Surface Modeling Contents

The topics covered are as follows.

• Creating an extruded surface
• Trimming an existing surface with extrude tool

The topics covered are as follows.

• Creating a Revolved surface

The topics covered are as follows.

• Creating a flat surface with Fill tool

The topics covered are as follows.

• Creating a Sweep surface

There are 3 exercises in this section. The topics covered are as follows.

• Creating a simple variable section sweep feature
• Specifying additional chains in addition to Origin Trajectory
• Effect of section dimensioning scheme on surface geometry

The topics covered are as follows.

• Creating a blended surface

The topics covered are as follows.

• Creating a Swept blend surface

There are 3 exercises in this section. The topics covered are as follows.

• Creating a blended surface by referencing curves in one direction
• Creating a blended surface by referencing curves in two direction
• Creating a blended surface that connects two existing surface with Tangent constraint

The topics covered are as follows.

• Creating an Offset surface

There are 5 exercises in this section. The topics covered are as follows.

• Copy surfaces with Copy tool
• Selecting surface with Loop selection technique
• Filling a hole in a copied surface
• Filling holes in copied surface with Contours option
• Excluding a surface patch from copied surface

The topics covered are as follows.

• Mirroring a surface

There are 2 exercises in this section. The topics covered are as follows

• Translating a surface
• Rotating a surface

There are 2 exercises in this section. The topics covered are as follows.

• Joining overlapping surface with Merge tool
• Joining the intersecting surfaces with Merge tool

The topics covered are as follows.

• Trimming a surface

The topics covered are as follows.

• Extending a surface

There are 2 exercises in this section. The topics covered are as follows

• Solidifying a quilt
• Removing material by using quilt

In surface modeling datum curves are of great importance. Most of the surfaces are built around datum curves. So surface modeling requires good skills to build datum curves.

There are several exercises elaborating how to

• Sketch a spline
• Modify a spline
• Dimension the tangency of end points of a spline
• Dimension the tangency of an intermediate point of a spline
• Dimension radius of curvature of a spline
• Sketch a three point spline and dimension it
• Sketch a conic arc
• Create a datum curve that passes through the selected points
• Create a datum curve by projection
• Create a composite datum curve by copying multiple  curves
• Creat a curve at the intersection of two surfaces
• Wrapping a sketched curve

In this section, there are several exercises elaborating how to create

• Sketched datum points
• Datum points at the center of an arc or circle
• A datum point that lies on a datum curve
• A datum point at a specific distance on a datum curve
• A datum point that lies on a vertex
• A datum point at the intersection of a surface and a datum axis
• A datum point that lies on a surface and dimensioned to datum planes
• A datum point offset from a surface
• Datum points offset from the coordinate system

In this section, there are several exercises elaborating how to create

• A datum plane that passes through a datum axis and at an angle to a specified plane
• A datum plane that passes through a datum point and normal to a datum curve
• An offset datum plane
• A datum plane that is parallel to an existing plane and passes through a datum curve.

In this section, there are several exercises elaborating how to create

• A datum axis that passes through the center of a cylindrical surface
• A datum axis that passes through the center of a circular curve.
• A datum axis that passes through a datum point and normal to a datum plane.
• A datum axis that passes through a datum point and normal to selected surface.
• A datum axis that passes through a datum point and tangent to a selected datum curve.
• A datum axis that passes through the intersection of two datum planes.

In this section, there are several exercises elaborating how to create

• A  datum coordinate system at the intersection of three datum planes.
• A datum coordinate system at the intersection of an axis and a surface.
• A datum coordinate system offset from an existing coordinate system.
• A datum coordinate system that lies at a vertex and its axis directions parallel to the default coordinate system

Most of the surfaces are built around datum curves. So quality of surface directly depends upon the quality of curves.

In this section, there are several exercises elaborating how to

• Analyze a curve using Radius and Curvature analysis tools
• Understand the difference between curvature continuous and discontinuous curves.
• Modify it a curve make it curvature continuous.
• Ttransform the copied curves to a curvature continuous curve

The quality of a surface is determined by the quality of individual surface patches and their connection with each other. A surface analysis is usually performed after curve analysis to check the quality of the surface.

In this section, there are several exercises elaborating how to

• Analyze a curve using Radius and Curvature analysis tools
• Analyze a surface for continuity using Reflection analysis tool
• Analyze a surface using Curvature analysis tool
• Analyze a quilt with Dihedral Angle tool to determine the level of tangency.
• Analyze the Gaussian curvature of a surface
• Analyze the Gaussian curvature of a surface
• Analyze a surface to determine if it has sufficient draft by using Draft Check tool.

A singularity is created when gridlines of a surface concentrate to a single point

Surfaces with singularities are considered to be of poor quality and make the offset, thicken or shell operation very difficult. Furthermore surfaces with singularities are unstable during regeneration.

In this section, we will build two surface models elaborating how to avoid the singularity problems.

In this exercise we will create a door handle. The topics elaborated are as follows.

• Adding relations in a variable section sweep feature
• Solidifying a quilt

In this exercise we will create the surface model of a hand grip. The topics elaborated are as follows.

• Defining the section of a variable section sweep feature with spline
• Controlling tangency dimensions of a spline

In this exercise we will learn to fix a distorted boundary blended surface. The topics elaborated are as follows.

• Changing the location of Start Point

In this exercise we will create the surface model of a shampoo bottle. The topics elaborated are as follows.

• Defining a boundary blended surface with constraints
• Thickening a quilt

In this exercise we will create the surface model for a door of drawer. The topics elaborated are as follows.

• Creating datum curves through existing points
• Applying tangency conditions to the datum curves
• Defining a boundary blended surface with constraints

In this exercise we will create the surface model for a plastic chair. The topics elaborated are as follows.

• Creating a datum curve that lies on selected surface
• Trimming surface

In this exercise we will create the surface model for a jug. The topics elaborated are as follows.

• How to make the parent and mirrored surfaces tangent to each other
• Freely tweaking a datum curve
• Trim a surface with projected curve

In this exercise we will create the surface model of the scoop for a car. The topics elaborated are as follows.

• Creating a datum curve through multiple datum points
• For a surface to be normal or tangent to a reference, underlying datum curve must also be normal or tangent, respectively to the reference.

In this exercise we will create the surface model of the pulsator for a washing machine. The topics elaborated are as follows.

• Mapping points for boundary blended surface
• Pattern a surface

In this exercise we will create the surface model of a channel. The topics elaborated are as follows.

• Why it is advantageous to pick the surface edge instead of underlying datum curve fro creating a boundary blended surface.
• How to make the side edges of the blended surface tangent to the side edges of the reference surfaces.
• How to control the influence of reference surfaces while creating a boundary blended surface

In this exercise we will create the surface model of a mobile phone. The parting surface of the part is non-planar. It will be shown how to build draft into the surfaces instead of using Draft Tool. The topics elaborated are as follows.

• How to build draft angle in the definition of variable section sweep surface
• How to achieve constant draft angle for complex  split-surface assemblies

In this exercise we will create the surface model of a receiver. The topics elaborated are as follows.

• How to make variable section sweep surface tangent to adjacent surfaces while maintaining constant draft angle
• Analyzing a part for sufficient draft

In this exercise we will create the surface model of a mobile phone. The parting surface of the part is non-planar. It will be shown how to build draft into the surfaces instead of using Draft Tool. The topics elaborated are as follows.

• How to build draft angle in the definition of boundary blended surface
• How to achieve constant draft angle for complex  split-surface assemblies
• Getting better quality surfaces by choosing suitable blending option

In this exercise we will create the surface model of a torch. The topics elaborated are as follows.

• How to build draft angle in the definition of boundary blended surface
• Mapping of boundary blended surface at custom defined control point

In this exercise we will create an indent in the surface model of a component.

In this exercise we will create an indent in the surface model of a component. If a boundary blended surfaces is created between two existing surfaces, both have influence on the shape of the surface. This influence can be controlled to get ergonomic surfaces. The topics elaborated are as follows.

• Creating curvature continuous surfaces
• Creating curvature continuous rounds
• How to control the influence of reference surfaces while creating a boundary blended surface

In this exercise we will create an indent behind the car door handle. The round shown is not created with Round tool instead boundary blended surface is fine tuned to give the effect of round. The topics elaborated are as follows.

• Creating curvature continuous rounds
• Getting better quality surfaces by choosing suitable blending option
• How to control the influence of reference surfaces while creating a boundary blended surface

In this exercise we will create the surface model of a spoon. The topics elaborated are as follows.

• How to achieve “implied tangency” while creating symmetrical parts.
• Avoiding singularities

In this exercise we will create the surface model of a clock. The topics elaborated are as follows.

• For a surface to be normal or tangent to a reference, underlying datum curve must also be normal or tangent, respectively to the reference.
• Pattern a surface
• Maintain tangency across patterned surfaces
• Analyzing the quilt with Dihedral Angle tool to determine the level of tangency

In this exercise we will create the surface model of a fan base. Here a lot of techniques learned in previous exercises are implemented together. The topics elaborated are as follows.

• How to achieve “implied tangency” while creating symmetrical parts.
• Avoiding singularities
• Creating rounds with boundary blended surfaces instead of Round Tool
• Analyzing the quilt with Dihedral Angle tool to determine the level of tangency

In this exercise we will create a pipe intersection of different cross-sections. The new techniques learned here are as follows.

• How to constrain a datum curve in a specified plane or surface
• Taking advantage of multiple symmetries in a part

In this exercise we will create a pipe intersection of “Y” shape. The topics elaborated are as follows.

• Creating surfaces for gaps requiring five sided boundary blended surface
• Trimming surfaces to achieve favorable geometry for a four chain boundary blended surface

In this exercise we will create a pipe intersection of multiple cross-sections. The new techniques learned here are as follows.

• Fixing degenerate surfaces
• Inserting curves in boundary blended surface

In this exercise we will create a model for soup spoon . The new techniques learned here are as follows.

• Avoiding singularities in non-symmetric parts
• Trimming surfaces to achieve favorable geometry for a four chain boundary blended surface

In this exercise we will create a model of bicycle headlight. The new techniques learned here are as follows.

• How to make a curve normal to a selected edge and at the same time tangent to a surface
• Creating rounds with boundary blended surfaces instead of Round Tool

In this exercise we will create a surface model of an electric iron. The topics elaborated are as follows.

• Trimming surfaces to achieve favorable geometry for a four chain boundary blended surface
• How to make a curve normal to a selected edge and at the same time tangent to a surface

In this exercise we will create a model of binocular. The topics elaborated are as follows.

• Creating surfaces for gaps requiring five sided boundary blended surface

In this exercise we will create a surface model of sink mixer. The new techniques learned here are as follows..

• Using Ribbon Surface to make surfaces tangent while minimizing parent -child relations

In this exercise we will create a model for a bicycle seat. It will also be shown how to convert a quilt into a solid and then shell it out to achieve uniform thickness solid parts.

In this exercise we will create another model for a bicycle seat. Here all the surfaces will be curvature continuous to each other. A new technique will be introduced to achieve desired reflective behavior of surfaces and avoid singularity.

In this exercise we will create a surface model for a shower head. The most important aspect is building draft so that geometry is manufacturable. Here a lot of techniques learned in previous exercises are implemented together.

In this exercise we will create a model for a shoe. The most important aspect is to constrain the movement of curve in a single plane while tweaking. It will also be shown how the blending options of boundary blended surface affects the quality of resultant surface. Here solidify and thicken operation will be performed in a same part.

In this exercise we will create a model for a car roof. The most important aspect is the additional control of tweaking functionality.

In this exercise we will create a model for a car fender. Here a lot of techniques learned in previous exercise are implemented together.

In this exercise we will create a model for an axial fan. Here graph feature will be used with Variable section sweep feature to create highly complex geometry of the blade.