Surface Workbench: Difference between revisions

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The '''Surface''' workbench provides tools to create and modify surfaces. It has a very similar functionality as [[Part_Shapebuilder|Part Shape builder]] ''Face from edges'', but it is parametric and provides additional options. Its features are:
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* Create surfaces from boundary edges
|[[Spreadsheet_Workbench|Spreadsheet Workbench]]
* Align the curvature from neighbor faces
|[[TechDraw_Workbench|TechDraw Workbench]]
* constrain surfaces to additional curves or vertexes.
|IconL=Workbench_Spreadsheet.svg
* extend faces (need to find out how!)
|IconR=Workbench_TechDraw.svg
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[[Image:Workbench_Surface.svg|thumb|128px|Surface workbench icon]]

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== Introduction == <!--T:11-->

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The [[Image:Workbench_Surface.svg|24px]] [[Surface_Workbench|Surface Workbench]] provides tools to create and modify simple [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-uniform_rational_B-spline NURBS surfaces]. These tools have a similar functionality to the {{Button|[[File:Part Builder.svg|16px]] [[Part_Builder|Part Builder]]}} tool when the {{MenuCommand|Face from edges}} option is used. However, unlike that tool, the tools of the Surface Workbench are parametric and provide additional options. In this respect, the tools in this workbench are similar to {{Button|[[File:PartDesign_AdditiveLoft.svg|16px]] [[PartDesign_AdditiveLoft|PartDesign AdditiveLoft]]}} and {{Button|[[File:PartDesign_AdditivePipe.svg|16px]] [[PartDesign_AdditivePipe|PartDesign AdditivePipe]]}}.

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Some of the features provided are:
* Creation of surfaces from boundary edges.
* Alignment of the curvature from neighboring faces.
* Constraining of surfaces to additional curves and vertices.
* Extension of faces.
* A mesh can be used as a template to create spline curves on its surface.
* A mesh can be used as a template to create spline curves on its surface.


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[[Image:Surface_example.png|350px]]
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== Usage == <!--T:20-->

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The Surface Workbench intends to create faces with shapes, which is not possible to do with the standard tools in other workbenches.

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[[File:Toy_Duck.png|350px]]
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{{Caption|Surface created with sketches placed in datum planes with the tools of the [[PartDesign Workbench|PartDesign Workbench]]}}


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== Surface Tools ==
The Surface Workbench integrates with other workbenches of FreeCAD. The above example was created from {{Button|[[File:Sketcher_NewSketch.svg|16px]] [[Sketch|Sketches]]}} placed on {{Button|[[File:PartDesign_Plane.svg|16px]] [[PartDesign_Plane|PartDesign Datum planes]]}} in the [[File:Workbench_PartDesign.svg|24px]] [[PartDesign_Workbench|PartDesign Workbench]]. The design can be fully parametric if all datum planes and sketches are defined accordingly. In most cases it is sufficient to draw a closed sketch to define the boundary of a face, and then use different options to further modify its shape.


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* [[File:Filling.svg|32px]] [[Surface_Filling|Filling...]]: fills a series of boundary curves with a surface. The surface can be modified by adding constraint curves and vertexes. The surface changes its shape so that the surface goes through the added constraint elements.
The generated surface cannot be placed inside a {{Button|[[File:PartDesign_Body.svg|16px]] [[PartDesign_Body|PartDesign Body]]}}. However, the generated surface can be contained inside a {{Button|[[File:Std_Part.svg|16px]] [[Std_Part|Std Part]]}} together with the associated {{Button|[[File:PartDesign_Body.svg|16px]] [[PartDesign_Body|PartDesign Body]]}} that holds the datum planes and sketches. The non-parametric {{Button|[[File:Part_Builder.svg|16px]] [[Part_Builder|Part Builder]]}} tool can then be used in order to create a [[Glossary#Shell|shell]] and finally a [[Glossary#Solid|solid]].


== Tools == <!--T:3-->
* [[File:BSplineSurf.svg|32px]] [[Surface_GeomFillSurface|Fill boundary curves]]: creates a surface from two, three or four boundary edges. Three different filling modes are available: Stretch, Coons, Curved.


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== Additional Menu Tools ==
* [[File:Surface_Filling.svg|32px|link=Surface_Filling]] [[Surface_Filling|Filling]]: fills a series of boundary curves with a surface.


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These tools are only found in the Surface menu.
* [[File:Surface_GeomFillSurface.svg|32px|link=Surface_GeomFillSurface]] [[Surface_GeomFillSurface|Fill boundary curves]]: creates a surface from two, three or four boundary edges.


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* [[Surface_CurveOnMesh|Curve on mesh...]]: A selected mesh from the mesh workbench can serve as a template in order to create manually spline curves on it.
* [[File:Surface_Sections.svg|32px|link=Surface_Sections]] [[Surface_Sections|Sections]]: creates a surface from edges that represent transversal sections of surface.


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* [[Surface_ExtendFace|Extend face]]: Extrapolate the surface at the boundaries with its local u-parameter and v-parameter.
* [[File:Surface_ExtendFace.svg|32px|link=Surface_ExtendFace]] [[Surface_ExtendFace|Extend face]]: extrapolates the surface at the boundaries with its local U parameter and V parameter.


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==How to use==
* [[File:Surface_CurveOnMesh.svg|32px|link=Surface_CurveOnMesh]] [[Surface_CurveOnMesh|Curve on mesh]]: creates approximated spline segments on top of a selected [[Mesh_Workbench|mesh]].


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* [[File:Surface_BlendCurve.svg|32px|link=Surface_BlendCurve]] [[Surface_BlendCurve|Blend Curve]]: creates a Bezier curve between two edges, with desired continuity.




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== Limitations ==
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The used surface code from the CAD-kernel OCCT is very fragile and can not handle wrong input properly. This can cause FreeCAD to crash. The following situations cause problems and may crash FreeCAD:
|[[Spreadsheet_Workbench|Spreadsheet Workbench]]
* adding additional edges or wires as boundary to a surface, that would make up several faces. Add those edges only to '''Unbound Edges'''.
|[[TechDraw_Workbench|TechDraw Workbench]]
* Using of boundary edges, that fails do build a closed boundary at parametric changes of the document.
|IconL=Workbench_Spreadsheet.svg
|IconR=Workbench_TechDraw.svg
}}


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Latest revision as of 18:46, 25 April 2024

Surface workbench icon

Introduction

The Surface Workbench provides tools to create and modify simple NURBS surfaces. These tools have a similar functionality to the Part Builder tool when the Face from edges option is used. However, unlike that tool, the tools of the Surface Workbench are parametric and provide additional options. In this respect, the tools in this workbench are similar to PartDesign AdditiveLoft and PartDesign AdditivePipe.

Some of the features provided are:

  • Creation of surfaces from boundary edges.
  • Alignment of the curvature from neighboring faces.
  • Constraining of surfaces to additional curves and vertices.
  • Extension of faces.
  • A mesh can be used as a template to create spline curves on its surface.

Usage

The Surface Workbench intends to create faces with shapes, which is not possible to do with the standard tools in other workbenches.

Surface created with sketches placed in datum planes with the tools of the PartDesign Workbench

The Surface Workbench integrates with other workbenches of FreeCAD. The above example was created from Sketches placed on PartDesign Datum planes in the PartDesign Workbench. The design can be fully parametric if all datum planes and sketches are defined accordingly. In most cases it is sufficient to draw a closed sketch to define the boundary of a face, and then use different options to further modify its shape.

The generated surface cannot be placed inside a PartDesign Body. However, the generated surface can be contained inside a Std Part together with the associated PartDesign Body that holds the datum planes and sketches. The non-parametric Part Builder tool can then be used in order to create a shell and finally a solid.

Tools

  • Filling: fills a series of boundary curves with a surface.
  • Sections: creates a surface from edges that represent transversal sections of surface.
  • Extend face: extrapolates the surface at the boundaries with its local U parameter and V parameter.
  • Blend Curve: creates a Bezier curve between two edges, with desired continuity.