Contour 3D

Menu access: Curve | Other curves | Contour 3D

Description:

Allows to create a 3D contour by successive change of drawing plane. This function is very useful for example to draw a pipe path.

Principle:

The idea of this function is to start to draw a contour on a plane; then when you want it, set current an other coordinate system at the extremity of the contour (this coordinate system can be oriented as wished).

Lots of options allows you to get more specific lines. You can for example draw a segment along a face with a given distance.

You can this way obtain a 3D contour fully associative with its environment according to the methods used to draw it.

General philosophy:

1. Select the definition coordinate system.

2. Select the starting point or coordinate system.

3. Draw the part you need on this plane.

4. Click on  CHANGE PLANE  to set current a new coordinate system at the extremity of you contour.

5. Click again on  CHANGE PLANE  if you want to change the orientation of the coordinate system (XY, XZ or YZ plane)

6. Draw the part of you contour you need on this new plane.

7. Repeat the operations 3 to 6 as many times as you want then click on  STOP  to end the 3D contour.

Available option(s):

The   CHANGE PLANE  button allows you to change the orientation of the current coordinate system and mode it to the extremity of the contour.

The  STOP  button allows you to end the 3D contour.

The    >>    button allows you to access to the configuration of the function like the use of a protractor, the constraints definition coordinate system...

The  WIZARDS  button allows you to access to specific functionalities like the orientation of the drawing plane, go to a face, "cube style" drawing...

Specific point(s):

All along the drawing, 2 types of coordinate system are used:

• The "temporary" coordinate systems that are places at the contour extremity then disappear if you use  CHANGE PLANE  or end the contour.

• The "permanent" coordinate systems that are created when you use specific options (for example, the option  GO TO COORDINATE SYSTEM / FACE  create a "permanent" coordinate system on the selected face). When created, these coordinate systems automatically become the constraints definition coordinate system (provided you are in the mode  Constraints definition coordinate system= CURRENT COORDINATE SYSTEM  , see Advanced options).

The alignment constraints are always created according to the green coordinate system.

There is several kinds of constraints that can be applied to the contour:

In the mode: Constraints definition coordinate system= DEFINITION COORDINATE SYSTEM  , only the alignment constraints are created.

To add dimensions to the 3D contour, you can only use the Tools | Dimension 3D function.

Available modification(s):

You can add fillet or chamfer on the contour by using the icon near the vertex to modify.

But if you wish to create a pipe line using this contour, you must not create fillet or the components will not be created on these fillets (the bends components are created on the contour corners)

You can move the points by using the icon . You can if needed create a coordinate system in the plane you want to move the point.

You can as well use the function Edit | Transform parents to apply transformations to points.

By using the icon ,  you can insert new points in the contour. You ca as well extract points by using the icon .

To change the distance of a point from a coordinate system/face (create with  MOVE TO COORDINATE SYSTEM/FACE  or  ARRIVE ON COORDINATE SYSTEM  ) you must edit the coordinate system on which the point is then change the translation distance.

It is possible to change the definition coordinate system of a constraint. To do this, edit the constraint, select the line of the coordinate system and right click to use the modify function.