Surface CurveOnMesh: Difference between revisions

From FreeCAD Documentation
(More clear steps on how to use the tool)
(Left: mesh object with selected points on the surface. Right: splines created by picking several points. For future addition of images.)
Line 25: Line 25:


If the object is not a [[Mesh|Mesh]], but a parametric [[Shape|Shape]] or surface, it must be converted first to a mesh using {{Button|[[File:Mesh_FromPartShape.svg|16px]] [[Mesh_FromPartShape|Mesh FromPartShape]]}}.
If the object is not a [[Mesh|Mesh]], but a parametric [[Shape|Shape]] or surface, it must be converted first to a mesh using {{Button|[[File:Mesh_FromPartShape.svg|16px]] [[Mesh_FromPartShape|Mesh FromPartShape]]}}.

These edges created on top of the mesh may be further used to re-create the surface in a parametric way by using tools such as {{Button|[[File:Surface_GeomFillSurface.svg|16px]] [[Surface_GeomFillSurface|GeomFillSurface]]}} and {{Button|[[File:Surface_Sections.svg|16px]] [[Surface_Sections|Sections]]}}.

</translate>
[[File:Surface_CurveOnMesh_mesh_example.png]] [[File:Surface_CurveOnMesh_example.png]]
<translate>

{{Caption|Left: mesh object with selected points on the surface. Right: splines created by picking several points.}}


==Usage== <!--T:3-->
==Usage== <!--T:3-->

Revision as of 18:54, 2 October 2020

This documentation is not finished. Please help and contribute documentation.

GuiCommand model explains how commands should be documented. Browse Category:UnfinishedDocu to see more incomplete pages like this one. See Category:Command Reference for all commands.

See WikiPages to learn about editing the wiki pages, and go to Help FreeCAD to learn about other ways in which you can contribute.

Surface CurveOnMesh

Menu location
Surface → CurveOnMesh
Workbenches
Surface
Default shortcut
None
Introduced in version
0.17
See also
None

Description

Surface CurveOnMesh creates approximated spline segments on top of a selected mesh.

If the object is not a Mesh, but a parametric Shape or surface, it must be converted first to a mesh using Mesh FromPartShape.

These edges created on top of the mesh may be further used to re-create the surface in a parametric way by using tools such as GeomFillSurface and Sections.

Left: mesh object with selected points on the surface. Right: splines created by picking several points.

Usage

  1. Make sure you have mesh object. This can be created by the Mesh Workbench, or by importing a mesh file type, like STL, OBJ, or DAE. If a solid object or solid file type (STEP) is used, it can be converted to a mesh using Mesh FromPartShape.
  2. Select the mesh, then press Curve on mesh.
  3. Press Start.
  4. Using the mouse pointer, pick points on the surface of the mesh in the 3D view; pick as many points as necessary to draw a smooth preview line.
  5. When enough points have been added, right click on the 3D view to open the context menu, and select Create.
  6. Depending on how smooth the points were added, one object or multiple objects will be created in the tree view.
  7. Repeat the sequence Start → Pick → Create, to add more approximated splines.
  8. The new spline will be created, and will appear in the tree view, immediately after using Create; the task panel will remain active.
  9. Press Close to close the task panel, and terminate the command completely.

After pressing Start, the context menu (right-click) in the 3D view shows other options beside Create.

  • Close wire: if at least three points have been picked, this option will be available to join the last point to the first point with a line. Then Create can be used to produced a closed spline.
  • Clear: it will erase the tentative points that have been set up to this moment on the mesh, and will allow you to pick new ones.
  • Cancel: it will erase the tentative points that have been set, and will stop the picking operation. To pick points once more, Start must be pressed again.

Options

Properties

  • DataProperty: description of the property
  • ViewProperty: description of the property