Curve Edit > Create > Combine curves

Tasks & Information

This tool or menu item is used in the following pages.

Release Notes Curves

Use this tool to create 3D curves from traditional "plan and elevation" type drawings.

To create a 3D curve from two planar orthogonal curves

1 Make sure the curves are planar. You can use the Curve planarize tool to flatten the curves.

2 Click the Combine curve icon, or choose Create > Combine curve from the Curve Edit palette menu.

3 Click the first profile curve.

4 Click the second profile curve.

5 If Automatic Direction is off, or if Combine curve cannot figure out the projection directions, it will prompt you to enter

the projection axis of the first curve (x, y or z), and
the projection axis of the second curve (x, y, or z).

6 Combine curve creates the curve by projecting the two planar curves into a 3D curve.

In some cases more than one solution may be possible. In these cases, Combine curve creates all the possible curves. When it is finished, delete the curves you don't want.

Tips and notes

If the Create History option is on, you can edit the profile curves and the 3D curve will automatically update.
In most cases you will want to use the Rebuild curve tool to reduce the complexity of the resulting curve.

Options

Automatic Direction

Try to figure out the projection axes for the two curves automatically. Leave this option on unless Combine curve guesses wrong and you need to set the axes manually.

In some cases the Combine curve tool cannot automatically figure out the projection directions (for example, if the two curves are in the same plane). In these cases, you must type the projection axes for the first and second profile curves.

Create History

Save the Combine curve history for later editing. If you turn on Create History, you can edit the profile curves and the combined curve will automatically update.