A sweep creates a surface by replicating the shape of the curve at multiple positions along a path. The path is not necessarily a straight line. A sweep moves one curve along another and is useful for making many shapes. By creating complex curves for both the axis and the cross-section, complex fillets and blends can be directly achieved in a single surface.
Swept surfaces are exact unless the path or axis curve is a spline curve, not a curve built from lines, and arcs and chained together. Along a spline curve axis, the shape may deform.
There are two kinds of sweeps: a regular sweep and a translational sweep. Translational sweeps maintain the same relationship between the curve and axis normals at all points throughout the sweep. Otherwise, the sweep curve stays in its drawn position at all points on the axis.
The swept curve needs to be hooked to the axis curve at the start point of the curve. This figure shows an example of a cross section curve that is properly defined. A UCS was created at the start point of the axis curve. The cross section curve was then defined relative to this UCS. Note that the setup axes were not changed. The UCS is used as a design coordinate system only.
The simplest way to create a curve at this location is to create a UCS at the start point of the axis curve and create your cross section curve in that UCS. See How to create a User Coordinate System.
Follow these steps to make a swept surface:
You must have two curves before you can create a swept surface.
Use the Surface wizard or select Swept surface from the surface toolbar flyout.
Name the surface for future reference.
Pick the curve that defines the axis the sweep will follow.
Decide and set whether to use a Translational sweep. .
Pick the curve that defines the cross section that will be swept along the axis.
Click Preview to see whether you got the desired results. You might need to toggle the Translational sweep setting to get the surface you are looking for.
Click Finish or OK.
An example of a swept surface.