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Check the deviation and continuity on surface edges
 
 
 

Use the Surface continuity tool to check the deviation and continuity along shared edges of surfaces.

Check the continuity between surfaces

  1. Pick the surfaces you want to check.
  2. Choose Evaluate > Continuity > Surface Continuity.

    The tool displays symbols along the shared edges representing the continuity and deviation at each sampling point.

    Tip

    To get a complete review of the deviation and continuity set all options on; Locator Persistence, Show Max. Labels, Check interior, Show Edge Labels, and Show Comb.

    Note

    The calculation can take a long time for very complex models. To cancel the check, press .

How do I read the symbolic display?

Line style Meaning
Pale green, dotted. Edge with no adjacent surface, or an adjacent surface that is not selected.Hold and click a surface to select it.
Bright green Selected isoparametric curve with achieved continuity.
Dark green Isoparametric curve with achieved continuity.
Yellow Selected isoparametric curve with continuity break.
Red Isoparametric curve with continuity break.
Symbol Meaning
Cross Requested continuity achieved.
T Tangent/normal break.
C Curvature break.
O Gap in the common edge (think of the “O” as a hole).
Blue symbol Minimum measured deviation. (Not shown if minimum deviation is 0.)
Red symbol Maximum measured deviation.

These colors may be different if you have changed the interface color preferences.

  1. Do any of the following:
    • Click an edge to add it to or remove it from the check. Hold and click a surface to add it or remove it.
    • Drag the on empty space to change the scale of any active deviation comb plots.
    • Drag the on empty space to change the sampling density.
    • -click an edge to switch it between deviation comb and symbol display.
    • Drag the along an edge to show detailed numeric information on the points under the mouse pointer.
    • Open the prompt-line history window to see any messages the tool printed about continuity and deviation between the surfaces.

What if...?

I want the comb plots on all the surfaces to use the same scale
  1. Choose Evaluate > Continuity > Surface Continuity
  2. Turn on Show Edge Labels, turn on Show Combs, and turn off Auto Scale.
  3. Enter the scale factors for Positional, Tangent, and Curvature deviation combs respectively in the three Scale fields.
I want to change the tolerances?

Choose Preferences > Construction Options and open the Tolerances and Continuity sections.

The calculation takes too long?

Choose Evaluate > Continuity > Surface Continuity and increase the Distance Between Checks setting to make the tool calculate fewer sample points.

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