SpaceClaim Online Help

Merging surfaces

You can merge surfaces with the CombineA tool used to cut or glue geometry together. tool. SurfaceTwo dimensional object that has no thickness (as opposed to a face, which is part of a three-dimensional object). A surface has area but no volume. See FaceSide or other surface of a solid. Some examples are the inside surface of a hole or the six sides of a rectangular solid. See Surface.. must share edges to be merged. If surfaces enclose a volume, you can use the Combine tool to quickly convert the enclosed volume into a solid and trim the extra.

Sometimes, if you manipulate a surface so that it becomes self-intersecting, you may need to create a solid from the surface that remains.

To merge surfaces that share edges

1. Select the Combine tool from the IntersectA tool used to split solids and faces. ribbon group.

2. Click the first surface.

3. Ctrl+click the second surface to merge it with the first surface.

   The second surface takes on the color and visibility properties of the first surface. The Structure treeDisplay in the Structure panel that shows you each of the objects in your design. You can expand or collapse the nodes of the tree to view the objects. You can rename objects, create, modify, replace, and delete objects, as well as work with components. shows the merge.

To merge surfaces that enclose a volume

1. Select the surfaces that intersect to form an enclosed region using box selection.

2. Select the Combine tool from the Intersect ribbon group.

   The enclosed region becomes a solid and takes on the color and visibility properties of the merged surface that appeared top-most in the Structure tree. The Structure tree shows the merge.

To create a solid from a self-intersecting single surface

1. Click the Select tool in the Edit ribbon group.

2. Select the "open" edge of the set of surfaces, shown in black.

3. Click the Combine tool.

To repair a self-intersecting surface

1. Click the Select tool in the Edit ribbon group.

2. Double-click the edge loops.

3. Click the Combine tool.

Examples

Six surfaces enclosing a volume, box-selected and combined with the Combine tool

Repairing a self-intersecting surface with the Combine tool

Ctrl+click to select an open edge loop of a surface, then close the surfaces with the Combine tool