Tool Palettes Evaluate > Parting line > To create curves on surface along the parting line

Evaluate > Parting line

Creates curves-on-surface at the boundaries of out-of-draft areas.

See Create curves on surface from evaluation data

Some manufacturing processes, such as injection molding, impose restrictions on the shape of an object. To avoid problems you should understand the following concepts:

The mold parts are pulled away from the object in a straight line, the pull vector.
If the sides of the mold are too steep, the object cannot leave the mold. As well, the object cannot leave the mold if the mold undercuts itself.
The minimum allowable angle between the sides of the mold and the pull vector is the draft angle.
If part of a surface has an angle less than the draft angle, it is said to be out-of-draft.

Direction Type

Select either Rotation or Vector.

Pull Direction

Enter 3D coordinates to define a direction in which the object would be removed from its mold.

For example, if you want the pull vector to run along the Z axis, enter 0, 0, 1.

Draft Angle

Enter the draft angle.

If the angle between a surface point and the pull vector is less than this value, the surface point is out-of-draft, and is colored pink.

If the angle between a surface point and the pull vector is more than this value, the surface point is in-draft, and is colored green.

Subdivision

The quality of the curve-on-surface projection, from 1 to 6. The higher the value, the more precise the result. Use low values for draft quality, use higher values for final results.

Vector/Plane

Enter the name of a vector/plane to position/align the manipulator with it. (You can also click a vector/plane to align the manipulator with it. Or you can select the vector/plane and the surface before selecting the tool.)

Visual

Draw fast polylines instead of curves-on-surface.

These lines are mainly for display purposes. Although you can pick them (to delete them, for example), you cannot use them to create geometry.

> Control Options

Create History

Save the history of the new curves-on-surface for later editing. If you turn Create History on, you can modify the surfaces and the curves-on-surface will update.

Auto Recalc.

Update the curves-on-surface as you change the values in the window.

> Buttons

Recalc

When Auto Recalc. is off, use this button to update the curves on surface to correspond to the current options.

Undo All

Undo all the changes made by the tool and return to the original surface.

Next

Finish creating curves-on-surface on the current surface and prompt for a new surface to evaluate.

To create curves on surface along the parting line

Pick the surfaces on which you want to create curves-on-surface.
Choose Parting line  from the Evaluate palette menu.

The Parting line control window opens.

The parting line manipulator appears.

Set the following options:
The Direction Type
The Pull Direction
The Draft Angle
Set the Subdivision option from 1 to 6. The higher the value, the more precise the result. Use low values for draft quality, use higher values for final results.
Drag different handles on the manipulator to orient the pull vector or type exact values into the Pull Direction fields of the window.
If Auto Recalc. is off, click Recalc. to create the curves-on-surface.

You can click the Undo All button in the control window to remove the curves on surface, or change the manipulator and click Recalc.