Drafting

The Draw->Drafting command in the Model module allows you to add straight lines and arcs to Linear, Bezier, Cardinal, and B-Spline curves and modify them interactively. This command is not applicable for NURBS curves.

Note:

The Draw->Drafting command simulates 2D manual drafting and should be used in the Front window only.
Drafting converts Cardinal and B-Splines to Bezier curves.

Procedure

1. Select a non-NURBS curve.
2. Choose the Draw->Drafting command.
   The Drafting 2D dialogue box is displayed.
   
3. Select the type of segment to add: Add Line or Add Arc.

Adding Lines

4. If you accept the default settings and click Add Segment immediately, a line is added onto the last point of the Bezier curve.
5. If you adjust the Distance or Angle sliders first, the line is added starting from the second to last point on the Bezier curve.

Adding Arcs

6. If you accept the default settings and click Add Segment immediately, an arc is added after the last point of the curve; the number of segments of the added section depends on the current Step value.
7. On the other hand, if you want to edit the existing curve segments, don't click Add Segment. Use the sliders to edit the arc parameters. In this case Step value has a somewhat different effect. The new arc is considered to be n curve segments of the existing curve, where n is the value in the Step text box. Based on the default Step value of 8, the new arc is the last 8 curve segments of the existing curve.

• To edit your curve sanely, first change the Step value to the desired number of curve segments you want to edit, then adjust the sliders, and finally click Add Segment.

8. You can continue adding and editing as many lines or arcs as desired without exiting the dialogue box. The results are shown interactively.
9. Click Ok to accept the additions to your curve or Cancel to exit the dialogue box without saving the additions.

Parameters

Add Line

Select this option to add a line segment to your curve.

• Distance sets the length of the line in SOFTIMAGE units.
• Angle sets the angle of the line relative to the last point of the curve. You can use positive and negative values to specify the direction.

Add Arc

Adds an arc on the existing curve. The new arc may start from the last point of the existing curve or from another point on the curve. See the procedure for details.

• Radius sets the radius of the arc.
• Angle sets the angle of the arc relative to the last point of the curve.
• Step specifies the number of curve segments in the added arc.

Add Segment

Adds a new line or arc segment to the curve, depending on your selection.

Undo

Undoes the operations.

Redo

Redoes the operations.

Last updated 08-apr-1998