3D Objects

Solid objects are produced either as free-standing objects without dependence on sketch profiles or as objects which are produced from a 2D sketch profile.

3D objects are created as a solid entity, but can be changed to a surface if required.Typical free-standing 3D objects are  Box, Sphere, Hemisphere and Torus.Certain 3D objects are produced from a single, pre-drawn 2D object by extruding, lofting, imprinting or revolving the profiles.Typical 3D objects which are produced from sketch profiles are Cone, Prism and Revolve, etc.3D Objects can either be produced as 3D Primitives, 3D Profile-based objects or SMESH Smooth Mesh objects.

3D Primitives

Ribbon : Draw | 3D Object | 3D Primitives

Default Menu : Draw | 3D Object

Palette : 3D Model | 3D Object

These solid objects are free standing objects, created without any dependence on 2D Profiles.

Typical 3D objects are 3D Box, Rotated Box, Wedge, Sphere, Hemisphere, Torus, Cylinder and Polygonal Prism. Cones can be created as a free standing 3D object or extruded from a 2D profile.

3D Profile Objects

Ribbon : Draw | 3D Object | 3D Profile-Based

Default Menu : Draw | 3D Object

Palette : 3D Model | 3D Object

These objects are usually created from one or more profiles. They are created as a solid entity, but can be changed to a surface if required.

Typical 3D objects produced from 3D Profile objects are Extrusions, Prisms and Lofts.

Profiles which are swept along a path produce a solid.

Profiles which are revolved about an axis result in a solid object.

3D Patterns

Ribbon : Draw | 3D Object | Pattern

Default Menu : Draw | 3D Object | 3D Pattern

Palette : 3D Model | 3D Object

3D Patterns are the result of one or more solid objects being copied or arrayed in a linear, radial cylindrical or spherical manner.

Box

Ribbon : Draw | Draw 3D | Box

Default : Draw | 3D Objects | 3D Primitives | Box

Palette : 3D Model | 3D Object | Box

Creates a Box by specifying a length, height and width relative to the user coordinate system.

When a Box is drawn as a free standing object, it will always be drawn with its base in a parallel plane to the Workplane.

Measurement values are input into the data fields of the Inspector Bar as either positive or negative, depending on which direction they are traveling in respect to the axes of the User Coordinate System.

In the example below, the origin point of the Box is shown by the arrow. The values of the Width, Length and Height will all be positive values.

Box drawn positive width, length and height values

Worked Example 

Set the view to Isometric South East and display the Workplane. Both of these tasks can be accessed using the right click mouse button in the workspace.

Make sure the User CS is displayed. Go to Options | Preferences | Show User CS to do this. In the example below, the User CS is shown by the arrow.

Draw a Box Draw | Draw 3D | Box with a width of 80, a length of 100 and a height of 20.

3D Box drawn on the Workplane

Another Box, shown as the green box below,  will now be drawn from the corner vertex of the first box, to a width of 40, length of -50 and height of 80. In the example below, the workspace is viewed from the World Plan view, left image, and Isometric South East, right image.

To achieve the result shown in the illustration above,  the measurement values will be input as shown in the illustration, below.

Notice that the Length value was -50 as it was traveling in a negative direction along the Y axis.

Another Box will be drawn from the corner vertex, shown by the arrow, below.

This Box will measure -25 x -80 x 30 and will resemble the box shown by the arrow below.

Take Note 

The Width value was -25 as it was traveling in a negative direction along the X axis of the User CS.

The Length value was input as -80 as it was traveling in a negative direction along the Y axis of the User CS.

The Height value was input as 30as it was traveling in a positive direction along the Z axis or the User CS.

Selection Info Palette

First display the Selection Info Palette. Tools | Palettes | Selection Info.

Select any of the newly drawn Boxes

Adjust the Length, Width and Height fields in the Box information panel to adjust the measurements of the 3D Box.

Using the Selection Info Palette to change the geometry of 3D Box

Rotated Box

Ribbon : Draw | Draw 3D | Rotated Box

Draw | 3D Objects | 3D Primitives | Rotated Box

Palette : 3D Model | 3D Object | Rotated Box

Creates a Box to specific measurements which is not aligned to the Workplane.

The first two points will define the Y plane of the box, with the third and fourth points defining the width/length and height.

Example

In the example below, the view is set to Isometric South East.

A Rotated Box is drawn measuring 100 x 50 x 30. The angle is given as 15° which rotates the x-y axis by 15° in a positive direction, shown by the orientation of the Selector Shell below.

3D Box drawn at 15° degree rotated angle

Wedge

Ribbon : Draw | Draw 3D | Wedge

Draw | 3D Objects | 3D Primitives | Wedge

Palette : 3D Model | 3D Object | Wedge

Draws a tapered solid by defining diagonal base vertices and a height.

Worked Example 

Right click in the workspace and set the view to Isometric South East. Select the 3D Wedge tool and left click in the workspace to define the first base point. Use the keyboard TAB key to access the data fields and input the values shown in the Selection Info palette below.

The Selection Info palette, shown below, is used to update the geometry of the selected part.

Drawing and updating a Wedge

Sphere

Ribbon : Draw | Draw 3D | Sphere

Default Menu : Draw | 3D Objects | 3D Primitives | Sphere

Palette : 3D Model | 3D Object | Sphere

Creates a spherical shape by indicating a center point and a radius or diameter.

The radius can either be given by indicating a point in the workspace, or can be input into the radius field of the Inspector Bar.

Example

A sphere consists of Latitudinal and Longitudinal segments, shown below. In the example below, a point was given by left-clicking in the workspace. A radius of 50 was input into the radius field of the Inspector Bar.

Longitudinal segments are the number of parallel spheres drawn from top to bottom (north to south) Latitudinal segments are the number of parallel spheres drawn around the sphere from left to right (east to west)

 

Sphere shown with Degenerative Faceting activated. Options > ACIS > Degenerative Faceting.

When drawn in the workspace without dependence on other objects, the circumference of the Sphere will always be drawn in a parallel plane to the Workplane, shown below.

Take Note 

When solid objects are moved freely within the workspace, they remain on the Workplane.

Solid objects will not remain on the Workplane if they are assembled onto other objects.

Hemisphere

Ribbon : Draw | Draw 3D | Hemisphere

Default Menu : Draw | 3D Objects | 3D Primitives | Hemisphere

Palette : 3D Model | 3D Object | Hemisphere

Draws a solid hemisphere by indicating the center of the base and a radius.

Sphere shown with Degenerative Faceting deactivated. Options > ACIS > Degenerative Faceting. Faceter Quality set to 50%

The base lies parallel with the X-Y axis of the Workplane and the height of the dome lies perpendicular to the base, shown below.

See Sphere for more information.

Torus

Ribbon : Draw | Draw 3D | Torus

Default Menu : Draw | 3D Objects | 3D Primitives | Torus

Palette : 3D Model | 3D Object | Torus

The Torus tool can be used to create a donut-shaped solid which is generated by rotating a circle around a central axis.

A Torus is defined by two radius values, one for the distance from the center of the torus to the center of the tube (base radius) and the radius of the tube itself.

The Torus shape is generated when a smaller circle profile is extruded through a circular path. 

In the example below, the profile segments of the circle are clearly displayed. 

In the example below, the radius of the Torus is 20 and the Tube Radius (width) is 5.

When drawn without any dependence on any other object, a Torus will lie in a parallel plane to the Workplane, with the center of its tube radius intersected by the Workplane, shown below.

 

The Selection Info Palette

Tools | Palettes | Selection Info Palette

The Selection Info Palette is used to modify the dimensions of the torus.  For example, in the illustration below, the rotation angle has been changed.

Using the Selection Info palette to change the shape of the Torus

Cone

Ribbon : Draw | Draw 3D | Cone

Default Menu : Draw | 3D Objects | 3D Primitives | Cone

Palette : 3D Model | 3D Object | Cone

Draw | 3D Objects | 3D Primitives | Cone

This tool produces a tapered extrusion from a new or existing 2D closed profile.

Although a cone is typically a conically shaped object, this tool can be used to create a tapered extrusion on any closed 2D profile.

Cut Cone by Plane allows the cone to be sliced by a plane which is parallel to the profile.

Cut Cone by Lofting allows the top edge of the extrusion to be scaled.

In the example below, a circle and rectangular profile are used to create an extruded shape using the Cone tool.

In the example below left, the Cut Cone by Plane option is used to slice the lofted shape using a plane parallel to the base profile.

In the example below right, the Cut Cone by Lofting option is used to widen the extrusion taper of the lofted shape.

Showing Cut Cone by Plane (left) and Cut Cone by Lofting (right)

Cylinder

Ribbon : Draw | Draw 3D | Cylinder

Default Menu : Draw | 3D Objects | 3D Primitives | Cylinder

Palette : 3D Model | 3D Object | Cylinder

This 3D object creates a cylindrical shape by defining the center of the base, the radius and the height.

A solid shape without a circle sketch profile is produced when using the Cylinder tool, but a circle profile can be extruded to create the surface shape.

The dimensional properties of both the solid cylindrical shape and the extruded arc can be modified using the Selection Info Palette.

 

Worked Example

Set the view to Isometric South East, then draw a cylinder in the workspace with a radius of 30 and a height of 130.

Take Note

A cylindrical object consists of the surface of the cylinder and a top and bottom face. There is no center snap at the center of either face. Neither is there a quadrant snap at the edges of the top or bottom face. In the example below, the reference point of the selector shell has been relocated to the vertex point, shown as the top edge of the surface, shown below.

Reference point of selection shown on the vertex of the top face

To relocate the reference point of a selection, select the object, then input the keyboard letter D to displace the reference point. Position the floating reference point in another location, shown below. To restore the reference point to its default position, select the object, then right click and select Default Reference Point from the context menu.

Relocating the reference point

Prism

Ribbon : Draw | Draw 3D | Prism

Default Menu : Draw | 3D Objects | 3D Profile-Based | Prism

Palette : 3D Model | 3D Object | Prism

To create a prism, 2 closed profiles with the same number of vertices or nodes on different elevations are required. The Prism tool will then create a lofted surface object by connecting the vertices, shown below.

Example

In the example below, two six-sided polygons are drawn on different elevations. The polygons are different sizes but contain the same number of nodes. The resulting shape is referred to as a Loft.

Creating a lofted surface using the Prism tool

Helix

Draw | Draw 3D | Helix

A helix is a three-dimensional geometric shape consisting of a curve that spirals around a central axis,

In the example below, a helix is drawn in the editor using the parameters shown in the Selection Info palette.

Modifications to the helix are done using the Helix parameters in the Selection Info palette.

A Helix is useful for creating a spiral path to sweep another profile, shown below.

See Also 

Sweep

Rail Sweep

Helix, Curve from Law, Spline, and Bezier objects

Helix, Curve from Law, Spline, and Bezier tools contain a Length property in the Selection Info Palette to adjust the Length of the curve.

 

Updating Primitive Shapes using the Selection Info Palette

The geometrical information of 3D Primitives is updated using the Selection Info palette. In the example below, the 3D Box is selected and the information shown in the Selection Info Palette. When the Length variable is selected in the 3D panel of the Selection Info palette, the dimensional information is temporarily shown within the 3D Box.

Use the values in the Selection Info palette to update the geometry of the 3D Box, shown below.