORIGINAL /
AS ORIGINAL /
NO ATTRIB /
LINE OFF /
DELETE ORIGINAL
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB
LINE ON
ANGLE =
TOL =
using
ROUND CORNER
SHARP CORNER
<CR> TO CONTINUE
EXECUTING
PROJECT CONTOUR >> PLANE PROJECT >> NORMAL PROJECT

Project a contour normally onto a defined plane.
How To:
Interaction:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
KEEP ORIGINAL /
AS ORIGINAL /
NO ATTRIB /
LINE OFF /
DELETE ORIGINAL
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB
LINE ON
<CR> TO CONTINUE
EXECUTING
Wireframe Modeling
1-97
PROJECT
PROJECT CONTOUR >> SURFACE PROJECT

Project a contour onto a surface(s) or planar face(s).
How To:
Interaction:

entities. Use <SUBMENU> to pick many surfaces and planar

YES
NO
SELECT

DIRECTION PROJECT
NORMAL PROJECT
PROJECT CONTOUR >> SURFACE PROJECT >> DIRECTION PROJECT

Project a contour onto a defined surface(s) or planar face(s) in a specified direction.
PICK SURFACE
IND. DIRECTION
IND. CONTOUR
PICK DIR. CURVE
Figure 1-66: PROJECT CONTOUR >> SURFACE PROJECT >> DIRECTION

PROJECT
How To:
Interaction:
a direction,
<SUBMENU>.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
1-98
or
define
KEEP ORIGINAL /
AS ORIGINAL /
NO ATTRIB /
LINE OFF /
DELETE ORIGINAL
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB
LINE ON
<CR> TO CONTINUE
EXECUTING
Wireframe Modeling
direction
ANGLE =
using
TOL =
PROJECT
PROJECT CONTOUR >> SURFACE PROJECT >> NORMAL PROJECT

Project a contour normally onto a defined surface(s) or planar face(s).
How To:
Interaction:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
KEEP ORIGINAL
AS ORIGINAL
NO ATTRIB
LINE OFF
DELETE ORIGINAL
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB
LINE ON
<CR> TO CONTINUE
EXECUTING
TOL =
PROJECT Modal Parameter Definitions

n ANGLE =
Specify the draft angle of the projection.
n AS ACTIVE
Assign the active level, line font, pen and color to the newly
created entities.
n AS ORIGINAL
entities to the newly created entities.
n DELETE ORIGINAL
Delete the original entities after projecting them.
n KEEP ORIGINAL
Keep the original entities.
n GLOBAL BOTH SIDES
The projection will be performed globally, both in the

selected direction and the opposing direction.
n GLOBAL ONE SIDE
The projection will be performed globally in the selected

direction.
n LINE OFF
Do not connect the endpoints with lines.
n LINE ON
Connect the endpoints of the original entities to the endpoints

of the new entities with lines.
n LOCAL
The projection will be performed locally in the region near

the picked point on the surface.
n NO ATTRIB
Do not attach any attribute records to the new entities.
n SAME ATTRIB
Attach attribute records of the original entities to the newly

created entities.
n TOL =
Enter the maximum tolerance.
n ROUND CORNER
If two projected curves do not intersect, they will be

connected by an arc whose center is on the intersection point
of the picked curves and whose radius is the function of the
projection angle and the projection distance.
n SHARP CORNER
If two projected curves do not intersect, they will be

connected and their edges trimmed.
Wireframe Modeling
1-99
PROJECT
PROJECT Usage Envelope

1. In option PROJECT POINTS, the Point Indication submenu may be used.
2. In option PROJECT CURV & PNT, only explicit points may be projected and the
Select Entity <SUBMENU> may be used.
3. The draft angle is used only for DIRECTION PROJECT.
4. If the option DELETE ORIGINAL is set, the parameters AS ACTIVE / AS ORIGINAL
are not displayed. The result will always be AS ORIGINAL.
5. In the option PROJECT CURV & PNT, the maximum number of entities that may be
projected is 1024.
6. In the option PROJECT CURV & PNT, the GLOBAL options should be used when
projecting on closed surfaces, or other surfaces for which more than one projection
may result.
PLANE PROJECT
1. Projecting a line creates a new line entity.
2. Projecting a 2D curve which lies on a plane parallel to the active plane, creates the
same type of curve entity.
3. In most other cases, a PROJECTED entity is created. The new entity has reference to
the original entity. In certain cases, a 2D NURBS spline will be created (to facilitate
Hatching in the Drafting application).
4. When a 2D curve is projected onto a plane that is perpendicular to it, it is converted
into a straight line entity.
SURFACE PROJECT
1. Whenever possible the result of the projection will be a line, arc, or 2D NURBS
Spline.
In other cases the result will be a 3D NURBS Spline.
2. A closed contour will be closed after the projection.
Loops between curves in a contour will be trimmed.
3. If ANGLE = 0, there is no difference between projecting curves and contours.
If ANGLE 0, connected curves are projected as separate entities with gaps between
them. When a contour is projected, these gaps are automatically closed. The entities
that fill the gaps are always created AS ACTIVE.
DIRECTION >> LOCAL
4. This function is sensitive to the picking point. In certain cases not all picking points
yield a result. q
1-100
Wireframe Modeling
SPLINE
SPLINE
Create a 2D or 3D NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B Spline)

spline curve by defining points.
Main Options:
SELECT
2D SPLINE
3D SPLINE
2D SPLINE
Create a 2D spline curve on a given plane.

In 3D mode, the 2D SPLINE option requires definition of an
active work plane which is valid for the current session only.
In 2D mode, the active work plane will be used.
3D SPLINE
Notes:
Create a 3D spline curve.

The quality of the displayed spline is determined by the value of the
DISPLAY TOLERANCE variable of the spline entity. To display

the curve more accurately, increase this value using DISPLAY >>
REFINE.
When 2D SPLINE is selected, the DEFINE PLANE options will be
displayed before the next level of SPLINE options.
coordinate system.
The prompts and modals that follow describe the interaction for both 2D and 3D splines.
SELECT
THROUGH POINTS
CONTROL POINTS
FAIRING POINTS
Wireframe Modeling
1-101
SPLINE
SPLINE >> THROUGH POINTS

Create a spline that passes through all of the selected points, with the defined
endpoint conditions.
IND. DIRECTION
IND. NTH POINT
IND. 1ST POINT
IND. DIRECTION
PICK CURVE
Figure 1-67: SPLINE >> THROUGH POINTS (DEFINE SLOPE - SINGLE POINTS)
How To:
1. Indicate the first endpoint of the spline.
2. Pick a curve to define the slope at the endpoint of the spline (if the DEFINE SLOPE
option is set).
3. Indicate the desired direction then indicate additional points (if the DEFINE SLOPE
option is set).
4. Indicate the last point (for MULTI POINTS). (Second point for SINGLE POINTS).
5. Pick points between the first and last points and confirm the selection (for MULTI
POINTS ONLY).
Interaction:
IND. 1ST. POINT
IND. 1ST POINT
FREE SLOPE /
SINGLE POINTS /
DEFINE SLOPE
MULTI POINTS
Indicate the first endpoint of the spline. The point indication

submenu is available.
DEFINE SLOPE modal only:
DIRECTION: PICK CURVE Pick a curve to define the slope at the endpoint of the spline.
The default DEFINE SLOPE sub-option used to define the

slope is IND, unless 2PT was the last used sub-option for this
function in the current session. (See Define Slope and
Direction in Chapter 3, of the Fundamentals & General
Functions Manual).
1-102
Wireframe Modeling
SPLINE
To change the sub-option, press <SUBMENU> at the first

endpoint, or press <REJECT> if the current option is 2PT.
INDICATE DIRECTION

SINGLE POINTS modal only:
IND. 1ST POINT

IND. NTH POINT
Figure 1-68: SPLINE >> THROUGH POINTS (FREE SLOPE - SINGLE POINTS)
IND. nTH POINT
Indicate additional points. Once you have indicated the final

point, make sure the modals are correctly set, then press
<EXIT> to end the point selection.
MULTI POINTS modal only:
IND. 1ST POINT
IND. LAST POINT
Figure 1-69: SPLINE >> THROUGH POINTS (FREE SLOPE - MULTI POINTS (PICK ALL)
IND. LAST POINT
Indicate the last point.
PICK POINTS AND EXIT
Pick points between the first and last points using the
multi-pick submenu.
DEFINE SLOPE modal selected for final point (for both
SINGLE and MULTI POINTS modals):
Define the slope at the second endpoint of the spline as
described for the first.
Wireframe Modeling
1-103
SPLINE
FREE SLOPE modal selected for final point (for the

SINGLE POINTS modal only):
POINTS O.K. ? YES NO
YES
NO
Notes:
Create the spline

Define additional points, or press <REJECT> to redefine
points.
At least two points must be defined.

Points may be selected individually (SINGLE POINTS modal) or a
group of points may be selected, after specifying the first and last
points (MULTI POINTS modal).
When creating a 2D spline with the point indication
mode set at SCREEN, the dynamic display is activated
automatically after the first 3 points have been selected.
SPLINE >> CONTROL POINTS

Define a spline by defining a sequence of control points which may be weighted.
The control points implicitly define an open polygon. The spline always lies within
the convex hull that is defined by the control points. The spline always passes through
the first and last control points and is tangent to the first and last line segments of the
polygon.
Note:
When creating a 2D spline with the point indication mode set at
SCREEN, the dynamic display is activated automatically after

DEGREE points have been selected.
IND. NTH POINT
4
DEGREE = 3
WEIGHT = 1
WEIGHT = 3
2
1
IND. 1ST. POINT
Figure 1-70: SPLINE >> CONTROL POINTS >> NON-PERIODIC >> WITH
WEIGHTS
1-104
Wireframe Modeling
SPLINE
3
2
IND. 1ST. POINT
IND. NTH POINT

6
Figure 1-71: SPLINE >> CONTROL POINTS >> PERIODIC >> NO WEIGHTS
How To:
1. Indicate the first point and set the appropriate modal parameters.
2. Indicate nth point.
3. Confirm the selection.
Interaction:
IND. 1ST POINT
NON-PERIODIC /
DEGREE =
PERIODIC
IND. 1ST POINT
NO WEIGHTS /
WITH WEIGHTS
WEIGHT =
Indicate the first point and set the appropriate modals. The
point indication submenu is available.
Indicate at least DEGREE + 1 points and terminate with
<EXIT>.
POINTS O.K. ? YES NO
YES
NO
E X E C U T I N G ...
Create the spline

Define additional
redefine points.
points,
or
press
<REJECT>
to
The specified spline will be displayed.
Wireframe Modeling
1-105
SPLINE
SPLINE >> FAIRING POINTS

In this option, a NURBS spline is fit to a sequence of points within the defined
tolerance. The result is a least square NURBS spline composed of the minimum
number of points required to meet the given tolerance.
The spline always passes through the first and last fairing points.
Notes:
At least four points must be defined.

Points may be selected individually (SINGLE POINTS modal) or a
group of points may be selected, after specifying the first and last
points (MULTI POINTS modal).
IND. LAST POINT
IND. DIRECTION
TOL. = 10
TOL. = 1
PICK CURVE
IND. DIRECTION
IND. 1ST. POINT
PICK CURVE
Figure 1-72: SPLINE >> FAIRING POINTS >> DEFINE SLOPE
How To:
1. Set the parameters.
2. Indicate the first endpoint of the spline and additional points.
3. Confirm the selection.
Interaction:
IND. 1ST POINT
IND. 1ST POINT
TOL =
FREE SLOPE /
SINGLE POINTS /
DEFINE SLOPE
MULTI POINTS
Indicate the first endpoint of the spline. The point indication

DIRECTION:
PICK CURVE
1-106
Pick a curve to define the slope at the endpoint of the spline.
Wireframe Modeling
SPLINE

slope is IND, unless 2PT was the last used sub-option for
this function in the current session. (See Define Slope and
Functions Manual).
INDICATE DIRECTION Indicate the desired direction.
SINGLE POINTS modal only:

IND. nTH POINT
Indicate additional points. Once you have indicated the final

point, make sure the modals are correctly set, then press
<EXIT> to end the point selection.
MULTI POINTS modal only:
IND. LAST POINT
Indicate the last point.
PICK POINTS
AND EXIT
Pick points between the first and last points using the
multi-pick submenu.
DEFINE SLOPE modal selected for final point (for both
SINGLE and MULTI POINTS modals):
Define the slope at the second endpoint of the spline as
described for the first.
FREE SLOPE modal selected for final point (for the
SINGLE POINTS modal only):
POINTS O.K. ?
YES NO
YES
Create the spline
NO
Define additional
redefine points.
Wireframe Modeling
points,
or
press
<REJECT>
to
1-107
SPLINE
SPLINE Modal Parameter Definitions

n DEFINE SLOPE
Derive the slope at an endpoint of the spline using a

reference direction.
n DEGREE =
Degree of the spline.
n FREE SLOPE
The slope at the endpoint of the spline is freely defined by

the program.
n MULTI POINTS
Define the points in the spline by indicating the first and last
points and using box pick to select the rest.
n NON-PERIODIC
The spline starts at the first point and ends at the last one.
This modal cannot be changed after the first point is defined.
n NO WEIGHTS
No relative influence will be defined for the control points,

i.e., all control points will have the same influence. This
modal cannot be changed after the first point is defined.
n PERIODIC
The spline is a closed, periodic curve, which does not

necessarily pass through the first and/or the last points. This
modal must be set when defining the first point. After the
first point is defined it cannot be changed.
Definition: A PERIODIC NURBS spline is a spline whose start and end points
coincide and whose derivatives also coincide at these points.
n SINGLE POINTS
Define the spline by selecting each point.
n TOL
Maximum distance between spline and the fairing points used

to create it (FAIRING POINTS option only).
n WEIGHT =
If WITH WEIGHTS is selected, enter the relative influence

this control point will have on the spline.
n WITH WEIGHTS
A relative influence is defined for each control point of the

spline. This modal cannot be changed after the first point is
defined.
SPLINE Usage Envelope

1. Splines created with this function are always smooth.
2. The minimum degree of the spline is 3. With the exception of the CONTROL POINTS
option, the degree is set automatically.
3. When the Multi-pick modal is used, the routine starts with the first point and selects
the nearest point as the second point and so forth. q
1-108
Wireframe Modeling
STRETCH
STRETCH
Stretch line entities and planar faces, or move other entity

types.
Main Options:
SELECT OPTION
CURVES
PLANAR FACES
CURVES
Stretch line entities or move other entity types.
PLANAR FACES
Stretch planar faces.
Notes:
All entities which are not straight lines will be moved. All points in
these entities will be translated the same distance and direction.
To stretch a line, use only the BOX or POLYGON options in the
Entity Selection submenu.
At least one end of a line must be inside the box/polygon,
otherwise, the line will not be stretched.
If both ends of a line are inside the box/polygon, the line will be
translated (moved).
If only one end of a line is inside the box/polygon, this end it will
be translated as specified, and the other end will remain in the same
location.
coordinate system.
The PLANAR FACES option is only available when working in a
3D application.
When stretching a planar face, care must be taken not to perform an
illegal operation (e.g., stretching the planar face out of the current
work plane). If the stretch operation results in an illegal planar face,
it will not be performed.
Wireframe Modeling
1-109
STRETCH
STRETCH >> CURVES

STRETCH >> PLANAR FACES
PICK ENTITIES AND EXIT Pick the entities to be stretched and <EXIT>. A submenu is
available for multi-pick. Use BOX or POLYGON when

selecting line(s).
SELECT MODE:
DELTA
REF. POINT(S)
DELTA
Translate the coordinates of the entities as defined in the

modals.
REF. POINT(S)
Translate the positions of the entities box by a distance and

direction as defined by a specified vector.
CURVES / PLANAR FACES >> DELTA

Translate the coordinates of the entities as defined in the modals.
DX = 10.00
PICK ENTITIES
DY = 10.00
Figure 1-73: STRETCH >> CURVES/PLANAR FACES >> DELTA
How To:
1. Enter the parameters for the entities picked earlier.
Interaction:
<CR> OR PICK UCS
DX =
DY =
CARTESIAN
MODEL
DZ =
See Defining Points in Chapter 3, of the Fundamentals &

General Functions Manual, for a detailed explanation of the
above modals.
1-110
Wireframe Modeling
STRETCH
Press <CR> or <PICK> the prompt area to update changes.

Press <EXIT> to ignore changes.
<CR> OR PICK UCS
Continue to define distances to move the points. <EXIT>

when finished.
CURVES / PLANAR FACES >> REF. POINT(S)

Translate the entities by a distance and direction as defined by a specified vector.
IND. REF. POINT

PICK ENTITIES
IND. TARGET POINT
IND. TARGET POINT
VERTICAL
HORIZONTAL
IND. TARGET POINT
30
IND. TARGET POINT
FREE
DISTANCE
Figure 1-74: STRETCH >> CURVES/PLANAR FACES >> REF.POINTS
Wireframe Modeling
1-111
STRETCH
How To:
1. Indicate an origin and target point for the stretch vector.
Interaction:
IND.REF. POINT
FREE
FREE
HORIZONTAL
VERTICAL
DISTANCE
DISTANCE =
IND.REF. POINT
Indicate an origin point for the stretch vector.
IND.TARGET POINT
Indicate a target point for the vector. The stretch will be

executed.
IND.REF. POINT
Continue to indicate new reference and target points and to

adjust the modals. <EXIT> when finished.
STRETCH Modal Parameter Definitions

1-112
n DISTANCE
Only the direction of the stretch vector is defined by the

indicated reference point and the target point. The stretch
distance will be entered in the next modal.
n DISTANCE =
The stretch distance may be entered if DISTANCE is selected

in the first modal.
n FREE
The stretch vector is from an indicated reference point to the

target point.
n HORIZONTAL
The stretch vector is as for FREE, but projected on the X

axis of the active work plane.
n VERTICAL
The stretch vector is as for FREE, but projected on the Y

axis of the active work plane.
q
Wireframe Modeling
SWEEP
SWEEP
Sweep entities along a vector or about a rotation axis; create a

wireframe box that encloses selected entities with specified
offsets.
This function is used primarily to add a third dimension to a
two dimensional shape.
Main Options:
SELECT
LINEAR SWEEP
ANGULAR SWEEP
BOUNDING BOX
LINEAR SWEEP
Sweep entities along a vector in space.
ANGULAR SWEEP
Rotate entities a given angle about a predefined rotation axis.
BOUNDING BOX
Create a wireframe box that encloses selected entities with

specified offsets.
Note:
coordinate system.
SWEEP >> LINEAR SWEEP

Sweep entities along a vector in space.
The sweep vector can be defined in either of two ways:
SELECT:
DELTA
REF.POINTS
DELTA
Sweep entities a given distance along an axis which is

perpendicular to the active work plane.
REF.POINTS
Define both the distance from the original entities to the new
ones and the direction by indicating two reference points.
Wireframe Modeling
1-113
SWEEP
LINEAR SWEEP >> DELTA

Sweep entities a given distance along an axis which is perpendicular to the active work plane.
The DELTA option of SWEEP requires definition of a work plane which is valid for the
current session only.
Use one of the work plane options to define a different active plane temporarily.
See Defining a Plane in Chapter 3, of the Fundamentals & General Functions Manual, on how to
define a Work Plane.
How To:
1. Define the plane.
2. Pick entities to be swept, then press <EXIT>.
Interaction:
PICK ENTITIES & <EXIT>
DELTA =
SWEEP LINES ON /
AS ORIGINAL /
NO ATTRIB /
SWEEP LINES OFF
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB
PICK ENTITIES & <EXIT> Pick entities to be swept, then press <EXIT>.
IND. SWEEP DIR.
1-114
Wireframe Modeling
SWEEP
LINEAR SWEEP >> REF. POINTS

Sweep entities along a vector which is defined by two points.
IND. TARGET PNT
IND. REF. POINT
PICK ENTITIES
Figure 1-75: SWEEP >> LINEAR SWEEP >> REF. POINTS
How To:
1. Indicate the sweep vectors origin and end point.
Interaction:
IND. REF. POINT
SWEEP LINES ON /
AS ORIGINAL /
NO ATTRIB /
SWEEP LINES OFF
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB
IND. REF. POINT
Indicate the sweep vectors origin point.
IND. TARGET PNT.
Indicate the sweep vectors endpoint.
Wireframe Modeling
1-115
SWEEP
SWEEP >> ANGULAR SWEEP

Sweep entities a given angle about a rotation axis.
IND. AXIS ORIGIN
Indicate the origin point of the rotation axis.
IND. AXIS DIRECTION
Indicate a point to define the direction of rotation of the axis.

Define the angle of rotation by selecting one of the following
options:
SELECT:
ANGLE
REF. POINTS
ANGLE
Enter the size of the angle the entities will be rotated around
the given axis.
REF.POINTS
The angle is defined by two points. The first point is

projected onto a plane which is perpendicular to the rotation
axis. The second point is the vertex which is at the
intersection of the plane with the rotation axis.
ANGULAR SWEEP >> ANGLE

Rotate entities at given angle about a predefined rotation axis.
IND. AXIS DIRECTION
IND. SWEEP DIRECTION
PICK ENTITIES/EXIT
( CONTOUR )
IND. AXIS ORIGIN
Figure 1-76: SWEEP >> ANGULAR SWEEP >> ANGLE
How To:
1. Pick entities to be swept and the desired direction.
Interaction:
PICK ENTITIES & <EXIT>
ANGLE =
SWEEP LINES ON /
AS ORIGINAL /
NO ATTRIB /
SWEEP LINES OFF
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB
IND. SWEEP DIR.
1-116
Wireframe Modeling
SWEEP
ANGULAR SWEEP >> REF. POINTS

The angle is defined by two points. The first point is projected onto a plane which is
perpendicular to the rotation axis. The second point is the vertex which is at the
intersection of the plane with the rotation axis.
TARGET POINT
P2
IND. SWEEP DIRECTION

IND. AXIS DIRECTION
REF. POINT
P1
IND. AXIS ORIGIN
PICK ENTITIES/EXIT
Figure 1-77: SWEEP >> ANGULAR SWEEP >> REF. POINTS
How To:
1. Indicate the axis origin and direction.
2. Indicate a target point on the second side of the angle.
3. Indicate a target point on the second side of the angle.
5. Indicate direction.
Interaction:
IND. REF. POINT
SWEEP LINES ON /
AS ORIGINAL /
NO ATTRIB /
SWEEP LINES OFF
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB
IND. REF. POINT
Indicate a point on the first side of the angle.
IND. TARGET PNT.
Indicate a point on the second side of the angle.
Wireframe Modeling
1-117
SWEEP
SWEEP >> BOUNDING BOX

Create a wireframe box that encloses selected entities. The base of the box will lie on
the XY plane of the selected UCS. Offsets may be specified I.
PICK ENTITIES
( ALL )
Figure 1-78: SWEEP >> BOUNDING BOX
How To:
1. Pick the UCS or <EXIT> to select the active UCS..
2. Pick the entities to be enclosed in the box.
3. Set the modal parameters and <EXIT>.
Interaction:
PICK UCS/EXIT= ACTIVE
POS. X OFFSET =
NEG. X OFFSET =
POS. Y OFFSET =
NEG. Y OFFSET =
POS. Z OFFSET =
NEG. Z OFFSET =
TOLERANCE =
PICK UCS/EXIT = ACTIVE Pick the UCS or <EXIT> to select the active UCS.
PICK ENTITIES /EXIT
Pick the entities to be enclosed in the box. Set the modals

and <EXIT>.
EXECUTING
The bounding box is created.
Note:
1-118
If the selected entities lie entirely on the XY, YZ or XZ plane of the
selected UCS, the resulting bounding box will be 2D.
Wireframe Modeling
SWEEP
SWEEP Modal Parameter Definitions

Enter the angle of rotation in degrees.
n ANGLE =
Note:
If ANGLE = 180 or ANGLE = 360, the sweep will be executed
without a prompt to confirm the direction.
If ANGLE = 360 and SWEEP LINES OFF, the executed

sweep is not noticeable.
n AS ACTIVE
Assign the active level, line font, pen and color to the new
entities created.
n AS ORIGINAL
entities to the new entities which are created, but not to the
sweep lines which will have the ACTIVE characteristics.
n DELTA =
Enter the sweep distance.
n NEG. X OFFSET =
Bounding box offset in the negative X direction.
n NEG. Y OFFSET =
Bounding box offset in the negative Y direction.
n NEG. Z OFFSET =
Bounding box offset in the negative Z direction.
n NO ATTRIB
n POS. X OFFSET =
Bounding box offset in the positive X direction.
n POS. Y OFFSET =
Bounding box offset in the positive Y direction.
n POS. Z OFFSET =
Bounding box offset in the positive Z direction.
n SAME ATTRIB
Attach attribute records of the original entities to the entities.
n SWEEP LINES OFF
Do not connect the endpoints.
n SWEEP LINES ON
Connect the endpoints of the original entities to the endpoints

of the new entities with lines.
n TOLERANCE =
The maximum amount by which the bounding box can

exceed the specified offset. q
Wireframe Modeling
1-119
TRIM
TRIM
Trim or extend curves.
Main Options:
SELECT:
TRIM BY CURVE
TRIM BY POINT
TRIM BY PLANE
DIVIDE BY CURVES
DIVIDE BY POINT
TRIM BY CURVE
Trim curves at their intersection point with the trimming

curve.
TRIM BY POINT
Trim a curve at a point.
TRIM BY PLANE
Trim curves by a work plane.
DIVIDE BY CURVES
Divide curve(s) into two separate entities, or remove a region

between two indicated trimming curves which intersect the
first curve(s).
DIVIDE BY POINT
Divide a curve by a point into two separate entities.
Notes:
The first three options (TRIM, TRIM BY POINT and TRIM BY
PLANE) cause the region where a curve is picked to remain. The

extension beyond the intersection point is removed. If the curve does
not reach the chosen intersection point it will be extended until it
does.
In VIEW/MACSYS, a 2D curve in a plane that is perpendicular to
the VIEW/MACSYS plane initially appears as a line. After some

functions, such as TRIM, the curve actually becomes a line.
1-120
Wireframe Modeling
TRIM
TRIM >> TRIM BY CURVE

Trim curves at their intersection point with the trimming curve. The following modal
appears only if work is being done in 3D.
PICK TRIMMING CURVE
PICK CURVES TO TRIM
Figure 1-79: TRIM >> TRIM BY CURVE
How To:
1. Pick a curve which intersects the curve to be trimmed or stretched.
2. Pick the curves to be trimmed and <EXIT>.
Interaction:
PICK TRIMMING CURVE
TOL =
PICK TRIMMING CURVE
Pick a curve which intersects the curve to be trimmed or

stretched.
PICK CURVES TO TRIM
Pick the curves to be trimmed and terminate with <EXIT>.

Remember to pick the curves on segments which are to be
retained. Press <SUBMENU> to access entity picking
options.
EXECUTING
Wireframe Modeling
1-121
TRIM
TRIM >> TRIM BY POINT

Trim a curve at a point.
IND. TRIM POINT
CURVE TO BE TRIMMED
Figure 1-80: TRIM >> TRIM BY POINT
How To:
1. Pick the curve to be trimmed on the segment which is to be retained.
2. Indicate the point past which the curve will be trimmed or extended.
Interaction:
Notes:
When the point is not on the curve, the trimming point will be the
closest point on the display plane.
CURVE TO BE TRIMMED Pick the curve to be trimmed on the segment which is to be
retained.
INDICATE TRIM.POINT
Indicate the point past which the curve will be trimmed. The
point indication <SUBMENU> is available.
IND. 2ND TRIM.POINT
If the curve is closed, a second point indication is needed.
CURVE TO BE TRIMMED Pick another curve to be trimmed or <EXIT> to leave the
function.
1-122
Wireframe Modeling
TRIM
TRIM >> TRIM BY PLANE

Trim curves by a work plane.
The TRIM BY PLANE option of the TRIM function requires definition of an active
work plane which is valid only for the current session. Use one of the work plane
options to define a different active plane temporarily. See Defining a Plane in
Chapter 3 of the Fundamentals & General Functions Manual.
DEFINE PLANE
IND. REMAINING SIDE

PICK ENTITIES
( NTH CURVES )
Figure 1-81: TRIM >> TRIM BY PLANE
How To:
1. Pick the side to be retained.
2. Pick the geometric entities to be trimmed and <EXIT>.
Interaction:
IND. REMAINING SIDE
Pick the side to be retained. All the curve segments which

extend beyond the trimming plane, except those on the plane
itself, will be deleted.
TRIM
TRIM AND EXTEND
Pick the geometric entities to be trimmed and terminate with

<EXIT>. Press <SUBMENU> to access entity picking options.
Wireframe Modeling
1-123
TRIM
TRIM >> DIVIDE BY CURVES

Divide curve(s) into two separate entities or remove the region between two indicated
trimming curves which intersect the curve(s) to be divided.
PICK 1ST DIVID. CRV.
PICK 2ND DIVID. CRV/EXIT
PICK ENTITIES/EXIT
Figure 1-82: TRIM >> DIVIDE BY CURVES
How To:
1. Pick a trimming curve which intersects the curve(s) to be divided.
2. Pick a second trimming curve which intersects the curve(s) to be divided, or <EXIT>.
3. Pick the curve(s) to be divided and <EXIT>.
Interaction:
Note:
PICK 1ST DIVID.CRV
Pick a trimming curve which intersects the curve(s) to

be divided.
PICK 2ND DIVID.CRV / EXIT
Pick a second trimming curve which intersects the

curve(s) to be divided, or <EXIT>.
Pick the curve(s) to be divided. Terminate with

<EXIT>.
Note:
1-124
In 3D applications, all the curves must lie on the same plane.
When two trimming curves are selected, the region that lies between
them will always be removed. The point at which a curve to be

divided is indicated is irrelevant.
Wireframe Modeling
TRIM
TRIM >> DIVIDE BY POINT

Divide a curve by a point into two separate entities.
CURVE TO BE DIVIDED
CURVE TO BE DIVIDED
IND. DIVIDING POINT
IND. DIVIDING POINT
IND. 2ND DIV. POINT
Figure 1-83: TRIM >> DIVIDE BY POINT
How To:
1. Pick the curve to be divided and indicate a point on the curve.
Interaction:
CURVE TO BE DIVIDED
Pick the curve to be divided.
DIVIDING POINT
Indicate a point on the curve.
2ND DIV POINT
Only if the curve is closed.
CURVE TO BE DIVIDED
Pick a new curve to be divided or <EXIT> to leave the

function.
TRIM Modal Parameter Definitions

Enter the maximum deviation that will be tolerated at the
indicated intersection point.
n TOL =
Note:
The tolerance should be the tolerance permitted when the curves
n TRIM
Delete the parts of the curves that extend beyond the

trimming plane. If they do not reach the trimming plane, do
not extend them.
n TRIM AND EXTEND
Delete the part of the curves that extend beyond the trimming
plane. If they do not reach the trimming plane, extend them
to the trimming plane. q
were created.
Wireframe Modeling
1-125
WIRE_EDM
WIRE_EDM
How To:
1. Select 2D or 3D wireframe entities created with the Cimatronit environment and press
<EXIT>.
Or
Press <EXIT>.
Note:
Cimatron WireEDM can also be run from the Main Menu by
defining the appropriate files:
File: <root_cad>\var\fikus\fikusw.exe
Icon: <root_cad>\dat\bitmaps\fikus31.ico
See the Utilities Manual for additional information on the Main
Menu.
Figure 1-84: Defining Cimatron WireEDM in the

Main Menu
1-126
Wireframe Modeling
WIRE_EDM
Interaction:
Either:
Select 2D or 3D wireframe entities created with the
Cimatronit environment and press <EXIT>. The
geometry will be exported to the Cimatron WireEDM
environment under the file <partfile_name>.c2f.
Or:
Press <EXIT>.
If you selected entities at the PICK ENTITIES & EXIT prompt, the following table is
displayed:
EXPORT FILE:
<partfile_name>.c2f
SAVE ONLY
SAVE AND RUN
<Partfile_name>.c2f
SAVE ONLY
SAVE AND RUN
Note:
The default file name. Change this name by selecting it and

entering a new name.
Save the file. You can use this file when you run Cimatron
WireEDM later.
Save and run Cimatron WireEDM now.
There is no association between the geometry you created in
Cimatronit and the geometry imported into Cimatron WireEDM.
If you pressed <EXIT> at the PICK ENTITIES & EXIT prompt, the following prompt
is displayed:
RUN WIRE EDM? YES NO
YES
NO

Exit the function.
Wireframe Modeling
1-127
Chapter 2
Assembly Design and Management
Four of the functions in the second overlay of the modeling functions handle assembly, design and
management. These functions are GROUP, PLACE, EXPLODE and EXTRACT.
Terms used in this chapter:
INSTANCE
MASTER
MEMBER
A representation of the real entities. An Instance is actually a

pointer to the real entities.
A library part.
An entity to which an Instance is associated. This may be a
file (sub-assembly), library part (master) or view (sub-view).
Overlay II
GROUP
PLACE
EXPLODE
EXTRACT
EXPLODE
Explode an instance (of either a master, sub-assembly or

sub-view) into its component parts by deleting the instance
entity and creating copies of its members into the current file.
EXTRACT
Extract entities from the current file and, if required, create a

sub-assembly or create a master in an external file (catalog).
GROUP
Create and manage a standard library part (master) that may

be used in the current file or other files.
Manipulate a group of picked entities as one entity.
PLACE
Create an instance, i.e. an address of a master, sub-assembly

or sub-view.
Assembly Design & Management
2-1
EXPLODE
EXPLODE
Explode an instance of a master, sub-assembly or sub-view to

its component parts by deleting the instance entity and creating
copies of the members.
Main Options:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
Notes:
ALL MEMBERS
TO SOURCE LEVEL
PICKED MEMBERS
TO ACTIVE LEVEL
SOURCE = INSTANCE
ALL NEST LEVELS
SOURCE = GEOMETRY
ONE NEST LEVEL
SOURCE/ACTIVE LEVEL controls where the exploded entities will
be located.
The NEST
LEVEL determines how extensive the EXPLODE

operation will be (for all the nesting levels or for single levels).
An instance may contain itself, i.e. part A may be a sub-assembly in
part B at the same time that part B is a sub-assembly in part A. The

system will automatically detect this situation and prevent display or
explosion of the instance more than once. Any time a part in which
this occurs is displayed or exploded, the following message will
appear:
RECURSIVE INSTANCE NESTING
When an instance is exploded, no copies will be made of any UCS
entities.
2-2
EXPLODE
EXPLODE:
Modal Parameter Definitions
n ALL MEMBERS
Delete instances and

independent entities.
n ALL NESTING LEVELS
EXPLODE will be applied to all nesting levels.
n ONE NESTING LEVEL
EXPLODE will be applied to one nesting level only.
n PICKED MEMBERS
Create entities from the picked members of instances, and

delete the corresponding instances. All nesting levels of
picked entities will be exploded.
n SOURCE = GEOMETRY
For an internal or catalog master, the master will be exploded

to the original levels used to create the geometry.
n SOURCE = INSTANCE
For an internal or catalog master, the master will be exploded

to the level in which the master has been placed in the
current file.
n TO ACTIVE LEVEL
Create copies of all the members in the current active level.
n TO SOURCE LEVEL
Create copies of the members to the levels in which they

were created.
EXPLODE:
create
all
of
their
members
as
Usage Envelope
1. When exploding an internal or catalog master, with SOURCE = GEOMETRY, if the

source level (in which the geometry was originally created) does not exist in the
current file, or is not currently displayed, nothing will appear on the screen when the
instance is exploded. If the source level(s) does not exist in the current file, it must be
created in order to see the entity.
2. The modal SOURCE = INSTANCE is relevant only for internal or catalog masters.
3. Subassemblies are always exploded to the original levels used to create the geometry.
2-3
EXTRACT
EXTRACT
Extract entities from the current file and create a sub-assembly

or master in an external file (catalog).
Add to an existing sub-assembly and perform additional
management operations.
Main Options:
SELECT OPTION
EXTRACT SUB-ASSM
EXTRACT CATALOG
EXPORT CATALOG
APPEND SUB-ASSM
IMPORT CATALOG
IMPORT LEVELS
EXPORT LEVELS
EXTRACT SUB-ASSM
Extract picked entities in the current file to a new part file

and save the new file. If required, place it using its current
orientation in the current part, as an instance of a
sub-assembly.
EXTRACT CATALOG
Extract entities from the current file and create a master from
picked entities in an external part file (catalog). If required,
create an instance of that master in the current part file.
EXPORT CATALOG
Export a master (catalog) from the current part file to an

external part file.
APPEND SUB-ASSM
Add entities to an existing sub-assembly.
IMPORT CATALOG
Import a master into the current part file from another part
file (catalog).
IMPORT LEVELS
Import levels into the current part file from another part file.
EXPORT LEVELS
Export levels from the current part file to another part file.
Notes:
In the EXTRACT SUB-ASSM and EXTRACT CATALOG options,
if the REPLACE ON modal is selected, the picked entities in the

current file will be deleted and replaced by an instance of the
sub-assembly or a master in a catalog.
The EXTRACT SUB-ASSM option always creates a new part file.
The EXTRACT CATALOG and EXPORT CATALOG options can

be used to either create a new part file, or update an existing part
file. The APPEND SUB-ASSM option is for existing part files
only.
2-4
EXTRACT
EXTRACT >> EXTRACT SUB-ASSM

Extract picked entities in the current file to a new part file and save the new file. Place it, using
its current orientation in the current part, as an instance of a sub-assembly.
How To:
1. Pick the entities to be included in the sub-assembly.
2. Type the name of a part file which will contain the picked entities.
3. Indicate the origin point for the subassemblys coordinate system.
4. Indicate a point on the +X and +Y axes of the sub-assembly and confirm.
5. Create another sub-assembly or exit the function.
Interaction:
Notes:
A default coordinate system, X axis and/or Y direction, may be
accepted for the coordinate system of the sub-assembly. The model

coordinate system is the default. Instead of indicating a point, press
<EXIT> to accept the default coordinate system.
UNDO may not be used with this function. To reverse operations
performed by this function, EXPLODE the sub-assembly in the

current part file. Then use the EXIT function, CLOSE PART FILE
option, to select the new part file and select ABANDON FILING.
If local changes have been made to the part in a different
application, e.g., Views, MACSYS, FEMSYS, and a sub-assembly is

extracted to another part file, any local changes made will be
canceled, and the view, MACSYS, etc., returns to its original state.
If such a case is about to occur, the system warns you with the
following message:
CONTINUING THIS OPERATION MAY AFFECT EXISTING
VIEWS
or:
Note:
Pick the entities to be included in the sub-assembly.

Press <EXIT> to leave the function.
These entities will be copied into a new file. If the REPLACE ON
option is selected, the entities will be deleted and replaced by an

instance of the sub-assembly (the file into which the entities were
copied).
Press <SUBMENU> to access picking options.
ENTER PART FILE NAME Type the name of a part file which will contain the picked
entities.
If the part file already exists, the following will appear:

OVERWRITE ? YES NO
YES
NO
IND. ORIGIN POINT
Replace the existing part file.

Enter a different part file name.
SCALE =
2-5
EXTRACT
IND. ORIGIN POINT
Indicate the origin point for the subassemblys coordinate

system.
or:
Press <EXIT> to use the model coordinate system of the

current part.
IND. PNT. ON +X AXIS
or:
Press <EXIT> to accept the default X and Y axes. See notes

above.
IND. PNT. FOR +Y AXIS
or:
Indicate a point in the direction of the +Y axis of the

sub-assembly.
Press <EXIT> to accept the default Y axis. See notes above.
Press <CR> to confirm the points which define the model
coordinate system of the new sub-assembly file.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
Notes:
Indicate a point on the +X axis of the sub-assembly.
When creating a sub-assembly, this option behaves according to the
type of entities picked:
no instances are picked.

IfResult:
The sub-assembly
is created from the picked

entities in their original form.
an instance of an internal master is picked.

IfResult:
The sub-assembly is created from the
picked
entities after all the picked instances are exploded into
their simple components.
an instance is picked,
Ifmasters
are picked.
but no instances of internal
Result: The sub-assembly can be created from the

picked entities in their original form, or after they are
exploded into their simple components (as in the case of
an instance originated from a sub-assembly).
<CR> TO CONTINUE
REPLACE ON
REF ASSEM. OFF
OPEN FILE OFF
SAVE FILE ON
EXPLODE OFF
SOURCE LEVEL
CREATING SUB-ASSM <sub-assembly part_file_name>
The new sub-assembly part file will be created and saved, and
the picked entities will be deleted from the current part file
and will be replaced as a sub-assembly.
or:
Notes:
Pick entities to create another sub-assembly.

Use the PLACE function, REF-ASSY option, to display the
reference assembly in the part file of the sub-assembly at a later

date.
The part file of the sub-assembly is created in a different work file
from that of the current part. To display changes to either part file in
the other work file before SAVE ON FILE has been performed:
2-6
EXTRACT
Select the EXIT function

Select the OPEN PART FILE option
Open the file where you want to see the changes
Answer YES to REBUILD THE DISPLAY ?
See additional notes on Reference Assemblies and Subassemblies in PLACE >> REF-ASSY on
page 2-21.
EXTRACT >> EXTRACT CATALOG

Extract entities from the current file and create a master from picked entities in an external part file
(catalog). Create an instance of that master in the current part file.
How To:
1. Pick the entities to be included in the master.
2. Enter the name of an external part file which will contain the master.
3. Enter the name of the master to be created in the external file.
4. Indicate the origin point for the masters coordinate system.
5. Indicate a point on the +X and +Y axes of the master and confirm.
6. Create a new master or exit the function.
Interaction:
Note:
The entities that are included in the master are deleted from the
current part file and replaced by an instance of the master.
or:
Pick the entities to be included in the master.

Press <SUBMENU> to access picking options.
Notes:
When creating a catalog, this option behaves according to the type
of entities picked:

IfResult:
The catalog is created from the picked entities in
their original form.

IfResult:
The catalog is created from the picked
entities
after all the picked instances are exploded into their
simple components.
Ifmasters
are picked.
Result: The catalog can be created from the picked

entities in their original form, or after they are exploded
into their simple components.
ENTER PART FILE NAME Type the name of an external part file which will contain the
master.
2-7
EXTRACT
If this option has previously been used, the last entered part
file name is displayed. Press <REJECT> to enter a different
part file name.
ENTER MASTER NAME
Enter the name of the master to be created in the external

file. If the name of an existing file is entered, and a master of
this name already exists, an error message is displayed.
IND. ORIGIN POINT
Indicate the origin point for the masters coordinate system.
or:
Press <EXIT> to use the model coordinate system of the

current part (the default coordinate system).
IND. PNT ON +X AXIS
or:
Indicate a point on the +X axis of the master.

Press <EXIT> to accept the default X and Y axes. See notes
above.
IND. PNT ON +Y AXIS
or:
Indicate a point in the direction of the +Y axis of the master.

Press <EXIT> to accept the default Y axis. See notes above.
POINTS O.K.? YES NO

<CR> TO CONTINUE
Press <CR> to confirm the points which define the model

coordinate system for the master.
REPLACE ON
SAVE FILE ON
OPEN FILE ON
EXPLODE ON
UPDATING CATALOG mastername(partfile_name)
The new master is added to the catalog.
2-8
Pick more entities to create a new master or press <EXIT> to

exit the function.
EXTRACT
EXTRACT >> EXPORT CATALOG

Export a master from the current part file to an external part file.
How To:
1. Enter the name of the master to be copied.
2. Enter the name of the part file to which the master will be copied.
3. Enter a name for the new master.
4. Copy another master or exit the function.
Interaction:
ENTER MASTER NAME
Enter the name of the master to be copied, or press <CR>

and select a master from the list.
ENTER PART FILE NAME Enter the name of the part file to which the master will be
copied.
NEW MASTER NAME (<CR> = <oldname>)
Enter a name for the new master or press <CR> to accept its
current name.
Notes:
When exporting a master, this option behaves according to the type
of master picked:
the selected master does not contain any instances.

IfResult:
The exported master is copied into the external
file and exploded into its simple components.
the selected
Ifmasters.
master contains instances of internal
Result: The exported master is copied into the external

file and exploded into its simple components.
the selected master contains instances,

Ifcontain
instances of internal masters.
but does not
Result: The exported master can be copied into the

external file in its original form, or exploded into its
simple components.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
REPLACE OFF
SAVE FILE OFF
OPEN FILE ON
EXPLODE ON
UPDATING CATALOG mastername(partfile_name)

ENTER MASTER NAME
Copy another master or press <EXIT> to exit the function.

The master will appear in the destination part file with the
same orientation as defined in the current part file.
2-9
EXTRACT
EXTRACT >> APPEND SUB-ASSM

Add entities to an existing sub-assembly.
How To:
1. Pick entities to be added to the sub-assembly.
2. Pick the instance of the sub-assembly to which the entities will be added.
Interaction:
Pick entities to be added to the sub-assembly. Press <EXIT>

when finished.
PICK SUB-ASSEMBLY
Pick the instance of the sub-assembly to which the entities

will be added. The selection of the instance determines the
relative placement and scale of the picked entities in the
sub-assembly.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
PART FILE NAME = <partfile_name>

INSTANCE SCALE =
Press <CR> to continue.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
Notes:
When appending entities to a sub-assembly, this option behaves
according to the type of master picked:

IfResult:
The picked entities
are
sub-assembly in their original form.
appended
to
the

IfResult:
The picked entities are appended
to the
sub-assembly after exploding all the picked instances
into their simple components.
Ifmasters
are picked.
Result: The picked entities are appended to the

sub-assembly in their original form, or after exploding
all the picked instances into their simple components.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
REPLACE ON
SAVE FILE ON
OPEN FILE OFF

EXPLODE ON
SOURCE LEVEL
UPDATING SUB-ASSEMBLY <sub-assembly name>
The sub-assembly definition is updated.
2-10
EXTRACT
EXTRACT >> IMPORT CATALOG

Import a master into the current part file from another part file.
How To:
1. Enter the name of the part file containing the master to be imported.
2. Enter the name of the master to be imported.
3. Enter a name for the new master.
4. Create a new master or exit the function.
Interaction:
Note:
The master is copied into the current part file as a master and not as
an instance.
ENTER PART FILE NAME Enter the name of the part file containing the master to be
imported.
ENTER MASTER NAME
Enter the name of the master to be imported, or press <CR>

and select a master from the list.
NEW MASTER NAME (partfile_name/mastername>)
Enter a name for the new master, or press <CR> to accept the
displayed name.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
REPLACE OFF
EXPLODE OFF
IMPORTING MASTER old_master_name (new_master_name)

ENTER MASTER NAME
Enter the name of another master to be imported, or press

<EXIT> to finish.
2-11
EXTRACT
EXTRACT >> IMPORT LEVELS

Import levels into the current part file from another part file.
How To:
1. Enter the name of the part file containing the levels to be imported.
2. If required, enter the name of another part file containing levels to be imported.
Interaction:
ENTER PART FILE NAME Enter the name of the part file containing the levels to be
imported.
IMPORTING LEVELS FROM PART FILE <partfile_name>

CONTINUE? YES NO
YES
NO
Import the levels.

Reenter the part file name.
LEVELS WERE IMPORTED FROM PART FILE <partfile_name>

ENTER PART FILE NAME Enter the name of another part file containing levels to be
imported.
2-12
EXTRACT
EXTRACT >> EXPORT LEVELS

Export levels to another part file. This includes the COMP LIST option which enables the export of
the entire Level Map to the complete list of subassemblies, together with the reference assembly, if
it has been placed.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
BY NAME
COMP LIST
EXPORT LEVELS >> BY NAME

ENTER PART FILE NAME Enter the name of the part file to which the levels are to be
exported.
EXPORTING LEVELS TO PART FILE <partfile_name>

CONTINUE? YES NO
YES
NO
Export the levels.

Reenter the part file name.

EXECUTING
EXPORT LEVELS >> COMP LIST

SELECT NESTING LEVEL
ONE NESTING LEVEL
ALL NESTING LEVELS
COMP LIST >> ONE NESTING LEVEL and ALL NESTING LEVELS
2-13
EXTRACT
EXTRACT Modal Parameter Definitions

n ACTIVE LEVEL
Create copies of all the entities in the currently active level.
n EXPLODE OFF
The master remains in its original form.
n EXPLODE ON
The master is exploded into its basic components.
n OPEN FILE OFF
Create the external file but do not open it.
n OPEN FILE ON
Create the external file and open it immediately.
n REF. ASSEM. OFF
Do not place an instance from the assembly file.
n REF. ASSEM. ON
An instance from the assembly file is placed in the

sub-assembly file.
n REPLACE OFF
Do not replace the picked entities with the new sub-assembly

or master.
n REPLACE ON
For EXTRACT SUB-ASSM:

Replace the original entities with an instance of the extracted
sub-assembly.
For EXTRACT CATALOG:
Replace the original entities with an instance of the extracted
master.
n SAVE FILE ON
Create the file and save it.
n SAVE FILE OFF
Create the file and place the extracted entities in that file.
Keep the file in memory - do not save it.
n SCALE=1.000
Enter the scale factor for the sub-assembly.
n SOURCE LEVEL
Create copies of the members to the levels in which they

were created, as follows:
For an internal or catalog master, the level of the source is
the level in which the master has been placed in the current
file.
For an instance of a sub-assembly or sub-view, each copied
member receives the level of its original entity. q
2-14
GROUP
GROUP
Create and manage a standard library part (master) that may be

used in the current file or other files.
Main Options:
SELECT
CREATE
DELETE
RENAME
GROUP
CREATE
Create a named master group of entities.
DELETE
Delete a named master.
RENAME
Change the name of a master.
GROUP
Notes:
If a group contains more than one nesting level (i.e., it is made up
of another group(s)), it may be exploded one nesting level back

(ONE NESTING LEVEL), or into all its basic entities (ALL
NESTING LEVELS). See the EXPLODE function in this chapter
for details on exploding a group.
A group has full associativity, i.e., if a group contains dimensions,
and it is copied, moved, changed etc., the dimensions are updated

accordingly when using DIM_UPDT.
2-15
GROUP
GROUP >> CREATE

Create a named master group of entities.
Notes:
A master is a configuration of entities which can be located as an
instance through the PLACE function.
In the process of creating a master, picked entities are copied. A
configuration of those copies is stored in the database under a master

name. The relation between the original entities and the members of
the master is terminated.
A reference coordinate system is defined for each master. The origin
of the master will coincide with a position point which is indicated

when the instance is PLACEd.
Master names are considered by the system as upper case, regardless
of the way they are entered.
How To:
1. Pick the current master entities and enter the full path name.
2. Indicate the origin point for the masters reference coordinate system or press <EXIT>
to accept the default model coordinate system.
3. Indicate a point on the X and Y axes or press <EXIT> to use the default.
4. Confirm the axes selection.
Interaction:
PICK ENTITIES & <EXIT> Pick the current master entities, then <EXIT>.
ENTER MASTER NAME
Type a master name (max. 128 characters including the path

name), then press <CR>. If the masters name already exists:
REPLACE MASTER?
YES NO
YES
Replace the members of an existing master with the

recently picked entities, and update all the instances
accordingly.
NO
Reenter the master name.
Indicate the origin point for the masters reference coordinate
system.
IND. ORIGIN POINT
Note:
A default coordinate system, X axis and/or Y direction, may be
accepted for the coordinate system of the sub-assembly. The model

coordinate system is the default. Press <EXIT> instead of indicating
the origin, to accept the default coordinate system.
If this is a new master, the default reference coordinate
system is that of the model.
IND. PNT. ON +X AXIS
or:
2-16
If this is a replaced master, the default reference coordinate

system is that of the existing master.
Indicate a point on the + X axis of the masters system.
Press <EXIT> to use the default X and Y axes. See note
above.
GROUP
IND. PNT. ON +Y AXIS
or:
Indicate a point on the active work plane showing the + Y

axis direction of the masters system.
Press <EXIT> to use the default Y axis direction. See note
above.
POINTS O.K.? YES NO
YES
NO
Confirm the axes.

Dont accept the axes.
EXECUTING
2-17
GROUP
GROUP >> DELETE

Delete a named master.
How To:
1. Enter the name of the master and confirm the selection.
Interaction:
ENTER MASTER NAME
Enter the name of a master.

Alternatively, press <CR> to display the names of the
existing masters, and select the name to be deleted.
Note:
The system checks to see if the master contains instances which
have been placed in another master. If so, the following message is

displayed:
MASTER USED AS MEMBER IN ANOTHER MASTER
(The implication is: in the same file. No check is made for instances
in other files.)
You will then be prompted to Reenter the master name.
In this case, GROUP >> DELETE will not be permitted. The .cmp
file should be created using the FILE function, if necessary, and its
contents viewed from the operating system. This .cmp
composition file lists the structure of the model, its views,
drawings and instances. It will be possible to determine in which
other models, drawing or views in this file the master was placed. If
this master was placed in masters in other files, it will not be
detected.
The instance may be deleted from the other master using the
DELETE function. Then this master and its instances may be deleted
using GROUP >> DELETE.
If this master does not contain instances that have been placed in
other masters, the system will check to see if the master has any
instances in the current file. If it does, the following message is
displayed:
MASTER HAS BEEN PLACED
(In this file only. The number of times it was placed will not be
indicated.)
In addition, the following prompt will appear:
CONFIRM ?
YES
NO
YES Delete the master and all its instances.

NO
2-18
Reenter the master name.
Warning:
The deletion of a master results in the automatic deletion of all its
Caution:
Do not delete masters which have instances in other part files!
instances. It is the users responsibility to explode all instances

before deleting their master!
GROUP
GROUP >> RENAME

Change the name of a master.
How To:
1. Enter the name of the master to be renamed or press <CR> to display a list of
masters.
Interaction:
ENTER MASTER NAME
Enter the name of the master to be renamed or press <CR> to

display a list of masters.
If the name does not exist, the following message will be
displayed:
MASTER <mastername> NOT FOUND
and the ENTER
redisplayed.
ENTER NEW NAME:
MASTER
NAME
prompt
will
be
(old_mastername)
Enter the new name for the master.

If the new name is a different length from that of the old
name, the following message will be displayed while the
internal table is rebuilt:
EXECUTING . . .
Note:
An instance is associated to a master by its name. If the master
name is changed, the instance loses the association and is, therefore,
not created.
GROUP >> GROUP

Notes:
This option is similar to the CREATE option. However, no master is
created, the grouped entity is not given a name, and has no

orientation.
This option can be used to handle several entities as one entity on a
temporary basis (for example when moving entities).
How To:
1. Pick the entities for the group, then press <EXIT> and confirm.
Interaction:
PICK ENTITIES & <EXIT> Pick the entities for the group, then press <EXIT>.
ENTITIES O.K.? YES NO YES
NO
Accept the picked entities.

Repick the entities. q
2-19
PLACE
PLACE
Create an instance, i.e., an address of a master, sub-assembly

or sub-view.
Masters, of either the current part (INTERNAL master) or an
external (CATALOG) part are PLACEd in the active level.
Entities from subassemblies and internal and external VIEWS
are PLACEd in the corresponding levels in the current part file
(the program manipulates the levels by internal sequential
numbers).
Main Options:
Modeling
<CR> TO CONTINUE
INTERNAL
ENTER MASTER NAME
CATALOG
SUB-ASSY
REF-ASSY
CATALOG+
Drafting
<CR> TO CONTINUE
INTERNAL
ENTER MASTER NAME
CATALOG
INT-VIEW
EXT-VIEW
CATALOG+
Notes:
Entities on levels which exist only in a sub-assembly, or in an
internal or external view and do not exist in the current part, are not
shown in the current part until comparable levels are created!
The axes that were defined when a master was created with the
GROUP function, will not be displayed when an instance of that

master is placed.
Each time an instance of a master, sub-assembly or sub-view is
PLACEd, its nesting depth is increased by 1. If the instance contains

other instances, their nesting depths will also be increased by 1. Up
to 10 nesting depths are permitted by the system.
An instance may contain itself, i.e., part A may be a sub-assembly in
part B at the same time that part B is a sub-assembly in part A. The

system will automatically detect this situation and prevent display or
explosion of the instance more than once.
coordinate system.
INTERNAL
2-20
Place a master that was created within the current part file
(using the GROUP function).
PLACE
CATALOG
Place a master from another part file. Any part file can be
called CATALOG for this purpose, but it is recommended to
use one CATALOG file with many masters.
SUB-ASSY
The model of another part file which is PLACEd as a whole

in the current part file.
REF-ASSY
The modal of another part file in which the current part file
is an instance.
INT-VIEW
A view from the current part file.
EXT-VIEW
A view from another part file
CATALOG+
Place an external catalog which is first converted to an

internal master together with its corresponding NGD.
Note:
In the Drafting Application, the REF-ASSM and SUB-ASSM
options are replaced by the INT-VIEW and EXT-VIEW options.
PLACE >> INTERNAL

Place a master that was created within the current part file (using the GROUP
function).
How To:
1. Enter the name of the master to be placed.
2. Set the modal(s), then indicate a positioning point.
Interaction:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
ENTER MASTER NAME
INTERNAL
ENTER MASTER NAME
Type the name of the master to be placed.

Press <CR>, without typing a name, to display the names of
masters in the current directory, and select a name. Use
<SUBMENU> or <REJECT> to scroll through the names if
necessary.
INDICATE POSITION
INDICATE POSITION
IND. NEW POSITION
POINT-ANGLE
SCALE =
AXES ON
ANGLE =
NO-MIRROR
DEFINE PLN
AXES SCALE =
Set the modal(s), then indicate a point.

The origin of the masters local coordinate system will
coincide with this point.
In the POINT-ANGLE option, the coordinate system of the
instance is positioned relative to that of the active work
plane.
The location may be modified until it is satisfactory. Repeat the
point indication procedure and fix the position by pressing
<EXIT>.
Change the positioning point by indicating another one
instead.
Press <EXIT> to go to INDICATE POSITION to place the
same instance in an additional location using the same option.
2-21
PLACE
PLACE >> CATALOG

Place a master from another part file.
How To:
1. Enter the part file name.
2. The list of masters in the catalog is then displayed.
This list can be of two forms; a windows dialog showing the bitmap image of each
master together with its name or a table listing the names of all the masters.
Select the master to be placed.
3. Indicate position.
Interaction:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
CATALOG
ENTER CATALOG NAME
If a default part file does not exist, select ENTER

CATALOG NAME.
ENTER PART FILE NAME Enter the part file name or press <SUBMENU> to select a
part file.
The list of masters in the catalog is then displayed. This list

can be of two forms; a windows dialog showing the bitmap
image of each master together with its name or a table listing
the names of all the masters. In both cases the procedure is
the same; select a master and indicate the position where you
want to place it.
Windows dialog
If the catalog contains bitmap icons of the masters
(with the icons created using the ICONDRFT utility),
the windows dialog is shown. The ICONDRFT utility
creates an icon that is a 2D visual representation of a
2D or 3D master. See the Utilities Manual, Chapter
1 General Utilities for additional information on
ICONDRFT.
The windows dialog may contain either 12 or 35 icons
to a dialog. See ICONDRFT >> VIEW for
information on how to define the dialog display.
Navigate through the icons using the Back and Next
buttons. Select the appropriate icon and press OK.
List
If the catalog does not contain bitmap icons of the
masters, a list of masters is shown.
Select the appropriate master from the list.
2-22
PLACE
If a default part file name already exists, the current name is

displayed at the bottom of the screen and an additional modal
is displayed:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
CATALOG
ENTER CATALOG NAME
ENTER MASTER NAME
To select the default part file, select the prompt:

ENTER MASTER NAME.
If you wish to select a part file other than the default, select
ENTER CATALOG NAME.
ENTER PART FILE NAME Enter the part file name or press <SUBMENU> to select a
part file.
ENTER MASTER NAME
Type the name of the master to be placed or press

<SUBMENU> to select a master.
INDICATE POSITION
Indicate a point for the origin of the external view. The origin
of the view coordinate system will coincide with this point.
The interaction and modals for this option are as described
for the INTERNAL option.
Notes:
The full path of the part file name may contain up to 128 characters.
Up to 100 names may be displayed at one time. Use <REJECT> or
<SUBMENU> to scroll through menu pages if there are more than

100.
If the name entered is both the name of a directory and of a part,
the menu of names of the part files in the directory will be

displayed.
2-23
PLACE
PLACE >> INT-VIEW

Place an internal view.
How To:
1. Select a view to be placed and point for the origin of the internal view.
Interaction:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
SELECT VIEW:
INT-VIEW
<view1>
<view2>
. . . .
<viewn>
Select a view to be placed.

INDICATE POSITION
Indicate a point for the origin of the internal view. The origin
Note:
2-24
Internal views that have previously been included, are shown
highlighted, but may be selected.
PLACE
PLACE >> EXT-VIEW

Place an external view.
How To:
1. Type the name of a part file in the current directory and press <CR>.
Interaction:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
EXT-VIEW
ENTER PART FILE NAME If a default part file name exists, it will be displayed in the
interaction area and this prompt will not appear.
Press <SUBMENU> to display this prompt and change the

part file name.
or:
Type the name of a part file in the current directory and press
<CR>. Use <SUBMENU> or <REJECT> to scroll through the
names if necessary.
Select a part file name from one of the display menus.
or:
Press <CR> without typing a name to display the menu of

part file names in the current directory.
or:
Enter the name of a directory to display the menu of part file

names in that directory. Include the path if it is different from
the path of the current directory.
SELECT VIEW:
<view1>
<view2>
. . . .
<viewn>
Select a view to be placed.

INDICATE POSITION

PLACE >> SUB-ASSY

Place the model of another part file which is PLACEd as a whole in the current part file.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
SUB-ASSY

2-25
PLACE
PLACE >> REF-ASSY

Display an instance of a geometric model which contains the current part file as a sub-assembly.
How To:
1. Type the name of a part file in which the current part is an instance.
Interaction:
Notes:
A reference assembly cannot be exploded.

Reference assemblies do not appear in the composition list.
A reference assembly cannot be moved. Its orientation with respect
to each sub-assembly is fixed.
Even though the reference assembly is displayed in the part file of
the sub-assembly, the reference assembly will not appear when its
sub-assembly is PLACEd.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
ENTER PART FILE
or:
REF-ASSY
Type the name of a part file in which the current part is an

instance.
Press <CR> to display the menu of part file names.
The reference assembly will be displayed.
EXECUTING
If the sub-assembly was placed in the part file of the

reference assembly more than once, one reference assembly
will be displayed for the sub-assembly and the following
appears:
TO CONFIRM
NEXT
PREVIOUS
(n of m)
Only one orientation of the sub-assembly with respect to the

same reference assembly may be displayed at one time.
Press <EXIT> to accept the displayed reference assembly and
continue.
ENTER PART FILE
or:
2-26
Type the name of another part file in which the current part
is an instance.
PLACE
PLACE >> CATALOG+

Place an external catalog, first converted to an internal master, together with its
corresponding NGD, in a defined position.
How To:
1. Enter the part file name.
2. The list of masters in the catalog is then displayed.
This list can be of two forms; a window showing the bitmap image of each master
together with its name or a table listing the names of all the masters.
Select the master to be placed.
Interaction:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
CATALOG+
ENTER CATALOG NAME
ENTER CATALOG NAME Enter the part file name or press <SUBMENU> to select a
part file.
The list of masters in the catalog is then displayed. This list

can be of two forms; a window showing the bitmap image of
each master together with its name or a table listing the
names of all the masters. In both cases the procedure is the
same; select a master and indicate the position where you
want to place it. See PLACE >> CATALOG for a
explanation.
Save the external catalog by selecting <CR> TO CONTINUE
to save the external catalog as an internal master with the
same name or a different name.
Indicate the position (like when placing a regular catalog) and
<EXIT>.
The external master is then exploded and recreated as an
internal master with the previously defined name.
INDICATE POSITION
Note:
Nesting levels are exploded to the new internal master (like when
using the IMPORT CATALOG function).
2-27
PLACE
PLACE Modal Parameter Definitions

n ANGLE = 0.000
Rotation angle about Z axis of the active system. Positive

angle is in counterclockwise direction.
n AXES OFF
Do not display the axes.
n AXES ON
Display the axes of the coordinate system of the group being

placed.
n AXES SCALE = 1.000
If AXES ON is selected, enter the scale: enlarge or reduce

the size of the axes by the indicated factor.
n DEFINE PLANE
Define a temporary active work plane. See Defining a Plane

in Chapter 3, of the Fundamentals & General Functions
Manual for details.
n (n of m)
Only one orientation of the sub-assembly with respect to the

same reference assembly may be displayed at one time.
m indicates the total number of placements.
n is the one currently displayed.
2-28
n NEXT
Display the next orientation of the sub-assembly with respect

to the same reference assembly. See the REF-ASSY option.
n NO-MIRROR
No mirror transformation is to be applied to the master.
n POINT-ANGLE
Place the master, by indicating a point and defining a rotation

angle.
n PREVIOUS
Display the previous orientation of the sub-assembly with

respect to the same reference assembly. See the REF-ASSY
option.
n REF. POINTS
Place the master by indicating the reference points.
n SCALE = 1.000
Scaling factor.
n X-MIRROR
The X axis is the mirror line.
n XY-MIRROR
The XY plane is the mirror if the 3D mirror is in the X and

Y axes.
n Y-MIRROR
The Y axis is the mirror line.
Chapter 3
Parametric Shape Functions
Three of the functions in the second overlay are used to create and work with parametric shapes or
patterns. These functions are PATTDIM, PATTERN and PATTUSE.
Overlay II
PATTDIM
PATTERN
PATTUSE
PATTDIM
Assign dimensions to the significant features of the model,

from which a pattern (parametric shape) will be created.
PATTERN
Create a single pattern entity from many picked circle and

line and dimension entities, or delete or rename an existing
pattern.
PATTUSE
Create new entities from a pattern and position them freely.
3-1
PATTDIM
PATTDIM
Assign dimensions to the significant features of the model,

from which a pattern (parametric shape, 2D only) will be
created.
Main Options:
SELECT DIMENSION
LINEAR
ANGULAR
RADIAL
DIAMETER
DIM_PAR
DIM_EDIT
LINEAR
Dimension a linear distance.
ANGULAR
Dimension an angle.
RADIAL
Dimension the radius of an arc or circle.
DIAMETER
Dimension the diameter of an arc or circle.
DIM_PAR
Set dimension default parameters for patterns (parametric

shapes).
DIM_EDIT
Change pattern dimensions.
How To:
1. Use the DIM_PAR option to set global dimensioning defaults, if necessary.
2. Select the appropriate dimensioning option and create the dimension.
3. Use DIM_EDIT to change already existing dimensions, if necessary.
4. Define the datum face and point.
5. Select the bending allowance option for the bending axes.
6. Confirm the creation of the defined bent object.
Notes:
See Handling Complex Projects in Chapter 3 of the Fundamentals
& General Functions Manual, for an overview of Parametric

Shapes Patterns.
Define only those dimensions required to reproduce the parametric
shape. If essential dimensions are missing, or if the shape is

over-dimensioned, the pattern will not be created.
3-2
PATTDIM
CONSTANT, IMPLIED CONSTRAINTS
In some cases the relationships between straight line or arc/circle

entities, or their construction lines (explained below), are implied
automatically from the model from which the parametric shape is
generated.
There is no need to create dimensions to define them. Defining
dimensions for these relationships will cause the shape to be
over-dimensioned.
In addition to being implied from the original model, these
relationships will remain constant when the parametric shape is
used. They may not be redefined at that time.
To determine which dimensions are not required to define a shape,
the construction lines of the straight lines and arcs in it must be
considered. Construction lines are the logical extensions, in both
directions of a straight line or arc. The following relationships in the
original model produce an implied and constant constraint in the
parametric shape:
or PARALLEL
PERPENDICULAR
which are perpendicular or parallel
LINES Lines
in the original
model, will always be perpendicular or parallel. Do not
dimension angles between such lines or between their
construction lines, i.e. 90 or 180 angles.
If
TANGENCY
another, or to their
arcs or lines are tangent to one

construction lines, this relationship
will be protected. They will be tangent to one another
even if other dimensions are changed. Do not create
dimensions which describe this relationship.
CONSTRUCTION LINE If a line or point

SHARED
is on the construction line of a second line or arc, i.e.
they share a construction line, this relationship will not

change. It will not be affected when new dimension
values are assigned when the pattern is used.
This constraint applies to implicit points, as well as explicit points

and includes the implied intersection points of geometric entities or
of their construction lines.
If any of the relationships described above exist in the original
model, and it will be necessary to change them when the parametric

shape is used, create the original model so that it does not meet the
conditions described, i.e., 95 angle in place of perpendicular. Then,
assign values for the dimensions as required.
3-3
PATTDIM
Hint:
If a part is over-dimensioned, consider all the construction lines of
the geometric entities in it. Then check for any of the relationships
described above for which no dimensions are required.
NAMED EXPRESSION
EXPRESSION
H2 = V1 * 1.3
V1
V1
V1 * 1.3
H1
H1
OVER DIMENSIONED
CORRECTLY DIMENSION
Figure 3-1: PATTDIM
Naming Dimensions
Before a dimension is created with one of the dimensioning options, (at the KEY IN NAME
prompt), it must be named.
The name of a dimension may be entered in one of three ways:
1. NAME
Up to 60 alphanumeric characters may be entered as the name of the dimension. The
first character must be alphabetic. When the dimension is created, the value will be
provided by the system from the model. This value will be used as a default in the
parametric shape.
Example:
Prompt and Response: KEY IN NAME L1
Appearance in dimension: L1 = 15
2. EXPRESSION
An arithmetic expression may be entered as the name of a dimension. The standard
arithmetic operators (+, , *, /) may be included in the expression. However, the first
character must be alphabetic. In this case, the value will be the result of the
expression and does not necessarily reflect the actual measurements of the model.
This expression cannot be reused because it has no name.
Example:
Prompt and Response: KEY IN NAME L1/30
Appearance in dimension: L1/30
3-4
PATTDIM
Warning:
(L1/30), 30/L1 are not legal expressions.
To use such expressions, key in a NAMED EXPRESSION which must start with an
alphabetic character.
3. NAMED EXPRESSION
An assignment statement may be keyed in as the name of the dimension. The first
character typed must be alphabetic. The value assigned may be variable or constant
and does not necessarily reflect the actual model. The name of the dimension (on the
left of the = sign) may be used again in other EXPRESSION or NAMED
EXPRESSION dimensions.
Example 1:
Prompt and Response: KEY IN NAME L2 = (30/L1)
Appearance in dimension:
L2 = (30/L1)
Example 2:
Prompt and Response: KEY IN NAME L1 = 15
Appearance in dimension:
L1 = 15
Warning 1: Example 2, in which a constant was assigned to the dimension

called L1, appears the same as the first type of dimension, NAME
above, which takes its value from the actual model.
Use distinctive names for each type so that they will not be
confused with one another.
Warning 2: A dimension name may not be used on the left of the equal sign
and also as a NAME alone.
Example:
L2 = (30/L1) for one dimension and L2 for another.
Write the entire expression L2 = (30/L1) again.
or:
Enter the expression once. When it is to be reused, assign the first a
new name. L2 = (30/L1) for one dimension. S2 = L2 for another.
Warning 3: When values which do not reflect the actual part are assigned to
dimensions, a distorted shape may result when a parametric shape is

generated or used. This will not be noticeable in the PATTDIM
function. It is the users responsibility to define dimensions
correctly.
3-5
PATTDIM
PATTDIM >> LINEAR

Dimension a linear distance.
SELECT
LINE
HORIZONTAL
VERTICAL
REFERENCE
PERPEND.
LINE
Dimension the length of a line.
HORIZONTAL
Dimension a horizontal distance between two points.
VERTICAL
Dimension a vertical distance between two points.
REFERENCE
Dimension a distance, parallel to a picked line, between two

points on the screen.
PERPEND.
Dimension a distance between two points, perpendicular to a

given line, or between two curves perpendicular to the first
curve.
LINEAR >> LINE

Dimension the length of a line.
How To:
1. Enter a dimension name.
2. Pick a direction line.
3. Indicate a point to define the distance the dimension line will be from the direction line.
4. Indicate a new position for the dimension by picking or dragging.
5. Type in a name for more dimensions or <EXIT>.
Interaction:
Type in a dimension name. See notes on Naming Dimensions
at the beginning of this function.
KEY IN NAME
PICK DIRECTION LINE
|<
<name>
PARAM
SINGLE
IND TEXT
SINGLE
IND TEXT
PICK DIRECTION LINE
3-6
DIM.#
BASELINE
CENTERED
CHAIN
LABEL
>|
> <
Pick a direction line. The dimension line will be parallel to

this line.
PATTDIM
IND DIMENSION POS
Indicate a point to define the distance the dimension line will

be from the direction line.
IND NEW POS/EXIT
Indicate a new position for the dimension by picking or

dragging. Press <EXIT> when finished.
or:
Press <EXIT> to accept the current position.

Type in a name for more dimensions or <EXIT>.
KEY IN NAME
LINEAR >> LINE >> BASELINE

Create a number of parallel dimensions sharing a common baseline.
How To:
2. Indicate a position for the dimension.
4. Indicate the next point.
5. Press <CR> to continue for a centered dimension or continue as defined for CHAIN.
Interaction:
All the dimensions will be parallel to the original picked line and the distance
between each dimension is fixed.
When BASELINE is picked in the modal, the following appears:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
DIST =
<CR> TO CONTINUE
Press <CR> to return to the dimensioning modals.
PICK DIRECTION LINE
Pick a direction line. The dimension lines will be parallel to

this line.
IND DIMENSION POS
Indicate a position for the dimension.
IND NEW POS/EXIT

or:

After the first dimension has been placed, the system will ask
you to indicate the next point.
IND NEXT POINT
Indicate the next point. The next dimension will be measured

from the reference point to this point.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
Press <CR> to continue for a centered dimension.
or:
IND. DIMENSION POS
Continue as defined for CHAIN.
3-7
PATTDIM
The new dimension will be measured from the original

reference point to the picked point.
The dimension will appear parallel to the direction line and a
distance of DIST from the previous dimension.
Continue to create parallel dimensions or press <EXIT> to
finish.
Note:
A witness line for the common reference point is added when the
definition of the group of parallel dimensions is completed.

KEY IN NAME
LINEAR >> LINE >> CHAIN

Create a series of continuous dimensions. The new dimension will be created from the
end of the previous dimension to an indicated point.
How To:
4. Indicate the next point.
5. Press <CR> to continue for a centered dimension or indicate a position for the next
dimension.
6. Indicate the next point for the next dimension or press <EXIT> to finish.
Interaction:
3-8
PICK DIRECTION LINE
Pick a direction line. The dimension lines will be parallel to

this line.
IND DIMENSION POS
Indicate a position for the dimension.
IND NEW POS/EXIT
Indicate a new position for the dimension text by picking or

IND NEXT POINT
Indicate the next point. The next dimension will be measured

from the end of the previous dimension to this point.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
Press <CR> to continue for a centered dimension.
or:
IND DIMENSION POS
Indicate a position for the next dimension.
IND NEXT POINT
Indicate the next point for the next dimension or press

<EXIT> to finish.
KEY IN NAME
PATTDIM
LINEAR >> HORIZONTAL

Dimension a horizontal distance between two points.
How To:
2. Indicate a the first and second points.
3. Indicate the dimension line position.
4. If required, indicate a new dimension position.
5. Create additional dimensions or exit.
Interaction:
KEY IN NAME
IND 1ST POINT

|<
<name>
PARAM
CHAIN
DIM.#
CENTERED
>|
> <
IND 1ST POINT
IND. 2ND POINT
IND DIMENSION POS
Indicate the dimension line position. If IND.TEXT is

selected, this also indicates the text position.
IND NEW POS/EXIT
Indicate a new dimension position, if necessary, or <EXIT>

to set the position.
KEY IN NAME
3-9
PATTDIM
LINEAR >> VERTICAL

Dimension a vertical distance between two points.
How To:
Interaction:
KEY IN NAME
IND 1ST POINT
3-10
Type in a dimension name. See notes on Naming Dimensions at

the beginning of this function.
|<
<name>
PARAM
CHAIN
DIM.#
>|
CENTERED
> <
IND 1ST POINT
IND 2ND POINT
IND DIMENSION POS
Indicate the position of the dimension line. If IND. TEXT is

selected, this will also indicate the position of the text.
IND NEW POS/EXIT

KEY IN NAME
PATTDIM
LINEAR >> REFERENCE

Dimension a distance, parallel to a picked line, between two points on the screen.
How To:
2. Indicate the first and second points
3. Indicate a point to define the distance the dimension line will be from the direction
line.
Interaction:
KEY IN NAME
PICK DIRECTION LINE
|<
<name>
PARAM
CHAIN
DIM.#
CENTERED
>|
> <
PICK DIRECTION LINE
Pick a direction line. The dimension line will be parallel to

this line.
IND 1ST POINT
IND 2ND POINT
IND DIMENSION POS
Indicate a point to define the distance the dimension line will

be from the direction line.
IND NEW POS/EXIT

or:
KEY IN NAME

3-11
PATTDIM
LINEAR >> PERPEND

Dimension a distance between two point entities or between two curves. Measurement
is either perpendicular to a reference line or normal to a curve at the indicated point.
PERPENDICULAR TO:
LINE
CURVE
LINEAR >> PERPEND >> LINE

LINE dimensions the distance between two points. The points will be projected onto a
line which is perpendicular to the reference line. The distance will be measured
between the projected points.
How To:
2. Pick the reference line.
3. Indicate the first and second measurement points.
4. Indicate the position of the dimension line.
Interaction:
KEY IN NAME
PICK REFERENCE LINE
|<
PARAM
3-12
<name>
DIM.#
>|
CENTERED
> <
PICK REFERENCE LINE
Pick the reference line. The dimension will be perpendicular

to this line.
IND FIRST POINT
Indicate the first measurement point.
IND SECOND POINT
Indicate the second measurement point.
IND DIMENSION POS

selected, this will also indicate the position of the text.
IND NEW POS/EXIT

KEY IN NAME
PATTDIM
LINEAR >> PERPEND >> CURVE

CURVE dimensions a distance between two curves. The first dimension point is at
the intersection of the first curve and a normal to the curve which passes through an
indicated point. The second dimension point is at the intersection of this normal and
the second curve. The dimension line will be parallel to the normal.
How To:
1. Pick the first curve.
2. Indicate a point.
3. Pick the second curve.
4. Indicate the position of the dimension line.
Interaction:
KEY IN NAME
PICK FIRST CURVE

|<
PARAM
<name>
DIM.#
CENTERED
>|
> <
PICK FIRST CURVE
Pick the first curve.
IND POINT
Indicate a point. The point determines where the normal to

the first curve, along which the distance is measured, is
positioned.
PICK SECOND CURVE
Pick the second curve.
IND DIMENSION POS

selected, this also indicates the position of the text.
IND NEW POS/EXIT

KEY IN NAME
3-13
PATTDIM
PATTDIM >> ANGULAR

Dimension angles.
Note:
Measurement of angular dimensions is counterclockwise. The angle
begins at the first witness line and ends at the second.
SELECT ANGULAR:
TWO LINES
VERTEX+TWO POINTS
LINE+AXIS
ANGULAR >> TWO LINES

Dimension an angle between two intersecting lines.
How To:
1. Type in a dimension name
2. Pick the first and second line.
3. Indicate the angle sector.
4. Indicate the dimension position.
Interaction:
KEY IN NAME
PICK 1ST LINE
3-14
|<
<name>
PARAM
HORIZON
DIM.#
CENTERED
>|
SECTOR
> <
PICK 1ST LINE
<PICK> the first line.
PICK 2ND LINE
<PICK> the second line.
IND SECTOR
Indicate the angle sector.
IND DIMENSION POS.
Indicate the dimension position.
IND NEW POS/EXIT

KEY IN NAME
PATTDIM
ANGULAR >> VERTEX + TWO POINTS

Dimension an angle defined by its vertex and two points.
How To:
1. Type in a dimension name
2. Indicate the vertex.
4. Indicate the dimension arc position.
Interaction:
KEY IN NAME
IND VERTEX
|<
<name>
PARAM
HORIZON
DIM.#
CENTERED
>|
SECTOR
> <
IND VERTEX
Indicate the vertex.
IND 1ST POINT
Indicate a point on the first line of the angle.
IND 2ND POINT
Indicate a point on the second line of the angle.
IND SECTOR
IND DIMENSION POS.
Indicate the dimension arc position.
IND NEW POS/EXIT

KEY IN NAME
3-15
PATTDIM
ANGULAR >> LINE + AXIS

Dimension an angle defined by a line and a selected axis.
How To:
1. Enter a dimension name
2. Pick a line close to an endpoint.
3. Pick either the X or the Y axis.
5. Indicate the dimension arc position.
Interaction:
KEY IN NAME
PICK LINE NEAR END
3-16

|<
<name>
PARAM
HORIZON
DIM.#
CENTERED
>|
SECTOR
> <
PICK LINE NEAR END
Pick a line close to an endpoint. The vertex of the angle will

be at the closest endpoint. An axis symbol appears when you
pick the line.
PICK AXIS
Pick either the X or the Y axis.
IND SECTOR
IND DIMENSION POS.
Indicate the dimension arc position.
IND NEW POS/EXIT

KEY IN NAME
PATTDIM
PATTDIM >> RADIAL

Dimension the radius of an arc or circle.
Note:
According to the settings in the Drafting Standard Definition, (see
the External Utilities Section of the Utilities Manual), a radial

dimension may appear with an R in front of it.
How To:
2. Pick the circle or arc whose radius you want dimensioned.
3. Indicate the dimension text position.
Interaction:
KEY IN NAME
PICK CIRCLE/ARC
<name>
PARAM
DIM.#
TO CENT
>
> <
PICK CIRCLE/ARC
Pick the circle or arc whose radius you want dimensioned.
IND DIMENSION POS.
Indicate the dimension text position.
IND NEW POS/EXIT
Indicate a new dimension text position, if necessary, or

<EXIT> to set the position.
KEY IN NAME
PATTDIM >> DIAMETER

Dimension the diameter of an arc or circle.
How To:
2. Pick the circle or arc to be dimensioned.
3. Indicate the dimension text position.
Interaction:
KEY IN NAME
PICK CIRCLE/ARC
|<
<name>
PARAM
REGULAR
DIM.#
CENTERED
>|
> <
PICK CIRCLE/ARC
Pick the circle or arc to be dimensioned.
IND DIMENSION POS.
Indicate the dimension text position.
IND NEW POS/EXIT
Indicate a new dimension text position, if necessary, or

<EXIT> to set the position.
KEY IN NAME
3-17
PATTDIM
PATTDIM >> DIM_PAR

Set dimension default parameters for patterns (parametric shapes).
How To:
1. Set the parameters.
Interaction:
Notes:
Select the PARAM modal parameter in each specific dimensioning
option to change the DIM_PAR defaults locally. Local changes to

modal parameters stay in effect until you return to the main
PATTDIM menu. At that time, DIM_PAR settings are reinstated.
More detailed explanations of these parameters are provided in the
DRAF_PAR function in the Drafting Manual.
See the DIMENS function in the Drafting Manual, for a more
detailed description of the dimensioning options.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
LENGTH PARAMETERS
CHAR. SIZE =
DIM.##
ARROW
<CR> TO CONTINUE
WIT. GAP =
WIT. OVERS =
Set the parameters. Press <CR> continue.
PATTDIM >> DIM_EDIT

Change pattern dimensions.
How To:
1. Pick the dimension you want to change.
2. Pick the modal you want to change from the table.
3. To change the name of the dimension, pick the name modal and enter a new name.
Interaction:
PICK DIMENSION
Pick the dimension you want to change. The appropriate

dimension table is displayed.
<PICK> the modal that you want to change.
To change the name of the dimension, <PICK> the name
modal and type in a new name.
Warning:
A parametric dimension cannot be changed to an expression.
IND DIM POS/EXIT
3-18

to execute the changes.
PATTDIM
PATTDIM Modal Parameter Definitions

n
No symbol will be displayed at the end of the dimension.
n <
The symbol defined in the DIM_PAR option or the

PARAMS modal will be displayed at the end of the
dimension.
>
A witness line will be displayed at the end of the dimension.
n |
A witness line followed by the symbol defined in the

DIM_PAR option or the PARAMS modal will be displayed
at the end of the dimension.
n |<
>|
Arrows will be towards the inside/outside of the distance

being dimensioned.
n ><
<>
n <name>
The name entered for the dimension is displayed here.

<PICK> this modal to enter a new name.
n ANGLE PARAMETERS
Set parameters for angle dimensions.
n ARROW
See Terminators in this list.
n BASELINE
Create a number of parallel dimensions that share a common

baseline.
All the dimensions are parallel to the original picked line and
the distance between each dimension is fixed.
See LINE >> BASELINE option for the full interaction.
n CENTERED
The dimension text is centered between the dimension

endpoints
n CHAIN
Create a new dimension from the end of the previous

dimension to an indicated point.
See LINE >> CHAIN option for the full interaction.
Note:
The BASELINE and CHAIN options are available in all LINEAR
dimensions except for perpendicular.
n CHAR. SIZE =
Enter character height in part file units.
n CIRCLE
n COMPLEMENT
The dimensioned angle will be 360 minus the angle in the

indicated sector.
3-19
PATTDIM
n DIM
No decimal places.
One decimal place.
Two decimal places
Three decimal places.
Four decimal places.
n DIM.#/1
Whole units
1/2 of a unit
1/4 of a unit
1/8 of a unit
1/16, 1/32, 1/64, 1/128 of a unit.
DIM.#
DIM.##
DIM.###
DIM.####
DIM.#/2
DIM.#/4
DIM.#/8
DIM.#/16
DIM.#/128
Note:
A value that is too small for the selected precision, and would normally
Example:
If DIM.# is selected:
be displayed as zero, is displayed on the screen as E. This is a warning

that the selected precision does not specify enough decimal places.
0.06 will be rounded to 0.1.
0.04 will be rounded and represented as E.
n DIST =
Enter the distance to be left between each dimension.
n FILLED ARROW
n FILLED CIRCLE
n HORIZONTAL
Text will be horizontal.
n INCLINED
Text will be parallel to a tangent to the dimension arc. The

dimension position point which is projected onto the
dimension arc to determine the point of tangency will be
indicated after the dimension is named.
n IND TEXT
The dimension text will be displayed at the picked point.
n LENGTH PARAMETERS
Set parameters for length dimensions.
n PARAM
Change the DIM_PAR option defaults temporarily.
LENGTH
CHAR. SIZE = 5.000
DIM.##
ARROW
Note:
ARROW
WIT. GAP = 4.000
WIT. OVERS = 4.000
The parameters displayed here depend on the current drafting
standard.
See the DRAF_PAR function in the Drafting Manual for a detailed
description of each of the parameters.
3-20
n SECTOR
The dimensioned angle will be in the indicated sector.
n SINGLE
Create a single dimension.
n SLASH
n STD TERM
The standard symbol will be displayed.
PATTDIM
The following modal defines the symbol which will be

attached to the end of the line from the number to the
indicated target.
n Terminators
NONE
THERE WILL BE NO SYMBOL AT THE TARGET END OF THE LINE
ARROW
SLASH
CIRCLE
OPEN ARROW
FILLED ARROW
FILLED CIRCLE
n TO CENT
The dimension line will be from the center of the arc/circle

to its circumference.
n TO TEXT
The dimension line will be from the beginning/end of the

dimension text to the circumference of the arc/circle.
Note:
There is no difference between TO CENT and TO TEXT if the
dimension position is not between the <PICK>ed position on the

arc/circle and its center point.
n WIT. GAP =
The witness gap is the distance between the ends of the

witness lines and the dimensioning points. Enter the size of
the gap in part file units.
n WIT. OVERS =
Witness overshoot is the distance the witness lines will

extend beyond (overshoot) the dimension line. Enter the
overshoot distance. q
3-21
PATTERN
PATTERN
Create a single pattern entity from many picked circle and line
dimension entities, or delete or rename an existing pattern.
Main Options:
SELECT OPTION
CREATE
DELETE
RENAME
CREATE
Create a single pattern entity from many picked circle and

line dimension entities.
DELETE
Delete an existing pattern.
RENAME
Rename an existing pattern.
Notes:
This function operates in 2D only.

Before creating a pattern from line and circle entities, dimension it
using PATTDIM.
Patterns do not retain any connection with the entities that are created
from them. Patterns may be deleted without affecting the entities

created using them and vice versa.
New entities that were created using a pattern do not retain any
connection to any other.

Shapes Patterns.
PATTERN >> CREATE

Create a single pattern entity from many picked geometric and dimension entities.
How To:
1. Pick all the geometric and dimension entities to be included in the pattern.
2. Enter a name for the pattern.
3. Indicate an origin for the patterns coordinate system..
Interaction:
Pick all the geometric and dimension entities to be included

in the pattern.
ENTER PATTERN NAME
Type a name for the pattern.

If the pattern already exists, the following will appear:
REPLACE PATTERN? YES NO

YES
3-22
The existing pattern will be replaced.
PATTERN
NO
Hint:
Enter a new pattern name.
Use the RENAME option and press <CR> to display the names of
existing patterns. Press <REJECT> when finished.
Indicate an origin for the patterns coordinate system.
IND. ORIG. (END)
To indicate an origin that is the same as a pattern being

replaced, press <EXIT>.
The X axis of the pattern will be parallel to the X axis of the
active coordinate system.
The Y axis of the pattern will be parallel to the Y axis of the
active coordinate system.
The pattern will be created.
EXECUTING
Notes:
If one of the following messages is displayed, the pattern is not
created. The part may be over or under defined:
UNRESOLVED CONSTRUCTION GEOMETRIES!!

THE PATTERN IS OVER DEFINED
OVER DEFINED DIMENSION <dimension number>
Read
the
explanation
of
CONSTANT
and
IMPLIED
CONSTRAINTS in the PATTDIM function and try again.
PATTERN >> DELETE

Delete an existing pattern.
How To:
1. Enter the name of the pattern to be deleted.
Interaction:
ENTER PATTERN NAME
or:
SELECT PATTERN
Type the name of the pattern to be deleted.

Press <CR> to display the names of existing patterns and
select one.
<pattern 1>
<pattern 2>
<pattern n>
DELETE PATTERN? YES NO <pattern n>

YES
NO
Delete the pattern.

Do not delete the pattern.
3-23
PATTERN
PATTERN >> RENAME

Rename an existing pattern.
How To:
1. Enter the name of the pattern to be renamed.
2. Enter a new name for the pattern and press <CR>.
Interaction:
ENTER PATTERN NAME
or:
ENTER NEW NAME
Type the name of the pattern to be renamed.

Press <CR> to display the names of existing patterns and
select one.
(<old name>)
<type a name here>
Type a new name for the pattern and press <CR>.

The pattern will be renamed. q
3-24
PATTUSE
PATTUSE
Create new entities from a pattern and position them freely.
Main Options:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
INTERNAL
ENTER PATTERN NAME
CATALOG
ENTER CATALOG NAME
INTERNAL
Create new entities from an internal pattern and place them

on the screen.
CATALOG
Create new entities from a pattern in another part file and

place them on the screen.
How To:
1. Select a pattern and indicate a position for it.
2. Indicate a location where the new entities will be created with the same shape as the
selected pattern.
3. After <EXIT> is pressed to leave the function, the pattern will disappear. The new
entities which were just created, will remain.
Notes:
Before you can use a pattern, it must be dimensioned using
PATTDIM and created using PATTERN.
It is the users responsibility to know which dimensions were
defined as constants, and how new values will affect a shape. A

distorted shape may result if these factors were not properly
calculated. The system will not detect impossible combinations of
dimensions.
The values for the new entities may be entered manually or read
from an external text file.

Shapes Patterns.
3-25
PATTUSE
Importing Data From an External Text File

New entities may be created from a pattern by entering new values for the dimensions directly into
the modal parameters, or reading values from an external text file.
When reading values from an external file, the file must be set up in a table according the following
rules:
First row:
contains the names of the parameters as they were defined in

the pattern. Each parameter name must be surrounded by
quote symbols, e.g. LENGTH. Note that these names must
be identical to the parameter names defined in the pattern.
Second and
subsequent rows:
contain the entry name and the parameter values. Each row
must contain an entry name (in single quotes, e.g., BOX1)
followed by a number of values. The number of values must
correspond to the number of parameter names in the first row.
All the parameters and parameter names must be separated by at least one space character or
comma.
To enter a comment line, start the line with a * symbol. Everything after the * to the end of the line
will be ignored. Blank lines are also ignored.
The following is an example of a file that contains three entries for the dimensions of a box:
BOXVAL - External File Containing Different Dimensions For a Box
3-26
LENGTH
WIDTH1
WIDTH2
BOX1
100.000
50.000
100.000
BOX2
23.50
45.50
65.50
BOX3
62.000
84.500
92.500
PATTUSE
PATTUSE >> INTERNAL

Create new entities from an internal pattern and place them on the screen.
How To:
1. Enter the name of an internal pattern.
2. Enter the positioning parameters.
3. Indicate a point to position the pattern
Interaction:
ENTER PATTERN NAME
Type in the name of an internal pattern and press <CR>.

or:
Press <CR> to display a list of internal patterns:
SELECT PATTERN
<pattern-1>
<pattern-3>
. . .
<pattern-n>
As soon as a pattern is selected, the following will appear to allow positioning of it on the display:
LOCATE PATTERN
SCALE =
ANGLE =
NO MIRROR
AXES ON
AXES SCALE =
Indicate a point to position the pattern.
LOCATE PATTERN
EXECUTING . . .
IND. NEW POSITION
Note:
Continue to indicate a new position point for the pattern.

The pattern is displayed temporarily. It is removed from the display at
the end of the function.
<CR> TO CONT/SUBMENU
<dimension1> = . . .
Enter new values in the modal parameters which were created

with the PATTDIM function to specify the dimensions of the
new entities.
or:
When you have finished entering new values, press

<CR>.
Press <SUBMENU> to read values for the dimensions from

an external text file. (The file must be in the format specified
in the Notes at the beginning of this function)
ENTER FILE NAME
Type in the name of the file containing the values to be read.
ENTER ENTRY NAME
Type in the name of entry (line) to be read (as specified in

the file).
3-27
PATTUSE
The new values are displayed in the modal parameters.
Press <CR> to continue or <SUBMENU> to return to the

ENTER ENTRY NAME prompt.
LOCATE NEW ENTITIES
SCALE =
ANGLE =
NO MIRROR
AXES ON
AXES SCALE =
LOCATE NEW ENTITIES
Define the location of the new entities:

Change the modals as required.
or:
<PICK> a location on the screen for the pattern with the new
entities.
or:
<REJECT> to obtain the following submenu:

SELECT:
REF.POINTS
POINT ANGLE
Select the method to be used to define a location for the new

entities.
Position the new entities with respect to a local coordinate
system.
REF.POINTS
LOCATE NEW ENTITIES
SCALE =
LOCATE NEW ENTITIES
AXES ON
AXES SCALE =
Define the location of the new entities:

Change the modals as required.
or
<PICK> a location on the screen for the pattern with the new
entities.
IND. POINT ON + X AXIS

IND. POINT ON + Y AXIS
Indicate a point on the X and Y axes.
POINT-ANGLE
Position the new entities so that their origin is at an indicated

point and their X axis forms a given angle with the X axis of
the active work plane.
The interaction for these options is described in detail in the
PLACE function. Substitute the prompt INDICATE
POSITION with LOCATE NEW ENTITIES.
3-28
PATTUSE
PATTUSE >> CATALOG

Create new entities from a pattern in another part file and place them on the screen.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
CATALOG
ENTER CATALOG NAME
ENTER PATTERN NAME
The current name is displayed on the screen.

If ENTER CATALOG NAME is selected:
ENTER PART FILE NAME If a default part file name exists, it will be displayed in the
interaction area and this prompt will not appear.

Press <SUBMENU> to display this prompt and change the
part file name.
or:
Type the name of a part file in the current directory and

press <CR>. Use <SUBMENU> or <REJECT> to scroll
through the names if necessary.
Select a part file name from one of the display menus.
or:
Press <CR> without typing a name to display the menu of

part file names in the current directory.
or:
Enter the name of a directory to display the menu of part file

names in that directory. Include the path if it is different
from the path of the current directory.
If ENTER PATTERN NAME is selected:
ENTER PATTERN NAME
Enter the name of the required pattern or press <CR> to

obtain a list of patterns and <PICK> from the list.
Continue as defined for INTERNAL.
PATTUSE Modal Parameter Definitions

The angle between the X axis of the pattern and the X axis
of the active work plane.
n ANGLE =
Note:
n AXES ON
AXES OFF
coordinate system.
Display the axes of the coordinate system of the group being

placed.
Do not display the axes.
n AXES SCALE =
If AXES ON is selected, enter the scale for the axes.
n SCALE =
Scaling factor.
n NO-MIRROR
No mirror transformation is to be applied to the pattern.
n X-MIRROR
The X axis is the mirror line.
n XY-MIRROR
The XY plane is the mirror if the 3D mirror is in the X and

Y axes.
n Y-MIRROR
The Y axis is the mirror line. q
3-29
SECTION II
Surface Functions
Introduction
As described in Section I, the Modeling Application Functions are organized in four overlays,
shown below. (To switch from one overlay to the next, press <SUBMENU>. To access the
previous overlay press <REJECT>.)
The Surface functions are organized in overlays III and IV, as shown below. The basic surface
functions (RULED and REVOL) are described in Chapter 4. The advanced surface functions are
described in Chapter 5.
Overlay I
Overlay II
POINT
GROUP
DRIVE
PLFACE
LINE
PLACE
RULED
SWEEPF
CIRCLE
EXPLODE
REVOL
TRMPLF
CORNER
EXTRACT
MESH
EDIT_SET
TRIM
PATTDIM
PNTSRF
OFFSET
PATTERN
FILLET
SURF_CUT
PATTUSE
BLEND
SCALE
SWEEP
Overlay III
COMSRF
SPLINE
Overlay IV
PARTLN
SRFLAT
CONIC
COMCRV
SRFCRV
MODIFY
PROJECT
HELIX
SRFSEC
SURF_EXT
MOVE
STRETCH
TRMSRF
SURFSORT
Surface Functions
II-1
Definition
A surface is a three-dimensional entity which indicates a boundary area. Each point on the surface
is represented by different X, Y and Z values.
All surfaces are defined internally using patches. There are a number of different criteria which
determine the number of patches that comprise the surface.
Some of these criteria are:
Contours
The number of contour curves defining the surface (e.g.,

DRIVE >> PARALLEL >> CONTOUR, RULED >> TWO
CONTOURS).
Tolerance
The tolerance value according to which the surface is defined.

Reducing the tolerance increases the number of patches (e.g.,
FILLET, DRIVE >> SPINE).
Surface Types
Within Cimatron, there are two distinct groups of surface types - basic and advanced surfaces.
Basic surfaces have a direct relationship to the geometry and have a constant shape. The advantage
of such a surface is its ability to exactly fit a smooth surface. However, changing the shape of a
basic surface requires a change in the surface boundaries. Surface types included in this group are:
RULED SURFACE
A surface created by connecting, with

corresponding points between two entities.
straight
lines,
SURFACE OF
REVOLUTION
A surface created by rotating curves, or a contour, by a given

angle about an axis of revolution.
An additional surface belongs to this type:
DRIVE
SURFACE (PARLL)
A surface created by moving a 2D/3D section curve/contour

along a drive/spine curve/contour. The section curves created
on the surface are parallel to each other.
The advanced group of surfaces do not have a direct relationship to the geometry and, therefore, do
not have a constant shape. The advantage of such surfaces is the use of control points to shape the
surface. These surfaces, therefore, may be changed without redefining surface boundaries. The
surface types in this group that are created by Cimatron functions, are NURBS and to a limited
extent, Bezier.
NURBS
A NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline) surface is a

multi-patch surface with each patch defined by control points.
NURBS surfaces provide two major advantages: NURBS
surfaces are always smooth, and a change in the location (or
weight) of a control point affects only a local region, leaving
the rest of the surface unchanged
II-2
Surface Functions
For this type of surface, you may define a weight (relative

influence) for each control point. The larger the weight value,
the greater the influence of the control point on the shape of
the surface; that is, the control point will pull the surface
towards it.
All of the advanced surface functions create NURBS
surfaces.
BEZIER MESH
SURFACE
A Bezier surface is a multi-patch surface. Each patch is

defined by 16 control points.
The shape a Bezier surface may be changed by manipulating
the control points. When a control point is moved, however,
the entire surface shape is affected.
The disadvantage of a Bezier surface is that it is not
necessarily smooth.
ONE PATCH
16 CONTROL POINT
Figure II-1: BEZIER MESH SURFACE
Trimmed Surfaces
A trimmed surface is created by performing a TRMSRF operation on an existing surface.
The creation of trimmed surfaces based on existing surfaces is a frequent operation essential when
designing a part.
A TRMSRF operation can be performed on any type of surface. A TRMSRF operation changes
the surface to a trimmed surface, except when using TRMSRF >> PARAMETER.
The trimmed surface is based on the initial data of the original surface. Therefore, the original
surface may be restored at any point. This may be done using
VERIFY >> SURFACES >> SURFACE DATA or TRMSRF >> ORIGINAL.
The U and V directions (section and cross-section curves) are determined according to the original
surface.
Surface Functions
II-3
Trimming by Parameter
For a NURBS surface, trimming by parameter results in an untrimmed surface with new
parametrization, and the original surface cannot be restored.
For other types of surfaces, the result is also an untrimmed surface, however the original surface
may be restored, as described above.
Differences Between a Trimmed Surface and Other Surfaces

The trimmed surface may include islands according to the users definition.
The trimmed surface may contain more than four surface boundaries and four corners (the SURF-C
option, in the point indication submenu, may be used to pick a surface corner). Every sharp corner
on the external surface boundary or within an island may be picked using SURF-C.
The surface boundary is divided internally into curves. This division can be modified using the
function TRMSRF >> MODIFY BOUNDARIES.
The contours (external boundaries and internal islands) of the TRMSRF can be removed
individually, and the complement of the TRMSRF (the part of the original surface which trimmed
away) can be created, using TRMSRF >> EDIT CONTOURS.
A SRFCRV operation on a trimmed surface is different from that on a regular surface. As the U
and V directions and values are defined by the original surface, parametric values cannot be
specified for a trimmed surface. Therefore, curve entities can only be created from the external
boundaries or internal curves of a trimmed surface.
II-4
Surface Functions
Summary of Surface Types Available in Cimatron

Below is a table showing the surface types available in Cimatron, together with the functions that
create them.
Mathematical
Surface Type
Created
Section
Name
Cross-Section
Name
Cimatron Function/Option
Ruled Surface
Curves
Lines
RULED
Surface of Revolution
Curves
Arcs
REVOL
FILLET >> 3 SURFACES (corner
surface only)
Drive Parallel Surface

(PARLL)
Sections
Drives
DRIVE >> PARALLEL SEC

DRIVE all options (except PARALLEL
SEC)
BLEND
MESH
FILLET
PNTSRF
RULED (for special cases only)
NURBS Surface
Sections
Cross-Sections
COMSRF
MODIFY >> FAIR
OFFSET >> SURFACE >> VARIABLE
SCALE
MODIFY >> ADJOIN SURFACES
MODIFY >> TRMSRF TO SURFACE
USER >> GEOMETRY >> READCMM
Trimmed Surface
Original Surface Type
Notes:
As per the original surface.
TRMSRF
TRMSRF >> BY PARAMETER
The function MODIFY >> MODIFY SLOPES
surface type into a NURBS surface.
converts any
A surface can be converted to Bezier using the USER function
/GEOMETRY/APPBEZ.
Surface Functions
II-5
Display of the Surface on the Screen

The number of display curves is based on the number of existing surface patches.
In addition to the number of display curves representing the surface, it is possible to control the
number of points which define each display curve using DISPLAY >> REFINE >> DISPLAY
TOLERANCE. Decreasing the value of the display tolerance serves to refine the surface and
increases the display quality in the SHADE function.
Surface curves in the U direction are referred to as SECTIONs, and those in the V direction are
referred to as CROSS-SECTIONs. The direction of these U or V parameters is determined by the
user and the function definition.
The number of display curves (section and cross-section) used to display the surface is controlled
by the user during surface creation and/or using the function DISPLAY.
The number and quality of the surfaces display curves are for display purposes only. Therefore all
mathematical calculations (sectioning, offsetting, coordinates, etc.) are based on the surface data in
the database, irrelevant of the quality of the displayed surface.
Note:
In order to be able to refer to points on the surface, use the
following options in the Point Indication submenu: SURF, SURF-B,

SURF-C, SURF-X and PIERCE. See Chapter 3, of the
Fundamentals & General Functions Manual, for a more detailed
explanation.
The values specified for displaying a surface have the following meaning. See Figure II-2.
II-6
Value of 0
Displays the surface boundaries. (Using the value 0 for

section or cross-section curves displays the boundaries of the
surface only.)
Value of 1
Displays the surface boundaries and a curve in the center of

the parametric value of the surface; a total of 3 display curves
in the desired direction (section or cross-section direction).
Value of 2
Displays the patch boundaries only. Specifying this value for

the sections and cross-sections displays the boundaries of all
component patches.
Value 3 and higher
Displays the number of curves per patch, e.g., if 4 is the

specified value, 4 curves are displayed for each patch in the
desired direction (U or V).
Surface Functions
NUMBER
DISPLAY
NUMBER OF PATCHES = 1
NUMBER OF PATCHES = 3
U=0
V=0
DISPLAY SURFACE
BOUNDARY ONLY
U=1
V=1
DISPLAY BOUNDARY
SURFACE AND
MIDDLE PARAMETER
U=2
V=2
DISPLAY BOUNDARY
OF EACH IN BOTH
DIRECTIONS
U=3
V=3
DISPLAY 3 CURVES
PER PATCH IN BOTH
DIRECTIONS
* - U - SECTIONS , CURVES
V - CROSS SECTIONS , LINES , ARCS , DRIVES
Surface Functions
II-7
Chapter 4
Basic Surface Functions
Three functions are used to create basic surface entities: RULED, REVOL and SURF_CUT.
Additional surface functions are described in Chapter 5, Advanced Surface Modeling Functions.
These functions may be purchased separately.
Overlay III
Overlay IV
RULED
REVOL
SURF_CUT
REVOL
Create a surface of revolution.
RULED
Create a ruled surface.
SURF_CUT
Trim surfaces by four planes (box like).
4-1
REVOL
REVOL
Create a surface of revolution.

A surface of revolution is created by rotating curves or a
contour by a given angle about an axis of rotation.
Main Options:
SELECT OPTION:
CURVES
CONTOUR
CURVES
Create a surface of revolution by rotating curves about an

axis of rotation.
CONTOUR
Create a surface of revolution by rotating a contour about an

axis of rotation.
IND. AXIS DIREC. PNT.
PICK CURVES/EXIT
IND. AXIS START PNT
Figure 4-1: REVOL >> CURVES, CONTOUR
Notes:
The curve/contour cannot cross the axis.

If the curve has a break point (for example, a spline with a break
point), a surface will not be produced.
If the contour/composite curve has break points, the surface will be
divided at the break points.
4-2
REVOL
REVOL >> CURVES / CONTOUR

How To:
1. Indicate an origin for the axis of rotation.
2. Indicate the direction point for the axis of rotation.
2. Pick the curve or contour as required.
Interaction:
IND. AXIS START PNT.
DISP. ARCS =
DISP. CURVES =
ANGLE =
SINGLE SURFACE
MULTI SURFACE
IND. AXIS START PNT.
Indicate an origin for the axis of rotation.
IND. AXIS DIREC. PNT.
Indicate the direction point for the axis of rotation.
PICK CURVES / EXIT
If CURVES is selected, pick one or more curves to be

rotated about the axis of rotation to create the REVOL
surface.
To create more than one surface, pick several curves to be
rotated about the same axis. Terminate the selection of curves
with <EXIT>.
PICK 1ST CRV/EXIT
If CONTOUR is selected, pick the first curve of the contour

to be rotated around the defined axis.
INDICATE DIRECTION
Continue to define the contour as described in Defining

Contours in Chapter 3, of the Fundamentals & General
Functions Manual.
EXECUTING
The surface, or surfaces, will be created.
Note:
SINGLE SURFACE / MULTI SURFACE appears if the option
CONTOUR is selected.
REVOL Modal Parameter Definitions

n ANGLE =
The rotation angle is measured on a plane perpendicular to

the rotation axis. A positive angle is in a counterclockwise
direction.
n DISP. ARCS =
Enter the number of displayed arcs which will represent the

surface(s).
n DISP. CURVES =
Enter the number of displayed curves which will represent the

surface(s).
n MULTI SURFACE
One surface is created for each curve in the contour.
n SINGLE SURFACE
One surface is created. q
4-3
RULED
RULED
Create a ruled surface.

If not smooth, the surface is approximated to a NURBS
surface.
Main Options:
SELECT OPTION
TWO CURVES
TWO CONTOURS
CURVE SURFACE
CURVE PLANE
CURVE POINT
TWO CURVES
Create a ruled surface by connecting corresponding points on

two curves.
TWO CONTOURS
Create a ruled surface by connecting the corresponding

endpoints of the curves in two contours.
CURVE SURFACE
Create a ruled surface by projecting a contour onto a given

surface.
CURVE PLANE
Create a ruled surface by projecting a contour onto a defined

plane.
CURVE POINT
Create a ruled surface(s) by connecting end points on a

curve(s) with a defined point.
Notes:
If the curve has a break point (spline with a break point), the surface
will not be produced.
divided at the break points.
4-4
RULED
RULED >> TWO CURVES

Create a ruled surface by connecting corresponding points on two curves.
Note:
If composite curves are used, they must contain an equal number of
segments.
PICK 1ST CURVE
PICK 2ND CURVE
Figure 4-2: RULED >> TWO CURVES
How To:
1. Pick the first curve close to one of its endpoints.
2. Pick the second curve close to the endpoint which will be connected to the indicated
endpoint of the first curve.
Interaction:
PICK 1ST CURVE
DISP. LINES =
DISP. CURVES =
PICK 1ST CURVE
Pick the first curve close to one of its endpoints.
PICK 2ND CURVE
Pick the second curve close to the endpoint which will be

connected to the indicated endpoint of the first curve.
CURVES O.K.? YES NO

YES
NO
Create the surface entity which is represented by the

displayed lines and curves.
Reject the second curve and accept a new selection.
4-5
RULED
RULED >> TWO CONTOURS

Create single or multiple ruled surface(s) by connecting the corresponding endpoints
of the curves in two contours.
Note:
The number of curves in the first contour determines the number of
curves that the system will automatically pick in the second contour.
Therefore the second contour must contain the same number of
curves as the first contour.
IND. DIRECTION
DEFINE 1ST CONTOUR ( PICK 1ST CRV., 2ND CRV., 3RD CRV. )
DEFINE 2ND CONTOUR ( PICK 1ST CRV., 2ND CRV., 3RD CRV. )
Figure 4-3: RULED >> TWO CONTOURS
How To:
1. Pick the first curve in the first contour which defines the RULED surface.
2. Indicate the direction in which the contour will be projected.
3. Pick the first curve in the second contour which defines the RULED surface and
continue as for the 1st contour.
Interaction:
DEFINE 1ST CONTOUR
DISP. LINES =
DISP. SECTIONS =
SINGLE SURFACE
MULTI SURFACE
DEFINE 1ST CONTOUR
Pick the first curve in the first contour which defines the
RULED surface.
INDICATE DIRECTION
Indicate the direction in which the contour will be projected.

Functions Manual.
DEFINE 2ND CONTOUR
4-6
Pick the first curve in the second contour which defines the
RULED surface and continue as for the 1st contour.
RULED
END CONTOUR O.K.? YES
NO
YES
NO
When the contours are confirmed, the ruled surface will be

created.
EXECUTING
Note:
Confirm the contours which are displayed in attention.

Reject and redefine contours.
If the resulting surface is not smooth, the following message is
displayed:
SURFACE
WILL
TOLERANCE!
BE
SMOOTHED
ACCORDING
TO
The following prompt appears:

<CR> TO CONTINUE
TOL =
<CR> TO CONTINUE
Set modal and press <CR> to continue.
EXECUTING
The resulting NURBS surface is created.
4-7
RULED
RULED >> CURVE SURFACE

Create single or multiple ruled surface(s) by projecting a contour at a given angle onto a picked
surface or trimmed surfaces.
IND. SIDE
PICK CURVE
IND. DIRECTION
IND. DIRECTION
PICK SURFACE
TRIMM OFF
ANGLE = 5
Figure 4-4: RULED >> CURVE SURFACE
How To:
1. Pick the first curve in the contour.
2. Pick the surface or trimmed surface.
3. Indicate projection direction.
Interaction:
SELECT
CLOSED CONTOUR
OPEN CONTOUR
Select whether an open or closed contour will be defined.

PICK 1ST CURVE
DISP. LINES =
DISP. CURVES =
ROUND CORNER /
SINGLE SURFACE /
SHARP CORNER
MULTI SURFACE
TOL =
ANGLE =
TRIM ON /
TRIM OFF
PICK 1ST CURVE
Pick the first curve in the contour. Define the contour as

described in Defining Contours in Chapter 3, of the
PICK SURFACE
Pick the surface or trimmed surface.
DIRECTION: PICK CURVE Define the projection direction. Indicate a point on a curve, or
use another <SUBMENU> option.
4-8
RULED
INDICATE DIRECTION
An arrow appears. Indicate the direction in which the contour

will be projected.
INDICATE SIDE
If ANGLE 0, indicate the direction of the angle. The

surface(s) will be created.
If ANGLE = 0, the following prompt will appear:
CONTINUE? YES NO
YES
NO
EXECUTING
Note:
The surface will be created.

The surface is created.

The projection surface is not created on any part of a projection that
exceeds the boundaries of the picked surface.
4-9
RULED
RULED >> CURVE PLANE

Create single or multiple ruled surface(s) by projecting a contour at a given angle
onto a defined plane.
PICK NTH CURVE
IND. DIR
IND. SIDE
DEFINE DIRECTION
( PICK CURVE )
IND. DIR
ANGLE = 5
SURFACE
DEFINE PLANE ( CURVES )
Figure 4-5: RULED >> CURVE PLANE
How To:
1. Pick the first curve in the contour.
2. Define a plane.
3. Indicate the projection direction.
Interaction:
SELECT
CLOSED CONTOUR
OPEN CONTOUR
Select whether an open or closed contour will be defined.

PICK PLANE
DISP. LINES =
DISP. CURVES =
ROUND CORNER
SINGLE SURFACE
SHARP CORNER
MULTI SURFACE
TOL =
ANGLE =
TRIM ON
TRIM OFF
PICK 1ST CURVE
Pick the first curve in the contour. Define the contour as

described in Defining Contours in Chapter 3, of the
DEFINE PLANE

Functions Manual.
DIRECTION: PICK CURVE Define the projection direction. Indicate a point on a curve, or
use another <SUBMENU> option.
4-10
INDICATE DIRECTION
An arrow appears. Indicate the direction in which the contour

will be projected.
INDICATE SIDE
If ANGLE = 0, indicate the direction of the angle. The

surface(s) will be created.
RULED
If ANGLE = 0, the following prompt will appear:

CONTINUE? YES NO
YES
NO
The surface will be created.

EXECUTING
RULED >> CURVE POINT

Create a ruled surface(s), which is defined by connecting end points on a curve(s) with a defined
point.
PICK CURVES/EXIT
IND. POINT
Figure 4-6: RULED >> CURVE POINT
How To:
1. Pick a curve(s) for each ruled surface to be created.
2. Indicate a point which will be connected to the endpoints of each curve to create the
ruled surface(s) and confirm the selection.
Interaction:
PICK CURVES / EXIT
DISP. LINES =
DISP. CURVES =
PICK CURVES/EXIT
Pick a curve(s) for each ruled surface to be created. <EXIT>

when finished.
IND. POINT
Indicate a point which will be connected to the endpoints of

each curve to create the ruled surface(s).
POINT O.K.? YES NO
YES
NO
EXECUTING
Confirm the point.

Cancel the point.
A surface(s) will be created between each curve and the

point.
4-11
RULED
RULED Modal Parameter Definitions

Enter the draft angle used to project the contour onto the
surface. Used with the options CURVE SURFACE and
CURVE PLANE.
n ANGLE =
Note:
4-12
When using an internal ANGLE on contours with break points, the
intersecting surfaces are trimmed.
n DISP. LINES =
Enter the number of displayed line segments which will

represent the surface.
n DISP. CONT. =
Enter the number of displayed contours which will represent

the surface.
n DISP. CURVES =
Enter the number of displayed curves which will represent the

surface.
n MULTI SURFACE
One surface is created for each curve in the contour.
n ROUND CORNER
Used with the options CURVE SURFACE and CURVE

PLANE. When creating multiple surfaces on contours with
break points, an additional ruled surface (corner surface) is
created between the sharp point on the contour and the picked
surface. The surface created is similar to the result of
CURVE POINT.
n SHARP CORNER
Used with the options CURVE SURFACE and CURVE

PLANE. When creating multiple surfaces on contours with
break points, using an external ANGLE, the surfaces will be
extended.
n SINGLE SURFACE
One surface is created. If a single smooth surface cannot be

created, the surface will be divided at its break points into
multiple surfaces.
n TOL =
Enter the maximum tolerance allowed.
n TRIM OFF
The base surface is not trimmed.
n TRIM ON
The base surface is trimmed by the projected ruled surface.

q
SURF_CUT
SURF_CUT
Trim surfaces by four planes (box like).
This function is very suitable for models with part surfaces (not to be trimmed) and
large Parting Surfaces that should be trimmed by the box of the plate or insert.
How To:
1. Pick the surfaces which will not be trimmed.
2. Pick a reference UCS according to which the box planes will be displayed.
3. Adjust the parameters of the box planes, if required.
4. Pick the surfaces to be trimmed.
5. The surfaces that are entirely within the box will not be trimmed. The surfaces that are
entirely outside the box will be deleted.
PICK BOX SURFACE&EXIT
PICK UCS/EXIT = ACTIVE

PICK SURF. TO TRIM&EXIT
( ALL )
Figure 4-7: SURF_CUT
Interaction:
PICK BOX SURF. & EXIT
Pick the surfaces that will not be trimmed, i.e. Faces that will
be inside the box.
Press <EXIT> when finished.
The number of surfaces selected is displayed at the bottom of
the screen.
SURFACES OK?
YES / NO
Confirm the selection of the surfaces.

YES
NO
The surfaces are accepted, continue with the interaction.

Reselect the surfaces.
4-13
SURF_CUT
Pick a reference UCS. If you press <EXIT> the active UCS is

selected. The direction of the box planes will be set according
to this UCS.
PICK UCS/EXIT=ACTIVE
<CR> TO CONTINUE
X_SIZE = 66.000
Y_SIZE = 53.000
CHANGE CENTER POINT
A preview of the box planes is displayed in bold cyan lines.

The center point
square.
of the box is displayed as a purple
You may change center point of the box and also the X and
Y dimensions (the height is not important as we are not
trimming in the Z direction).
Press <ENTER> when finished.
PICK SURF TO TRIM&EX
TOLERANCE = 0.010
Pick the surfaces to be trimmed.

Confirm the selection of the surfaces.
SURFACES OK?
YES / NO
YES
NO
The surfaces are trimmed. The surfaces that are entirely

within the box will not be trimmed. The surfaces that
are entirely outside the box will be deleted.
Reselect the surfaces.
Important:
To remove the display of the box of planes from your screen, press
Note:
The center point of the box of planes (
CTRL+R (Rebuild Display).
or
) is converted to a
point ( + ) upon completion of the trimming operation.
SURF_CUT Modal Parameter Definitions

n CHANGE CENTER
POINT
Pick a new center point of the box planes.

SELECT CENTER POINT:
Pick a new point - any Cimatron point may be picked.

The new center point
4-14
is displayed with a green square.
n X_SIZE = 66.000
Define the X size of the box planes.
n Y_SIZE = 66.000
Define the Y size of the box planes. q
Chapter 5
Advanced Surface Functions
Introduction
The advanced surface functions are used to create different types of surfaces entities within
Cimatron. Basic surfaces, i.e., ruled surfaces and surfaces of revolution, are created using the basic
surface functions (RULED and REVOL) described in Chapter 4, Basic Surface Functions.
The advanced surface functions are located in overlays III and IV.
Overlay III
DRIVE
Overlay IV
PLFACE
SWEEPF
TRMPLF
MESH
EDIT_SET
PNTSRF
FILLET
SURF_CUT
BLEND
SCALE
COMSRF
PARTLN
SRFLAT
SRFCRV
MODIFY
SRFSEC
SURF_EXT
TRMSRF
SURFSORT
5-1
5-2
BLEND
Create a blend surface between several section curves,

surfaces, or trimmed surfaces.
COMSRF
Create a single NURBS surface from a chain of surfaces that

have common boundaries.
DRIVE
Create a Drive/Parallel or NURBS surface by moving

section(s) along a drive curve(s)/contour(s) with a specified
orientation.
EDIT_SET
Modify geometry sets. Available geometry sets are planar

faces and composite curves.
FILLET
Define a fillet surface between two or three surfaces, between

a surface and a curve, between one surface and multiple
surfaces or a group of multiple surfaces.
MESH
Create a surface defined by its section and cross-section

curves.
MODIFY
Modify curves and surfaces; check smoothness of curves and

surfaces.
PARTLN
Create parting line(s) and surface to indicate where a mold

should be cut in order to remove a part.
PLFACE
Create a planar face defined by a 2D closed contour and

optional island contours.
PNTSRF
Create a NURBS surface by defining through points (points

which lie on the surface) or control points of its section and
cross-section curves.
SCALE
Create new entities from originals by specifying X and/or Y

and/or Z scale factors, according to the coordinate system.
SRFCRV
Create curve entities from the boundary or display curves of

surfaces, trimmed surfaces, or planar faces.
SRFLAT
Flatten a 3D surface or trimmed surface and create curve

entities from its boundaries.
SRFSEC
Create curve entities where one surface is intersected by other

surface(s) or a plane(s).
SURF_EXT
Extend a sequence of surfaces.
SURFSORT
Process surfaces into 4 groups according to their visibility

from the Z direction of the ACTIVE UCS and define their
display parameters.
SWEEPF
Sweep planar faces along a vector to create new planar faces.
TRMPLF
Create a new planar face by trimming an existing planar face

by a 2D contour which lies on the planar face.
TRMSRF
Create a trimmed surface based on an existing surface, or

modify a trimmed surface.
BLEND
BLEND
Create a blend surface (NURBS) between several section

curves, points, surfaces or trimmed surfaces; create surface(s)
to fill a gaps between surfaces or to fill in a 3D contour.
This function enables the creation of surfaces defined only by
sections. Optional side boundaries may also be defined.
Main Options:
SELECT
SECTIONS
CORNER
SOAP
REGION
SECTIONS
Create a blend surface between several section curves, points,

surfaces or trimmed surfaces. Slopes may be defined at the
first and last sections, and side boundaries may be selected.
CORNER
Create a surface or system of surfaces to smoothly fill a gap

between 3 or more adjacent surfaces.
SOAP
Create a blend surface between two orthogonal 2D sections

and a closed 2D/3D base curve.
REGION
Create a surface to fill in a closed 2D/3D contour.
5-3
BLEND
BLEND >> SECTIONS

Create a blend surface between several section curves, points, surfaces or trimmed
surfaces. Slopes may be defined at the first and last sections, and side boundaries may
be selected.
PICK 1ST SECTION
TOL = 0.100
DISP.SECTIONS. = 3
DISP.CROSS-SECTION = 3
FREE SLOPES
FREE SLOPES
CONSTANT
LINEAR
SURF-TANGENT
SURF-NRM
PLANE
KEEP CURVATURE
How To:
1. Set the tolerance value and the number of curves that will be used for display
purposes.
2. Select the slope option to be used to define the first edge of the blend surface.
3. Pick the first section curve(s)/surface and optionally define the slope at this edge.
4. Pick additional section curves.
5. Select the option to be used to define the last edge of the blend surface.
6. Pick the last section curve(s)/surface and optionally define the slope at this edge.
7. Optionally define one or two side boundaries.
The following slope options are available when defining the first and last edges
5-4
FREE SLOPES
The slope is defined automatically.
CONSTANT
The slope is a constant value defined by the user.
LINEAR
The slope is linearly incremented between the two values

defined by the user at the two end points of the section curve.
SURFACE-TANGENT
The slope at the edge of the blend surface is continuous with

the slope of the selected surface (surface normals and
parametric directions are tangent). The section curve must be
a surface curve or an implicit curve.
SURF-NRM
The slope at the edge of the blend surface is tangent plane

continuous with the slope of the selected surface (surface
normals are tangent, parameteric directions are not). The
section curve must be a surface curve or an implicit curve.
PLANE
The slope at the edge of the blend surface is continuous with

the slope of a selected plane (surface normal and normal to
the plane are tangent). The section must lie on the plane.
KEEP CURVATURE
The curvature continuity condition is defined at the first and

last sections of a blend surface if the sections are boundaries
of other surfaces.
BLEND
Notes:
Pick section curves close to the endpoints that will be joined by the
same cross-section curve.
A maximum of 1024 section curves can be selected.

For a detailed description of defining slopes, see Defining Slopes in
Chapter 3, Fundamentals & General Functions Manual.
One or two side boundary curves may be defined.

Curves
with break points are not applicable as sections or

boundaries.
The slopes of the side boundary curves must be consistent with the
slopes defined for the sections.
In the following descriptions, it is assumed that the same slope
condition is applied to the first and last sections. In actual use, the
slope conditions do not have to be the same.
5-5
BLEND
SECTIONS >> FREE SLOPES

The slope is defined automatically.
PICK 1ST SECTION
PICK 2ND SECTION
Figure 5-1: Blend Section on Free Slope
How To:
1. Pick the first section curve.
2. Pick the Nth section.
3. Pick the first and second boundaries and confirm the selection.
Interaction:
PICK 1ST SECTION
Pick the first section curve.
PICK NTH SECTION
Pick the Nth section.

PICK 1ST BOUNDARY
Pick the first boundary curve or <EXIT> to continue.
PICK 2ND BOUNDARY If one boundary was selected, pick the second boundary or
<EXIT> to continue.
CURVES O.K. ? YES NO

YES
NO
EXECUTING
5-6
Accept the selected sections.

Reselect the sections.
The blend surface is created.
BLEND
SECTIONS >> CONSTANT

The slope is a constant value defined by the user.
PICK 1ST SECTION
IND. DIRECTION
PICK 2ND SECTION

IND. DIRECTION
PICK CURVE
Figure 5-2: BLEND >> SECTIONS >> CONSTANT
How To:
2. Pick a curve to define the slope at the first boundary of the blend surface, or select
another option from the <SUBMENU>.
4. Pick a curve to define the slope at the last boundary of the blend surface.
5. Pick the first and second boundaries curve or <EXIT> to continue.
Interaction:
PICK 1ST SECTION
DIRECTION: PICK CURVE Pick a curve to define the slope at the first boundary of the
blend surface,
<SUBMENU>.
PICK NTH SECTION
or
select
another
option
from
the
Pick the Nth section.

DIRECTION: PICK CURVE Pick a curve to define the slope at the last boundary of the
blend surface.
PICK 1ST BOUNDARY
<EXIT> to continue.
EXECUTING
5-7
BLEND
SECTIONS >> LINEAR

The slope is linearly incremented between the two values defined by the user at the
two end points of the section curve.
1ST POINT
2ND POINT
RESULTING SURFACE
IND. DIRECTION
1ST POINT
2ND POINT
PICK 1ST SECTION
IND. DIRECTION
PICK 2ND SECTION
FREE SLOPE
LINEAR SLOPE
Figure 5-3: BLEND >> SECTIONS >> LINEAR
How To:
2. Pick a curve to define the slope of the blend surface for both ends of the first
section.
4. Pick a curve to define the slope of the blend surface for both ends of the last section.
5. Pick the required boundary curves.
Interaction:
PICK 1ST SECTION
DIRECTION: PICK CURVE Pick a curve to define the slope of the blend surface for one
end of the first section.
DIRECTION: PICK CURVE Pick a curve to define the slope of the blend surface for the
other end of the first section.
PICK NTH SECTION
Pick the Nth section. Press <EXIT> when finished.
DIRECTION: PICK CURVE Pick a curve to define the slope of the blend surface for one
end of the last section.
DIRECTION: PICK CURVE Pick a curve to define the slope of the blend surface for the
other end of the last section.
5-8
PICK 1ST BOUNDARY
PICK 2ND BOUNDARY
If one boundary was selected, pick the second boundary or

<EXIT> to continue.
EXECUTING
BLEND
SECTIONS >> SURFACE-TANGENT / SRF-NRM

The section you pick may be a surface boundary (implicit curve) or a surface
curve. Both options have the same interaction. See the figures on the next page for
an illustration of both options.
PICK 1ST SECTION
PICK 2ND SECTION
Figure 5-4: BLEND >> SECTIONS >> SURFACE-TANGENT
PICK 1ST SECTION
PICK 2ND SECTION
Figure 5-5: BLEND >> SECTIONS >> SRF-NRM
5-9
BLEND
How To:
2. Pick the surface to which the curve belongs.
3. Indicate the slope direction.
4. Pick the nth section and indicate the slope direction.
5. Pick the first and second boundary curves.
Interaction:
PICK 1ST SECTION

If the first section is a surface curve:
PICK SURFACE
Pick the surface to which the curve belongs.
IND. SLOPE DIR.
Indicate the slope direction at the entry to the blend surface.
PICK NTH SECTION

If the last section is a surface curve:
PICK SURFACE
Pick the surface to which the curve belongs.
IND. SLOPE DIR.
Indicate the slope direction at the exit from the blend surface.
PICK 1ST BOUNDARY
PICK 2ND BOUNDARY
If one boundary was selected, pick the second boundary or

<EXIT> to continue.
If the last section is a surface boundary:
CURVES O.K.?YES NO
EXECUTING
Note:

NO
YES
If a picked section is a boundary of a trimmed surface:
PICK NEXT/EXIT
if there is smooth continuation to another boundary:

Pick the next boundary section.
INDICATE DIRECTION Define the direction of the section

IND. SLOPE DIR.
5-10
Indicate the slope direction.
BLEND
SECTIONS >> PLANE

The section you pick must be a line or a 2D curve and it must lie on the plane.
PICK 1ST SECTION
PICK SIDE
DEFINE PLANE
( 3 POINTS )
SURFACE
PICK 2ND SECTION
PICK SIDE
Figure 5-6: BLEND >> SECTIONS >> PLANE
How To:
2. Define the plane, if required, and pick the Nth section.
Interaction:
PICK 1ST SECTION
DEFINE PLANE
PICK NTH SECTION

DEFINE PLANE
PICK 1ST BOUNDARY

If the curve is a line, use the plane definition options to
define a plane. If the curve is 2D, this prompt does not
appear.
If the curve is a line, use the plane definition options to
define a plane. If the curve is 2D, this prompt does not
appear.
<EXIT> to continue.
EXECUTING
5-11
BLEND
SECTIONS >> KEEP CURVATURE

The curvature continuity condition is defined at the first and last sections of a blend
surface if the sections are boundaries of other surfaces.
PICK 1ST SECTION
PICK 2ND SECTION
KEEP CURVATURE
FREE SLOPES
SURF_TANGENT
Figure 5-7: BLEND >> SECTIONS >> KEEP CURVATURE
How To:
Interaction:
PICK 1ST SECTION
PICK NTH SECTION
PICK 1ST BOUNDARY
<EXIT> to continue.
CURVES O.K.?YES NO
EXECUTING
5-12

NO
YES
BLEND
BLEND >> CORNER

Create a surface or system of surfaces to fill in an empty space surrounded by 3 or
more adjacent surfaces.
PICK NTH BOUND./EXIT
SURFACE
IND. CENTER POINT
SURFACE ( CENTER POINT )
Figure 5-8: BLEND >> CORNER
How To:
1. Pick the first boundary curve.
2. Pick the Nth boundary curve.
3. If required, modify the shape of the surface and confirm.
Interaction:
PICK 1ST BOUND./EXIT
TOL = 0.100
DISP.CROSS-SECT. = 3
DISP.SECTIONS. = 3
PICK 1ST BOUND./EXIT
Pick the first boundary curve.
PICK NTH BOUND./EXIT
Pick the Nth boundary curve.

EXECUTING
The surface, or system of surfaces, is created.

If the result contains more than one surface, the following
prompt appears.
5-13
BLEND

YES
NO
DEFINE:

Modify the shape of the surface by defining the location
of the center point and/or the direction of the normal at
the center point.
CENTER POINT
DRAW NORMAL = 20
NORMAL DIRECTION
CENTER + NORMAL
Select an option, define the length of the line used to

represent the normal and <CR>. The current normal will be
displayed with the specified length.
If CENTER POINT or CENTER + NORMAL is selected,
the following prompt appears:
IND. CENTER POINT
Indicate a new location for the center point (the point where
the individual corner surfaces will meet).
If NORMAL DIRECTION or CENTER + NORMAL is
selected, the following prompt appears:
Indicate a point to define the direction of the normal or use
another option from the <SUBMENU>.
DIRECTION:
1ST POINT
CENTER + NORMAL O.K. YES NO

YES
NO
Create new surfaces.

Indicate a different center point.

YES
NO
5-14

Modify the shape of the surface by defining the location
of the center point and/or the direction of the normal at
the center point.
BLEND
BLEND >> SOAP

Create a blend surface between two orthogonal 2D sections and a closed 2D/3D base curve.
(This function can be used to create a surface whose shape resembles a bar of soap.)
PICK 2ND CURVE
PICK 1ST CURVE

PICK BASE CURVE
SURFACE
Figure 5-9: BLEND >> SOAP
How To:
1. Pick a smooth closed curve.
2. Pick two 2D section curves and confirm.
Interaction:
PICK BASE CURVE
DIST. TOL = 0.100
PICK BASE CURVE
Pick a smooth closed curve.
PICK 1ST CURVE
Pick a 2D section curve.
PICK 2ND CURVE
Pick another 2D curve.
DISP.SECTIONS. = 3
CURVES O.K. ? YES NO

YES
NO
Accept the selected curves. The surface will be created.

Reselect the curves.
5-15
BLEND
BLEND >> REGION

Create a surface to fill in a closed 2D or 3D contour. The contour must be close to
planar.
How To:
1. Enter the contour tolerance to be used when selecting the closed contour.
2. Toggle to FREE SLOPE or SURFACE SLOPE and indicate a closed contour.
3. Confirm the contour or define the last curve.
Interaction:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
CONT. TOL = 0.001
Enter the contour tolerance to be used when selecting the

closed contour.
PICK CLOSED CONTOUR
FREE SLOPE
Toggle to the option FREE SLOPE to smoothly join the

surrounding surfaces or SURFACE SLOPE to obtain a
surface which is bound by a given contour and joins smoothly
to the surrounding surfaces.
Indicate a closed contour. Curves and implicit surface
boundaries may be selected.
END CONTOUR O.K.? YES NO
YES
NO
<CR> TO CONTINUE
Accept the contour and continue.

Indicate the last curve in the contour.
TOL = 0.01
DISP. U CURVES = 3
REF. PLANE
REF. ENTITIES
DISP. V CURVES = 3
If REF. PLANE is selected:

DEFINE PLANE
Define a reference plane to help the program fit a surface to

the contour. See Defining a Plane in Chapter 3, of the
If REF. ENTITIES is selected:
PICK ENTITIES& EXIT Pick reference curve(s) and point(s) which the resulting
surface will pass through and <EXIT>.
5-16
BLEND
BLEND Modal Parameter Definitions

Indicate a new location for the point at which the corner
surfaces will meet.
Indicate the direction of the normal at the current center
point.
Indicate the point at which the corner surfaces will meet and
the direction of the normal at this point.
n CENTER POINT
NORMAL DIRECTION
CENTER + NORMAL
CONT. TOL = 0.001
Maximum distance permitted between selected entities in the

closed contour.
n DISP.
Set the number of cross-section curves used to display the

surface(s).
n DISP. SECTIONS = 3
Set the number of section curves used to display the

surface(s).
n REF. PLANE
Define a reference plane to help the program fit a surface to

the contour.
n REF.ENTITIES
Pick reference curve(s) and point(s) which the resulting

surface will pass through.
n TOL = 0.100
Maximum distance permitted between the section or boundary

curves and the created surface.
CROSS-SECTIONS = 3
BLEND Usage Envelope

SECTIONS
1. When using the SURFACE_TANGENT or SRF-NRM options, with reference surface(s)
with large slope variations, the resulting blend surface may not meet the angular
tolerance of 0.45 degrees. If this occurs, a warning message will be generated.
2. If the section boundary of a trimmed surface is picked, the option
SURFACE_TANGENT is automatically replaced by the SURF_NUM option.
CORNER
1. The orientation of the surrounding surfaces should be consistent. Cases such as that
shown in Figure 5-10 will not be treated.
2. The corner region should be mainly convex, that is, it should be possible to connect
any two points by a straight line which lies within the region. For example, the
corner region in Figure 5-10 is not convex.
3. The number of resulting surfaces is usually equal to the number of surface boundaries
surrounding the corner region. When the number of surrounding boundaries is 3 or
4, however, only one surface is created.
4. The set of surrounding surfaces may have a missing boundary (Figure 5-12), or one
of the boundaries may consist of a curve (Figure 5-).
5. A selected boundary cannot include breakpoints.
6. When a selected boundary belongs to a trimmed surface, it may need to be modified
(use TRMSRF >> MODIFY BOUNDARY).
5-17
BLEND
7. When a corner region has complex geometry, you may get better results by splitting
the region into two and performing a blend operation for each area separately.
Figure 5-12 : Open Boundary
Figure 5-11: Boundary

Consists of Curve
Figure 5-10: Inconsistent

Surface Orientation
SOAP
1. The sections must intersect (within tolerance), and their endpoints must lie on the base
curve (within tolerance).
2. The sections must be 2D curves lying on orthogonal planes.
3. The base curve must have a common end point with one of the section curves.
4. The base curve must be smoothly closed.
5. The draft angle between the sections and the base curve will be preserved in the
resulting surface. If the draft angles of the two sections are not the same, the
surfaces draft angle will be smoothly interpolated between the two values.
6. The resulting surface will have an exact singular point at the intersection of the section
curves.
7. The isoparametric curve U = 0 corresponds to the base curve.
REGION
1. The 3D contour must be roughly planar with respect to a reference plane, which is
either calculated automatically, or given by the user. The angle between the tangent to
the contour, at any point, and the reference plane, cannot be greater than 45 degrees.
2. The closed 3D contour can include partial implicit surface boundaries. During the
interaction, the program automatically finds the intersection and marks it with an X.
See Figure 5-.
3. The contours projection on the reference plane cannot be self-intersecting.
4. The result of this function is a trimmed surface.
5. If the input contour is 2D, the result is a planar trimmed surface.
6. When using the SURFACE SLOPES option, if the resulting region surface does not
adhere to an angular tolerance of of 0.5, an arrow will appear indicating where the
tolerance deviation occured and a corresponding message will be displayed.
5-18
COMSRF
COMSRF
Create a single NURBS surface from a chain of surfaces which

have common boundaries.
COMPOSITE SURFACE
PICK NTH SURFACE
Figure 5-13: COMSRF
How To:
1. Pick the first surface to be used to form the new composite surface
2. Pick the remaining surfaces and confirm.
Interaction:
PICK 1ST SURFACE
TOL. = 0.1
DISPL. U-CURVES = 3
DISP. V-CURVES = 3
DELETE ORIGINAL /
KEEP ORIGINAL
PICK 1ST SURFACE
Pick the first surface to be used to form the new composite

surface. Use <SUBMENU> to multipick surfaces.
PICK 2ND SURFACE

PICK NTH SURFACE
Pick all surfaces and <EXIT>.

YES
NO
EXECUTING
Accept the picked surfaces.

Redefine the last surface.
The composite surface is created.
5-19
COMSRF
COMSRF Modal Parameter Definitions

This section explains each of the modal parameters used in the function.
n DELETE ORIGINAL
The original surfaces will be deleted.
n DISP. U-CURVES = 3
Number of display curves in the U direction.
n DISP. V-CURVES = 3
Number of display curves in the V direction.
n KEEP ORIGINAL
The original surfaces will be retained.
n TOL. = 0.1
Set the maximum approximation tolerance.
COMSRF Usage Envelope

1. To create a composite surface, the angle between normals of boundary end points of
2 neighboring surfaces must be less than 10.
2. The resulting composite surface is always created in the active level and has the
active line attributes.
3. A surface that contains a singular point may be selected. However, any surface that is
adjacent to the singular point must also have a singular point at the same location.
4. A trimmed surface may be selected if it has 4 boundary curves and no islands.
5-20
DRIVE
DRIVE
Create a Drive/Parallel or NURBS surface by moving 2D/3D

section(s) or 2D/3D drive curve(s)/contour(s) along a drive
curve(s)/contour(s) with a specified orientation.
Main Options:
SELECT OPTION:
PARALLEL SEC
PIPE
SPINE
SPINE & PLANE
SPINE & EDGES
TWO SPINES
PARALLEL SEC
Create a Drive/Parallel surface by moving a 2D/3D section

curve(s) or contour(s) along a 2D/3D drive contour so that it
is always parallel to itself.
PIPE
Create a Rational NURBS surface by moving along a spine

(drive) curve and entering a start and end radius for the
surface.
SPINE
Create a NURBS surface by moving a 2D/3D section

curve(s) along a spine curve or contour so that the orientation
of the section curve(s) to the tangent of the 2D/3D spine
curve(s) at any point is constant.
SPINE & PLANE
Create a NURBS surface by moving a 2D/3D section

curve(s) along a spine curve or contour under the following
conditions:
orientation of the section curve(s) to the tangent of

The
the 2D/3D spine (drive) curve(s) at any point is
constant.
orientation of
The
plane is constant.
SPINE & EDGES
the section curve(s) to the defined
Create a NURBS surface by moving a 2D section curve

along a 2D/3D spine (drive) curve under the following
conditions:
section curve will be driven from the first point on

The
the spine curve where the plane perpendicular to the
spine intersects both edge curves, to the last such point.
section curve will be scaled and positioned so that

The
the reference points of the section curve coincide with
the points where the plane perpendicular to the drive

intersects the edge curves.
The first reference point follows the first edge curve
picked, and the second reference point follows the
second edge curve. (See Figure 5-22, page 5-35).
TWO SPINES
Create a NURBS surface by moving one or more sections

(2D/3D curve) along two or more spines or a spine and
point.
5-21
DRIVE
All Options
How To:
1. Use modals to determine the number of curves, both in the direction of the spine
(drive) curves or contour, and in the direction of the section curves or contour,
that will be used to display the surface.
2. Pick a spine (drive) curve or contour and choose a direction. Pick a section curve(s)
or contour.
SPINE + EDGES only: Pick section curve, reference points, spine (drive) curve
and edge curves.
3. Create the surface(s).
Notes:
In
this function, whenever the system asks for a curve, a

surface/trimmed surface boundary may also be picked.
The direction of the drive is indicated by an arrow on the drive
curve or contour and may be changed.
The boundaries of the surface will be:
first section curve or contour indicated at the

the
position where it begins the drive operation,
last section curve or contour resulting from the drive
the
operation, and
are not closed, the other boundaries will
ifjointhethesections
corresponding endpoints of the first and last
sections.
Curves (splines) with break points are not applicable.
5-22
DRIVE
DRIVE >> PARALLEL SEC

Create a Drive/Parallel surface(s) by moving a 2D/3D section curve(s) or contour(s) so that it is
always parallel to itself and so that its path follows the exact path of the 2D/3D drive contour.
INDICATE DIRECTION
PICK DRIVE CURVE ( CONTOUR )
PICK SECTION/EXIT
Figure 5-14: DRIVE >> PARALLEL SEC
How To:
1. Select the required drive option.
2. Set the modals and define the drive contour or curve.
3. Define the section curve or contour.
Interaction:
Note:
divided at these points.
SELECT DRIVE OPTION:
CURVE
CONTOUR
TWO POINTS
Select the option to use when defining the drive contour.

PICK DRIVE CURVE
DISP. DRIVES = 3
DISP. SECTIONS = 3
Set the modals and define the drive contour.

If CURVE was selected:
PICK DRIVE CURVE
Pick the drive curve of the drive contour.

If CONTOUR was selected:
DEFINE DRIVE
CONTOUR
Pick the first curve of the drive contour.
INDICATE DIRECTION Continue to define the contour as described in Defining

Functions Manual.
If TWO POINTS was selected:
INDICATE 1ST POINT Indicate two points to define a line as the drive contour.
INDICATE 2ND POINT
5-23
DRIVE
SELECT SECT OPTION:
CURVES
CONTOUR
Select CURVE or CONTOUR to define the section contour,

set modals and respond to the prompts.
PICK SECTIONS/EXIT
PICK SECTIONS/EXIT
DISP. DRIVES = 3
DISP. SECTIONS = 3
Pick section curves to be moved following the path of the

drive contour.
A surface will be created for each section curve picked.
or
DEFINE SECT. CONTOUR Pick the first curve of the section contour
5-24
INDICATE DIRECTION

Contours Chapter 3, of the Fundamentals & General
Functions Manual.
EXECUTING
A Drive (parallel) surface or surfaces is created.
DRIVE
DRIVE >> PIPE

Create a Rational NURBS surface by moving along a spine (drive) curve and entering
a start and end radius for the surface.
PICK SPINE CURVE

IND. DIRECTION
START RADIUS = 3.000

END RADIUS = 3.000

END RADIUS = 4.000
Figure 5-15: DRIVE >> PIPE
How To:
1. Pick the curve around which the surface will be created.
2. Set the start and end radii.
3. Indicate the direction in which the surface will be created.
Interaction:
Note:
The spine curve must be smooth and not broken.
PICK SPINE CURVE
TOL=0.100
START RADIUS=20.000
END RADIUS=20.00
DISP.CROSS-SEC.=2
DISP.SECTIONS=2
PICK SPINE CURVE
<PICK> the curve around which the surface will be created.
INDICATE DIRECTION
Indicate the direction in which the surface will be created. If

the START RADIUS END RADIUS, the direction
indicated determines from which end the start radius will
begin.
EXECUTING
5-25
DRIVE
DRIVE >> SPINE

Create a NURBS surface by moving a 2D/3D section curve(s) along a spine curve or
contour so that the orientation of the section curve(s) to the tangent to the 2D/3D
spine curve(s) at any point is constant.
How To:
1. Select the required number of sections.
Interaction:
SELECT OPTION:
Note:
ONE SECTION
TWO SECTIONS
MULTI SECTIONS
The spine curve(s) and section curve(s) must be smooth.
SPINE >> ONE SECTION

All section curves will have the same shape.
PICK SECTION CURVE
PICK SPINE CURVE
IND. DIRECTION
Figure 5-16: DRIVE >> SPINE >> ONE SECTION
How To:
1. Pick a spine curve to determine the orientation of the section curve as it is driven.
3. Pick a curve which will be driven along the section spine and confirm the selection.
Interaction:
PICK SPINE CURVE
PICK SPINE CURVE
5-26
TOL = 0.100
DISP.CROSS-SEC. = 2
DISP.SECTIONS. = 2
Pick a curve which will control the orientation of the section

curve as it is driven.
DRIVE
INDICATE DIRECTION
Indicate the direction in which the surface will be created.
PICK SECTION CURVE
Pick a curve which will be driven along the spine.
SECTION O.K. ? YES NO

YES
NO

Select another section.
EXECUTING
SPINE >> TWO SECTIONS
PICK 1ST SECTION
PICK SPINE CURVE

IND. DIRECTION
PICK 2ND SECTION
Figure 5-17: DRIVE >> SPINE >> TWO SECTIONS
The shape of the first section curve will blend into the shape of the second section
curve. This is done using linear interpolation.
The orientation between the tangent to the spine curve and the section curve at any
point on the spine curve will be determined by a weighted average between:
The orientation of the normal to the spine curve at the starting end to the first
section curve.
The orientation of the normal to the spine curve at its other end to the second
section curve.
Notes:
A surface will be created for each two section curves picked.

Pick the curves at ends which will be joined by boundary
5-27
DRIVE
How To:
3. Pick the first section of the starting curve and the second section of the ending curve
and confirm.
Interaction:
PICK SPINE CURVE
TOL = 0.100
DISP.CROSS-SEC. = 2
DISP.SECTIONS = 2
PICK SPINE CURVE

INDICATE DIRECTION
PICK 1ST SECTION

PICK 2ND SECTION
Pick the first starting section curve.

Pick the first ending section curve.
SECTIONS O.K. ? YES NO

YES
NO

Reselect the second section.
EXECUTING
5-28
DRIVE
SPINE >> MULTI SECTIONS

Build a drive surface along selected spine contour by interpolating several section
curves.
IND. 1ST CRV IN SPINE
IND. 1ST SECTION
IND. NTH CURVES IN SPINE
IND. SECTIONS
IND. LAST SECTION
Figure 5-18: DRIVE >> SPINE >> MULTI SECTIONS
How To:
2. Pick additional spine curves and Exit.
3. Pick section curves and confirm.
Interaction:
IND. 1ST SPINE CURVE
TOL = 0.100
DISP.CROSS-SEC. = 2
DISP.SECTIONS. = 2
IND. 1ST CURVE IN SPINE
Pick a curve which will control the orientation of the

section curve as it is driven.
IND. 2ND CURVE IN SPINE
Pick a second curve.
IND. NTH CRV/EXIT
Pick at least three curves, <EXIT> when finished.
IND. 1ST SECTION
IND. NTH SECTION
Pick additional section curves. The number of section

curves must be one greater than the number of spine
curves.
SECTIONS O.K.? YES NO YES

NO

Reselect the last section.
EXECUTING
5-29
DRIVE
DRIVE >> SPINE & PLANE

Create a NURBS surface by moving a 2D/3D section curve(s) along a spine curve or
contour under the following conditions:
IND. DIRECTION
DEFINE PLN: CURVE
PICK SPINE CURVE
PICK SECTION
Figure 5-19: DRIVE >> SPINE & PLANE
The orientation of the section curve(s) to the tangent to the 2D/3D spine curve
at any point is constant.
The orientation of the section curve(s) to the defined plane is constant.
Note:
The spine curve and section curves must be smooth and not broken.
SELECT OPTION:
5-30
ONE SECTION
TWO SECTIONS
MULTI SECTIONS
DRIVE
SPINE & PLANE >> ONE SECTION

PICK SECTION
IND. DIRECTION
PICK SPINE SECTION
DEFINE PLN.: ACTIVE
Figure 5-20: DRIVE >> SPINE & PLANE >> ONE SECTION
How To:
1. Define the plane which will determine the section orientation.
2. Pick a curve to determine the orientation of the section curve as it is driven.
4. Pick a curve which will be driven along the section spline and confirm.
Interaction:
DEFINE PLANE
PICK SPINE CURVE

Functions Manual.
TOL = 0.100
DISP.CROSS-SEC. = 2
DISP.SECTIONS. = 2
PICK SPINE CURVE

INDICATE DIRECTION
PICK SECTION
Pick a curve which will be driven along the spline.
SECTION O.K. ? YES NO YES

NO

Select another section.
EXECUTING
5-31
DRIVE
SPINE & PLANE >> TWO SECTIONS
PICK 1ST SECTION
PICK SPINE CURVE

IND. DIRECTION
PICK 2ND SECTION
Figure 5-21: DRIVE >> SPINE & PLANE >> TWO SECTIONS
How To:
1. Define a plane.
4. Pick the first curves of the starting and ending sections and confirm.
Interaction:
DEFINE PLANE
PICK SPINE CURVE
Define plane as described above for SPINE & PLANE >>

ONE SECTION.
TOL = 0.100
DISP.CROSS-SEC. = 2
DISP.SECTIONS. = 2
PICK SPINE CURVE

INDICATE DIRECTION
PICK 1ST SECTION

PICK 2ND SECTION
Pick the first starting section curve.

Pick the first ending section curve.
SECTIONS O.K. ? YES NO YES

NO

Reselect the second section.
EXECUTING
5-32
DRIVE
SPINE & PLANE >> MULTI SECTIONS

How To:
1. Define a plane.
2. Pick a curve to determine the orientation of the spine section curve as it is driven.
3. Pick additional curves.
4. Pick the required section curves and confirm.
Interaction:
Functions Manual.
DEFINE PLANE
IND. 1ST SPINE CURVE
TOL = 0.100
DISP.CROSS-SEC. = 2
DISP.SECTIONS. = 2
IND. 1ST CURVE IN SPINE
Pick a curve which will control the orientation of the

section curve as it is driven.
IND. 2ND CURVE IN SPINE
Pick a second curve.
IND. NTH CRV/EXIT
Pick at least three curves, <EXIT> when finished.
PICK 1ST SECTION
PICK NTH SECTION
Pick additional section curves. The number of section

curves must be one greater than the number of spine
curves.
SECTIONS O.K.? YES NO YES

NO

Reselect the last section.
EXECUTING
5-33
DRIVE
DRIVE >> SPINE & EDGES

Create a NURBS surface by moving a 2D section curve along a 2D/3D spine curve under the
following conditions:
The section curve will be driven from the first point on the spine curve where
the plane perpendicular to the spine intersects both edge curves, to the last such
point.
The section curve will be scaled and positioned so that the reference points of
the section curve coincide with the points where the planes perpendicular to the
spine intersect the edge curves.
The first reference point follows the first edge curve picked, and the second
reference point follows the second edge curve. (See Figure 5-22, page 5-35.)
The resulting surface is a NURBS surface which approximates the required surface within the given
tolerance.
Notes:
At least one plane perpendicular to a tangent to the spine must
intersect both edge curves.
The spine curve edges and section curves must be smooth and not
broken.
SELECT OPTION
5-34
ONE SECTION
TWO SECTIONS
DRIVE
SPINE & EDGES >> ONE SECTION

All section curves will have the same shape.
PICK SPINE CURVE
PICK 1ST EDGE CURVE
PICK 2ND EDGE CURVE
IND. 2ND REF. POINT

PICK 2D SECTION CRV.
IND. 1ST REF. POINT
Figure 5-22: DRIVE >> SPINE & EDGES >> ONE SECTION
How To:
2. Pick two edge curves along which the reference points will move.
3. Pick a 2D curve which will be driven along a spine.
4. Indicate two reference points on the section and confirm.
5. Pick section curves.
Interaction:
PICK SPINE CURVE
TOL = 0.100
VARIABLE HEIGHT /
DISP.CROSS SEC=2
DISP. SECTIONS = 2
CONSTANT HEIGHT

PICK SPINE CURVE
PICK 1ST EDGE CURVE Pick two edge curves along which the reference points will
PICK 2ND EDGE CURVE move.
PICK 2D SECTION CURVE Pick a 2D curve which will be driven along a spine.
Indicate two points on the section which will control the

scale of the section curve.
IND. 1ST REF.POINT

IND. 2ND REF.POINT
Note:
If the start and end points of the section curve are placed on the
start points of two edge curves, reference points are not necessary
and the surface is immediately created.
SECTION O.K.? YES NO
YES
NO
Accept the orientation of the section curve. The surface

will be created.
Change the orientation of the section curve.
EXECUTING
5-35
DRIVE
SPINE & EDGES >> TWO SECTIONS

The shape of the first section curve will blend into the shape of the second section curve. This is
done using linear interpolation.
PICK 2ND 2D SECTION
PICK 1ST EDGE CURVE
PICK SPINE CURVE
PICK 1ST 2D SECTION
IND. DIRECTION
PICK 2ND EDGE CURVE
Figure 5-23: DRIVE >> SPINE & EDGES >> TWO SECTIONS
How To:
3. Pick two edge curves along which the reference points will move.
4. Pick the first 2D section.
5. Indicate two points on the section which will control the scale of the section curve.
6. Create the second section as in Steps 4 and 5 then confirm.
Interaction:
PICK SPINE CURVE
TOL = 0.100
VARIABLE HEIGHT /
DISP.CROSS SEC=2
DISP. SECTIONS = 2
CONSTANT HEIGHT
PICK SPINE CURVE

INDICATE DIRECTION
PICK 1ST EDGE CURVE Pick two edge curves along which the reference points will
PICK 2ND EDGE CURVE move.
PICK 1ST 2D SECTION
Pick the first 2D section.
IND. 1ST REF.POINT

IND. 2ND REF.POINT
Indicate two points on the section which will control the scale
of the section curve.
Note:
5-36
If the start and end points of the section curve are placed on the
start points of two edge curves, reference points are not necessary
and the second section may be picked.
DRIVE
SECTION O.K.? YES NO
Choose the orientation of the section curve.
PICK 2ND 2D SECTION
Pick the second 2D section.
IND. 1ST REF.POINT

IND. 2ND REF.POINT
Indicate two points which will control the scale of the section
curve.
Note:
If the start and end points of the section curve are placed on the end
points of the edge curves, reference points are not necessary and the
surface is immediately created.
SECTION O.K.? YES NO YES Accept the orientation of the section curve. The surface
will be created.
NO
Change the orientation of the section curve.
EXECUTING
5-37
DRIVE
DRIVE >> TWO SPINES

Create a NURBS surface by moving a one/two section (2D/3D curve) along 2 spines or a spine
and point.
Note:
The spine curves and section curves must be smooth and not broken.
SELECT OPTION:
ONE SECTION
TWO SECTIONS
TWO SPINES >> ONE SECTION

SELECT OPTION:
SPINE & POINT
TWO SPINES
TWO SPINES >> ONE SECTION >> SPINE & POINT

Create a surface by moving one section along a spine and point.
PICK SPINE POINT
( END )
PICK SPINE CURVE
IND. DIRECTION
PICK SECTION CURVE
Figure 5-24: DRIVE >> TWO SPINES >> ONE SECTION >> SPINE & POINT
How To:
1. Pick a curve to control the orientation of the section curve as it is driven.
3. Pick a point on the spine.
4. Pick a curve which will be driven along a spine and confirm.
Interaction:
PICK SPINE CURVE
5-38
TOL = 0.100
CONSTANT HEIGHT
DISP.CROSS SEC=2
DISP. SECTIONS = 2
PICK SPINE CURVE

INDICATE DIRECTION

DRIVE
PICK SPINE POINT
Pick a point on the spine.
PICK SECTION CURVE
Pick a curve which will be driven along a spine.
CURVES O.K.? YES NO YES

NO
Confirm the selection. The surface is created.

Pick a different section curve.
EXECUTING
TWO SPINES >> ONE SECTION >> TWO SPINES

How To:
1. Pick a curve and indicate the direction in which the surface will be created.
2. Pick a second curve and indicate the direction in which the surface will be created.
3. Pick a spine point.
4. Pick a curve which will be driven along a spine and confirm.
Interaction:
PICK 1ST SPINE CURVE
TOL = 0.100
VARIABLE HEIGHT /
DISP.CROSS SEC=2
DISP. SECTIONS = 2
CONSTANT HEIGHT
Pick a curve.
INDICATE DIRECTION
PICK 2ND SPINE CURVE Pick a second curve.

INDICATE DIRECTION
PICK SECTION CURVE
Pick a curve which will be driven along a spine.
CURVES O.K.? YES NO
YES
NO
Confirm the selection. The surface will be created.

Pick a different section curve.
EXECUTING
5-39
DRIVE
TWO SPINES >> TWO SECTIONS
SELECT OPTION:
SPINE & POINT
TWO SPINES
TWO SPINES >> TWO SECTIONS >> SPINE & POINT

How To:
1. Pick a curve to control the orientation of the section curve as it is driven.
3. Pick the required sections and confirm.
Interaction:
PICK SPINE CURVE
TOL = 0.100
VARIABLE HEIGHT /
DISP.CROSS SEC=2
DISP. SECTIONS = 2
CONSTANT HEIGHT
PICK SPINE CURVE

INDICATE DIRECTION
PICK SPINE POINT
Pick a point on the spine.
PICK 1ST SECTION
Pick the first section.
PICK 2ND SECTION
Pick the second section.
CURVES O.K.? YES NO
YES
NO

Repick the second section curve.
EXECUTING
5-40
DRIVE
TWO SPINES >> TWO SECTIONS >> TWO SPINES

PICK 2ND SPINE CURVE
IND. DIRECTION
PICK 1ST SECTION
PICK 2ND SECTION

CONSTANT HEIGHT
VARIABLE HEIGHT
Figure 5-25: DRIVE >> TWO SPINES >> TWO SECTIONS >>TWO SPINES
How To:
1. Pick a curve and indicate the direction in which the surface will be created.
2. Pick a second curve and indicate the direction in which the surface will be created.
3. Pick the required sections and confirm.
Interaction:
TOL = 0.100
VARIABLE HEIGHT /
DISP.CROSS SEC=2
DISP. SECTIONS = 2
CONSTANT HEIGHT
Pick a curve.
INDICATE DIRECTION
PICK 2ND SPINE CURVE Pick a second curve.

INDICATE DIRECTION
PICK 1ST SECTION
Pick the first section.
PICK 2ND SECTION
Pick the second section.
CURVES O.K.? YES NO
YES
NO

Repick the second section curve.
EXECUTING
5-41
DRIVE
DRIVE Modal Parameter Definitions

n CONSTANT HEIGHT
The sections are scaled along vector X (Vx) only.
n DISP.CROSS SEC = 2
Number of cross sections.
n DISP. DRIVES = 2
Number of curves per patch parallel to the drive contour for

display purposes.
Number of curves per patch parallel to the section contour for

display purposes
n END RADIUS = 20.000
Enter the ending radius for a surface created using the PIPE
option.
n START RADIUS = 20.000
Enter the starting radius for a surface created using the PIPE
option.
n TOL = 0.100
n VARIABLE HEIGHT
The sections are scaled along all the axes (Vx, Vy, Vz).
DRIVE Usage Envelope

GENERAL
1. Avoid curvature traps such as selecting a section curve whose radius of curvature is
greater than that of the spine curve.
SPINE >> MULTI SECTIONS
SPINE & PLANE >> MULTI SECTIONS
1. The spine contour must have at least 3 curves.
2. The spine contour must be smooth, and smoothly connected, with no gaps.
The sections must be smooth curves.
3. The section curves may be open or closed.
4. The section curves may be 2D or 3D.
5. A point may be used as a section curve only at the beginning or end of the spine
contour.
6. The maximum number of sections is 32.
7. Implicit surface boundaries may be used as spine curves or sections.
TWO SPINES
1. The start/end of the section curve must be located at the start/end of the spine.
2. Tangency conditions along the spines will be retained in only two cases:
When both sections are on planes that are perpendicular to the plane of
both spines.
When spines are on parallel planes and both sections are on planes
that are perpendicular to the spines planes.
On surface edges coinciding with the section, slopes are not always kept.
The variable height is not implemented in such cases. q
5-42
EDIT_SET
EDIT_SET
Modify geometry sets. Available geometry sets are planar

faces and composite curves.
This function is used in the NC application. See Chapter 3 of the NC Manual.
5-43
FILLET
FILLET
Define a fillet surface(s) between two or three surfaces with a

fixed or variable radius, define fillet surfaces between multiple
surfaces with a fixed radius, define a fillet surface between a
curve and a surface with a fixed or variable radius, or between
two surfaces, such that the sections are perpendicular to a spine
curve, with a fixed or variable radius.
A curve of center points is calculated where the offsets of the picked surfaces intersect. The fillet
radius determines the offset values.
The arcs of the fillet surface will be on planes which are perpendicular to the curve of center points
and to the picked surfaces. Each plane is defined by the endpoints of a fillet arc and a point on the
curve of center points.
All fillet surfaces are rational NURBS surfaces, with the exception of the corner surfaces created
when filleting between three surfaces in the options 3 SURFACES (Trimmed Surface of
Revolution) and 3 DIF. RADII (non-rational NURBS).
Main Options:
SELECT
2 SURFACES
3 SURFACES
3 DIF. RADII
BASE-MULTI
MULTI-MULTI
CURVE SURFACE
SPINE + 2 SRF
SPINE + 3 SRF
5-44
2 SURFACES
Define a fillet surface between two surfaces with a fixed or

variable radius. The variable radius can have an arc or conic
section.
3 SURFACES
Define fillet surfaces between three surfaces with a fixed

radius.
3 DIF. RADII
Define fillet surfaces between three surfaces with variable

radii.
BASE-MULTI
Define fillet surfaces between multiple surfaces with a fixed

radius.
MULTI-MULTI
Define a fillet surface between 2 groups of multiple surfaces

with a fixed radius.
CURVE SURFACE
Define a fillet surface between a surface and a curve with a

fixed or variable radius.
SPINE + 2 SRF
Define a fillet surface with sections perpendicular to a spine

curve, between two surfaces. The fillet radius may be fixed or
variable.
SPINE + 3 SRF
Create a fillet surface between two side surfaces and a base

surface, while keeping the fillet arcs normal to a specified
contour.
FILLET
How To:
1. Enter the number of display curves and arcs to be used, the radius or radii of
the fillet surface and tolerance.
2. Pick the surfaces between which a fillet surface will be created.
3. For each surface, confirm the side on which the fillet is to be created.
FILLET >> 2 SURFACES

Define a fillet surface between two surfaces with a fixed or variable radius.
How To:
Interaction:
SELECT
FIXED RADIUS
VARIABLE RADIUS
5-45
FILLET
2 SURFACES >> FIXED RADIUS

Define a fillet surface between two given surfaces, by specifying the radius of the arcs of the
fillet surface.
PICK 1ST SURFACE

IND. DIRECTION
IND. DIRECTION
PICK 2ND SURFACE

EXTEND OFF
EXTEND ON
TRIM
OFF
TRIM
ON
Figure 5-26: FILLET >> 2 SURFACES >> FIXED RADIUS
How To:
1. Pick the first surface at a position close to the expected location of the fillet.
2. Indicate on which side of the surface the fillet will be created.
3. Pick the second surface close to the expected location of the fillet.
5-46
FILLET
Interaction:
PICK 1ST SURFACE
RADIUS = 10.000
TRIM OFF /
CENTER CURVE OFF /
DISP. ARCS = 3
TOL. = 0.100
DISP. CURVES = 3
EXTEND OFF /
EXTEND ON
TRIM OFF
CENTER CURVE OFF
TRIM FIRST
CENTER CURVE ON
TRIM SEC
CENTER CURVE ONLY
TRIM BOTH
PICK 1ST SURFACE
Pick the first surface at a position which is close to the

expected location of the fillet.
INDICATE DIRECTION
Indicate on which side of the surface the fillet will be

created.
PICK 2ND SURFACE
Pick the second surface close to the expected location of the

fillet.
INDICATE DIRECTION

created.
EXECUTING
The fillet surface will be created.
5-47
FILLET
2 SURFACES >> VARIABLE RADIUS

Define a fillet surface between two given surfaces, by specifying the start and end
radius of the fillet surface and optional limit planes. An arc or conic section shape
may be defined.
PICK 1ST SURFACE
IND. DIRECTION
IND. DIRECTION
PICK 2ND SURFACE
NO LIMIT PLANES
WITH LIMIT PLANES

DEFINE LIMIT
PLANES BY :
3 POINTS
TRIM
OFF
DEFINE LIMIT
PLANES BY :
3 POINTS
TRIM
ON
Figure 5-27: FILLET >> 2 SURFACE >> VARIABLE RADIUS
How To:
1. Set the modals and pick the first surface at a position close to the expected location
of the fillet.
5. If required, define the plane limit and confirm.
6. Flip fillet if required.
5-48
FILLET
Interaction:
PICK 1ST SURFACE
ARC /
END RADIUS = 10.000
LIMIT PLANES OFF /
TRIM OFF
CENTER CURVE OFF
LIMIT PLANES ON
DISP. CURVES = 3
DISP. ARCS = 3
TRIM OFF
CENTER CURVE OFF
TRIM FIRST
CENTER CURVE ON
TRIM SEC
CENTER CURVE ONLY
CONIC
P = 0.3
TOL. = 0.100
TRIM BOTH
PICK 1ST SURFACE
Set the modals and pick the first surface at a position which
is close to the expected location of the fillet.
INDICATE DIRECTION

created.
PICK 2ND SURFACE

fillet.
INDICATE DIRECTION

created.
DEFINE PLANES
If LIMIT PLANES ON is selected:

Define planes which limit the length of the fillet surface to
be created.
General Functions Manual, for a detailed explanation of the
options to define the limit plane.
IND.LIMIT POINT
Indicate the side of the plane where the fillet should remain.
Define a second LIMIT PLANE and LIMIT POINT.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
EXECUTING
The fillet surface will be displayed.
FLIP FILLET ? YES NO
YES
NO
Reverse the direction of the fillet.

Accept the fillet surface.
5-49
FILLET
FILLET >> 3 SURFACES

Define a fillet surface between three surfaces with a fixed radius. The corner surface
is a trimmed Surface of Revolution.
PICK 3RD SURFACE
PICK 1ST SURFACE
IND. DIRECTION
PICK 2ND SURFACE
Figure 5-28: FILLET >> 2 SURFACE >> 3 SURFACES
How To:
3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 to create the second and third surfaces and confirm.
Interaction:
PICK 1ST SURFACE
RADIUS = 10.000
TRIM OFF /
DISP. CURVES = 3
TRIM ON
CENTER CURVE OFF
TOL. = 0.100
DISP. ARCS = 3
CENTER CURVE OFF

CENTER CURVE ON
CENTER CURVE ONLY
PICK 1ST SURFACE

INDICATE DIRECTION

created.
PICK 2ND SURFACE

INDICATE DIRECTION
PICK 3RD SURFACE
INDICATE DIRECTION
Repeat for the second and third surfaces.
SURFACES O.K.?YES NO YES

NO
Confirm the picked surfaces. The fillet surfaces will be

created.
Select new surfaces.
EXECUTING
5-50
FILLET
FILLET >> 3 DIF. RADII

Define fillet surfaces between three surfaces with variable radii. The resulting corner surface is
a non-rational NURBS surface.
PICK 3RD SURFACE
PICK 1ST SURFACE

RADIUS 1 -> 2 = 5.000
RADIUS 2 -> 3 = 8.000
RADIUS 3 -> 1 = 2.000
IND. DIRECTION
PICK 2ND SURFACE
Figure 5-29: FILLET >> 2 SURFACE >> 3 DIF. RADII
How To:
3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 to create the second and third surfaces and confirm.
Interaction:
PICK 1ST SURFACE
RADIUS 1->2 = 30.000
RADIUS 2->3 = 20.000
RADIUS 3->1 = 10.000
CENTER CURVE OFF
TOL. = 0.100
DISP. CURVES = 3
TRIM OFF /
TRIM ON
DISP. ARCS = 3
CENTER CURVE OFF

CENTER CURVE ON
CENTER CURVE ONLY
5-51
FILLET
PICK 1ST SURFACE

INDICATE DIRECTION
Indicate the side of the surface for the fillet to be created.
PICK 2ND SURFACE

INDICATE DIRECTION
PICK 3RD SURFACE
INDICATE DIRECTION
Repeat for the second and third surfaces.

YES
NO
Confirm the picked surfaces. The fillet surfaces will be

created.
EXECUTING
5-52
FILLET
FILLET >> BASE-MULTI

Define a fillet surface(s) with a fixed radius between a base surface and a chain of
surfaces.
PICK OTHER SURF/EXIT
PICK 1ST SURFACE

IND. DIRECTION
PICK BASE SURFACE
Figure 5-30: FILLET >> BASE-MULTI
How To:
1. Pick the base surface at a position close to the expected location of the fillet.
2. Indicate the side of the base surface for the fillet to be created.
3. Pick the first surface at a position which is close to the expected location of the fillet.
4. Indicate the side on which to create the fillet.
5. Pick additional surfaces and confirm.
Interaction:
PICK BASE SURFACE
RADIUS = 10.000
TRIM OFF /
DISP. CURVES = 3
TRIM ON
CENTER CURVE OFF
TOL. = 0.100
DISP. ARCS = 3
CENTER CURVE OFF

CENTER CURVE ON
CENTER CURVE ONLY
5-53
FILLET
Notes:
Each surface should only be picked once and should not have more
than two adjacent surfaces.
Each pair of surfaces must have at least one common edge.

Multiple surfaces should not cross-intersect. In some cases, the result
may be unacceptable to the system.
PICK BASE SURFACE
Pick the base surface at a position which is close to the

INDICATE DIRECTION
Indicate the side of the base surface for the fillet to be

created.
PICK 1ST SURFACE

INDICATE DIRECTION
Indicate the side on which to create the fillet.
PICK OTHER SURF. & EX Pick other surfaces. Press <EXIT> when finished.
YES
NO
Confirm the picked surfaces. The fillet surface(s) will be

created.
FILLET SURFACE <NUMBER>
5-54
FILLET
FILLET >> MULTI-MULTI

Create fillet surfaces between a set of base surfaces and a set of wall surfaces.
PICK 2ND GROUP
IND. DIRECTION
IND. DIRECTION
PICK 1ST GROUP
RESULT
PICK 2ND GROUP
Figure 5-31: FILLET >> MULTI-MULTI
How To:
1. Set the modal parameters and pick the wall surfaces.
2. For each wall surface, indicate the direction in which the fillet will be created.
3. Pick the base surfaces.
4. For each base surface, indicate the direction in which the fillet will be created.
Interaction:
RADIUS = 1.000
TRIM OFF
CENTER CURVE OFF
TOL = 0.1
DISP.CURVES = 2
DISP ARCS = 2
TRIM OFF
CENTER CURVE OFF
TRIM 1ST
CENTER CURVE ON
TRIM 2ND
CENTER CURVE ONLY
TRIM BOTH
INDICATE DIRECTION
Set the modal parameters and pick the wall surfaces.

Use <SUBMENU> to multipick the entities. Press <EXIT>
when finished.
For each wall surface, indicate the direction in which the
fillet will be created.
Pick the base surfaces.
Use <SUBMENU> to multipick the entities. Press <EXIT>
when finished.
INDICATE DIRECTION
For each base surface, indicate the direction in which the

fillet will be created.
CALC. FILLET ARCS
The fillets are created.
5-55
FILLET
FILLET >> CURVE SURFACE

Define a fillet surface between a surface and a curve with a fixed or variable radius.
How To:
Interaction:
SELECT OPTION
FIXED RADIUS
VARIABLE RADIUS
FIXED RADIUS
Define a fillet surface between a given surface and curve, by

specifying the radius of the arcs of the fillet surface.
VARIABLE RADIUS
Define a fillet surface between a given surface and curve, by

specifying the start and end radius of the fillet surface.
CURVE SURFACE >> FIXED or VARIABLE RADIUS
PICK SURFACE
INDICATE DIRECTION
PICK 1ST CRV/EXIT
INDICATE DIRECTION
TRIM ON
TRIM OFF
Figure 5-32: FILLET >> CURVE SURFACE (Fixed Radius)
5-56
FILLET
INDICATE DIRECTION
PICK SURFACE
LOCATE RADIUS
2.000
1.000
INDICATE DIRECTION
3.000
PICK 1ST CRV/EXIT

LOCATE RADIUS
Figure 5-33: FILLET >> CURVE SURFACE (Variable Radius)
How To:
3. Pick the first curve of the open or closed contour.
4. If a variable radius is required, enter a radius value, then pick a location on the
contour.
Interaction:
PICK 1ST SURFACE
RADIUS = 10.000
TRIM ON /
DISP. ARCS = 3
TRIM OFF /
CENTER CURVE OFF
TOL. = 0.100
DISP. CURVES = 3
CENTER CURVE OFF

CENTER CURVE ON
CENTER CURVE ONLY
Notes:
For CURVE
SURFACE >> FIXED RADIUS, the RADIUS

parameter is displayed.
For CURVE SURFACE >> VARIABLE RADIUS, the START
RAD and END RAD parameters are displayed
PICK 1ST SURFACE

INDICATE DIRECTION

created.
5-57
FILLET
SELECT
CLOSED CONTOUR
OPEN CONTOUR
PICK 1ST CURVE /EXIT
For VARIABLE RADIUS only:

LOCATE RADIUS
LOCATE RADIUS
RADIUS = 10.000
Enter a radius value, then pick a location on the contour. The

end and midpoints of each curve in the contour may be
selected. As you move the cursor over the contour, special
symbols appear at these locations.
Specify additional radius values and locations, then press
<EXIT>.
EXECUTING
5-58
FILLET
FILLET >> SPINE + 2 SRF
Define a fillet surface with sections perpendicular to a spine curve, between two
surfaces. The fillet radius may be fixed or variable.
How To:
5. Define spline contour.
6. If a variable radius is required, enter a radius value then pick a location on the
contour.
Interaction:
PICK 1ST SURFACE
RADIUS = 10.000
TRIM OFF
CENTER CURVE OFF
DISP. CURVES = 3
TOL. = 0.100
DISP. ARCS = 3
TRIM OFF
CENTER CURVE OFF
TRIM FIRST
CENTER CURVE ON
TRIM SEC
CENTER CURVE ONLY
TRIM BOTH
Notes:
For SPINE >> VARIABLE RADIUS, the RADIUS parameter does
not appear.
PICK 1ST SURFACE

INDICATE DIRECTION

created.
PICK 2ND SURFACE

fillet.
INDICATE DIRECTION

created.
SELECT
CLOSED CONTOUR
OPEN CONTOUR
For VARIABLE RADIUS only:

LOCATE RADIUS
LOCATE RADIUS
RADIUS = 10.000
Enter a radius value, then pick a location on the contour. The

end and midpoints of each curve in the contour may be
selected. As you move the cursor over the contour, special
symbols appear at these locations.
Specify additional radius values and locations, then press
<EXIT>.
EXECUTING....

5-59
FILLET
FILLET >> SPINE + 3 SRF

Create a fillet surface between two side surfaces and a base surface, while keeping the fillet
sections normal to a specified contour. The fillet surface is tangent to all three surfaces.
How To:
1. Pick the base surface which the fillet will touch tangentially and indicate where the fillet
will be created.
2. Pick the first side surface and indicate where the fillet will be created.
3. Pick the second side surface and indicate where the fillet will be created.
4. Pick the first spine curve of the open or closed contour.
Interaction:
PICK BASE SURFACE
TOL. = 0.100
KEEP BASE SURF/

DELETE BASE SURF
DISP. CURVES = 3
DISP. ARCS = 3
TRIM OFF
TRIM OFF
CENTER CURVE OFF
TRIM FIRST
CENTER CURVE ON
TRIM SEC
CENTER CURVE ONLY
CENTER CURVE OFF
TRIM BOTH
PICK BASE SURFACE
Pick the base (middle) surface which the fillet will touch
tangentially.
INDICATE DIRECTION
Indicate on which side of the base surface the fillet will be

created.
PICK 1ST SURFACE
Pick the first side surface at a position which is close to the

INDICATE DIRECTION

created.
PICK 2ND SURFACE
Pick the second side surface close to the expected location of

the fillet.
INDICATE DIRECTION

created.
SELECT
OPEN CONTOUR
EXECUTING....
Note:
5-60
CLOSED CONTOUR
If there are several possible locations on a particular planes for the
fillet to be created, the point closest to the spine will be chosen.
FILLET
FILLET Modal Parameter Definitions

n CENTER CURVE OFF
Do not create a center curve.
n CENTER CURVE ON
Create a curve which passes through the centers of arcs

which define the fillet.
n CENTER CURVE ONLY
Create only a center curve.

Delete the base surface when creating the fillet.
DELETE BASE
SURFACE
n DISP. ARCS = 3
Enter the number of display arcs.
n DISP. CURVES = 3
Enter the number of display curves.
n END RAD.=20.000
Enter the radius of the last arc of the fillet surface, created
using variable radii, (i.e., on the second limit plane).
n EXTEND OFF
Do not extend the fillet to the edges of the surfaces.

Extend the fillet to the edges of the surfaces.
Keep the base surface when creating the fillet.
EXTEND ON
KEEP BASE SURFACE
n LIMIT PLANES OFF
LIMIT PLANES ON
Do not define limit planes for a variable radius fillet.

Define limit planes for a variable radius fillet.
n P = 0.300
In FILLET >> 2 SURFACES/VARIABLE, enter the conic

shape parameter. A value of 1.0 gives an arc section, smaller
values give a flatter shape.
n RADIUS = 10.000
Enter the radius of the arcs of the fillet surface. The radius
will also be the surface offset distance.
In FILLET >> SPINE/VARIABLE RADIUS, enter the radius
of the fillet at the selected location.
n RADIUS 1->2 = 30.000
Enter the radius of the arc of the fillet surface between the
first and second original surfaces. The radius will also be the
surface offset distance.
n RADIUS 2->3 = 20.000
second and third original surfaces. The radius will also be the
n RADIUS 3->1 = 10.000
third and first original surfaces. The radius will also be the
n START RAD.=10.000
Enter the radius of the first arc of the fillet surface, created
using variable radii, (i.e., on the first limit plane).
n TOL. = 0.100
Enter the maximum deviation from the surfaces that will be

tolerated.
n TRIM BOTH
Trim both surfaces when creating the fillet.
n TRIM FIRST
Trim the first surface when creating the fillet.
n TRIM OFF
Do not trim the surfaces.
5-61
FILLET
n TRIM ON
Trim the surfaces when creating the fillet.
n TRIM SECOND
Trim the second surface when creating the fillet.
FILLET Usage Envelope

All Options
1. If one of the surfaces is not smooth, the fillet might not be complete or might not
follow the tolerance. The following message is displayed:
<number of surface> SURFACE IS NOT SMOOTH
2. The surfaces should be selected at positions close to the expected location of the
fillet.
3. The offsets of the picked surfaces must intersect. If they do not, a fillet surface cannot
be created.
4. The curve formed by the center points of the arcs of the fillet must not be on the
offset surfaces edges.
5. If a trimmed surface is selected, islands are ignored.
6. Center curves are not created for extensions of fillets, for corner fillets when filleting
between 3 surfaces, or for internal fillets creating using the option BASE-MULTI.
2 SURFACES >> VARIABLE RADIUS
1. If the limit planes are not perpendicular to the curve of center points, the boundaries
of the fillet surface will not be on the limit planes.
SPINE
1. The surfaces and contour must be smooth.
2. The spine curve must lie between the selected surfaces. When the fillet is created,
arcs are created along the spine. At least one of these arcs must intersect both
surfaces, otherwise the fillet cannot be created.
3. This option may be used to create a variable radius fillet on a closed contour.
4. A closed spine contour must be smooth at its end. Modify the slopes if necessary.
5. The OPEN CONTOUR option cannot be used for closed contours.
SPINE & 3 SRF
1. The fillet consists of 2 tangent surfaces. Different numbers of patches can be created
on these 2 parts of the fillet depending on the side surfaces.
MULTI-MULTI
1. This option works only for smoothly connected geometry.
If there is a sharp corner between surfaces of the base or walls, create a small fillet
between them before using this function. q
5-62
MESH
MESH
Create a NURBS surface

by
defining
its
section
and
A mesh surface passes smoothly through a series of section curves. The section curves are
connected by a series of cross-section curves.
This function can be used to create a single mesh surface or multiple surfaces.
How To:
1. Set the number of curves that will be used for display purposes. Set the
tolerance permitted between the section and cross-section curves at their intersection
points on the surface. Pick the section and cross-section curves
which define the surface.
2. Set whether a single surface entity or multiple surfaces will be created.
PICK 1ST SECTION
DISP.SECTIONS. = 2
NO CHECK /
MATCH CURVES
TOL = 0.100
PICK 1ST SECTION
PICK 2ND SECTION

...
PICK nTH SECTION
Pick remaining section curves in the order the surface will

pass through them.
Press <EXIT> when finished picking section curves.
PICK 1ST CROSS-SECT.
Pick the first cross-section curve.
PICK 2ND CROSS-SECT. When modals are correctly set, pick remaining cross-section
...
curves in the order the surface will pass through them.
PICK nTH CROSS-SECT.
Press <EXIT> when finished picking cross-section curves.

PICK 1ST SECTION
PICK 2ND CROSS-SECT.
PICK 2ND SECTION

Figure 5-34: MESH
5-63
MESH
SELECT
SINGLE SURFACE
MULTI-SURFACE
PICK 1ST SECTION

PICK 2ND SECTION
PICK 3RD SECTION
SINGLE SURFACE
MULTI-SURFACE
Figure 5-35: MESH (Multi/Single Surface)
Select the appropriate option.

EXECUTING . . .
Notes:
The surface(s) will be created and displayed.
When a MESH surface is being created, if a required intersection
point is not found by the system, the following is displayed at the

bottom of the screen:
INTERSECTION BETWEEN 2 CURVES WAS NOT FOUND
WITHIN THIS TOLERANCE.
In addition, the curves between which the system was attempting to

find an intersection point will be highlighted. The following will
appear on the prompt line:
DISP.CRS-SEC = <last value entered>

DISP.SEC = <last value entered>
TOL = <last value entered>
=< a value, greater than TOL, which is the
MIN.DIST
smallest distance between two points on the curves>.
5-64
MESH
Solution 1.
Change the TOL(erance) so that it is larger than the minimum distance found between two curves
by the system and press <EXIT>.
DISTANCE O.K.? YES NO
YES
NO
The original modals will be displayed with the new

value of TOL. Press <CR> to accept the settings. The
distance will be accepted and processing will continue.
The modals that were just displayed will be displayed
again.
Solution 2.
Help the algorithm find the intersection point as follows:
IND.1ST MARKED CURVE Indicate a point on the first curve which is in attention, close
to where the intersection point should be.
IND.2ND MARKED CURVE Do the same for the second curve which is in attention.
PICK 1ST SECTION
NO CHECK
MATCH CURVES
TOL.=10.000
PICK 2ND SECTION
Figure 5-36: MESH (Multi-Curves)
If there is an intersection point within the TOL specified, close to the indicated points, processing
will continue. If not, make further adjustments or <EXIT>.
5-65
MESH
MESH Modal Parameter Definitions

n DISP. CROSS-SECT = 2
Set the number of cross-section curves per patch used to

display the surface.
Set the number of section curves per patch used to display

the surface.
n MATCH CURVES
Section curves must approximately intersect cross-section

curves. The intersection may miss by the value of the modal
TOL.. If the tolerance entered is less than the modal TOL, an
error message is displayed along with the minimum distance
tolerance.
n NO CHECK
No check for intersection points will be performed. The

surface will pass between the section curves and the
cross-section curves. If MATCH CURVES is selected, the
TOL modal must also be set.
n SINGLE SURFACE
The mesh surface will be created as one entity.

Multiple surface entities will be created. The boundaries will
consist of the picked section curve and cross-section curve
entities.
MULTI SURFACE
n TOL = 0.100
Maximum variation permitted between section

cross-section curves at expected intersection points.
and
MESH Usage Envelope

1. At least two section curves and two cross-section curves are required to define a
surface.
2. The surface will pass through section curves in the order that they are picked.
3. A maximum of 1024 section curves can be selected.
4. Curves with break points are not applicable.
5. The MULTI SURFACE option is available only when more than two section or
cross-section curves have been picked.
6. It is advisable to use the MULTI-SURFACE option when the curves defining the
surface have large variations, which would result in a complex surface. The surface
entities created in this way will be more precise.
7. Each surface entity will be drawn using the number of display curves specified in the
modals. q
5-66
MODIFY
MODIFY
Modify curves and surfaces, check smoothness, transform

planar faces into trimmed surfaces, transform trimmed surfaces
into surfaces, close gaps between curves and surfaces.
Main Options:
SELECT
FAIR
LOCAL FAIR
MODIFY POINTS
MODIFY SLOPES
CREATE POINTS
SURFACE EXTENSION
PLFACE TO TRMSRF
TRMSRF TO SURFACE
ADJOIN
Check the smoothness of curves or surfaces.
FAIR
Reduce waviness of one or more curves and/or surfaces by

approximation to a smooth NURBS curve or surface, within
the specified tolerance.
LOCAL FAIR
Fair NURBS surfaces in a user-defined local area.
MODIFY POINTS
Check or modify the control point coordinates of splines or

surfaces (NURBS, Bezier and Gregory). For NURBS splines
and surfaces, through points (points on the spline/surface)
may also be modified.
MODIFY SLOPES
Redefine the slopes of splines or surfaces.
CREATE POINTS
Create point entities at the locations of the control points for

splines or surfaces (NURBS, Bezier and Gregory).
SURFACE EXTENSION Linearly extend a surface at its boundaries by creating new
surface(s).
PLFACE TO TRMSRF
Transform a planar face into a trimmed surface, based on the

boundaries of the planar face.
TRMSRF TO SURFACE Transform a trimmed surface(s) into a surface(s).

ADJOIN
Close gaps between curves and surfaces, modify a

surface/trimmed surface boundary to match a contour or
another surface boundary.
5-67
MODIFY
MODIFY >> FAIR

Check the smoothness of curves or surfaces; fair (reduce waviness, eliminate breakpoints) in
curves/surfaces by approximation to NURBS using a least squares algorithm.
EDGE TOL. = 1.0
SURFACE TOL. = 1.0
PICK SURFACE
Figure 5-37: MODIFY >> FAIR
How To:
1. Pick the surface(s)/curve(s) to be faired or checked for smoothness.
2. Confirm the fairing of the selected entity.
Interaction:
Pick the surface(s)/curve(s) to be faired or checked for
smoothness. Use <SUBMENU> to multipick the
entities. Press <EXIT> when finished.
PICK SURFACES/CURVES
Note:
If the entity is not smooth, the following message appears:
<entity> IS NOT SMOOTH !
FAIR <entity>? YES NO YES

NO
<CR> TO CONTINUE
CURVE/EDGE TOL. = 0.1
The selected entity.

Do not change the entity.
SURFACE TOL. = 1.0
KEEP SLOPES /
KEEP ORIGINAL /
AS ORIGINAL /
FREE SLOPES /
DELETE ORIGINAL
AS ACTIVE
DEFINE SLOPES
<CR> TO CONTINUE
Note:
Set modals and press <CR> to execute.
The modal DEFINE SLOPE is only available for single curves.

IND. 1ST END
Pick the endpoint whose slope will be defined.
DIRECTION: PICK CURVE Pick a curve to define the slope.

slope is IND, unless 2PT was the last used sub-option for this
function in the current session. (See Define Slope and
Functions Manual).
5-68
MODIFY

INDICATE DIRECTION
IND. 2ND END/EXIT

Pick the second endpoint of the spline if you wish to define
its slope. Press <EXIT> if you do not want to change the
slope.
EXECUTING...
CURVE O.K.?
or SURFACE O.K.?
YES
Confirm the creation of a new faired curve or surface.
NO
Do not create the new curve or surface.
5-69
MODIFY
MODIFY >> LOCAL FAIR

Fair NURBS surfaces in a user-defined local area using a least squares algorithm.
This option can be used to smooth defects in surfaces, e.g., in surfaces received from
reverse engineering.
PICK SURFACE
IND. POINT IN AREA

DEFINE AREA
Figure 5-38: MODIFY >> LOCAL FAIR
How To:
1. Pick a NURBS surface for fairing.
2. Indicate a point in the region to be faired.
3. Accept the default modification area, or indicate points to move the corners of the
polygon to new locations and <EXIT>
Interaction:
PICK SURFACE
Pick a NURBS surface to be faired.
IND. POINT IN AREA
Indicate a point in the region to be faired.
DEFINE AREA & EXIT
A red polygon appears on the surface, indicating the default

area of modification.
Accept the default modification area, or indicate points to
move the corners of the polygon to new locations and
<EXIT>.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
TOL = 20.00
DISP.CROSS SEC=2
KEEP ORIGINAL
DELETE ORIGINAL
5-70
DISP. SECTIONS = 2
AS ORIGINAL /
AS ACTIVE
<CR> TO CONTINUE
Set modals and <CR>.
EXECUTING...
The surface is faired.
MODIFY
MODIFY >> MODIFY POINTS

Redefine or verify the control point coordinates for splines (NURBS and Bezier) or surfaces
(NURBS, Bezier and Gregory).
PICK CURVE/SURFACE Pick the curve or the surface to be modified.
MODIFY POINTS (for Bezier splines)

IND. POINT TO CHANGE Indicate the point for coordinate modification.
ENTER NEW COORD./CR
X = 100.000
Y = 50.000
Z = 20.000
CARTESIAN
MODEL
CARTESIAN
CYLINDRICAL
SPHERICAL
ENTER NEW COORD./CR Enter the new coordinates of the point or press <CR> to
assign the displayed coordinates.
If the coordinates of the point were not changed, the

following table appears:
IND. POSITION/EXIT
FREE SLOPE /
KEEP SLOPE
Indicate the new position for the spline point or press

<EXIT>.
IND. POSITION/EXIT
If the coordinates of the point were changed, the following

prompt appears:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
FREE SLOPE /
KEEP SLOPE
Set modals and press <CR> to continue.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
IND. POINT TO CHANGE Indicate a new node of the spline or press <EXIT>.
UPDATE CURVE DATA?
YES
NO
Accept the changes and update the spline data.

Do not change the spline data.
5-71
MODIFY
MODIFY POINTS (for NURBS splines)

SELECT
THROUGH POINTS
CONTROL POINTS
MODIFY POINTS >> THROUGH POINTS

DEFINE AREA
IND. POSITION
A-A
DETAIL A-A
FREE CURVATURE
IND. POINT ON CURVE

KEEP CURVATURE
KEEP CURVATURE
FREE CURVATURE
COMPARISON
BETWEEN THE
TWO RESULTS
Figure 5-39: MODIFY POINTS >> THROUGH POINTS >> LOCAL
How To:
1. Set the modal parameters and indicate the through point whose coordinates will be
modified (or verified).
2. Enter the new coordinates of the point and indicate a new location.
3. Indicate a new point on the spline then confirm the changes.
Interaction:
IND. POINT ON CURVE
GLOBAL /
KEEP CURVATURE /
LOCAL
FREE CURVATURE
IND. POINT ON CURVE
Set the modal and indicate the through point whose

coordinates will be modified (or verified).
DEFINE AREA & EXIT
For LOCAL modification:

One or two green points will appear on the spline, indicating
the default size of the local modification area. Accept the
region, or pick another location on the spline to move the
green point(s), then <EXIT>.
ENTER NEW COORD./CR
X = 100.000
Y = 50.000
CARTESIAN
MODEL
Z = 20.000
CARTESIAN
CYLINDRICAL
SPHERICAL
ENTER NEW COORD./CR Enter the new coordinates of the point. Press <CR> to assign
the displayed coordinates, or to indicate a new location.
5-72
MODIFY
Indicate a new location, or press <EXIT> to accept the

current location.
IND. POSITION & EXIT
For 2D NURBS splines, a submenu is available. To modify

the position dynamically, choose DYNAMIC. To use the
point indication submenu, choose POINT. The default is
DYNAMIC.
IND. POINT TO CHANGE Indicate a new point on the spline or press <EXIT>.
UPDATE CURVE DATA?
YES
NO
Accept the changes and update the spline.

Do not modify the spline.
5-73
MODIFY
MODIFY POINTS >> CONTROL POINTS

How To:
1. Indicate the control point whose coordinates will be modified or verified.
2. Enter the new coordinates of the point..
3. If required, indicate a new position and/or weight.
4. Indicate another control point and confirm the changes.
Interaction:
Indicate the control point whose coordinates will be modified
or verified.
IND. CONTROL POINT

ENTER NEW COORD./CR
X = 100.000
Y = 50.000
CARTESIAN
MODEL
Z = 20.000
CARTESIAN
CYLINDRICAL
SPHERICAL
ENTER NEW COORD./CR Enter the new coordinates of the point. Press <CR> to assign
the displayed coordinate, or to indicate a new location.
IND. POSITION/EXIT
WEIGHT = 1.000
Indicate a new position and/or weight, or press <EXIT> to

accept the current settings.
For 2D NURBS splines, a submenu is available. To modify
the position dynamically, choose DYNAMIC. To use the point
indication submenu, choose POINT.
IND. POINT TO CHANGE Indicate another control point, or press <EXIT>.
UPDATE CURVE DATA?
YES
NO
5-74
Accept the changes and update the spline.

Do not modify the spline.
MODIFY
MODIFY POINTS (for Bezier and Gregory surfaces)

IND.CONTROL PT./EXIT
ENTER NEW COORD./CR
Indicate a control point to be modified (verified).

X = 100.000
Y = 50.000
Z = 20.000
CARTESIAN
MODEL
CARTESIAN
CYLINDRICAL
SPHERICAL
ENTER NEW COORD./CR Change the coordinates of the given point or press <CR>
without changing, to indicate the new position graphically.
IND. POSITION/EXIT
If the coordinates of the point were not changed, indicate a

new position for it graphically.
UPDATE SURFACE DATA? YES Accept the changes and update the surface data.
NO
EXECUTING...
Do not update the surface data.
The new surface will be displayed.
MODIFY POINTS (for NURBS surfaces)

SELECT
THROUGH POINTS
CONTROL POINTS
5-75
MODIFY
MODIFY POINTS >> THROUGH POINTS

How To:
1. Set the modal parameters and indicate the point on the surface whose coordinates will
be modified or verified.
Interaction:
IND. POINT
GLOBAL /
SHAPE PARAM = 0.500
LOCAL
IND. POINT
Set the modals and indicate the point on the surface whose
coordinates will be modified or verified.
MODIFY POINTS >> THROUGH POINTS >> GLOBAL

SELECT OPTION
IND. NEW POSITION
ALONG DIRECTION
ON PLANE
MODIFY POINTS >> THROUGH POINTS >> GLOBAL >> IND. NEW POSITION
ENTER NEW COORD./CR
X = 100.000
Y = 50.000
Z = 20.000
CARTESIAN/
MODEL
CARTESIAN
CYLINDRICAL
SPHERICAL
IND. POSITION
Indicate a new position graphically. The point indication

EXECUTING...
The modified surface will be displayed.
UPDATE SURFACE DATA? YES

NO
5-76
Accept the changes and update the surface data.

MODIFY
MODIFY POINTS >> THROUGH POINTS >> GLOBAL >> ALONG DIRECTION
How To:
1. Select a direction along which the through point will be moved.
2. Pick the through point and drag it along the direction axis.
Interaction:
DIRECTION: PICK CURVE Select a direction along which the through point will be
moved. The direction indication submenu is available.
IND. POSITION
SHAPE PARAM = 0.500
IND. POSITION
Pick the through point and drag it along the direction axis.
The surface will be modified dynamically. The shape
parameter can be modified interactively at this stage. When
the desired shape is obtained, <EXIT>.
EXECUTING...
MODIFY POINTS >> THROUGH POINTS >> GLOBAL >> ON PLANE
How To:
1. Define a plane using the plane indication menu.
2. Pick the through point and drag it on the plane.
Interaction:
DEFINE PLANE:
Define a plane using the plane indication menu. This plane

will be projected onto the selected point on the surface.
EXECUTING...
The surface is displayed dynamically in yellow.
IND. POSITION
SHAPE PARAM = 0.500
IND. POSITION
Pick the through point and drag it on the plane. The surface
will be modified dynamically. The shape parameter can be
modified interactively at this stage. When the desired shape
is obtained, <EXIT>.
EXECUTING...
5-77
MODIFY
MODIFY POINTS >> THROUGH POINTS >> LOCAL

PICK CURVES/SURFACE
IND. POINT
DEFINE AREA/EXIT
SHAPE PARAM. = 0.800
SHAPE PARAM. = 0.200
Figure 5-40: MODIFY POINTS >> THROUGH POINTS >> LOCAL >> ALONG DIRECTION
How To:
1. Accept the default modification area indicated by a red polygon, or indicate points to
move the corners of the polygon to new locations.
Interaction:
DEFINE AREA & EXIT
A red polygon appears on the surface, indicating the default

<EXIT>.
SELECT OPTION
5-78
IND. NEW POSITION
ALONG DIRECTION
ALONG PLANE
MODIFY
MODIFY POINTS >> THROUGH POINTS >> LOCAL >> IND. NEW POSITION
How To:
1. Indicate a new position graphically.and confirm the changes.
Interaction:
ENTER NEW COORD./CR
X = 100.000
Y = 50.000
Z = 20.000
CARTESIAN
MODEL
CARTESIAN
CYLINDRICAL
SPHERICAL
IND. POSITION
Indicate a new position graphically. The point indication

EXECUTING...

NO

MODIFY POINTS >> THROUGH POINTS >> LOCAL >> ALONG DIRECTION
How To:
1. Select a direction along which the through point will be moved.
2. Pick the through point and drag it along the direction axis.
Interaction:
DIRECTION: PICK CURVE Select a direction along which the through point will be
IND. POSITION
SHAPE PARAM = 0.500
IND. POSITION
Pick the through point and drag it along the direction axis.
The surface will be modified dynamically. The shape
parameter can be modified interactively at this stage. When
the desired shape is obtained, <EXIT>.
EXECUTING...
5-79
MODIFY
MODIFY POINTS >> THROUGH POINTS >> LOCAL >> ON PLANE
How To:
2. Pick the through point and drag it on the plane.
Interaction:
DEFINE PLANE:
Define a plane using the plane indication menu. This plane

will be projected onto the selected point on the surface.
EXECUTING...
IND. POSITION
5-80
SHAPE PARAM = 0.500
IND. POSITION
Pick the through point and drag it on the plane. The surface
will be modified dynamically. The shape parameter can be
modified interactively at this stage. When the desired shape is
obtained, <EXIT>.
EXECUTING...
MODIFY
MODIFY POINTS >> CONTROL POINTS

IND. CONTROL PT./EXIT
SELECT OPTION
Indicate the control point whose coordinates will be modified

or verified.
IND. NEW POSITION
ALONG DIRECTION
ALONG PLANE
MODIFY POINTS >> CONTROL POINTS >> IND. NEW POSITION

How To:
1. Change the coordinates of the given point.
2. Indicate a new position for the control point and confirm the changes.
Interaction:
ENTER NEW COORD./CR
X = 100.000
Y = 50.000
Z = 20.000
CARTESIAN
MODEL
CARTESIAN
CYLINDRICAL
SPHERICAL
ENTER NEW COORD./CR Change the coordinates of the given point and/or press <CR>
to accept the current settings, or to indicate a new position

graphically.
If the surface being modified has non-uniform weights, the
following prompt will appear:
IND. WEIGHT
WEIGHT = 1.000
Accept the current weight, or enter a new weight, and <CR>.

If the coordinates of the control point were not modified, the
following prompt will appear:
IND. NEW POSITION
Indicate a new position for the control point and <EXIT>.

NO
EXECUTING...

5-81
MODIFY
MODIFY POINTS >> CONTROL POINTS >> ALONG DIRECTION

How To:
1. Select a direction along which the control point will be moved.
2. Pick the control point and drag it along the direction axis and confirm.
Interaction:
DIRECTION: PICK CURVE Select a direction along which the control point will be
IND. POSITION
Pick the control point and drag it along the direction axis.
The surface will be modified dynamically. <EXIT> to accept
the new position.
EXECUTING...
MODIFY POINTS >> CONTROL POINTS >> ON PLANE

How To:
2. Pick the control point and drag it on the plane.
Interaction:
5-82
DEFINE PLANE:
Define a plane using the plane indication menu. (The plane

will be projected normally onto the selected control point).
EXECUTING...
IND. POSITION
Pick the control point and drag it on the plane. The surface
will be modified dynamically. <EXIT> to accept the new
position.
EXECUTING...
MODIFY
MODIFY >> MODIFY SLOPES

Redefine the slopes of splines (NURBS and Bezier) or surfaces.
SLOPES ORIG.
PICK EDGE
PICK EDGE
DIRECTION 1ST POINT
IND. DIR.
SLOPES CONST
SLOPES LINEAR
DIRECTION 2ND POINT

IND. DIR
IND. DIR.
SLOPES SURF.
PICK EDGE
PICK EDGE
SLOPES PLANE
PICK SURFACE
Figure 5-41: MODIFY >> MODIFY SLOPES
How To:
1. Pick the curve or the surface to be changed.
Interaction:
PICK CURVE/SURFACE
Pick the curve or the surface to be changed.
5-83
MODIFY
MODIFY SLOPES (for Bezier splines)

Modify the slope at a node by repositioning the indicated control point.
IND. NEW SLOPE
IND. CONTROL POINT
PICK CURVE/SURFACE
Figure 5-42: MODIFY >> MODIFY SLOPES (Bezier Splines)
Indicate the control point to be moved.
IND.CONTROL POINT
IND. NEW SLOPE
FREE SLOPE
SMOOTH /
SLOPE SIZE = 70.35
BREAK POINT
FREE SLOPE
FIXED LENGTH
FIXED DIRECTION
Set modals and indicate a new location for the control point,
then press <EXIT>.
IND. NEW SLOPE
If FIXED DIRECTION was selected, the prompt and modals

are changed to:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
FIXED DIRECTION
SLOPE SIZE = ...
<CR> TO CONTINUE
Enter the new slope size and press <CR>.
IND. CONTROL POINT
Indicate a new control point to be moved or press <EXIT>.
UPDATE CURVE DATA?
YES
NO
5-84
SMOOTH
Accept the changes and update the curve data.

Do not update the curve data.
MODIFY
MODIFY SLOPES (for NURBS splines)

An arrow appears at the starting point of the spline.
CHANGE SLOPE ? / EXIT YES Change the slope at this endpoint.
YES NO
<CR> TO CONTINUE
FREE SLOPE /
DEFINE SLOPE
NO
Do not change the slope at this endpoint. The arrow

moves to the other endpoint.
Or press <EXIT> to pick another curve or surface.

DIRECTION: PICK CURVE Pick a curve to define the slope.

slope is IND, unless 2PT was the last used sub-option for
this function in the current session. (See Define Slope and
Functions Manual).
INDICATE DIRECTION
CHANGE SLOPE ? /
EXIT YES NO
Change the slope at this endpoint.

NO
Do not change the slope at this endpoint.
YES Accept the changes and update the spline.
NO
Do not update the curve data.
YES
CURVE O.K.?
5-85
MODIFY
MODIFY SLOPES (for Surfaces)

Modify the slope at a selected boundary of any type of surface or trimmed surface.
Large modifications cannot be performed.
PICK SURFACE EDGE
CONST.
GLOBAL /
KEEP SIDE SLOPES /
LOCAL
FREE SIDE SLOPES
CONST.
LINEAR
SURFACE
PLANE
SURF-NRM
PICK EDGE
Set modals to define the slope definition option, whether or

not slopes of the side boundaries will be maintained and the
area of modification (LOCAL or GLOBAL).
Pick a boundary of the surface to be modified.
If LOCAL was selected:
DEFINE AREA & EXIT
A red polygon appears on the surface, indicating the size of

the local area.
<EXIT> to accept this size, or pick points on the surface to
indicate the corners of the polygon, then <EXIT>.
5-86
MODIFY
MODIFY SLOPES >> CONST.

Impose a constant direction on all the slopes at the surface boundary.
How To:
1. Pick a curve to define the constant direction for all the slopes.
2. Indicate the desired direction.
Interaction:
DIRECTION: PICK CURVE Pick a curve to define the constant direction for all the
slopes.
INDICATE DIRECTION
EXECUTING...
The slopes are modified.
MODIFY SLOPES >> LINEAR

Redefine the slopes at the two corners of the picked edge.
How To:
1. If required, redefine the first corner slope by picking the curve to define the direction.
2. Specify the curve direction.
3. If required, redefine the second corner slope by picking the curve to define the
direction.
Interaction:
The slopes of the surface boundary will be linearly incremented between the values at the two
corners.
CHANGE SLOPE?/EXIT YES Redefine the slope at this corner of the picked edge.
Continue with the interaction below.
NO
Do not redefine the slope at this corner.
If YES:
DIRECTION:
PICK CURVE
Pick the curve to define the slope direction at this corner.
INDICATE DIRECTION Specify the direction for the curve.
The other end of the picked edge is marked.

CHANGE SLOPE?/EXIT
YES
NO
Redefine the slope at this end of the picked edge.

Do not redefine the slope at this end.
5-87
MODIFY
MODIFY SLOPES >> SURFACE

Define the slopes at the picked edge of a surface such that they are tangent to the slopes on the edge
of a reference surface. The reference surface must be adjacent to the selected surface.
How To:
1. Pick the reference surface and indicate the desired direction.
Interaction:
PICK SURFACE
Pick the reference surface.
INDICATE DIRECTION
EXECUTING...
The slopes of the first surface are modified.
MODIFY SLOPES >> SURF-NRM

Define the slopes at the picked edge of a surface such that all normals are collinear to the normals
on the edge of a reference surface.
How To:
1. Pick the reference surface and indicate the desired direction.
Interaction:
PICK SURFACE
Pick the reference surface.
INDICATE DIRECTION
EXECUTING...
The slopes of the first surface are modified.
MODIFY SLOPES >> PLANE

Define the slopes at the picked edge of a surface such that all slopes are tangent to a plane.
How To:
1. Define a plane and indicate the desired direction.
Interaction:
5-88
DEFINE PLANE
Define a plane. The plane definition menu appears.
INDICATE DIRECTION
EXECUTING...
The slopes of the surface are modified.
MODIFY
MODIFY >> CREATE POINTS

Create points from the nodes and/or control points of splines (NURBS, Bezier and cubic) or
surfaces (NURBS, Bezier and Gregory).
IND. POINT TO CREATE
PICK CURVE
CONTROL POINTS
THROUGH POINTS
INFLECTION POINTS
Figure 5-43: MODIFY >> CREATE POINTS
How To:
1. Pick the spline or the surface.
Interaction:
PICK CURVE/SURFACE
Pick the spline or the surface.
5-89
MODIFY
CREATE POINTS (for Cubic Splines)

2D/3D CUBIC SPLINE
CREATE ONE POINT
CREATE ALL POINTS
CREATE POINTS >> CREATE ONE POINT

Create a point entity from one of the control points of the cubic spline.
Indicate the control point that will be created as a point

entity.
Indicate another point. Press <EXIT> when finished.
CREATE POINTS >> CREATE ALL POINTS

All the points of the cubic spline will be created as point entities.
CREATE POINTS (for Bezier splines)

SELECT
CREATE ONE POINT
CREATE ALL NODES
CREATE ALL POINTS
CREATE INFL PNTS

Create a point entity from one of the control points or nodes of the Bezier spline.
Indicate the control point or the node that will be created as a

point entity.
Indicate another point to create. Press <EXIT> when finished.
CREATE POINTS >> CREATE ALL NODES

Only the nodes of the Bezier spline will be created as point entities.

All the nodes and the control points of the Bezier spline will be created as point entities.
CREATE POINTS >> CREATE INFL. PNTS

All inflection points of the Bezier spline will be created as point entities. The following message
will be displayed:
NUMBER OF INFLECTION POINTS FOUND:..
5-90
MODIFY
CREATE POINTS (for NURBS splines)

<CR> TO CONTINUE
CREATE ALL POINTS /
THROUGH POINTS
CREATE ONE POINT
THROUGH POINTS
CONTROL POINTS
INFLECTION POINTS

Create a point entity from a through, control point or an inflection point of a NURBS spline.
Indicate the point that will be created as point entity.
Indicate another point to create. Press <EXIT> when finished.

All of the selected type of points will be created as point entities.
CREATE POINTS
(for NURBS, Bezier or Gregory surfaces)
SELECT
CREATE ONE POINT
CREATE ALL NODES *
CREATE ALL POINTS

Create a point entity from one of the control points or the nodes of the surface.
IND.POINT TO CREATE
Indicate the control point or node of the surface that will be

created as point entity.
Indicate another point to be created. Press <EXIT> when

finished.
CREATE POINTS >> CREATE ALL NODES

Only the nodes of the surface will be created as point entity.
* Note:
This option does not appear for NURBS surface.

All the nodes and the control points of the surface will be created as point entities.
5-91
MODIFY
MODIFY >> SURFACE EXTENSION

Linearly extend a surface or trimmed surface by creating a new surface(s) along its
boundaries.
IND. SIDE
SURFACE
SURFACE NORMAL
PICK FIRST CURVE
ANGLE = 10
ANGLE = 10
PICK LAST CURVE/EXIT
IND. SIDE
SURFACE-NRM
SURFACE
Figure 5-44: MODIFY >> SURFACE EXTENSION
How To:
1. Pick a surface and indicate the first boundary curve along which a surface extension
will be created.
2. Indicate the last boundary curve.
3. Indicate the side for the angular offset and confirm.
Interaction:
PICK SURFACE
SURFACE /
SURFACE-NRM
ANGLE = 0.000
TOL. = 0.100
LENGTH = 10.000
DISP. LINES = 2
DISP. CURVES = 2
PICK SURFACE
Pick a surface.
PICK FIRST CURVE

INDICATE SIDE
Indicate the first boundary curve along which a surface

extension will be created.
Indicate the last boundary curve and <EXIT>.

If an ANGLE was specified, an arrow appears.
INDICATE DIRECTION Indicate the side for the angular offset.

CONTOURS O.K. ?
YES
NO
EXECUTING
5-92
Accept the selected boundary contours.

Redefine the boundary contours.
The extension surface(s) is created.
MODIFY
MODIFY >> PLFACE TO TRMSRF

Transform a planar face into a trimmed surface, based on the boundaries of the planar
face.
PICK PLFACE/EXIT
TRIMMED SURFACE
Figure 5-45: MODIFY >> PLFACE TO TRMSRF
How To:
1. Pick a planer face(s) to form the trimmed surface.
Interaction:
PICK PLFACES & EXIT
<CR> TO CONTINUE
<PICK> planar face(s) to be transformed into trimmed

surfaces. Use <SUBMENU> to multi pick planar faces. Press
TOL. = 0.001
KEEP ORIGINAL /
DELETE ORIGINAL
AS ORIGINAL /
AS ACTIVE

EXECUTING
The trimmed surface(s) is created.
5-93
MODIFY
MODIFY >> TRMSRF TO SURFACE

Transform trimmed surface(s) to untrimmed NURBS surface(s) within the boundaries of the
trimmed surfaces(s). The trimmed surfaces must have four boundaries and no islands.
PICK TRMSRF/EXIT
SURFACE
Figure 5-46: MODIFY >> TRMSRFTO SURFACE
How To:
1. Pick the surface(s) to transform.
Interaction:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
Pick the surface(s) to transform. Use <SUBMENU> to multi

pick trimmed surfaces. Press <EXIT> when finished.
TOL. = 0.1
KEEP ORIGINAL /
AS ORIGINAL /
DELETE ORIGINAL
AS ACTIVE
Set modals and press <CR>.

EXECUTING
5-94
The NURBS surface(s) is created.
MODIFY
MODIFY >> ADJOIN

Close gaps between curves and surfaces, modify a surface/trimmed surface boundary to match
a contour or another surface boundary.
SELECT
CURVES
SURFACES
BOUNDARIES
ADJOIN >> CURVES

Modify curves in order to close gaps in 2D or 3D contours.
How To:
1. Define the plane on which the modified 2D curves will be located (2D option).
2. Pick the curves and enter the parameter values.
Interaction:
SELECT
2D
3D
If 2D is selected:
Define the plane on which the modified 2D curves will be
located, using the plane indication menu.
DEFINE PLANE:
Pick the curves in the contour to transform. Use

<SUBMENU> to multi pick. Press <EXIT> when finished.
PICK CURVES & EXIT

<CR> TO CONTINUE
AUTO GAP = 0.010
MANUAL GAP = 0.1
Enter the parameters and press <CR>.

If 2D was selected, all entities not on the selected plane will
be projected onto it.
All gaps less than or equal to AUTO GAP will be closed
automatically. The number of gaps (which are larger than
AUTO GAP but smaller than MANUAL GAP), and the
largest gap size will be displayed in the lower left corner of
the screen.
SELECT OPTION / EXIT
SINGLE
ALL
VERIFY
Select the appropriate option and press <CR>.

If SINGLE is selected, for each gap, the gap size is
displayed in the lower left corner.
ADJOIN ? YES NO
YES
NO
The gap is closed.

The gap is not closed.
If ALL is selected, all gaps will be closed automatically.

If VERIFY is selected, points are created at all gap locations.
5-95
MODIFY
ADJOIN >> SURFACES

Modify a surface so that it adjoins a selected edge (surface boundary or curve) with specified
boundary conditions.
PICK SURFACE EDGE

IND. DIR.
PICK REF. EDGE
Figure 5-47: ADJOIN >> SURFACES (PLANE)
How To:
1. Set the modals, then pick the edge of the surface to be adjoined.
2. If required, drag the border of the polygon to increase the area. (LOCAL option)
3. Pick a reference edge to which the surface will be adjoined.
Interaction:
PICK SURFACE EDGE
FREE
DISPLAY U CURVES = 3
GLOBAL /
KEEP SIDE SLOPES /
LOCAL
FREE SIDE SLOPES
DISPLAY V CURVES = 3
TOL. = 0.1
KEEP ORIGINAL /
AS ORIGINAL /
DELETE ORIGINAL
AS ACTIVE
FREE
SURFACE
SURF-NRM
PLANE
PICK SURFACE EDGE
Set the modals, then pick the edge of the surface to be

adjoined.
If the option LOCAL is selected:
5-96
MODIFY
DEFINE AREA & EXIT A
red polygon appears on the surface, indicating the

minimum size of the local area.
<EXIT> to accept this size, or drag the border of the polygon
to increase the area, then <EXIT>.
PICK REF. EDGE
Pick a reference edge to which the surface will be adjoined.

If the option PLANE is selected:
DEFINE PLANE
INDICATE DIRECTION
The plane definition submenu will appear. Select an option

and define the plane.
Indicate the slope direction.
SURFACES O.K.? YES NO YES

NO
Accept the selected surface(s). The surface is adjoined.

Do not accept the selected surface(s). Reselect the
surface(s).
5-97
MODIFY
ADJOIN >> BOUNDARIES

Modify the boundaries of a surface (or trimmed surface) to match a target contour. The target
contour can consist of curves and/or boundaries of other surfaces.
IND. DIRECTION
PICK FIRST CURVE
PICK NTH CURVE/EXIT
DEFINE CONTOUR
IND. SIDE
PICK LAST CURVE
PICK SURFACE
Figure 5-48: MODIFY >> ADJOIN >> BOUNDARIES
How To:
1. Set the modals, then pick the surface whose boundaries will be adjoined.
2. Pick the boundary curves to be modified on the selected surface.
3. Define the target contour to which the selected surface boundary will be adjoined and
confirm.
Interaction:
PICK SURFACE
CONT. TOL = 0.001
KEEP ORIGINAL /
DELETE ORIGINAL
AS ORIGINAL
AS ACTIVE
PICK SURFACE
Set the modals, then pick the surface whose boundaries will
be adjoined.
PICK FIRST CURVE

INDICATE SIDE
Pick the boundary curves to be modified on the selected

surface. A limited chain selection is available.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
5-98
GLOBAL /
LOCAL
GLOBAL /
LOCAL
TOL = 0.01
KEEP ORIGINAL /
DELETE ORIGINAL
AS ORIGINAL
AS ACTIVE
MODIFY
DEFINE CONTOUR
INDICATE DIRECTION
PICK nth CRV /EXIT
Define the target contour to which the selected surface

boundary will be adjoined.
If the option LOCAL is selected:
DEFINE AREA & EXIT A red polygon appears on the surface, indicating the default

<EXIT>.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
<CR> to modify the surface

5-99
MODIFY
MODIFY Modal Parameter Definitions

n ANGLE
Angle between normals to the original and the resulting

surfaces.
n AS ACTIVE
Assign the active level, line font, pen and color to the new
created entity.
entity to the new created entity.
AS ORIGINAL
When adjoining curves, all gaps less than or equal to this

value will be closed automatically.
When adjoining curves, you will be prompted to close all
gaps greater than AUTO GAP but less than or equal to
MANUAL GAP. The value of MANUAL GAP should be
greater than AUTO GAP.
n AUTO GAP = 0.01
MANUAL GAP = 0.1
The node on the new slope of the Bezier spline will be a

break point.
The new slope of the Bezier spline will go through the
closest node smoothly and the control point on the far side of
the node will move accordingly.
n BREAK POINT
SMOOTH
n CARTESIAN
The coordinates of the points are calculated in the Cartesian

coordinates system.
n CONT. TOL = 0.001
Maximum distance permitted between the selected entities.
n CONTROL POINTS
The points which define a NURBS or Bezier spline or

surface, or a Gregory surface.
n CONTROL PTS = 4
Number of control points in sections for NURBS surface.

Number of control points in cross-sections for NURBS
surface.
CROSS-CONTROL
PTS = 3
n CURVE/EDGE TOL = 0.1
Tolerance used to approximate curves/surface boundaries.
n DEFINE SLOPES
Define slope at the endpoint of a curve when fairing.
n DISP. U CURVES
The number of curves used to display the new surface.
n DEGREE = 3
Degree of spline.
n DELETE ORIGINAL
Delete the original entity.

Keep the original entity.
DISP. V CURVES
KEEP ORIGINAL
n DISP. CURVES
DISP. LINES
5-100
The number of curves and lines used to display the new

surface.
MODIFY
Adjoin a surface with a reference edge. The slope of the

surface that is adjoined will not be modified.
n FREE
PICK SURFACE EDGE
PICK REF. EDGE
ORIG.
Figure 5-49: ADJOIN >> SURFACES (FREE)

n FREE SIDE SLOPES
KEEP SIDE SLOPES

n FREE SLOPE
KEEP SLOPE
n FREE SLOPE
The slopes on the sides of the surface will not be maintained.

The original slopes on the sides of the surface will be
maintained.
Slope at endpoint of NURBS spline, or surface slope, is
calculated automatically.
The current slope at the endpoint of a NURBS spline, or a
surface slope, is kept.
For Bezier spline change the slope at the node to be moved.
5-101
MODIFY
The original curvature of the NURBS spline will not be

retained at the start and end of the modification region.
The new point is on the slope connecting the indicated point
with the closest node, and at the same distance from it.
The new point is on the slope connecting the old point with
the closest node and at a distance from the node equal to the
slope size.
n FREE CURVATURE
FIXED LENGTH
FIXED DIRECTION
IND. NEW SLOPE
IND. CONTROL POINT
PICK CURVE/SURFACE
Figure 5-50: MODIFY POINTS/SLOPES for Bezier Splines: FREE SLOPE

FIXED DIRECTION
FIXED LENGTH
NEW POSITION
IND. POSITION
IND. POSITION
NEW POSITION
Figure 5-51: MODIFY SLOPES for Bezier Splines: FIXED DIRECTION/LENGTH
5-102
n GLOBAL
The surface will be modified globally.
n INFLECTION POINTS
Create a point entity at all points at which the derivative of

the slope of a 2D spline changes sign.
n KEEP CURVATURE
The curvature of the NURBS spline will be retained.
n LENGTH
Length of the surface extension.
MODIFY
n LOCAL
The surface will be modified locally, within the area defined

by the red polygon.
n MODEL
The points coordinates are presented in the MODEL UCS.
n NON-PERIODIC
The NURBS curve or surface is non-periodic.

The NURBS curve or surface is periodic. The end points of a
periodic NURBS spline coincide, as do the derivatives at
these points.
PERIODIC
Adjoin a surface to a reference edge on a specified plane.

The normals of the surface at the adjoined edge will be
collinear with the normal to the plane.
n PLANE
PICK SURFACE EDGE

IND. DIR.
PICK REF. EDGE
Figure 5-52: ADJOIN >> SURFACES (PLANE)

n SHAPE
Vary the shape of the modification. Values close to 1 create

a table shape, while values close to zero create a pointed
shape.
n SLOPE SIZE = 70.35
The value of the slope of a Bezier spline.
PARAMETER = 0.5
5-103
MODIFY
When adjoining a surface to the edge of a reference surface,

or creating a surface extension, the surface normals and the
parameteric directions will be tangent.
n SURFACE
PICK SURFACE EDGE
PICK REF. EDGE
ORIG.
SURFACE
Figure 5-53: ADJOIN SURFACES (SURFACE)

n SURF-NRM
When adjoining a surface to the edge of a reference surface,

or creating a surface extension, only the surface normals will
be tangent.
SURF-NRM
PICK SURFACE EDGE
PICK REF. EDGE
Figure 5-54: ADJOIN >> SURFACES (SRF-NRM)
5-104
MODIFY
n SURFACE TOL = 0.1
Tolerance used to approximate the internal region of a

surface(s); cannot be less than the CURVE/EDGE TOL.
n THROUGH POINTS
The points which a NURBS spline or surface passes through

exactly.
n TOL. = 0.001
Maximum distance permitted between the boundary curves

and the created surface.
n X = ...
Enter coordinates of points.
n WEIGHT = 1.000
The relative influence of the control point on the NURBS

curve/surface.
Y = ...
Z = ...
5-105
MODIFY
MODIFY Usage Envelope

1. If the option DELETE ORIGINAL is set, the parameters AS ACTIVE/AS ORIGINAL are
not displayed. The result will always be AS ORIGINAL.
2. Surfaces created in 3D applications cannot be modified in 2D applications.
ADJOIN
BOUNDARIES
1. The result of this function is a new trimmed NURBS surface.
2. This function can be applied to any type of surface/trimmed surface.
3. Slope conditions cannot be defined.
4. Only open contours can be used, i.e., the option cannot be used to modify the entire
boundary of a surface in one operation.
5. Large modifications will not be performed.
CURVES
1. When using the 2D option, entities which are do not lie on the selected plane are
projected onto it at the beginning of the interaction. Note that such entities are
modified by the projection, even if the user only selects the VERIFY option. If this
modification is not wanted, the only recourse is to use the UNDO function.
SURFACES
1. Only the first surface selected is modified.
If the surface to be modified is not a NURBS surface, it is approximated to NURBS
within the specified tolerance.
2. The resuIting surface is a minimum energy NURBS surface, to ensure maximum
smoothness.
3. A trimmed surface may be adjoined, however the selected edge cannot be a trimmed
boundary. However, for the special case where the surface to be adjoined is a
trimmed surface with four boundary curves and no islands, the trimmed boundary may
be selected. In this case the TRMSRF TO SURFACE algorithm is applied.
4. The reference edge must be smooth.
5. The surface to be adjoined may have no more than one degenerated edge.
6. When the option PLANE is selected, the reference edge must lie on the plane.
7. If the surface to be modified already meets the requested conditions, no operation is
performed and the following message is displayed:
CURRENT SURFACE ALREADY SATISFIES TOLERANCE + SLOPE CONDITIONS.
8. When adjoining a complex, non-NURBS surface, using the LOCAL option, the
conversion to a NURBS surface may take time.
9. The area to be modified cannot contain more than 600 control points for non-rational
NURBS and 100 points for rational NURBS.
10. Options SURFACE and SURF-NRM:
The resulting surface satisfies an angular tolerance of 0.45 degrees with respect to the
reference surface. However, if the reference surface has large slope variations, the
angular tolerance may not be met in these areas. If this occurs, a warning message is
displayed:
WARNING: EXCESSIVE VARIATIONS FOUND IN REFERENCE SURFACE SLOPES
If the reference surface is a trimmed surface, the option SURF-NRM gives the same
result as SURFACE.
5-106
MODIFY
CREATE POINTS
1. Inflection points may only be created for Bezier splines and 2D NURBS splines.
2. It is not possible to create points for a TRIMMED surface.
3. If a non-NURBS surface is trimmed by parameter, the points of the original surface
may be created.
FAIR
1. Any kind of curves and surfaces may be faired/checked for smoothness.
2. Multi-pick is available for the selection of curves and surfaces.
3. When a surface is faired, the result is a non-rational (uniform weights) NURBS
surface.
LOCAL FAIR
1. This option can only be applied to NURBS surfaces.
2. The purpose of this option is to reduce the energy in a localized wavy region of a
surface. If the boundaries of the surface are themselves wavy, you cannot use this
option to flatten a local region, because this would increase the energy of the
surface.
MODIFY POINTS
1. When modifying the points of a 2D NURBS spline, dynamic display (dragging) is
available.
2. Through points of periodic NURBS splines cannot be modified.
3. Through points of NURBS splines of degree 4 and higher cannot be modified.
4. For NURBS surfaces, additional patches may be created, if required, to modify a
through point.
5. The minimum region of modification for NURBS surfaces is approximately 1/100 of the
parametric range.
6. For offset NURBS surfaces, only the control points of the original surface may be
modified.
7. For Bezier Mesh or Gregory surfaces, only the nodes may be repositioned. The
coordinates of the other control points may be only verified.
8. To change the coordinates of Bezier Mesh surface or Gregory surface control points,
run Cimatron with the option cim90 -au (advanced user).
9. If a non-NURBS surface was trimmed by parameter, the control points of the original
surface may be modified. The shape of the resulting surface is changed accordingly.
5-107
MODIFY
MODIFY SLOPES
SPLINES
1. The slopes of periodic NURBS splines cannot be modified.
2. For non-periodic NURBS splines, only the slopes at the endpoints of the spline may
be modified.
3. Non-periodic NURBS splines, of degree 9 and higher, cannot be modified.
SURFACES
1. Any type of surface can be modified with this option, however, the result will be a
NURBS surface.
2. Large slope modifications (> 45 degrees) will not be performed.
3. The clipped boundary of a trimmed surface cannot be modified, i.e. only isoparametric
edges of trimmed surfaces can be modified.
4. LINEAR option cannot be applied to closed surface boundaries.
5. LINEAR option cannot be applied to an edge which has a degenerated corner.
6. LINEAR and SURFACE options cannot be applied to a degenerated boundary.
7. With option MODIFY SLOPE - SURF-NRM the parametric curves of the surface are
not changed as with option MODIFY SLOPE - SURFACE.
NURBS Surfaces
8. In the following cases, the original surface is deleted and a new entity is created:
- The original surface is of degree 1 in the U or V direction
- The original surface has less than 7 control points.
- The original surface is trimmed by parameter or by using VERIFY.
9. For the PLANE option, the selected edge must lie on the defined plane within a
distance of one percent of the edges length.
10. For the SURFACE and SURF-NRM options, the modified surface satisfies an angular
tolerance of 0.45 degrees with respect to the reference surface.
PLFACE TO TRMSRF
1. The resulting surface is usually a trimmed Drive/Parallel surface. However, if the
PLFACE has three or four boundary curves and no islands, a Ruled Surface
(untrimmed) is created.
SURFACE EXTENSION
1. The surface is extended linearly, according to the defined length.
2. The resulting surface is a NURBS surface.
3. Multiple boundary curves may be selected.
TRMSRF TO SURFACE
1. Only trimmed surfaces with 4 boundaries and no islands may be modified.
2. Many trimmed surfaces may be treated at once. However, each surface has to be
picked individually, as each surface is evaluated individually. q
5-108
PARTLN
PARTLN
Create a parting line(s) and parting a surface(s) to indicate

where the mold should be cut in order to remove a part.
The parting line(s) pass on the surface(s) through points where the surface normals are parallel to
the specified plane.
The parting surface is the surface tangential to a given surface at a point where the parting line
passes through.
ANGLE
PICK POINTS TO DEFINE PLANE
Figure 5-55: PARTLN

DEFINE PLANE
The work plane options are displayed. Use one of these

options to define a plane.
Main Options:
SELECT
CURVE
SURFACE
CURVE
Create parting line(s).
SURFACE
Create parting surface(s).
5-109
PARTLN
PARTLN >> CURVE

Create a parting line(s).
INDICATE DIRECTION
PICK SURFACE/EXIT
ANGLE = 10
ANGLE = 0
DEFINE PLANE
( 3 POINTS )
Figure 5-56: PARTLN >> CURVE
How To:
1. Pick surfaces on which to create a parting line(s).
Interaction:
TOL = 0.100
DIVIDE OFF /
ANGLE = 1.000
DIVIDE ON
Pick surfaces on which to create a parting line(s). Use

<SUBMENU> to multi-pick more than one surface.
Press <EXIT> when finished. Parting lines are created with
the active line attributes.
5-110
PARTLN
PARTLN >> SURFACE
Create a parting surface(s).

How To:
1. Pick the surfaces.
3. Indicate the direction of the parting surface.
Interaction:
TOL = 0.100
DISP. LINES = 3
DIVIDE OFF /
ANGLE = 1.000
DIVIDE ON
PARTLINES ON
PARTLINES OFF
DISP. CURVES = 3
Pick surfaces on which to create a parting surface(s). Use

<SUBMENU> to multi-pick more than one surface.
Set the modal parameters. A positive draft angle is
required.Press <EXIT> when finished.
Indicate the direction in which the parting surface will be
created.
INDICATE DIRECTION
PARTLN Modal Parameter Definitions
n ANGLE = 1
Enter the value of the draft angle.
n DISP. CURVES
Enter the number of displayed curves which will represent

the surface.
n DISP. LINES
Enter the number of displayed line segments which will

represent the surface.
n DIVIDE ON
Create the parting line on the surface and divide the surface
at the parting line.
Create the parting line on the surface without dividing the
surface.
DIVIDE OFF
Display the parting lines. Only appears if the SURFACE

option has been selected.
Do not display the parting lines. Only appears if the
SURFACE option has been selected
n PARTLINES ON
PARTLINES OFF
n TOL = 0.100
PARTLN Usage Envelope

1. The parting surface is a RULED surface.
2. When there is more than one possible parting line on a single surface, the parting
line created is that nearest to the point picked on the surface.
3. When the specified plane is coincident with the display, the parting line will become
an outline curve.
4. When using multi-pick options, you may find the result to be unacceptable. In such
q
cases, use the single-pick option to define additional surfaces.
5-111
PLFACE
PLFACE
Create a planar face which is bounded by a 2D closed contour

and may contain islands.
Note:
All curves picked to define the contour and islands in each planar
face, must lie on the same plane.
PICK 1ST CURVE
SYMBOL SIZE = 3.000
KEEP ORIGINAL /
DELETE ORIGINAL
PICK 1ST CURVE
Pick a curve to define the boundary of the planar face.
PICK 2ND CURVE
Pick a second curve. The CHAIN CURVE picking option is

automatically activated. If the curve is not closed
automatically, continue to pick curves to close it.
Note:
The endpoints of curves defining closed contours or islands must
coincide.
ISLAND 1: 1ST CURVE
Pick the first curve which defines an island in the planar face
as described for the outer edge of the planar face or <EXIT>.
ISLAND N: 1ST CURVE
Continue to define islands in the same way. <EXIT> when

finished.
ISLAND N: NTH CURVE
After <EXIT> is pressed to end island definition, the planar

face will be created.
One triangle symbol will appear at the midpoint of each curve
defining the face. Triangles will point towards the inside of
the first contour defined. Triangles will point towards the
outside of islands.
PICK 2ND CURVE
ISLAND ( NTH CURVE )
PICK 1ST CURVE

PLFACE SYMBOL
Figure 5-57: PLFACE
5-112
PLFACE
PLFACE Modal Parameter Definitions

n SYMBOL SIZE = 3.000
Note:
Use this modal to set the size of the triangle symbol which
indicates a planar face.
Use VERIFY >> SURFACES >> SURFACE DATA to change the
size of the symbol on planar faces already created.
n DELETE ORIGINAL
Delete the original entities that make up the planar face.
n KEEP ORIGINAL
Keep the original entities that make up the planar face.
5-113
PNTSRF
PNTSRF
Create a NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline) surface

entity by defining its section and cross-section curves by means
of THROUGH or CONTROL points.
A major advantage of NURBS surfaces over other surface types is the local control property. By
moving a CONTROL point, it is possible to change the shape of a surface in a specific vicinity
without affecting the shape of the curve in regions which are far removed from the altered point.
IND. CNTRL.PT ( N, M )
1.4
1.5
6.4
1.2
1.3
6.3
6.2
6.5
6.1
5.1
4.1
3.1
2.1
1.1
IND. CNTRL. PT ( N , M )
Figure 5-58: NURBS SURFACE
5-114
PNTSRF
PNTSRF >> THROUGH POINTS

Create a surface by defining the THROUGH points of its section and cross section curves. The
surface will pass through each point.
How To:
1. Pick surfaces on which to create a parting line(s) and set the modal parameters.
Interaction:
IND. THRU PT(1,1)
NO. PTS IN ROW = 4
DISP.SECTIONS = 5
DISP.CROSS.SECT = 5
Set the modals and indicate the THROUGH points for each
row.
IND. THROU PT (n, m)
n is the number of the section (row) and m is the number of

the point with respect to the row. Both numbers will start with
1 and be incremented automatically as points are indicated.
Press <EXIT> when the final point has been indicated.
PNTSRF >> CONTROL POINTS

Create a surface by defining the CONTROL points of its section and cross section curves.
Interaction:
IND. CNTRL PT(1,1)
NO PTS IN ROW = 96
DISP.SECTIONS = 5
DISP.CROSS.SECT = 5
WEIGHT = 1.000
DEGREE SECTIONS = 2
DEGREE CROSS SECT. = 2
Set the modals and indicate the CONTROL points.
IND. CNTRL PT (n, m)
n is the number of the section (row) and m is the number of

the point with respect to the row. Both numbers start with 1
and are incremented automatically as points are indicated.
Press <EXIT> when the specified number of control points
has been indicated.
END DEFINITION?YES NO YES
NO
Surface will be created.

Change modals and/or define more points.
The surface will be displayed after processing is complete.
EXECUTING
PNTSRF Modal Parameter Definitions

n CONTROL PTS = 3
Number of control points in one direction.
n DEGREE = 2
Degree of spline curves which are defined by control points

in one direction.
n DISP.CROSS SECT = 2
Number of curves used to display the surface in the V

direction.
n DISP.SECTIONS = 2
Number of curves used to display the surface in the U

direction.
5-115
PNTSRF
n NO. PTS. IN ROW
Number of points defined per section curve.
n WEIGHT = 1.000
Enter the relative influence this control point will have on the
surface. If all weights are equal, the result will be a
non-rational NURBS surface.
PNTSRF Usage Envelope
The following table presents the range of values that can be entered for the modal parameters:
Parameter
Maximum
Minimum
CONTROL PTS
96
NO PTS IN ROW
96
DEGREE (THROUGH POINTS)
2 in section direction, 1 in
cross section direction
DEGREE (CONTROL POINTS)
10
DISP.SECTIONS
1000
DISP.CROSS SECT
1000
WEIGHT
100000
0.001
GENERAL
1. At least three sections must be defined.
THROUGH POINTS
1. The total number of through points must be a multiple of the value entered for the
parameter NO. PTS IN ROW.
CONTROL POINTS
1. The number of CONTROL points in each direction must be n (value of the degree) +
1.
2. All section curves must have the same number of control points.
3. The number of CROSS CONTROL POINTS is defined by the system according to the
definition of the sections. The user only defines cross-section parameters such as
DEGREE, etc..
4. The WEIGHT modal parameter controls the influence that each control point has on
the surface. If all weights are equal, the surface is a non-rational NURBS surface.
5. A degenerated boundary may be creating by selecting all of its control points at the
same location. q
5-116
SCALE
SCALE
Create new entities from originals by specifying X and/or Y

and/or Z scale factors, according to the coordinate system.
PICK UCS
X SCALE = 0.5
Y SCALE = 0.7
Z SCALE = 0.85
TOL. = 0.1
KEEP ORIGINAL/
AS ORIGINAL /
NO ATTRIB /
DELETE ORIG.
AS ACTIVE
SAME ATTRIB
PICK UCS
Pick the UCS to be used to perform the scaling.
Pick the entities to be scaled. Use <SUBMENU> for the

multipick option. Press <EXIT> when finished.
EXECUTING
The new entities are created.
X scale = 0.5
Y scale = 0.7
Z scale = 0.85
Z
X
PICK ENTITIES/EXIT
( ALL )
PICK UCS/EXIT
Figure 5-59: SCALE
SCALE Modal Parameter Definitions

n AS ACTIVE
Assign the active level, line font, pen and color to the copies.
n AS ORIGINAL
entities to the copied entities.
n DELETE ORIGINAL
Delete the original entities.
n KEEP ORIGINAL
Retain the original entities.
n NO ATTRIB
n SAME ATTRIB
Attach attribute records to the new entities.
n TOL. = 0.1
Set the maximum approximation tolerance.
n X SCALE = 2
Scale factor for the X axis.
n Y SCALE = 2
Scale factor for the Y axis.
n Z SCALE = 2
Scale factor for the Z axis.
5-117
SCALE
SCALE Usage Envelope

1. All types of geometric entities may be handled.
2. If an original entity is a:
point- it is copied to a point with new coordinates;
line- it is copied to a line;
circle- a conic (ellipse) is created if scale factors are not equal;
curve- a NURBS spline is created as a result of scaling.
surface- a NURBS surface will be created.
3. If scale factors are equal in all directions, the new entity will be of the same type as
the original, (e.g. an original RULED surface will result in the creation of a new
RULED surface).
4. If a trimmed surface is scaled, the new surface will also be a trimmed surface.
However, the original trimmed surface is transformed into a NURBS surface.
5. After picking a UCS, the parameter KEEP ORIGINAL / DELETE ORIGINAL is blocked
q
and cannot be changed.
5-118
SRFCRV
SRFCRV
Create curves according to the U or V direction of surfaces, or

the boundaries of trimmed surfaces and planar faces.
PICK SURFACES&EXIT
Pick surfaces, trimmed surfaces or planar faces.

If more than one entity is selected, only boundary curves will
be created.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
TOL = 0.001
KEEP DUPLICATED /
DELETE DUPLICATED
Set the modals and <CR>.

EXECUTING ...
The boundary curves are created.

If only one entity is selected, the options displayed depend
upon its type:
SURFACE
SELECT OPTION
TRIMMED SURFACE
CURVE
SELECT OPTION
DISPLAY CURVES
BOUNDARY CURVES
DISPLAY CURVES
PLANAR FACE
SELECT OPTION
SINGLE CURVE
ALL CURVES
BY INDICATION
SURFACE
If a surface is picked, continue to select one of the following options. If a trimmed surface is
picked, see TRIMMED SURFACE after the SURFACE description.
SELECT OPTION:
CURVE
DISPLAY CURVES
CURVE
Create one curve entity on a surface at a distance from a

surface boundary, at a constant parametric value. This curve
entity may either be created at a specified parametric distance
from the surface boundary, or at an indicated point on the
surface.
DISPLAY CURVES
Create a net of curves on a surface according to the

parametric directions.
5-119
SRFCRV
SRFCRV >> CURVE
(Surface)
Create one curve entity on a surface at a distance from a surface boundary, at a

constant parametric value.
IND. POINT ON SURFACE
V - DIRECTION
PICK SURFACE/EXIT
BY INDICATION
Figure 5-60: SRFCRV >> CURVE (BY INDICATION)
How To:
1. Pick the surface either at the boundary or at the parametric display curve relative to
which the curve will be created.
2. Set the modals, indicate the point on the surface where the new curve is to be
created, and enter the permitted tolerance.
Interaction:
SELECT
5-120
BY PARAMETER
BY INDICATION
SRFCRV
CURVE >> BY PARAMETER

Enter a parameter value to determine the position of the curve on the surface.
P - VALUE = 0.75
P - VALUE = 1.00
P- VALUE = 0.00
IND. BOUNDARY CURVE
PICK SURFACE/EXIT
BY PARAMETER
Figure 5-61: SRFCRV >> CURVE (BY PARAMETER)
How To:
1. Enter the required modal parameters and pick a boundary curve.
Interaction:
IND. BOUNDARY CURVE
TOL = 0.100
P-VALUE = 0.500
IND. BOUNDARY CURVE Enter the appropriate parameters and pick a boundary curve.
EXECUTING
The curve will be created.
5-121
SRFCRV
CURVE >> BY INDICATION

Indicate a point to determine the position of the curve on the surface.
How To:
1. Set the required modal parameters and indicate a point.
Interaction:
IND. PT ON SURFACE
TOL = 0.100
U-DIRECTION /
V-DIRECTION
IND. PT ON SURFACE
Two arrows are displayed at the location where the surface

was picked. These arrows show the U and V directions of the
surface.
Select the required modal parameters and indicate a point
(press <SUBMENU> to use the point indication options).
Note:
5-122
If a point outside the surface boundary is selected, the parametric
curve is drawn at the closest point on the surface.
SRFCRV
SRFCRV >> DISPLAY CURVES
(Surface)
Create a net of curves on a surface.

PICK SURFACE/EXIT
NO. OF LINES = 2
NO. OF CURVES = 3
NO. OF LINES = 4
NO. OF CURVES = 4
Figure 5-62: SRFCRV >> DISPLAY CURVES
How To:
1. Use the parameters to set the number of curves to be created in the U and V
directions (the default is the number of currently displayed curves) and also the
maximum deviation from the surface that will be tolerated.
Notes:
To create curves at the boundary of a surface, set the number of
display curves in the U and V directions to 0.
Parameters that consist of numbers, refer to numbers per patch. For
example, NO. OF LINES means the number of lines per patch.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
NO. OF LINES = 2
NO. OF CURVES = 3
TOL = 0.100
<CR> TO CONTINUE
EXECUTING
The curves will be created.
5-123
SRFCRV
TRIMMED SURFACE
Create curve entities on a trimmed surface.
SELECT OPTION
BOUNDARY CURVES
DISPLAY CURVES
BY INDICATION
BOUNDARY CURVES
Create individual curves at the boundaries of the trimmed

surface.
DISPLAY CURVES
Create a net of curves on the trimmed surface.
BY INDICATION
Indicate a point to determine the position of the curve on the

trimmed surface.
Note:
To create all curves at the boundary of a trimmed surface and the
boundaries of any islands, select:

TRIMMED SURFACE >> BOUNDARY CURVES >> ALL
CURVES
or
TRIMMED SURFACE >> DISPLAY CURVES, and set the
number of display curves in the U and V directions to 0.
SRFCRV >> BOUNDARY CURVES

SELECT OPTION
(Trimmed Surface)
SINGLE CURVE
SINGLE CONTOUR
ALL CURVES
BOUNDARY CURVES >> SINGLE CURVE

IND. CURVE
TOL = 0.100
IND. CURVE
Indicate a boundary of the trimmed surface.
EXECUTING
BOUNDARY CURVES >> SINGLE CONTOUR

IND. CONTOUR
5-124
TOL = 0.100
IND. CONTOUR
Indicate a boundary of the trimmed surface.
EXECUTING
The whole inner or outer boundary contour will be created.
SRFCRV
BOUNDARY CURVES >> ALL CURVES

<CR> TO CONTINUE
TOL = 0.100
<CR> TO CONTINUE
Press <CR> to select all the curves.
EXECUTING
All boundary contours will be created.
SRFCRV >> DISPLAY CURVES
(Trimmed Surface)
Create a net of curves on a trimmed surface.
Note:
Parameters that consist of numbers, refer to numbers per patch. For
example, NO. OF LINES means the number of lines per patch.
How To:
1. Use the parameters to set the number of curves to be created in the U and V
directions (the default is the number of currently displayed curves) and also the
maximum deviation from the surface that will be tolerated.
Interaction:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
NO. OF LINES = 3
NO. OF CURVES = 2
TOL = 0.100
<CR> TO CONTINUE
The curves are created.
EXECUTING
SRFCRV >> BY INDICATION
(Trimmed Surface)
How To:
1. Select the required direction (U or V).
2. Select the required modal parameters and indicate a point.
Interaction:
IND. PT ON SURFACE
IND. PT ON SURFACE
TOL = 0.100
U - DIRECTION
Two arrows are displayed where the surface was picked.

These arrows show the U and V directions of the surface.
Select the required direction.
Select the required modal parameters and indicate a point.
(Press <SUBMENU> to use the point indication options).
Note:
If a point outside the surface boundary is selected, the parametric
curve is drawn at the closest point on the surface.
5-125
SRFCRV
PLANAR FACE
Create curves at the boundaries of a planar face.
SELECT OPTION
SINGLE CURVE
ALL CURVES
SINGLE CURVE
Create individual curves at the boundaries of the planar face.
ALL CURVES
Create curves at all boundaries of the planar face.
SRFCRV >> SINGLE CURVE

PICK CURVES & EXIT
Pick the boundary where the curve is to be created.
SRFCRV >> ALL CURVES

SELECT OPTION
(Planar Face)
(Planar Face)
KEEP ORIGINAL /
DELETE ORIGINAL
SELECT OPTION
Select to either delete or keep the original planar face and

press <CR> to execute.
EXECUTING
The boundaries of the planar face will be created as curves.
SRFCRV Modal Parameter Definitions

n DELETE DUPLICATE
KEEP DUPLICATE
n DELETE ORIGINAL
KEEP ORIGINAL
Delete the original planar face.

Keep the original planar face.
n NO. OF ARCS =
The number of arcs which define a REVOL surface.
n NO. OF CRS-SEC =
The number of cross-section curves for a Bezier or Gregory

surface.
Note:
5-126
Delete duplicate boundary curves.

Keep duplicate boundary curves.
The default for the number of sections and cross-sections is the
current number of curves on the surface.
n NO. OF CURVES =
The number of curves that cross the arcs or line segments on

a REVOL or RULED surface.
n NO. OF DRIVES =
The number of curves in the direction of the DRIVE curve

for a Drive/Parallel surface.
n NO. OF LINES =
The number of line segments which define a RULED surface.
SRFCRV
n NO. OF SECTIONS =
The number of section curves for a Bezier, Gregory or

Drive/Parallel surface.
n NO. OF U-CURVES =
The number of curves in the U direction which define a

NURBS surface.
n NO. OF V-CURVES =
The number of curves in the V direction which cross the U

curves on a NURBS surface.
n P-VALUE = 0.500
A value between 0 and 1 to set the parametric distance of the

new curve from the picked boundary curve.
Note:
A P-VALUE of 0 will cause the new curve to be created on the
picked boundary.
A P-VALUE of 1 will cause the new curve to be created on the

opposite boundary.
Values between 0 and 1 create curves between the two boundaries.
n TOL = 0.100
Enter the maximum deviation from the surface that will be

tolerated.
n U - DIRECTION
Create a curve in the U direction.
n V - DIRECTION
Create a curve in the V direction.
SRFCRV Usage Envelope

DISPLAY CURVES
1. The modals NO. OF SECTIONS/CRS-SEC/U-CURVES/V-CURVES/DRIVES/
ARCS/LINES are explained on page II-6, Display of the Surface on the Screen.
2. The resulting curves may be lines, arcs, circles or NURBS splines. q
5-127
SRFLAT
SRFLAT
Flatten a surface or a trimmed surface, creating a 2D contour.
PICK SURF. OR TRMSRF.
IND. REF. PT. ON SURF.
IND. DIRECTION
IND. REF. PT. ON PLANE
DEFINE PLANE
Figure 5-63: SRFLAT
How To:
1. Define a new active plane and indicate a reference point on it.
2. Indicate another point to define a direction.
3. Pick the surface to be flattened.
4. Indicate a reference point on the surface and confirm.
5-128
SRFLAT
Interaction:
Note:
To be able to flatten a surface, one of the surfaces directions (U or
V) must be defined by geometrically straight lines.

plane temporarily.
DEFINE PLANE

General Functions Manual for a detailed explanation of the
options.
IND.REF.PT. ON PLANE
Indicate a point on the active work plane to be used as a

reference point for positioning the flattened surface.
IND. DIRECTION
Indicate a point on the plane which, together with the

reference point, defines a direction.
The straight line that defines the surface that passes through
the reference point on the surface (to be indicated in the next
step) will coincide with this direction. See the note at
beginning of this function.
PICK SURF. OR TRMSRF
CONTOUR TOL = 0.100
PLANE TOL = 0.010
NSEG = 100
PICK SURF. OR TRMSRF <PICK> the surface to be flattened.

IND. REF. PT. ON SURF
Indicate a point on the surface to be placed at the reference

point indicated above. The surface will be placed relative to
this point.
REFERENCE PT. OK?
YES
NO
The flattened 2D contour is produced and displayed.

Re-indicate the reference point.
SRFLAT Modal Parameter Definitions

n CONTOUR TOL = 0.100
Enter the maximum deviation for creating splines to represent

flattened boundaries that are not straight contours.
n PLANE TOL = 0.010
Enter the maximum deviation permitted between planar

segments used to represent the surface and the actual surface.
n NSEG = 100
Specify the number of planar segments to be used to create

the flattened surface. A larger number will result in a more
accurate surface. q
5-129
SRFSEC
SRFSEC
Create a curve entity where one surface penetrates another or

where surface(s) are cut by a work plane.
Main Options:
SELECT SECTION TYPE
PLANE
SURFACE
PLANE
Create 2D curve entities where surfaces are surface(s) are cut

by a work plane. Additional curve entities may be created by
offsetting the work plane linearly, or angularly with respect to
a defined axis.
SURFACE
Create a curve entity where surfaces penetrate each other.
SRFSEC >> PLANE

Create 2D curve entities where surface(s) are cut by a work plane. Additional curve
entities may be created by offsetting the work plane linearly, or angularly with respect
to an axis.
Notes:
A section plane is, temporarily, the active work plane.

When a surface is planar and lies on the indicated plane, an
intersection will not be found.
SELECT OPTION
PARALLEL SECTIONS
RADIAL SECTIONS
5-130
SRFSEC
PLANE >> PARALLEL SECTIONS

Create 2D curve entities where selected surface(s) are cut by a work plane. Additional curves
may be created by offsetting the work plane in a defined direction.
How To:
1. Define a new active plane.
2. Pick the surface(s) that will be penetrated by the section plane(s), and set the
parameters.
3. Indicate the direction in which the section planes will be offset from the active work
plane.
Interaction:
The work plane options are displayed. Use one of these
options to define an active work plane temporarily (the
default is the XY plane of the active coordinate system).
DEFINE PLANE :

TOL = 0.100
NO. OF SECTIONS = 2
DELTA = 10.000
Pick the surface(s) that will be penetrated by the section

plane(s), and set the parameters.
INDICATE DIRECTION
If the number of section planes > 1, specify the direction in

which the section planes will be offset from the active work
plane.
EXECUTING
EXECUTE: 1ST SURFACE

EXECUTE: NTH SURFACE
5-131
SRFSEC
PLANE >> RADIAL SECTIONS

Create 2D curve entities where selected surface(s) are cut by a work plane which is
offset radially around a selected axis. The work plane is defined by two points on the
axis, and a point on the surface.
IND. AXIS DIRECTION
PICK SURFACES
IND. START POINT

IND. AXIS ORIGIN
Figure 5-64: SRFSEC>> PLANE >>RADIAL SECTIONS
How To:
1. Pick surface(s) that will be cut by the radial plane(s), and set the parameters.
2. Indicate a point to define the origin of the axis of rotation .and a point to define the
direction.
3. Indicate the start point of the radial section and confirm.
Interaction:
TOL = 0.100
NO. OF SECTIONS = 2
DELTA ANGLE= 10.000
Pick surface(s) that will be cut by the radial plane(s), and set
the parameters.
INDICATE AXIS ORIGIN
Indicate a point to define the origin of the axis of rotation.
INDICATE AXIS DIRECTION Indicate a point to define the direction of the axis.
IND. START POINT
Indicate the point on the surface at which the first radial

section will be created.
POINTS O.K.? YES NO YES

NO
EXECUTING
5-132
The section curves will be created.

Redefine the axis direction point.
SRFSEC
SRFSEC >> SURFACE

Create curve entities between penetrating surfaces at one intersection or at all intersections.
Note:
If the surfaces are picked at positions which are not close enough to
the penetration curve, the algorithm may fail.
SELECT OPTION
LOCAL INTERSECTION
GLOBAL INTERSECTION
SURFACE >> LOCAL INTERSECTION

Acquire one intersection between selected surfaces, near the locations where they are picked.
PICK 2ND SURFACE
PICK 1ST SURFACE
Figure 5-65: SRFSEC>> PLANE >>LOCAL INTERSECTION
How To:
1. Pick the first and second surfaces and confirm.
Interaction:
PICK 1ST SURFACE
TOL = 0.100
PICK 1ST SURFACE
Pick the first surface.
PICK 2ND SURFACE
Pick the second surface.
SURFACES O.K.?
YES NO
YES
NO
Accept the picked surfaces. The intersection curve will

be created.
Reselect the second surface.
EXECUTING
5-133
SRFSEC
SURFACE >> GLOBAL INTERSECTION

Acquire all the intersection between selected surfaces.
PICK 2ND SURFACE
PICK 1ST SURFACE
Figure 5-66: SRFSEC>> PLANE >>GLOBAL INTERSECTION
How To:
1. Pick the surfaces which are penetrated.
2. Pick the surfaces which will penetrate the other surfaces.
Interaction:
PICK CUT SRF(S) & EXIT
TOL = 0.100
Pick the surfaces which are penetrated.
PICK CUT SRF(S) & EXIT Pick the surfaces which will penetrate the other surfaces.
EXECUTING
5-134
SRFSEC
SRFSEC Modal Parameter Definitions

n DELTA = 10.000
Enter the offset distance between parallel section planes.
n DELTA ANGLE= 10.000
Enter the offset angle between radial section planes. The

angle must be greater than 0.
n NO OF SECTIONS = 2
Enter the number of section planes (i.e., the number of 2D curve

entities which will be created.)
If NO OF SECTIONS > 1, specify the offset distance
(PARALLEL SECTIONS) or angle (RADIAL SECTIONS).
n TOL = 0.100
Maximum distance permitted between the curve entities and

the surface on the section plane. q
5-135
SURF_EXT
SURF_EXT
Extend a sequence of surfaces.
The interaction is basically the same as in EXTENSION. The system tries to find the
most probable direction according to the chosen contour out of the X, -X, Y Y
directions. You may change that direction later on. It is important to stress that in
tangent extensions, the direction is only used in ambiguous situations.
How To:
1. Pick an implicit contour (the usual submenu options are available for the chaining of
implicit curves : i.e. SINGLE CURVES, CHAIN CURVES and LIMITED CHAIN) and
then perform an extension operation on it.
2. At the beginning of each operation, a tolerance for the contour is set. If the contour
has large gaps, you may redefine a larger tolerance and then re-pick the contour.
The contour tolerance entered at the beginning of each operation refers only to the
selection of the contours; the extension surfaces will be created according to the
Geometry Tolerance specified in the Preference File (see Names & Tolerances on
page ).
3. When creating the extensions, the system bridges over gaps in the geometry.
4. For the next extension operation, the contour is automatically picked. In the TANGENT,
DIRECTION and TANGENT 2 DIR. options, described below, the system combines
extension surfaces where it is relevant, to create better geometry.
Interaction:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
n CONT. TOL
Select the faces to be extended.

CONT. TOL = 0.100
Set the contour tolerance and then select <CR> to continue.
You are then prompted to define the boundary of the surfaces to be extended. For a
detailed explanation of point/curve picking and indicating directions, see Chapter 3 of
the Fundamentals and General Functions Manual.
PICK 1ST CRV/EXIT
Pick the first curve from the boundary of the burning

surfaces.
INDICATE DIRECTION
Indicate the desired direction. Use the submenu chaining

options as required.
SINGLE CURVES
CHAIN CURVES
LIMITED CHAIN
PICK 2ND CRV/EXIT
5-136
Pick the second curve from the boundary of the burning

surfaces. Use the submenu chaining options as required.
Select <EXIT> when finished.
SURF_EXT
Main Options:
The SURF_EXT function options are then displayed:
SELECT
TANGENT
DIRECTION
TANGENT 2 DIR.
FILLER SURFACE
TANGENT
In general, the first extension in any set of extensions should

be a tangent extension. The faces are extended tangentially
by a certain value or to a plane. In this option, you can
change the direction.
DIRECTION
Create extension surfaces (in a specified direction).
TANGENT 2 DIR.
Create a tangent extension out of a complex 3D contour that

cannot be extended in one direction only.
FILLER SURFACE
Usually after one or two side extensions, the open face has to
be sealed. This function creates a surface that closes the
contour.
5-137
SURF_EXT
SURF_EXT >> TANGENT

In general, the first extension in any set of extensions should be a tangent extension. The faces are
extended tangentially by a certain value or to a plane.
The following options are available under TANGENT:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
LENGTH
LENGTH = 10.000
CHANGE DIRECTION FLIP DIRECTION
LENGTH
MIN. DISTANCE
TO POINT
TANGENT >> LENGTH

Each surface will be tangentially extended by the defined length.
PICK LAST CURVE
PICK 1ST CRV

( CHOOSE LIMITED CHAIN )
INDICATE DIRECTION
INDICATE DIRECTION
Figure 5-67: TANGENT >> LENGTH
Interaction:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
n LENGTH = 10.000
5-138
LENGTH
LENGTH = 10.000
Define the length by which to extend the tangent extension.
SURF_EXT
TANGENT >> MIN. DISTANCE

All the surfaces will be tangentially extended to a plane (normal to the defined direction) at the
defined distance.
PICK LAST CURVE
PICK 1ST CRV

INDICATE DIRECTION
INDICATE DIRECTION
Figure 5-68: TANGENT >> MIN. DISTANCE
Interaction:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
n LENGTH = 10.000
MIN. DISTANCE LENGTH = 10.000
Define the minimum distance from the nearest point on the

contour.
5-139
SURF_EXT
TANGENT >> TO POINT

All the surfaces will be tangentially extended to a plane (normal to the defined direction) at a
position indicated by a point.
PICK LAST CURVE
PICK 1ST CRV

INDICATE DIRECTION
INDICATE DIRECTION
Figure 5-69: TANGENT >> TO POINT
Interaction:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
INDICATE POINT
5-140
TO POINT
CHANGE DIRECTION
FLIP DIRECTION
Define a point. The usual submenu options for defining points

are available.
SURF_EXT
SURF_EXT >> DIRECTION

Create extension surfaces in a specified direction.
The following options are available under DIRECTION:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
LENGTH
LENGTH = 10.000
LENGTH
MIN. DISTANCE
TO POINT
DIRECTION >> LENGTH

Each surface will be extended in a specified direction, by the defined length.
PICK LAST CURVE
PICK 1ST CRV

INDICATE DIRECTION
INDICATE DIRECTION
Figure 5-70: DIRECTION >> LENGTH
Interaction:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
n LENGTH = 10.000
LENGTH
LENGTH = 10.000
Define the length by which to extend the Direction extension.
5-141
SURF_EXT
DIRECTION >> MIN. DISTANCE

All the surfaces will be extended in a specified direction, to a plane (normal to the defined
direction) at the defined distance.
PICK LAST CURVE
PICK 1ST CRV

INDICATE DIRECTION
INDICATE DIRECTION
Figure 5-71: DIRECTION >> MIN. DISTANCE
Interaction:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
n LENGTH = 10.000
5-142
MIN. DISTANCE LENGTH = 10.000

contour.
SURF_EXT
DIRECTION >> TO POINT

All the surfaces will be extended in a specified direction to a plane (normal to the defined direction)
at a position indicated by a point.
INDICATE DIRECTION
PICK 1ST CRV

PICK LAST CURVE
INDICATE POINT
( SURF-C )
INDICATE DIRECTION
Figure 5-72: DIRECTION >> TO POINT
Interaction:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
INDICATE POINT
TO POINT
CHANGE DIRECTION
FLIP DIRECTION
Define a point. The usual submenu options for defining

points are available.
5-143
SURF_EXT
SURF_EXT >> TANGENT 2 DIR.

Create a tangent extension out of a complex 3D contour that cannot be extended in one direction
only. The faces will be tangently extended and trimmed by 2 planes (one parallel to the XY and the
other normal to a defined direction).
PICK 1ST CRV
PICK LAST CURVE
INDICATE DIRECTION
Figure 5-73: TANGENT 2 DIR.
Interaction:
<CR> TO CONTINUE
MIN. DELTA Z = 1.000
MIN. SIDE DISTANCE = 3.000
CHANGE DIRECTION
FLIP DIRECTION
SURF_EXT >> FILLER SURFACE

Usually after one or two side extensions, the open face has to be sealed. The FILLER SURFACE
option creates a surface that closes the contour even if it is an open contour, provided that the
contour is more or less planar.
PICK 1ST CRV
PICK LAST CURVE
INDICATE DIRECTION
Figure 5-74: FILLER SURFACE
5-144
SURF_EXT
SURF_EXT Modal Parameter Definitions

n CHANGE DIRECTION
Change the direction. The direction here is used only for

ambiguous situations. For a detailed explanation of directions,
including use of the submenu, see Defining Slope Direction
in Chapter 3 of the Fundamentals and General Functions
Manual.
n FLIP DIRECTION
Flip the direction.
n MIN. DELTA Z =
Define the minimum distance in the Z direction.
n MIN. SIDE DISTANCE =

contour.
q
5-145
SURFSORT
SURFSORT
Process surfaces into 4 groups according to their visibility from

the Z direction of the ACTIVE UCS and define their display
parameters.
PICK SUFACES & EXIT(ALL)
Figure 5-75: SURFSORT
The function divides the picked surfaces into 4 groups.

The first group contains those surfaces that are seen from the -Z direction (TOP
SIDE).
The second group contains those surfaces that are seen from the +Z direction
(BOTTOM SIDE).
The 3rd group contains those surfaces that are partly seen from the Z (BOTH
SIDE).
The last group contains those surfaces that are totally parallel to the Z axis (NONE)
(the normal at each point on the surface is normal to the Z axis), and also those inner
surfaces that are not seen from the outside of the model.
PICK SURF. & EXIT
PICK SURF. & EXIT
CURR. NUM. OF PART SRF. = 0
Pick the surfaces to be processed.

Press <SUBMENU> for the surface selection options.
5-146
SURFSORT
<CR> TO CONTINUE
TOL=0.1
DEFINE PLN
LEVEL
PEN
LINE FONT
TOP SIDE
COLOR
BOTTOM SIDE
BOTH SIDE
NONE
PEN 1
SOLID
LEVEL=
PEN 2
DASH
LNAME=
PEN 3
CENTER
ACTIVE LEVEL
PEN 4
L DASH
PEN 5
FONT 5
PEN 6
FONT 6
PEN 7
FONT 7
PEN 8
FONT 8
Select level, color, pen and/or line font parameters.

Press <CR> to display the result.
EXECUTING
Notes :
The signs indicate that no output method is
defined.
Colors are set with default values and cannot be unset.

You dont have to set display parameters for all the groups.
SURFSORT: Modal Parameter Definitions

n ACTIVE LEVEL
Set the ACTIVE level to be the target level
n DEFINE PLN
Define the Z axis as the normal to the plane.
Unset the target level.
n LEVEL =
Chose an existing level name from the level map.
n LNAME =
Set a target level name.
n TOL
Define the tolerance (a finer tolerance produces better results,

however, this increases the execution time).
q
5-147
SWEEPF
SWEEPF
Sweep planar faces along a vector to create new planar faces.
Main Options:
SELECT
DELTA
REF. POINTS
DELTA
Sweep planar faces a given distance along an axis which is

parallel to the active Z axis.
REF. POINTS
Sweep planar faces along a vector which is defined by two

points.
Notes:
If a planar face includes lines that are not straight, i.e. curves, the
curves become drive surfaces when swept.
Do not pick planar faces that are parallel to the sweep vector.
DEFINE PLANE
PICK PLFACE/EXIT
IND. DIRECTION
Figure 5-76: SWEEP >> DELTA
5-148
SWEEPF
SWEEPF >> DELTA

Sweep planar faces a given distance along an axis which is parallel to the active Z
axis.
How To:
1. Define a new active plane.
3. Pick all the planar faces to be swept and indicate the desired sweep direction.
Interaction:
plane temporarily.
DEFINE PLANE

<CR> TO CONTINUE
<CR> TO CONTINUE
PICK PLFACES & EXIT
Note:
DELTA Z = 50.000
Set the modal and press <CR> to continue.

SYMBOL SIZE = 5.000
The size of the symbols on the new planar face (parallel to the
original planar face) created by the sweep cannot be changed. Only

the size of the symbols on the walls can be changed.
PICK PLFACES & EXIT
Pick all the planar faces to be swept. Use the <SUBMENU>

to pick multiple planar faces.
INDICATE DIRECTION
Indicate the desired sweep direction. The planar face(s) is

swept.
5-149
SWEEPF
SWEEPF >> REF. POINTS

Sweep planar faces along a vector which is defined by two points.
How To:
1. Indicate an origin and endpoint for the sweep vector.
2. Pick all the planar faces to be swept and indicate the desired sweep direction.
Interaction:
IND.REFERENCE POINT Indicate an origin for the sweep vector.
IND.TARGET POINT
PICK PLFACES & EXIT
Note:
Indicate an endpoint for the sweep vector.

SYMBOL SIZE = 5.000
The size of the symbols on the new planar face (parallel to the
original planar face) created by the sweep cannot be changed. Only

the size of the symbols on the walls may be changed.
PICK PLFACES & EXIT
Pick all the planar faces to be swept. Use the <SUBMENU>

to pick multiple planar faces.
INDICATE DIRECTION
Indicate the desired sweep direction. The planar face(s) is

swept.
SWEEPF Modal Parameter Definitions

5-150
n DELTA Z = 50.000
Enter the length of the sweep vector.
Enter a size, in the unit of measure of the part, for the planar
face symbol(s) that will appear on the walls created by the
sweep. q
TRMPLF
TRMPLF
Create a new planar face by trimming it by a 2D contour

which lies on the original planar face.
How To:
1. Pick the planar face from which the new planar face will be created.
2. Define the first contour.
3. Select another contour and indicate the region of the planar face which will remain
after trimming.
Interaction:
Note:
It is the users responsibility to define contours that trim the planar
face in a reasonable way.
PICK PLF TO EDIT
SYMBOL SIZE = 3.000
TOL. = 0.100
KEEP ORIGINAL /
DELETE ORIGINAL
PICK PLF TO EDIT
Note:
Pick the planar face from which the new planar face will be
created.
To select a planar face, <PICK> a symbol on one of its boundaries.
SELECT OR EXIT
PICK 1ST CURVE
CLOSED CONTOUR
OPEN CONTOUR
Pick the first curve in the 2D contour.

Continue to define the contour(s) as described in Defining
Contours in Chapter 3, Fundamentals & General Functions
Manual.
SELECT OR EXIT
IND REMAINING PART
CLOSED CONTOUR
OPEN CONTOUR
Select another contour or <EXIT> to continue.

Indicate the region of the planar face which will remain after
trimming. This may be inside or outside the first contour.
EXECUTING
The new trimmed planar face is created with its own planar
face symbol.
TRMPLF Modal Parameter Definitions

n DELETE ORIGINAL
The original planar face will be deleted.
n KEEP ORIGINAL
The original planar face will be retained.
Use this modal to set the size of the triangle symbol which
indicates a planar face.
n TOL. = 0.100
Set the maximum deviation permitted between the contour(s)

and the planar face.
q
5-151
TRMSRF
TRMSRF
Trim a surface to create trimmed surface, restore all or part of

the original surface, modify the boundaries of a trimmed
surface.
Main Options:
SELECT TRIM OPTION
PLANE
SURFACE
PARAMETER
CONTOURS
ORIGINAL
EDIT CONTOURS
MODIFY BOUNDARY
FIX BOUNDARY
5-152
PLANE
Create a new surface based on an existing surface, with

boundaries defined by a plane that intersects the surfaces.
SURFACE

boundaries defined by other intersecting surfaces.
PARAMETER
Create a new surface based on an existing surface and a U or

V parameter value at a point indicated on the surface.
CONTOURS

boundaries defined by a contour(s) on, or projected onto, the
surface.
ORIGINAL
Restore the original surface from which a trimmed surface

was created.
EDIT CONTOURS
Cancel some or all of the trimming contours to create a new

trimmed surface; create partial or full complement surfaces
(the part of the original surface which was trimmed away).
MODIFY BOUNDARY
Redefine the division of a trimmed surface boundary.
FIX BOUNDARY
Find and fix trimmed surfaces with incorrect contour

directions or hierarchy, or with self-intersecting contours.
TRMSRF
TRMSRF >> PLANE

Create a new surface based on an existing surface, with boundaries defined by a
plane that intersects the surface.
DEFINE PLANE
PICK 3RD SURFACE
PICK 4TH SURFACE

PICK NTH SURFACE
PICK 2ND SURFACE

PICK 1ST SURFACE
TRIM
DIVIDE
Figure 5-77: TRMSRF >> PLANE
How To:
1. Pick the surfaces to be trimmed.
2. Define a trimming plane.
Interaction:
TRIM /
TOL = 0.100
DISP. U CURVES = 6
DISP. V CURVES = 6
DIVIDE
Pick the surfaces to be trimmed. Use <SUBMENU> for the

multiple pick options.
If more than one surface is picked, the following prompt
appears:
SURFACES O.K. ?
YES
NO
Accept the picked surfaces.

Define different surfaces.
DEFINE PLANE:

plane temporarily.
EXECUTING
The new surface(s) is created.
5-153
TRMSRF
TRMSRF >> SURFACE

Create a new surface based on an existing surface, with boundaries defined by other
intersecting surfaces.
PICK SURFACE TO TRIM
PICK 1ST SURFACE
PICK NTH SURFACE
TRIM ALL SURFACES
TRIM ONE SURFACE
Figure 5-78: TRMSRF >> SURFACE
How To:
1. Pick the surface from which the new surface will be created.
2. Pick the trimming surface(s) and confirm.
Interaction:
TRIM ALL SURFACES /

TRIM ONE SURFACE
TRIM /
TOL = 0.100
DISP. U CURVES = 6
DISP. V CURVES = 6
DIVIDE
PICK SURFACE TO TRIM Pick the surface from which the new surface will be created.
PICK 1ST SURFACE
Pick the trimming surface(s) and <EXIT>. The surfaces must

be picked in sequence.
SURFACES O.K. ?
YES NO
YES
Accept the trimming surfaces.
NO
Select different trimming surfaces.
EXECUTING
5-154
TRMSRF
TRMSRF >> PARAMETER

Create a new surface based on an existing surface and a U or V parameter value at a
point indicated on the surface.
TRIM IN V - DIRECTION
TRIM IN U - DIRECTION
U
V
IND. PT. ON SURFACE TO TRIM
Figure 5-79: TRMSRF >> PARAMETER
How To:
1. Pick the surface from which the new surface will be created and set the modal
parameters.
2. Pick a point on the surface where the surface will be trimmed.
Interaction:
TRIM /
U - DIRECTION /
DIVIDE
V - DIRECTION
DISP. U CURVES = 6
DISP. V CURVES = 6
IND. PT ON SURFACE
Pick a point on the surface. This point specifies where the

surface will be trimmed.
EXECUTING
TRMSRF >> CONTOURS

Create a new surface based on an existing surface with boundaries defined by a contour(s) on,
or projected onto, the surface.
SELECT
PROJECTED
ON SURFACE
5-155
TRMSRF
CONTOURS >> PROJECTED

Create a new surface based on an existing surface, with boundaries defined by a
contour(s) projected onto the surface.
DIRECTION: 2ND POINT
DIRECTION: 1ST POINT

PICK 1ST CRV/EXIT
( OPEN CONTOUR )
IND. DIRECTION
PICK 1ST CRV/EXIT

(CLOSED CONTOUR )
Figure 5-80: TRMSRF >> CONTOURS >> PROJECTED
How To:
1. Define the contour.
2. Select an additional contour or <EXIT> to pick the surface to be trimmed.
3. Pick the surface from which the new surface will be created
4. Define the direction in which the contour will be projected onto the surface. If the draft
angle 0, indicate the draft direction (side).
Interaction:
SELECT OR EXIT
CLOSED CONTOUR
Define the contour or <EXIT> to finish.
PICK 1ST CURVE

SELECT OR EXIT
OPEN CONTOUR
CLOSED CONTOUR
OPEN CONTOUR
Select an additional contour or <EXIT> to pick the surface to

be trimmed.
TRIM /
TOL = 0.100
ANGLE = 0
DISP. U CURVES = 6
DISP. V CURVES = 6
DIVIDE
DIRECTION: PICK CURVE Pick the direction curve.
5-156
INDICATE DIRECTION
Define the direction in which the contour will be projected

onto the surface.
INDICATE SIDE
If ANGLE 0, indicate the direction of the angle. If

ANGLE = 0, the following prompt appears:
TRMSRF
CONTINUE ? YES NO YES

NO
Continue with the execution.

Reselect the direction curve.
EXECUTING
CONTOURS >> ON SURFACE

Create a new surface based on an existing surface with boundaries defined by a
contour(s) on the surface.
PICK 1ST CRV.
( OPEN CONTOUR )
PICK NTH CRV.

( OPEN CONTOUR )
Figure 5-81: TRMSRF >> CONTOURS >> ON SURFACE
How To:
1. Define the contour.
2. Select an additional contour or <EXIT> to pick the surface to be trimmed.
3. Pick the surface from which the new surface will be created
Interaction:
SELECT OR EXIT
CLOSED CONTOUR
Define the contour or <EXIT> to finish.
PICK 1ST CURVE

SELECT OR EXIT
OPEN CONTOUR
CLOSED CONTOUR
OPEN CONTOUR
Select an additional contour or <EXIT> to pick the surface to

be trimmed.
TRIM /
TOL = 0.100
DISP. U CURVES = 6
DISP. V CURVES = 6
DIVIDE
SURFACE O.K. ? YES NO YES
NO
EXECUTING
Create a new surface.

<PICK> another surface to be trimmed.
5-157
TRMSRF
TRMSRF >> ORIGINAL

Restore the original surface from which a trimmed surface was created.
How To:
1. Pick the trimmed surface from which the original surface will be restored.
Interaction:
PICK SURF TO RESTORE
KEEP TRIMMED SURF /
AS TRIMMED /
DELETE TRIM SURF
AS ACTIVE
DISP. U CURVES = 6
DISP. V CURVES = 6
PICK SURF TO RESTORE Pick the trimmed surface from which the original surface will
be restored.
EXECUTING
The original surface is restored.
TRMSRF >> EDIT CONTOURS

Edit full or partial external contours of a trimmed surface; create partial or full
complement surfaces.
A complement surface is the part of the original surface which was removed in order
to create the trimmed surface. For example, consider a trimmed surface which
contains a single island (hole). The complement is the part of the original surface
which was within the island.
PICK CONTOUR
CANCEL
PICK BOUNDARY/EXIT
COMPLEMENT
Figure 5-82: TRMSRF >> EDIT CONTOURS - PARTIAL
How To:
1. Set the modal parameters and pick the boundary to be edited.
2. Select the boundary contours (between the symbols) to be canceled, or to be used to
create the complement surfaces, then confirm.
5-158
TRMSRF
Interaction:
PICK CONTOURS & EXIT
Note:
COMPLEMENT /
AS ACTIVE /
AS TRIMMED
CANCEL
KEEP ORIGINAL /
DELETE ORIGINAL
AS ORIGINAL /
AS ACTIVE
DISP. U CURVES = 3
DISP. V CURVES = 3
WHOLE /
PARTIAL
The modals WHOLE/PARTIAL do not appear until the boundary
contours are defined.
PICK CONTOURS & EXIT Set modals and pick the boundary to be edited. The external
boundary, and/or internal islands may be selected.
<CR> TO CONTINUE
If the external boundary is selected:

The intersections of the boundary with the original surfaces
boundaries will be highlighted with a special symbol: a red
point surrounded by a yellow box.
If PARTIAL is selected:
PICK BOUNDARY
& EXIT
Select the boundary contours (between the symbols) to be

canceled, or to be used to create the complement surfaces.
If WHOLE is selected, hatches will appear along all of the
boundary contours.
CONTOURS O.K. ?
YES
NO
Accept the contours and create the complement surfaces

or the modified trimmed surface.
Repick the trimmed surface contour.
5-159
TRMSRF
TRMSRF >> MODIFY BOUNDARY

Redefine the division of a trimmed surface boundary by adding or removing points
which indicate the internal division of the boundary.
How To:
1. Select the boundary of a trimmed surface.
2. Pick a point to add or remove then confirm.
Interaction:
Select the boundary of a trimmed surface.
PICK BOUNDARY
The points are displayed.

SELECT OR EXIT
ADD POINTS
REMOVE POINTS
Pick a point to add or remove. When adding points, the point

indication submenu is available.
PICK POINT/EXIT
When finished selecting points, <EXIT>.

SELECT OR EXIT
ADD POINTS
REMOVE POINTS
Add or remove additional points, or <EXIT> to update the

boundary.
POINTS OK ? YES NO
YES
NO
5-160
Update the surface boundary.

Do not update the surface boundary. Continue to select
points to add or remove.
TRMSRF
TRMSRF >> FIX BOUNDARY

Find and fix trimmed surfaces with incorrect contour directions or hierarchy, or with
self-intersecting contours.
SMALLER THAN LOOP (TOL.=0.001)
GREATER THAN LOOP (TOL.=0.01)
Figure 5-83: Fix Boundary of Trimmed Surface
5-161
TRMSRF
PICK SURFACES (ALL)
Figure 5-84: Fix Boundary of Trimmed Surface
How To:
1. Pick the surfaces to be checked/fixed.
Interaction:
The FIX BOUNDARY option is used for checking surfaces that have been imported
from other systems using the Data Interface Utilities. The geometry of the surfaces is
checked to ensure that the database is correct. If errors are found, they are corrected.
It is imperative that incorrect trimmed surfaces are fixed, particularly if these surfaces
are to be used later in other processes, for example in NC or when converting the
surfaces to solid using the SRFSOL function.
Pick the surfaces to be checked/fixed and press <EXIT>.

The selected surfaces are then checked and an appropriate
message is displayed.
If no errors are found, all your surfaces are correct and you
can exit the function.
If one or more surfaces are found to be incorrect, the
following table is displayed:
<CR> TO FIX / EXIT
LOOP SIZE = 0.100
Analyzing the Result

If errors are found, the above message refers to two types of
problematic surfaces:
with self-intersections (looped curves) marked

Surface
in yellow and red.
Surfaces with incorrect contours marked in purple.
Surfaces with incorrect contours are surfaces whose contour

direction or hierarchy is wrong, which results in an incorrect
identification of the surface by the database.
5-162
TRMSRF
Fixing the Surfaces

Surfaces with incorrect contours are corrected automatically
by pressing the Enter key.
Surfaces with self-intersections (looped curves) are fixed by
determining the loop size.
When setting the loop size, you actually determine how to
treat the loop. If the loop is bigger than the LOOP SIZE you
define, it will be converted into a trimmed surface.
Otherwise, the loop will be deleted.
EXECUTING..
TRMSRF Modal Parameter Definitions

n ADD POINTS
Redefine the division of a trimmed surface boundary by

adding points which indicate the internal division of the
boundary.
n ANGLE = 0.000
Angle of projection.
n AS ACTIVE
Assign the active level, line font, pen and color to the
restored surface.
n AS TRIMMED
Assign the level, line font, pen and color of the trimmed
surface, to the restored surface.
n CANCEL
Cancel one or more contours of a trimmed surfaces

boundary curves, including islands. A modified trimmed
surface will be created.
n COMPLEMENT
Create the complement of a trimmed surface in the region of

the selected boundary curve.
n DELETE TRIMMED SURF.
Delete the trimmed surface.
n DISP. U CURVES = 6
Specify the number of display curves in the U/V direction

that will be used to display the new surface.
n DIVIDE
Divide the surface into two surfaces.
n KEEP TRIMMED SURF.
Retain the trimmed surface.
n LOOP SIZE
Fix surfaces with self-intersections (looped curves) by

determining the loop size.
DISP. V CURVES = 6
If the LOOP SIZE is smaller than the looped curve, the curve
will be converted into a trimmed surface.
If the LOOP SIZE is larger than the looped curve, the curve
will be deleted.
n PARTIAL
When editing the external boundary contour of a trimmed

surface, only the selected contours will be canceled, or used
to create the complement surface(s).
5-163
TRMSRF
n REMOVE POINTS
Redefine the division of a trimmed surface boundary by

removing points which indicate the internal division of the
boundary.
n TOL = 0.100
Specify the maximum tolerance between the trimmed surface

and the plane, contour or trimming surface.
n TRIM
Trim the surface.
n TRIM ALL SURFACES
Trim or divide the surface to be trimmed and all the trimming

surfaces.
n TRIM ONE SURFACE
Trim or divide only the surface to be trimmed.
n U - DIRECTION
Trim or divide the surface in the U direction.
n V - DIRECTION
Trim or divide the surface in the V direction.
n WHOLE
When editing the external boundary contour of a trimmed

surface, all of the contours will be canceled, or used to create
the complement surface(s).
TRMSRF Usage Envelope

GENERAL
1. If TRIM is selected, the side of the surface that is picked will remain.
2. The trimmed surface is created with the same attributes as those of the original
surface.
3. Trimming by plane and by surface is performed locally, not globally. The trim is
performed at the intersection that is closest to the picked point.
4. If the trimming contour is not closed and its edge does not reach the surfaces
boundary, the trimming contour is extended.
SURFACE
1. Trimming is performed locally, i.e. if the trimming surface cuts the trimmed surface
twice, only one section (nearest to the picking point) will be performed. This causes
the following results:
In case of a cyclic surface only the part of a surface between the
trimming surface and the boundary can be obtained.
When a trimming surface passes exactly through the coinciding
boundary, the trimming will be performed only if the trimming surface
was picked at the opposite side to the coinciding boundary.
2. When the trimming surfaces intersect, the trimming curves are cascaded, according to
the order of selection, to form the trimming contour.
PARAMETER
1. A surface trimmed using the PARAMETER option will be of the same surface type as
the original surface.
2. When a NURBS surface is trimmed by parameter, the result is a new NURBS surface
with new parameterization. The original surface cannot not be restored.
5-164
TRMSRF
3. When using the PARAMETER option, the point on the surface must be picked close
to a display curve, by using one of the surface point indication options.
CONTOURS
1. An implicit surface boundary may be used as a contour.
2. In the option, the common algorithm INDICATE DIRECTION is used. Direction arrows
are displayed, however, the projection is always executed in the surface direction.
3. With closed surfaces, trimming will take place only up to the surface boundary.
ORIGINAL
1. The parameters AS TRIMMED / AS ACTIVE appear only if KEEP TRIMMED SURF
has been selected.
2. A surface which has been trimmed by PARAMETER may also be restored. This does
not apply to NURBS surfaces.
EDIT CONTOURS
1. The parameters AS TRIMMED / AS ACTIVE appear only if CANCEL and KEEP
TRIMMED SURF have been selected.
2. When an external boundary is selected to create a complement surface, and only two
intersection symbols appear, the parameter PARTIAL will give the same result as
FULL.
MODIFY BOUNDARY
1. Breakpoints cannot be removed.
2. A point that was added during the same interaction can also be removed.
3. This option can be used to modify a trimmed surface so that it meets the condition of
4 boundary curves as required by many functions (e.g. MODIFY >> TRMSRF to
SURFACE, MODIFY >> ADJOIN SURFACES).
4. The last point cannot be removed.
FIX BOUNDARY
1. The following types of problems can be fixed:
self-intersecting contours (outer or inner). The intersection point is marked by a

red-yellow rectangle.
incorrect contour direction (for inner contours) CCW or CW. The incorrect
contours are marked in yellow
incorrect hierarchy of inner and outer contours. Incorrect contours are marked
in purple.
2. If the loop area is greater than the LOOP SIZE parameter, the trimmed surface is
divided in the intersection point.
If the loop is smaller than the LOOP SIZE parameter, the extra loop will be deleted.
3. In some cases, trimmed surfaces cannot be fixed because of overlapping contours,
too many intersections, etc. Such trimmed surfaces are marked in red.
q
5-165
Index
Index
BLEND function 5-3 - 5-18

CONSTANT option 5-7
CORNER option 5-13
CURVATURE option 5-12
2 CURVES option 1-9, 1-38
FREE SLOPES option 5-6
See also CIRCLE
LINEAR option 5-8
See also LINE
PLANE option 5-11 - 5-12

REGION option 5-16
2 PLANES option 1-46
SECTIONS option 5-4
See also LINE
2 POINTS + CURVE option 1-11
SOAP option 5-15
See also CIRCLE
SRF-NRM option 5-9
2 POINTS option 1-5, 1-31
SURFACE option 5-9
See also CIRCLE
BOUNDING BOX option 1-118

See also SWEEP
See also LINE
BOX option 1-40
2 SURFACES option 5-45
B-SPLINE 2D(3D) option
See also FILLET
See also SPLINE
3 CURVES option 1-10

See also CIRCLE
3 DIF. RADII option 5-51
See also FILLET
CATALOG option 2-22, 3-29
3 POINTS option 1-6
See also PATTUSE
See also CIRCLE
See also PLACE
CENTER + POINT option 1-4
See also FILLET
See also CIRCLE
A
ADJOIN option 5-95 - 5-96, 5-98
CENTER + RADIUS/DIAM option 1-3

See also CIRCLE
CHAMFER option 1-22

See also CORNER
See also MODIFY
CIRCLE function 1-2 - 1-12
ANGULAR option 3-14
2 CURVES option 1-9
See also PATTDIM
ANGULAR SWEEP option 1-116
2 POINTS + CURVE option 1-11

2 POINTS option 1-5
See also SWEEP
APPEND SUB-ASSM opt 2-10

3 POINTS option 1-6
See also EXTRACT
CENTER + POINT option 1-4
B
BASE-MULTI option 5-53
CENTER + RADIUS/DIAM option 1-3

POINT + 2 CURVES option 1-10
POINT + CURVE(PT) option 1-8
See also FILLET
Index-1
Index
POINT + CURVE(RAD) option 1-7
COMCRV function 1-13 - 1-16
See also RULED
CURVES option 1-110, 4-3
CREATE option 1-13
See also REVOL
EXPLODE option 1-15
See also STRETCH
COMSRF function 5-19 - 5-20

CONIC function 1-17 - 1-20
ELLIPSE option 1-17

ENDS & P/Q option 1-19
ENDS & SHLDR PT opt 1-18
CONSTANT option 5-7

See also BLEND
CONTOUR option 1-62, 4-3

See also OFFSET
See also REVOL
CONTOURS option 5-155

See also TRMSRF
CONTROL POINTS option 1-104

See also SPLINE
CORNER function 1-21 - 1-24

CHAMFER option 1-22
CORNER option 1-23
MULTI RADIUS option 1-22
RADIUS option 1-21
CORNER option 1-23, 5-13

See also BLEND
See also CORNER
CREATE option 1-13, 2-16, 2-26, 3-22

See also COMCRV
DELETE option 2-18, 3-23

See also GROUP
See also PATTERN
DELTA option 1-52, 5-149

See also MOVE
See also SWEEPF
DIAMETER option 3-17

See also PATTDIM
DIM_EDIT option 3-18

See also PATTDIM
DIM_PAR option 3-18

See also PATTDIM
DIRECTION option 5-141

See also SURF_EXT function
DIVIDE BY CURVES option 1-124

See also TRIM
DIVIDE BY POINT option 1-125

See also TRIM
DIVID-LN option 1-41

See also LINE
DRIVE function 5-21 - 5-42
See also GROUP
PARALLEL SEC option 5-23
See also PATTERN
PIPE option 5-25
CREATE POINTS option 5-89

See also MODIFY
SPINE & EDGES option 5-34

SPINE & PLANE option 5-30
CURVATURE option 5-12
SPINE option 5-26
CURVE option 1-60, 1-64
TWO SPINES option 5-38
See also OFFSET
CURVE POINT option 4-11

See also RULED
CURVE SURFACE option 4-8, 4-10, 5-56

See also FILLET
Index-2
E
EDIT CONTOURS option
See also TRMSRF
EDIT_SET function 5-43
Index
ELLIPSE option 1-17
3 DIF. RADII option 5-51
See also CONIC
ENDS & P/Q option 1-19
BASE-MULTI option 5-53
See also CONIC
CURVE SURFACE option 5-56
ENDS & SHLDR PT opt 1-18

See also CONIC
MULTI-MULTI option 5-55

SPINE + 2 SRF option 5-59
EXPLODE function 2-2 - 2-3

EXPLODE option 1-15
FIX BOUNDARY option 5-161
See also COMCRV
See also TRMSRF
EXPONENTIAL option 1-28

See also HELIX
FIXED option 1-26

See also HELIX
EXPORT CATALOG opt 2-9
FREE SLOPES option 5-6
See also EXTRACT
See also BLEND
EXPORT LEVELS opt 2-13

See also EXTRACT
EXTRACT CATALOG opt 2-7
GROUP function 2-15 - 2-19
See also EXTRACT
EXTRACT function 2-4 - 2-14
CREATE option 2-16, 2-26
APPEND SUB-ASSM opt 2-10
DELETE option 2-18
EXPORT CATALOG opt 2-9
GROUP option 2-19
EXPORT LEVELS opt 2-13
RENAME option 2-19
EXTRACT CATALOG opt 2-7
GROUP option 2-19
EXTRACT SUB-ASSM opt 2-5
See also GROUP
IMPORT CATALOG opt 2-11

IMPORT LEVELS opt 2-12
EXTRACT SUB-ASSM opt 2-5

See also EXTRACT
H
HELIX function 1-25 - 1-29
EXPONENTIAL option 1-28
EXT-VIEW option 2-25
FIXED option 1-26
See also PLACE
LINEAR option 1-27
HOR/VER option 1-39

See also LINE
FAIR option 5-68

See also MODIFY
FAIRING POINTS option 1-106

See also SPLINE
FILLER SURFACE option 5-144

FILLET function 5-44 - 5-62

I
IMPORT CATALOG opt 2-11
See also EXTRACT
IMPORT LEVELS opt 2-12

See also EXTRACT
INTERNAL option 2-21, 2-27, 3-27
Index-3
Index
See also PATTUSE
See also TRMSRF
MODIFY function 5-67 - 5-108
See also PLACE
ADJOIN option 5-95 - 5-96, 5-98
INT-VIEW option 2-24
CREATE POINTS option 5-89
See also PLACE
FAIR option 5-68
L
LINE function 1-30 - 1-48
LOCAL FAIR option 5-70

MODIFY POINTS option 5-71
MODIFY SLOPES option 5-83
PLFACE TO TRMSRF option 5-93
2 PLANES option 1-46
SURFACE EXTENSION option 5-92
2 POINTS option 1-31
TRMSRF TO SURFACE option 5-94
BOX option 1-40
MODIFY POINTS option 5-71
DIVID-LN option 1-41

HOR/VER option 1-39
LN-CURVE option 1-37
OFFSET option 1-33
See also MODIFY
MODIFY SLOPES option 5-83

See also MODIFY
MOVE function 1-49 - 1-58
PARALLEL option 1-32
DELTA option 1-52
PT-ANGLE option 1-34
MIRROR option 1-56
PT-CURVE option 1-36
POINT-ANGLE option 1-50
SURF-NRM option 1-43
REF.POINTS option 1-55
SURF-TAN option 1-42
ROT.AXIS option 1-54
TAN/NORM option 1-45
UCS TO UCS option 1-57
LINEAR option 1-27, 3-6, 5-8
MULTI RADIUS option 1-22
See also BLEND
See also CORNER
See also HELIX
MULTI-MULTI option 5-55
See also PATTDIM
See also FILLET
LINEAR SWEEP option 1-113

See also SWEEP
MULTI-POINTS option 1-84

See also POINT
LN-CURVE option 1-37

See also LINE
LOCAL FAIR option 5-70
OFFSET function 1-59 - 1-71
See also MODIFY
CONTOUR option 1-62
M
MESH function 5-63 - 5-66
MIRROR option 1-56
See also MOVE
Modeling Functions - Wireframe 1-1

MODIFY BOUNDARY option 5-160
Index-4
CURVE option 1-60, 1-64

SURFACE CURVES option 1-67 - 1-68
SURFACE option 1-65
OFFSET option 1-33

See also LINE
ORIGINAL option 5-158

See also TRMSRF
Index
P
PARALLEL option 1-32
PARALLEL SEC option 5-23
See also DRIVE
PARAMETER option 5-155

See also TRMSRF
PARTLN function 5-109 - 5-111

PATTDIM function 3-2 - 3-21
ANGULAR option 3-14
DIAMETER option 3-17
DIM_EDIT option 3-18
DIM_PAR option 3-18
LINEAR option 3-6
RADIAL option 3-17
PATTERN function 3-22 - 3-24

CREATE option 3-22
DELETE option 3-23
RENAME option 3-24
PATTUSE function 3-25 - 3-29

CATALOG option 3-29
INTERNAL option 3-27
PIPE option 5-25

See also DRIVE
PLACE function 2-20 - 2-28

CATALOG option 2-22
EXT-VIEW option 2-25
INTERNAL option 2-21, 2-27
INT-VIEW option 2-24
PLFACE TO TRMSRF option 5-93

See also MODIFY
PNTSRF function 5-114 - 5-116

POINT + 2 CURVES option 1-10
See also CIRCLE
POINT + CURVE(PT) option 1-8

See also CIRCLE
POINT + CURVE(RAD) option 1-7

See also CIRCLE
POINT function 1-72 - 1-87

MULTI-POINTS option 1-84
SINGLE POINT option 1-72
POINT-ANGLE option 1-50

See also MOVE
PROJECT CONTOUR option 1-96

See also PROJECT
PROJECT CURV & PNT option 1-91

See also PROJECT
PROJECT function 1-88 - 1-100

PROJECT CONTOUR option 1-96
PROJECT CURV & PNT option 1-91
PROJECT POINTS option 1-88
PROJECT POINTS option 1-88

See also PROJECT
PT-ANGLE option 1-34

See also LINE
PT-CURVE option 1-36

See also LINE
REF-ASSM option 2-26
SUB-ASSM option 2-25
PLANAR FACE option 1-110, 5-126

See also SRFCRV
PLANAR FACES option 1-110

See also STRETCH
PLANE option 5-11 - 5-12, 5-130, 5-153

See also BLEND
See also SRFSEC
See also TRMSRF
PLFACE function 5-112 - 5-113
RADIAL option 3-17

See also PATTDIM
RADIUS option 1-21

See also CORNER
REF. POINTS option 5-150

See also SWEEPF
REF.POINTS option 1-55

See also MOVE
REF-ASSM option 2-26
Index-5
Index
SRFCRV function 5-119 - 5-127
See also PLACE
REGION option 5-16
PLANAR FACE option 5-126
See also BLEND
SURFACE option 5-119
RENAME option 2-19, 3-24
TRIMMED SURFACE option 5-124
See also GROUP
SRFLAT function 5-128 - 5-129
See also PATTERN
SRF-NRM option 5-9
REVOL function 4-2 - 4-3

CONTOUR option 4-3
CURVES option 4-3
ROT.AXIS option 1-54
See also BLEND
SRFSEC function 5-130 - 5-135

PLANE option 5-130
See also MOVE
STRETCH function 1-109 - 1-112
RULED function 4-4 - 4-12
CURVES option 1-110
CURVE POINT option 4-11
PLANAR FACE option 1-110
CURVE SURFACE option 4-8, 4-10
PLANAR FACES option 1-110
TWO CONTOURS option 4-6

TWO CURVES option 4-5
SUB-ASSM option 2-25

See also PLACE
SURF_CUT function 4-13 - 4-14
SURF_EXT function 5-136 - 5-145

DIRECTION option 5-141
SCALE function 5-117 - 5-118
FILLER SURFACE option 5-144
SECTIONS option 5-4
TANGENT 2 DIR. option 5-144
See also BLEND
SINGLE POINT option 1-72

See also POINT
SOAP option 5-15

See also BLEND
SPINE & EDGES option 5-34

See also DRIVE
SPINE & PLANE option 5-30

See also DRIVE

See also FILLET

See also FILLET
SPINE option 5-26

See also DRIVE
SPLINE function 1-101 - 1-108

CONTROL POINTS option 1-104
FAIRING POINTS option 1-106
TANGENT option 5-138
SURFACE CURVES option 1-67 - 1-68

See also OFFSET
SURFACE EXTENSION option 5-92

See also MODIFY
SURFACE option 1-65, 5-9, 5-119, 5-133, 5-154

See also BLEND
See also OFFSET
See also SRFCRV
See also SRFSEC
See also TRMSRF
SURF-NRM option 1-43

See also LINE
SURFSORT function 5-146 - 5-147

SURF-TAN option 1-42
See also LINE
SWEEP function 1-113 - 1-119

ANGULAR SWEEP option 1-116
THROUGH POINTS option 1-102
Index-6
Index
BOUNDING BOX option 1-118
PLANE option 5-153
LINEAR SWEEP option 1-113
SWEEPF function 5-148 - 5-150

DELTA option 5-149
TRMSRF TO SURFACE option 5-94

See also MODIFY
REF. POINTS option 5-150
TWO CONTOURS option 4-6

See also RULED
T
TAN/NORM option 1-45
See also LINE
TWO CURVES option 4-5

See also RULED
TWO SPINES option 5-38

See also DRIVE
TANGENT 2 DIR. option 5-144

TANGENT option 5-138

THROUGH POINTS option 1-102
UCS TO UCS option 1-57

See also MOVE
See also SPLINE
THROU-PT option
See also LINE
TRIM BY CURVE option 1-121
W
WIRE_EDM function 1-126 - 1-127
See also TRIM
TRIM BY PLANE option 1-123

See also TRIM
TRIM BY POINT option 1-122

See also TRIM
TRIM function 1-120 - 1-125

DIVIDE BY CURVES option 1-124
DIVIDE BY POINT option 1-125
TRIM BY CURVE option 1-121
TRIM BY PLANE option 1-123
TRIM BY POINT option 1-122
TRIMMED SURFACE option 5-124

See also SRFCRV
TRMPLF function 5-151

TRMSRF function 5-152 - 5-165
CONTOURS option 5-155
EDIT CONTOURS option 5-158
FIX BOUNDARY option 5-161
MODIFY BOUNDARY option 5-160
ORIGINAL option 5-158
PARAMETER option 5-155
Index-7

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Modeling

All rights reserved by Cimatron Ltd.

A complete range of wireframe, surface and parametric solid modeling tools

Advanced assembly, sub-assembly and part management, and associative

Comprehensive, accurate data exchange interface utilities covering DXF,

Powerful and intelligent NC applications for precise multi-axis machining.

Cimatrons automated engineering expertise benefits many industries, as competition requires

Data Interface Utilities

SECTION I Modeling Functions

Chapter 1 Wireframe Modeling Functions

Chapter 2 Assembly Design and Management

Chapter 3 Parametric Shape Functions

SECTION II Surface Functions

Chapter 4 Basic Surface Functions

Chapter 5 Advanced Surface Functions

About This Manual

SECTION I, Modeling Functions

Wireframe Modeling Functions, describes the wireframe modeling

Assembly Design and Management, explains the functions used to

Parametric Shape Functions, presents the functions used to handle

SECTION II, Surfaces Functions

Basic Surface Functions, describes the functions used to create

Advanced Surfaces Functions, presents the advanced surface

Function & Purpose

The purpose text, presented in

LINE >> PT-ANGLE

PT-ANGLE >> FROM UCS +X AXIS

Pick any curve on the closed contour.

MODIFY Modal Parameter Definitions

For CYLINDRICAL coordinates, this is the angle between the

The default active work plane is the XY plane of the active

Create a circle/arc entity.

Create a composite curve or NURBS spline entity from a

Create a line entity.

Translate, rotate, mirror, copy and scale entities.

Create an offset entity.

Create a point entity.

Create a new entity by projecting curves or points onto a

Create a spline entity.

Sweep entities along a vector or about a rotation axis; create

Trim, divide or extend curves.

Run the Cimatron WireEDM program.

Create a circle/arc entity.

Create a circle/arc defined by its radius (or diameter) and

Create a circle/arc defined by its center and a point on the

Create a circle/arc with a given radius, between two points

Create a circle/arc defined by a point on its circumference, a

Create a circle/arc defined by a point on its circumference

Create a circle/arc defined by two curves tangent to the circle

Create a circle/arc defined by three curves tangent to the

Create a circle defined by a point on its circumference and

Create a circle defined by two points on its circumference and

or on a plane which is parallel to the active work plane. In the next

The default active work plane is the XY plane of the active

CIRCLE >> CENTER + RADIUS

Figure 1-1: CIRCLE >> CENTER + RADIUS/DIAM

The circle/arc is created on a plane which is parallel to the

CIRCLE >> CENTER + POINT

IND. POINT ON CIRCLE

Figure 1-2: CIRCLE >> CENTER + POINT

Indicate the circles center point.

Indicate a point on the circles circumference.