New Profile tool

Profile is a new surface creation tool for easily creating and modifying extruded surfaces with maximum control over section transition and location. It's found in the palette under Surfaces > Swept Surfaces.

With Profile, you create a surface by sweeping a profile along one or more path curves (rails). The profile is maintained relative to the coordinate system, the path normal, or defined vectors.

A profile is composed of one or more planar curves. It can have sharp bends and can be closed.

Rails can include curves and surface curves. Rails must be position and tangent continuous. They can be closed. You can use multiple tangent continuous rail curves with chain select or by making additional selections before accepting the rail input.

NoteNot all features of the Profile tool are implemented in this beta release. These are marked "Not implemented" in the Profile Control section.

Create profile surface

Choose Surfaces > Swept Surfaces > Profile .
The Profile Control window opens.
Click the curves or surface curves that make up the profile. Shift-select to remove curves from the selection.
Click Accept.
Click the curves or surface curves that define the rail.
Click Accept.
Modify Profile options.
If the selected Profile Orientation is Radial Curve or Radial Surface, click the curve or surface that defines the profile orientation.
Click Build.

Profile Control options

Profile orientation: The orientation of the profile as it sweeps along the rail defines the surface output.

Natural – The profile pivots to maintain the same angle relative to the rail curve.

Parallel – The profile maintains its original orientation.

Radial Vector – The orientation of the profile frame is determined by the vector identified in the Vector Options section. The profile frame also pivots to maintain the same angle relative to the rail curve.

Radial Curve – As the profile sweeps along the rail, the profile frame points to the closest point on a selected target curve. It also pivots to maintain the same angle relative to the rail curve.

Radial Surface – The orientation of the profile frame is determined by the normal direction of an adjacent surface at the closest point between the rail curve and the surface. The profile frame also pivots to maintain the same angle relative to the rail curve.

Vector Options

These options display when the selected Profile orientation is Radial Vector.

X/Y/Z: Select one of these to set the profile frame orientation along that axis.
View: Select this option to set the profile frame orientation to be normal to the current view. The vector is not drawn in the view windows.

If the current view is changed, click Refresh View Vector to update the vector.
Picked: Select this option to specify the name of an existing vector in the Picked Vector field, or pick the vector in the view. This vector defines the profile frame orientation.
Refresh Vector: This button only appears if View is selected. Click it to update the vector if the view has been modified.
Retain Vector: Click this button to create a vector construction object in the view windows. Unless you do this, the vector direction you specified is used by the tool, but you will not see and be able to re-use the vector.

Modify Range

Modify Range: Not implemented in this beta release.

Surface Structure

Surface Type: Not implemented in this beta release.
Bezier Surfaces: Not implemented in this beta release.
Explicit Control: Select this option to display control options which allow you to explicitly specify the degree and number of spans of the profile surface in both the U and V direction.
(Length) U Degree: Degree of the profile surface in the U direction (along the rail curve).
(Section) V Degree: Degree of the profile surface in the V direction (along the profile section).
Maximum Spans: Not implemented in this beta release.
Short Edge Tolerance: Not implemented in this beta release.

Control Options

Auto Update: Updates the new surface automatically as you change the values in the Profile Control window.
Chain Select: If this option is selected, selecting a surface curve also selects all other surface curves that are tangent continuous with it.