Sketching the Bonnet Boundaries

The bonnet is currently bounded on its two sides by surfaces. In order to create a trimmed surface, we need to create curves that enclose the bonnet on the other two sides.

We will use a simple curve fitting option to create a smooth curve that follows the edge of the bonnet closely.

To sketch the curves:

1. Click on the Curve Editing button on the Main toolbar.
   
   
2. Click on the Sketch Curve button .
   
   
3. In the Curve and Surface Fitting Options dialog box:
   • in the Standard Options tab, set the set the Curve Parameterisation option to Breakpoint Insertion to Tolerance.
     
     
   • in the Advanced Curve Fitting Options tab, set the Curve Fitting option to Simple Curve Fitting (through polyline segments).

4. Click on the View from Top button .
   
   
5. Click on the corner point of the surface boundary, as shown in the example below.

6. Ctrl-click two guide points as shown in the example.
   
   
7. Click on the surface corner point on the other side to create the first curve.
   
   
8. Hold down the Shift and Alt keys and rotate the model using the left mouse button, so that the lower two surface corner points are in line.

Tip: To rotate the model evenly around the X axis, use Shift-Alt-Left Mouse button. To rotate around Y, use Shift-Alt-Middle Mouse button. To rotate around Z, Shift-Alt-Right Mouse button.

9. Click on each corner point to create a curve between them.

As CopyCAD is using the Project User Defined Path Onto Model option (set on the Curve and Surface Fitting Options dialog box's Advanced Sketching Tab), the curve will follow the curvature of the bonnet. You can see this when you return to the plan view (from the top, down the Z axis).

Next:

Generating the Inlet Wall Curves