SpaceClaim Online Help

Blending

You can create blends between points, edges, or faces.

To create a blend

• Enter the BlendSmooth and tangent transition between faces or edges; created using the Pull tool. tool
• Select a point, edge, or face
• Ctrl+Select a corresponding point edge or face
  • You can select more than two objects
• The blend is previewed as you select
• Complete the blend

You can blend both closed and open sections to a single point as shown below.

Options

The following options are available in the BlendSmooth and tangent transition between faces or edges; created using the Pull tool. tool Options panelArea of the user interface that enables you to modify functions specific to tools. when you select the appropriate geometry for a blend.

• Rotational blendPull tool option used when blending faces to create cylinders and cones whenever possible.: Create cylinders and cones whenever possible during the creation of a blend. You must have selected faces, points, or edges that can be rotated around a common axis.
• Periodic blendPull tool option used to go all the way around when blending faces.: Go all the way around when blending. The blend will begin and end at the first selected object. You must have selected three or more faces, points, or edges that can be rotated around a common axis, and that also span an arc greater than 180 degrees. (Blending between 3 equal-radius circle faces creates a torus.)
• Ruled sections: Create straight edges when you blend. When you blend between faces, this option has the same affect as selecting the face and its edges.

• Local guides: Selected guide curves only influence areas near to them.

• Clocked guides: Guide curves are oriented relative to the face edges instead being simply translated from vertex to vertex.

                 

         Clocked guides unchecked                         Clocked guides Checked

   

• Sheet metal blend: Forces the tool to create developable surfaces. A developable surface is defined in mathematics as a surface with zero Gaussian CurvatureAnalysis tool that displays a fringe graph or color shading to represent the curvature along curves or edges. Values indicate how curvy or "swoopy" the curve or surface is at each point. (i.e. a surface that can be flattened into a plane). The tool attempts to create planes, cylinders, and cones, in that order to maximize the planar areas. It is restricted to blending between two parallel planes.

                 

         Sheet metal blend unchecked                                                       Sheet metal blend Checked

   

Example

When blending between colored objects, the blended geometry takes on the color of the object that was selected first.