Patches Menu



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The Patches menu contains functions that generate panels, patches that lie in panels, and grids that lie in patches. The next logical step is to use NURBS > Fit Surfaces, which generates a NURBS surface based on grids.

Definition of Panels, Patches, and Grids

A panel is an area of low curvature, demarcated by orange contour lines that trace the highest angularity on a surface. An object will be subdivided into a number of panels.

A patch is a four-sided subdivision of a panel that is approximately equilat­eral. The patches that comprise a panel may differ in size. Patches are the containers for grids.

A contour patch is a special elongated patch that lies on an area of high cur­vature. A contour patch is special in that it does not live in a panel. Like a regular patch, a contour patch is a container for grids.

A grid is an m-by-n set of rectangles that is placed into each patch. The val­ues of m and n and the size of the patch contribute to the ultimate density of the grid. (If a patch is relatively large, a grid of m-by-n appears to be sparse. If a patch is relatively small, a grid of m-by-n appears to be dense.) In some cases, m and n are equal.

The grid, in turn, contributes to the precision of the ultimate NURBS surface. Therefore, the density of the grid and the size of the patch contribute to the precision of the NURBS surface.

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