Curves GordonSurface

Curves GordonSurface
Menu location
Surfaces → Gordon surface
Workbenches
Curves
Default shortcut
None
Introduced in version
-
See also
None

Description

The Curves GordonSurface tool spans a surface on a grid of guide curves and profile curves.

At least a frame of 2 guide curves and 2 profile curves is needed for a Gordon surface, additional curves in between allow for a more detailed control of its curvature.

A grid of 3 guides (yellow) and 4 profiles (purple) → A Gordon surface

Usage

1. Select the lines that define the grid of the surface in the appropriate order:
   • Select the guide curves (first direction) from one edge via the intermediate curves to the other edge.
   • Select the profile curves (second direction) again from one edge via the intermediate curves to the other edge.
2. There are several ways to invoke the tool:
   • Press the Gordon surface button.
   • Select the Surfaces → Gordon surface option from the menu.
3. A Gordon object is created.
4. Optionally edit the values in the Property editor to choose a different output type and adjust the related properties (see Properties below).

Notes

• Change the DataOutput property to Wireframe to create a Gordon grid. It uses the same frame curves but may have different numbers of curves in between.

  DataSamples U and DataSamples V properties determine the density of the grid in U and V direction accordingly.

  Samples equal the number of segments between the frame curves, 3 and 5 in this example:

Gordon surface → Gordon grid, the same object with Output property set to Wireframe

• The input curves of each group (guides and profiles) should touch all curves of the other group. In other words, they must form a grid or net pattern as shown here:

• In general, the surface normal of the resulting Gordon surface will be determined by the direction of the profiles.

  In this example, the surface on the left, the profiles were drawn from +Y to -Y and the resulting surface normal is +Z

  And on the right, the profiles are drawn from -Y to +Y, resulting in the surface normal oriented -Z.

• Part Extrude can be used to create a solid from the surface.

• PartDesign Pad can also create a solid from the surface. Dragging the surface into a Body creates a Base Feature that can then be padded.

Properties

See also: Property editor.

A Gordon object is derived from a Part Feature object and inherits all its properties. It also has the following additional properties:

Data

Base

• DataOutput (Enumeration): Defines the output type:
  • Surface (default): The result is a single Surface shape.
  • Wireframe: The result is a grid of guide and profile curves.

Gordon

• DataMax Ctrl Pts (Integer): Max Number of control points
• DataSources (LinkList): Curve network. User selected lines that are used to create the Gordon surface.
• Data (Hidden)Tol2D (Float): Parametric tolerance
• DataTol3D (Float): 3D tolerance

Surface

• DataFlip Normal (Bool): Flip surface normal

Wireframe

• Data (Hidden)Samples U (Integer): Number of samples in U direction.
• Data (Hidden)Samples V (Integer): Number of samples in V direction.