The following workflows
describe how to use the old Align 2008 tool. To use the new version
of the tool (Align), see Workflows for the new Align tool.
This tool moves
or reshapes two objects to achieve positional, tangent, or curvature
continuity.
Align two surfaces
This aligns the surface edges along their
lengths.
- Choose Object Edit > Align > Align 2008 ❒.
- Click the edge of the first surface you
want to align.
- Click the edge of the second surface.
TipIf
it’s easier, you can click an isoparametric curve close to the edge
you want to align. Make sure to click an isoparametric curve running
in the same direction as the edge you want to align.
NoteThe
align tool cannot reshape trim edges for alignment.
Align a surface edge
to an entire curve
This
aligns the length of the surface edge to the length of the curve.
- Choose Object Edit > Align > Align 2008 ❒.
- Click the edge of the surface you want
to align.
- Click the curve.
Align a curve end to
a surface edge, isoparametric curve, or curve-on-surface
This
aligns the end of the curve to the end of the surface curve.
- Choose Object Edit > Align > Align 2008 ❒.
- Click the curve close to the end you
want to align.
- Click the surface edge, isoparametric
curve, or curve-on-surface.
Align two curves or
curves-on-surface
- Choose Object Edit > Align > Align 2008 ❒.
- Click the first curve close to the end
you want to align.
- Click the second curve close to the end
you want to align.
NoteYou can only align curves-on-surface on
the same surface.
Choose an Alignment
Type
The different alignment type options have different
uses in different scenarios. You may often find yourself applying
one type of alignment, saving the alignment with the Accept button,
and applying another type of alignment “on top” of the first.
Refer to the online help
for Object Edit > Align > Align 2008 for tips on using the different
alignment types.
NoteAs
you are editing, you can click Accept to
“lock-in” the current alignment. Click Revert to
revert to the last Accept (or if you haven’t clicked Accept,
to the unaligned state or to the state at which the file was opened).
Manually control the
alignment
The
surface control manipulators let you directly edit the skew, tangent
scale, and curvature scale at points along the aligned edge.
- Set the Modify option
to First.
- Set the Continuity to Tangent or Curvature.
- Under Surface 1,
- Turn on the Show Manipulators option.
- Set the Manipulators option
to the number of manipulators you want along the aligned edge.
- Do any of the following with a manipulator:
- To change the skew, drag the rotation
arc or click one of the axis lines.
- To change the tangent scale, click the
box on the arrow and then drag left or right.
- To change the curvature scale (when Continuity is
set to Curvature), click the circle on
the arrow and then drag left or right.
Use different settings
at the beginning and end of an aligned edge
You can have separate
controls for the alignment type, skew, tangent scale and curvature scale
at the beginning and end of the aligned edge.
- Set the Modify option
to First.
- Under Surface 1,
turn on Show Manipulators.
Align two objects while
only allowing the CVs to move along one direction
- Choose Object Edit > Align > Align 2008 ❒.
- Set the Alignment Type to Directional.
- Click a reference vector to use as the
direction along which CVs may move, or type a vector value into
the Directional Align Vector boxes
under Alignment Type Options.
- Click the first curve, curve-on-surface,
or surface edge.
- Click the curve, curve-on-surface, or
surface edge to align to the first.
TipRemember that this
alignment type only allows the CVs to move along a single direction.
Some of the controls in the Align window (such as Skew) may behave counter-intuitively
because the CVs are so constrained.
What if...?
- I want to undo changes I’ve made
-
Click Revert in
the options window. This will revert the surfaces to the last time
you clicked Accept, or if you haven’t clicked Accept,
to the unaligned state or to the state at which the file was opened.
- I want the objects to align at the interior
of a surface or curve?
-
Use the Join
Parameter option to move the align point back from the
end/edge of an object.
The Join
Parameter option is in the object’s section of the option
window (such as Curve 1 or Surface 1).
- There is no isoparametric curve available
where I want to align a curve?
-