PTC Pro Engineer Wildfire Surface Modeling Tutorial
PTC Pro Engineer Wildfire Surface Modeling Tutorial
PTC Pro Engineer Wildfire Surface Modeling Tutorial
Surface Modeling
Learning Objectives
After completing this chapter you will be able to:
• Creating an Extruded Surface.
• Creating a Revolved Surface.
• Creating a Sweep Surface.
• Creating a Blended Surface.
• Creating a Swept Blend Surface.
• Creating a Helical Sweep Surface.
• Creating a Surface by Blending the Boundaries.
• Creating a Surface using Variable Section Sweep.
• Creating surfaces using Style environment.
• Understand surface editing tools.
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SURFACE MODELING
Surface models are a type of three-dimensional (3-D) models with no thickness. These models
are widely used in industries like, automobile, aerospace, plastic, medical, and so on.
Surface models should not be confused with the thick models, that is, models having mass
properties. Surface models do not have thickness whereas thick or solid models have a
user-defined thickness. In Pro/ENGINEER, the surface modeling techniques and feature
creation tools are same that are used in solid modeling. A solid model of any shape that is
created can also be created using the surface modeling techniques. The only difference between
the solid model and the surface model will be that the solid model will have mass properties
but the surface model will not. Sometimes, complex shapes are difficult to create using solid
modeling. Such models can be easily created using surface modeling and then convert the
surface model into the solid model. It becomes easy for a person to learn surface modeling if
he is familiar with solid modeling feature creation tools.
In this dashboard, the Extrude as solid button is selected by default. Select the
Extrude as surface button to extrude the sketch and create a surface model. All the
attributes that are related to a solid model and that were discussed in Chapter 3 are
same for a surface model also. Some examples of these attributes are, sketch plane, both
sides or one side extrusion, depth of extrusion, and so on.
A surface model can be extruded with capped ends or with open ends. Figure 14-2 shows the
open end surface model and Figure 14-3 shows the capped end surface model. Remember
that to create the capped end surface model, the sketch should be a closed loop. Otherwise,
a surface can be created with the open sketch.
To create a surface with capped ends, select the Capped Ends check box in the Options slide
up panel.
Surface Modeling 14-3
Figure 14-2 Surface with open ends Figure 14-3 Surface with capped ends
The Revolve as solid button is selected by default, choose the Revolve as surface
button to create a revolve surface. You can create a revolved capped end surface or an
open end surface. The Capped End check box in the Options slide-up panel is
available only when the sketch is closed and the angle of revolution is less than
360-degrees. Figure 14-5 shows the open end revolve surface and Figure 14-6 shows the
capped end revolve surface.
Figure 14-5 Revolved surface with open ends Figure 14-6 Revolved surface with capped ends
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Figures 14-7 and 14-8 shows the sweep surfaces with the open ends and closed ends respectively.
Figure 14-7 Sweep surface with open ends Figure 14-8 Sweep surface with capped ends created
created using a closed sketch using a closed sketch
Figure 14-9 Blended surface with open ends Figure 14-10 Blended surface with capped ends
Surface Modeling 14-5
Figure 14-11 Swept blend surface with open Figure 14-12 Swept blend surface with capped ends
ends
Tip: If you want to create a surface blend with capped end, you need to create closed
sketch. Pro/ENGINEER does not accept a open sketch for a capped end blend surface.
To create a surface blend with capped ends and keeping the sketch open can also be
done. For this purpose, select the Open Ends option and then draw a open sketch.
Give the blend depth and create the blended surface. Now, redefine the surface feature
and modify the open ends attribute to capped ends. Choose OK from the SURFACE
dialog box. The blended surface with the capped ends is created. This is also true
with other features like extrude, revolve, sweep, and so on.
Figure 14-13 Helical sweep surface with open Figure 14-14 Helical sweep feature with capped
ends created using an open sketch ends created using the closed sketch
or more curve chains to define a blended surface. The options in this dashboard are discussed
next.
Curves tab
When you choose the Curves tab, the slide-up panel is displayed. Choose a curve from the
graphics window, the curve is highlighted in red as shown in Figure 14-16. At the two ends of
the curve, T=0 is displayed, an arrow is attached to the curve and the text reads CURRENT
CHAIN. When you modify the value of T, which is by default 0, to some higher value then
the curve is extended from that end. Press CTRL+left mouse button to select the second
curve. The second curve is also highlighted in red and now the text that is attached with the
arrow, reads CURRENT CHAIN and the arrow on the previous curve now reads 1ST DIR
CHAIN 1, see Figure 14-16. The surface is created as shown in Figure 14-17.
Figure 14-16 Curves selected to blend Figure 14-17 Boundary blend surface
Surface Modeling 14-7
The collector present below the Curves tab shows 2 Chains. This collector represents the
Curves tab and the number of curves selected in the first direction are displayed in this
collector.
Now, invoke the Curves slide-up panel and select the 2 Chain from the First direction curves
collector, the slide-up panel is displayed as shown in Figure 14-18. In the slide-up panel, the
Move up and Move down buttons are available that can change the order of selection of the
curves. The Closed blend check box is used to close the surfaces.
Tip: To delete the curves from the collector, right-click on the collector and choose the
Remove all option from the shortcut menu that is displayed.
Figure 14-19 shows the surface created after selecting the three curves and Figure 14-20
shows the surface that is closed by selecting the Closed blend check box.
Figure 14-19 Surface created after selecting the Figure 14-20 Surface created after closing it
curves
direction curves. Figure 14-21 shows the first and the second direction curves and Figure 14-22
shows the surface created after selecting the curves shown in Figure 14-21.
Figure 14-21 Datum curves Figure 14-22 Surface created by selecting the curves
in two directions
Figure 14-23 shows the trajectories and section that are used to create the variable section
sweep surface. You have an option to keep the ends open or capped. This option is available
in the Options slide-up panel.
To enter the Style environment, choose the Style Tool available in the Base Features
toolbar or choose Insert > Style from the menu bar. Figure 14-24 shows the
appearance of the Style environment.
Select button
This button is used to select the surfaces, curves, planes, and so on in the Style
environment. If you are in middle of a feature creation tool you can choose the Select
button to exit that tool.
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It should be noted that the datum planes created using this button are displayed on the
graphics window only when you are in the Style environment. Once you exit the Style
environment, the datum plane becomes invisible. Any feature created in the Style environment,
is displayed in the Model Tree as a Style feature.
Remember that the curve drawn using the Free option is created on the active datum plane.
To draw a 3D curve you need to snap the point on the existing entity. You can also draw a 3D
curve by choosing the Toggle showing all views and one view full-size button from the Style
toolbar. When you choose this button, the display is turned into 4 windows. In Pro/ENGINEER,
this type of display is called as 4-view display mode. The four views shows the top, default,
right-side, and front views. You can select a point in one window and then select second point
in the other window. By specifying points in different windows, the 3D curve can be drawn.
To switch back to the single window display mode, choose the Toggle showing all views and
one view full-size button.
Tip: To undo the last operation, choose the Undo button from the Style toolbar. The
shortcut for undo is CTRL+Z.
Curve collector
When you select a curve to edit, the id of the curve is displayed in this collector.
Tip: Using the Free option, you can draw a curve on a surface. To draw a curve on
a surface using the Free option, press SHIFT to select a point on the surface. The
surface is highlighted as you select a point on it and then the point is placed on the
surface. This method of selecting points on a surface can be used to draw curves that
join points on two separate surfaces.
By default, a curve has a natural contact with the adjacent surface. This is evident from
the check mark on the left of the Natural option in the shortcut menu. Figure 14-29
shows the curve that is connected to the adjacent surface using the Natural option. The
curve is drawn using the Free option. The point on the cylindrical surface is selected by
using SHIFT+left mouse button and similarly another point is selected on the surface at
the base. Figure 14-30 shows the curve whose contact type is changed to Surface Tangent
option by choosing it from the shortcut menu.
Figure 14-29 Curve joining the two surfaces Figure 14-30 Curve joining the base surface
tangentially
To create COS’s, choose the Create COS’s by projecting curves onto surfaces button from
the Style Tools toolbar. You are prompted to select the surface on which you need to drop the
curve. Select the surface and press the middle mouse button. You are prompted to select the
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curve that you need to drop. After selecting the curve, press the middle mouse button. Now,
you are prompted to select the plane normal to which the curve will drop. Select the plane
normal to which the curve will be projected and exit the dashboard.
Figure 14-31 Four curves Figure 14-32 Surface created using the curves
Figure 14-33 The two surfaces Figure 14-34 Arrow and the dash line
After surfaces are selected, the Connect surfaces dashboard is displayed as shown in
Figure 14-35.
To apply the connection, click on any one end of the dashed line. The dashed line is converted
to an arrow indicating that the two surfaces are connected. To remove the connection, use
SHIFT+left click on the arrow.
Figure 14-36 shows the style surface when the type connection is curvature and Figure 14-37
shows the surface when it is connected tangentially.
Figure 14-36 Surface connected at the top by Figure 14-37 Surface connected at the top by
curvature connection tangent connection
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Note
The Icon Length dimension box on the Connect surfaces dashboard is used to increase the
length of the arrow and the dash line.
To delete a curve, select the curve and when it turns red in color, press the DELETE key.
Figure 14-38 shows the surface and the curve that are selected for trimming. This figure also
shows the surface divided into two portions. The portion defined by the curve is selected to
delete. Figure 14-39 shows the surface after trimming.
Figure 14-38 Surface is divided into two portions Figure 14-39 Surface after trimming
Note
After completing the Style feature creation, choose the Exit the current Style feature button to
exit the Style environment.
1. Copy
2. Mirror
3. Move
Surface Modeling 14-17
4. Merge
5. Trim
6. Fill
7. Intersect
8. Offset
9. Thicken
10. Solidify
11. Vertex Round
This tool is mainly used to extract a surface from the solid body. When you select the Options
tab, the slide-up panel is displayed. There are three options to copy a surface. These options
are discussed next.
Tip: You can select an edge or a curve to copy using the Copy Surface and Curve
Tool button.
Using the References tab you can choose to remove the original surface or to retain it. By
default, the original surface is kept and a copy of it is created. Figure 14-42 shows the mirror
plane about which the surface is mirrored as shown in Figure 14-43.
Figure 14-42 Mirror plane and the surface Figure 14-43 Surfaces after mirroring and
to be mirrored keeping the original surface
The movement of the surface can be translatory or rotatory. After selecting the surface to be
moved, you need to select the reference using which the surface will be rotated or translated.
This reference can be an axis, an edge, two points, a plane, a coordinate system, or a straight
curve.
are selected. When you choose the Merge Tool button, the Merge dashboard is displayed as
shown in Figure 14-45.
The following steps explain the procedure to merge the surfaces shown in Figure 14-46.
1. Select the Quilts option from the Filter drop-down list. Select the two surfaces and when
the surfaces turn pink in color, choose the Merge Tool. The Merge dashboard is displayed
and the two surfaces appear as shown in Figure 14-47. In this figure, the part of the
surfaces that will be retained after the two surfaces are merged is highlighted in dark
color. The yellow arrows points to show the side of the surface to keep. The direction of
yellow arrow can be toggled by using the Change side of first quilt to keep and the
Change side of second quilt to keep buttons available on the Merge dashboard.
2. Choose the Change side of first quilt to keep button and then choose the Change side
of second quilt to keep button. Notice that the inner side of the surfaces are highlighted.
This means that the highlighted surfaces will be retained and the remaining surfaces will
be deleted.
3. Choose the Preview button and then exit the dashboard. The resulting merged surface is
as shown in Figure 14-48.
This merged surface is a single surface and now can be converted to a solid feature.
Figure 14-46 Two surfaces to merge Figure 14-47 Arrows showing the part of the surface
to retain
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The part of the surface that is to be retained is highlighted. You can choose the Trim between
one side, other side, or both sides of trimmed surface to keep button to change the direction
of yellow arrow. The yellow arrow specifies the portion of surfaces that will be retained after
trimming. By default, the trimming object is deleted after the surfaces are trimmed. If you
need to keep the trimming object, select the Keep trimming surface check box from the
Options slide-up panel.
Figure 14-50 shows the surface selected as the trimming object, the trimming surface, and
the two arrows. From this figure it is evident that the arrow is pointing in both the directions,
therefore both the portions of the surfaces will be retained after trimming. Figure 14-51
shows the surface obtained after trimming.
Surface Modeling 14-21
Figure 14-50 Trimming surfaces Figure 14-51 Surface obtained after trimming
Now, interchange the two surfaces so that the smaller surface is the trimming quilt and the
bigger surface is the trimming object. Notice that the Keep trimming surface check box
from the Options slide-up panel is selected, and the arrow is pointing in the direction shown
in Figure 14-52. Now, the surface obtained after trimming is shown in Figure 14-53.
Figure 14-52 Arrow showing the portion of the Figure 14-53 Surfaces after trimming
surface that will be retained
Figure 14-55 shows the sketch plane and Figure 14-56 shows the surface that is created using
the Fill option.
Figure 14-55 The sketch plane for creating a fill Figure 14-56 Fill surface
surface
When you select the second surface, the intersecting curve is created as shown in Figure 14-58.
The curve created can be copied, moved, and so on. One of the uses of the intersect curve is
shown in Figures 14-59 and 14-60.
Figure 14-58 Surfaces selected to create the Figure 14-59 Copied curve
intersecting curve
Surface Modeling 14-23
In Figure 14-59, the intersecting curve is copied at a distance of 150. To create the surface
shown in Figure 14-60, the Boundary Blend Tool is used. To create the boundary blend, the
intersecting curve is selected and then the curve edge of the surface is selected. Both the
curves are blended and the tangency is increased by dragging the handles.
1. Create the offset of the whole surface, using the Standard option.
2. Sketch a section and offset the area inside the section with the draft, using the With Draft
option.
3. Sketch a section and offset the area inside or outside the section, using the Expand
option.
In the Offset dashboard, first you need to specify the type of offset surface you need to create.
The type of offset that can be created in Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire are:
1. Standard
2. With Draft
3. Expand
Standard offset
The Standard option is selected by default in the drop-down list present on the Offset
dashboard as shown in Figure 14-61. You can enter the offset value in the dimension box.
Using this option you can offset the surface as a whole. From the Controls slide-up panel you
can offset the surface normal to the surface, allow Pro/ENGINEER to automatically fit the
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surface, or control the direction of the offset in the x, y and z-axes. If you choose the Control
Fit radio button, you need to select a coordinate system and specify the direction to offset.
From the Options slide-up panel you can select the Side Surface check box to join the offset
surface with the side surfaces.
Figure 14-62 shows the original surface and the offset surface.
Using this option you can sketch the section and then give a draft angle to side surfaces.
Figure 14-64 shows the draft offset surface with the Straight radio button selected from the
Options slide-up panel. The section that was drawn on the sketch plane was circular. Similarly,
Figure 14-65 shows the draft offset surface with the Tangent radio button selected from the
Options slide-up panel.
Surface Modeling 14-25
Figure 14-64 Draft offset surface with straight Figure 14-65 Draft offset surface with
profile tangent profile
Using this option you can sketch the section and then choose to offset the inside of the sketch
or the outside of the sketch. For this purpose you need to choose the Flip the material sides
of sketch button from the dashboard. Figure 14-67 shows the offset surface when the inside
of the sketch is selected to offset. The section that was drawn on the sketch plane was
rectangular. Similarly, Figure 14-68 shows the draft offset surface when the outside of the
sketch is selected to offset.
Figure 14-67 Inside of the sketch selected to Figure 14-68 Outside of the sketch selected to offset
offset
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Drag the handle to set the thickness of the quilt or enter the thickness value in the dimension
box. You can even remove material from the quilt by choosing the Removes material from
inside thickened quilt button from the dashboard.
From the Controls slide-up panel you can give thickness to the quilt normal to the surface,
allow Pro/ENGINEER to automatically scale the surface along axes, or scale and fit the original
surface with respect to the coordinate system. If you choose the Control Fit radio button, you
need to select a coordinate system and specify the direction to scale.
Figure 14-70 and Figure 14-71 shows the surfaces after adding thickness by controlling the
thickness using the Normal to surface option and Automatic fit option respectively.
You are prompted to select the datum quilt to intersect. Select the surface, now you are
prompted to select the corner vertex(s) to be rounded. Select the first vertex and then press
the CTRL key to select the second vertex as shown in Figure 14-73. After selecting the vertices,
press the middle mouse button. The Message Input Window is displayed. Enter the radius
of round and press ENTER. The vertices are rounded as shown in Figure 14-74.
Figure 14-70 Vertices to round Figure 14-74 Vertices after creating round
TUTORIALS
Tutorial 1
In this tutorial you will create the surface model shown in Figure 14-75. The orthographic
views of the surface model are shown in Figure 14-76. (Expected time: 40 min)
Figure 14-76 Top view, front view, and the right-side view of the surface model
The following steps outline the procedure for creating this model:
a. First, examine the model and determine the number of features in it. The model is
composed of four surface features, four fill features, some mirror and merge features,
and one round feature, see Figure 14-75.
b. The base feature is a blend surface, see Figure 14-79. Select the sketch plane for the base
feature, draw the sketch using the sketcher tools, and apply dimensions.
c. The second feature is a blend feature. This feature is created on the datum plane that is
created at a distance of 150 from the center, see Figure 14-81.
d. The third feature is a mirror feature that will mirror the second feature about a plane
passing from the center, see Figure 14-82.
e. The fourth feature is also a blend feature that will be created on the datum plane that is
at a distance of 150 from the bottom of the model, see Figure 14-84.
g. Remaining features are the fill features that will create surfaces on the blend features, see
Figures 14-88 and 14-89.
After understanding the procedure for creating the model, you are now ready to create
it. When the Pro/ENGINEER session is started, the first task is to set the working directory.
Since this is the first tutorial of this chapter, you need to create a folder named c13 if it
does not exist. In the Navigator, right-click on the ProE-WF folder. From the shortcut
menu, choose the Make Folder option to create a new folder and then name it to c13.
Now, right-click on the c13 folder and then choose the Make Working Directory option
from the shortcut menu.
The three default datum planes are displayed on the graphics window. The Model Tree
is also displayed on the graphics window. Close the Model Tree by clicking on the sash
present on the right edge of the Model Tree.
1. Choose Insert > Blend > Surface from the menu bar. The BLEND OPTS menu is
displayed.
2. Choose the Parallel > Regular Sec > Sketch Sec > Done from the BLEND OPTS
menu. The SURFACE dialog box and the ATTRIBUTES menu is displayed.
3. Choose Straight > Open Ends > Done from the ATTRIBUTES menu. You are prompted
to select the sketch plane.
5. Choose Okay from the DIRECTION menu. The SKET VIEW menu is displayed.
6. Select the Top option and then choose the TOP datum plane. The References dialog
box is displayed and you enter the sketcher environment.
7. Close the References dialog box and draw the arc and dimension it as shown in
Figure 14-77.
8. After drawing the first arc, press and hold down the right mouse button and choose the
Toggle Section option from the shortcut menu.
Figure 14-77 Sketch of the first arc Figure 14-78 Sketch of the second arc
10. After drawing the sketch, choose the Continue with the current section button to exit
the sketcher environment. The DEPTH menu is displayed.
11. Choose Blind > Done from the DEPTH menu. The Message Input Window is displayed.
13. Choose OK from the SURFACE dialog box. The base feature is created as shown in
Figure 14-79.
1. Choose Insert > Blend > Surface from the menu bar.
2. Choose the Parallel > Regular Sec > Sketch Sec > Done from the BLEND OPTS
menu.
3. Choose Straight > Open Ends > Done from the ATTRIBUTES menu. You are prompted
to select the sketch plane.
4. Choose the Make Datum option to display the DATUM PLANE menu. Select the Offset
option and create a datum plane at a distance of 150 from the FRONT datum plane.
5. Set the orientation of the sketch plane by selecting the TOP datum plane to be at the top
while sketching.
6. After you enter the sketcher environment, close the References dialog box.
7. Sketch the first arc, dimension it and then after toggling the sketch draw the second arc
as shown in Figure 14-80.
10. Select the FRONT datum plane. Choose OK from the SURFACE dialog box. The blend
surface is extruded upto the selected datum plane as shown in Figure 14-81.
Figure 14-80 Sketch of the second feature Figure 14-81 Second feature
1. Select the second feature and then choose the Mirror Tool button. The Mirror
dashboard is displayed and you are prompted to select a plane to mirror about.
Surface Modeling 14-33
2. Select the FRONT datum plane and exit the Mirror dashboard. The mirror copy of the
second feature is created as shown in Figure 14-82.
1. Choose Insert > Blend > Surface from the menu bar.
2. Choose the Parallel > Regular Sec > Sketch Sec > Done from the BLEND OPTS
menu.
3. Choose Straight > Capped Ends > Done from the ATTRIBUTES menu. You are
prompted to select the sketch plane.
4. Choose the Make Datum option to display the DATUM PLANE menu. Select the Offset
option and create a datum plane at a distance of 150 from the TOP datum plane.
5. Set the orientation of the sketch plane by selecting the RIGHT datum plane to be at the
top while sketching.
6. After you enter the sketcher environment, close the References dialog box.
7. Sketch the first circle of diameter 50, dimension it. Toggle the sketch and then draw the
second circle of diameter 70 as shown in Figure 14-83.
10. Select the TOP datum plane. Choose OK from the SURFACE dialog box. The blend
surface is extruded upto the selected datum plane as shown in Figure 14-84.
Figure 14-83 Sketch of the fourth blend feature Figure 14-84 Model after creating the fourth
blend surface
Note
It is easier to select the two surfaces for merging from the Model Tree. You should remember
that to select more than one surface you need to press the CTRL key. When you select the
surfaces from the Model Tree the boundary of the surface is highlighted in red color indicating
that the surface is selected. When you are selecting a surface directly from the graphics window,
you need to select the surface thrice. The third time when you select the surface, it turns pink in
color.
You can also select the Quilt option from the Filter drop-down list to select the surfaces. The
Filter drop-down list is available in the status bar at the bottom right corner of the main
window.
1. Select the blend surface that is at the left and then select the blend surface at the middle.
When the two surfaces are highlighted, choose the Merge Tool. The Merge dashboard is
displayed and the two arrows shows the portion that will be retained after merging.
Note
The Merge Tool button is available only when the two surfaces are selected for merging.
2. Choose the Change side of first quilt to keep button from the dashboard. The direction
of yellow arrow changes.
Surface Modeling 14-35
3. Choose the Change side of second quilt to keep button from the dashboard. The direction
of yellow arrow changes. The portion of the surface that is now highlighted will be retained
after merging.
4. Exit the dashboard. The model after merging the two surfaces is shown in Figure 14-85.
Using the same procedure, merge the blend surface at the right with the blend surface at
the middle. After that, merge the top blend surface with the middle blend surface.
Figure 14-86 shows the surface model after merging all the surfaces and forming a quilt.
Tip: When you move the cursor over a surface its boundary is highlighted in cyan.
Select the surface when it is highlighted in cyan. Again, select the same surface twice.
The whole quilt is highlighted in pink color. This indicates that the whole surface
model is a single surface.
1. Choose the Fill option from the Edit menu. The Fill dashboard is displayed.
2. Choose the Create a section or redefine the existing section button from the dashboard.
The Section dialog box is displayed and you are prompted to select the sketch plane.
3. Choose the Datum Plane Tool button from the Datum toolbar. To choose the button you
need to move the Section dialog box because the dialog box overlaps the tool button.
4. Select the two vertices of the left blend surface. To select the second vertex hold down
the CTRL key. Then holding down the CTRL key select the FRONT datum plane. Select
FRONT from the DATUM PLANE dialog box. The drop-down list appears in the row
where you clicked. From the drop-down list, select the Parallel option.
The datum plane is created and a yellow arrow points in the direction of viewing the
sketch.
5. Choose OK from the DATUM PLANE dialog box. The RIGHT datum plane is selected
by default.
6. Select the Right option from the Orientation drop-down list and choose the Sketch
button to enter the sketcher environment.
7. Choose the Create an entity from an edge button and select the smaller semicircular
edge of the blend surface. Complete the sketch as shown in Figure 14-87.
8. Exit the sketcher environment and then exit the Fill dashboard. The Fill surface is created
as shown in Figure 14-88.
Similarly, create the fill surfaces to cap the ends of the middle surface blend feature.
Mirror the fill surface to create the fill surface at the right blend surface. Figure 14-89
shows the surface model after capping all the ends of the blend surfaces.
Figure 14-87 Sketch for the fill surface Figure 14-88 Surface after creating the fill
surface
1. Select the fill surface that is at the left and then select the blend surface at the middle.
When the two surfaces turn pink in color, choose the Merge Tool. The Merge dashboard
is displayed and the two arrows shows the portion that will be retained after merging.
Using the same procedure, merge the remaining fill surfaces individually with the blend
surface at the middle. To check that whether all the surfaces are merged, select the
surface model thrice. If the whole surface model is highlighted in pink color then all the
surfaces are merged and forms a quilt.
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Creating Rounds
When all the surfaces are merged then the edges are obtained at the intersection of two
surfaces. These edges can be easily rounded. In the given surface model, note that there are
rounds that are having two different values. Therefore, you need to create two sets to define
two values of rounds.
2. Select the edges that have a radius value of 12. Remember that to select more then one
edge, you need to hold down the CTRL key.
3. After creating the rounds of radii 12, select the Sets tab to display the slide-up panel.
4. Right-click in the display box that lists Set1, choose the Add option from the shortcut
menu. Now, you have added a set that is named Set2.
5. Select the two edges that are having radii of 22. After creating the rounds of radii 22, exit
the Round dashboard.
The surface model after creating the rounds is as shown in Figure 14-90.
5. Choose the Save the active object button from the File toolbar and save the model. The
order of feature creation can be seen from the Model Tree shown in Figure 14-91. Note
that the feature id numbers in your model may be different from the ones shown in this
figure.
Surface Modeling 14-39
Tutorial 2
In this tutorial you will create the surface model shown in Figure 14-92. The front and the
right-side views of the surface model are shown in Figure 14-93. (Expected time: 40 min)
The following steps outline the procedure for creating this model:
a. First, examine the model and determine the number of features in it. The model is
composed of three surface features, one fill feature, some mirror and merge features,
and round features, see Figure 14-92.
b. The base feature is an extruded surface with open ends, see Figure 14-95. Select the
RIGHT datum plane to draw the sketch of the base feature, draw the sketch using the
sketcher tools, and apply dimensions.
c. The second feature is a blend feature. This feature is created on the datum plane that is
created at an offset distance of 65 from the RIGHT datum plane, see Figure 14-97.
d. The third feature is a mirror copy of the second feature that is created about the RIGHT
datum plane, see Figure 7-98.
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Figure 14-93 Front view and the right-side view of the surface model
e. The fourth feature is the cylindrical surface, see Figure 7-100. This cylinder is then merged
with the blend surface to which it is intersecting. After merging the cylindrical slot is
created.
f. The two fill surfaces will be created that will cap the ends of the base surface, see
Figures 14-102 and 14-103.
After understanding the procedure for creating the surface model, you are now ready to
create it. The working directory was selected in the first tutorial.
1. Choose the Extrude Tool button from the Base Features toolbar.
2. Select the Extrude as surface button from the Extrude dashboard. Select the RIGHT
datum plane as the sketch plane.
3. Select the TOP datum plane from the graphics window and then select the Top option
from the Orientation drop-down list.
5. Once you enter the sketcher environment, create the sketch of the base feature and apply
dimensions as shown in Figure 14-94.
6. After the sketch is complete, choose the Continue with the current section button to
exit the sketcher environment.
The Extrude dashboard reappears below the graphics window. The Extrude from sketch
plane by specified depth value button is selected by default.
7. Enter a depth of 240 in the dimension box present in the Extrude dashboard. Choose
the Build feature button from the Extrude dashboard.
The base feature is completed and the default trimetric view is shown in Figure 14-95.
Figure 14-94 Sketch of the base surface Figure 14-95 Base surface with open ends
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1. Choose Insert > Blend > Surface from the menu bar.
2. Choose the Parallel > Regular Sec > Sketch Sec > Done from the BLEND OPTS
menu.
3. Choose Straight > Open Ends > Done from the ATTRIBUTES menu. You are prompted
to select the sketch plane.
4. Choose the Make Datum option to display the DATUM PLANE menu. Select the Offset
option and create a datum plane at a distance of 65 from the FRONT datum plane.
5. Set the orientation of the sketch plane by selecting the TOP datum plane to be at the top
while sketching.
6. After you enter the sketcher environment, close the References dialog box.
7. Sketch the first arc of diameter 35, dimension it and then draw the second arc of diameter
55 as shown in Figure 14-96.
10. Select the FRONT datum plane. Choose OK from the SURFACE dialog box. The blend
surface is extruded upto the selected datum plane as shown in Figure 14-97.
Figure 14-96 Sketch of the blend surface Figure 14-97 Blend surface
Surface Modeling 14-43
1. Select the blend surface and then choose the Mirror Tool button from the Edit Features
toolbar. The Mirror dashboard is displayed.
2. Select the FRONT datum plane and exit the dashboard. The blend surface is mirrored
about the selected datum plane as shown in Figure 14-98.
Figure 14-98 Model after creating the mirror copy of the blend surface
1. Choose the Extrude Tool button from the Base Features toolbar.
4. After entering the sketcher environment, draw the circle and dimension it as shown in
Figure 14-99.
5. Exit the sketcher environment and extrude the sketch to some appropriate depth refer
to Figure 14-100.
The model after creating the surface extrusion is shown in Figure 14-100.
Figure 14-99 Sketch of the cylindrical surface Figure 14-100 Cylindrical surface
1. Choose Edit > Fill from the menu bar. The Fill dashboard is displayed.
2. Choose the Create a section or redefine the existing section button from the dashboard.
The Section dialog box is displayed and you are prompted to select the sketch plane.
3. Select the RIGHT datum plane as the sketch plane. Choose the Flip button.
5. Select the Right option from the Orientation drop-down list and select the RIGHT
datum plane. Choose the Sketch button to enter the sketcher environment.
6. Choose the Create an entity from an edge button and edges of the base feature. Complete
the sketch as shown in Figure 14-101.
7. Exit the sketcher environment and then exit the Fill dashboard. The Fill surface is created
as shown in Figure 14-102.
Figure 14-101 Sketch of the fill surface Figure 14-102 Model after creating the fill surface
Surface Modeling 14-45
8. Mirror the fill surface about the datum plane that you need to create on-the-fly. This
datum plane will be at an offset distance of 120 from the RIGHT datum plane.
After creating the mirror copy of the fill surface, the other end of the base feature is also
capped as shown in Figure 14-103.
1. Select the cylindrical surface and then select the blend surface. The Merge Tool is activated.
2. Choose the Merge Tool from the Edit Features toolbar. The Merge dashboard is displayed
and the surface that will be retained after merging is highlighted.
3. Choose the Change side of first quilt to keep button to change the direction of the
yellow arrow.
4. Exit the Merge dashboard. The model after merging the two surfaces is as shown in
Figure 14-104.
Figure 14-103 Model after creating the mirror Figure 14-104 Model after creating the merge
copy of the fill surface
1. Select the base feature and then select the second feature from the Model Tree.
2. Choose the Merge Tool from the Edit Features toolbar. The Merge dashboard is displayed
and the surface that will be retained after merging is highlighted.
3. Choose the Change side of first quilt to keep button to change the direction of the
yellow arrow and then choose the Change side of second quilt to keep button.
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4. Exit the Merge dashboard. The model after merging the two surfaces is as shown in
Figure 14-105.
5. Similarly, merge the mirrored feature and the base feature. The surface model after
mirroring the two surfaces is as shown in Figure 14-106.
Figure 14-105 Model after merging the blend Figure 14-106 Model after merging the mirror
surface with the base surface copy of the blend surface with the base surface
1. Select the fill surface and then select the base surface.
Note
It is easier to select surfaces from the Model Tree.
2. Choose the Merge Tool from the Edit Features toolbar. The two surfaces are merged.
3. Similarly, merge the mirror copy of the first fill surface with the base surface. To select
the mirror copy of the fill surface either select it from the graphics window or from the
Model Tree. If you are selecting from the Model Tree, you need to select the +sign of
the grouped feature and then select the mirror feature.
Creating Rounds
The rounds that you need to create are on the cylindrical slot, edges where the two blend
surfaces are merging, and on the edges of the base surface.
1. Choose the Round Tool from the Engineering Features toolbar. Select the edge of the
Surface Modeling 14-47
cylindrical slot, see Figure 14-107. The preview of the round is highlighted on the selected
edge.
2. Enter a value of 4 in the dimension box for the radius of the round.
3. Choose the Set tab to display the slide-up panel. Right-click in the display box that lists
Set1, choose the Add option from the shortcut menu. Now, you have added a set that is
named Set2.
5. Select the four edges that are having radii of 18. The two edges are the edges that are
formed by merging the two blend surfaces with the base surface and the two edges are
the top corners of the base surface, see Figure 14-108. After creating the rounds of radii
18, exit the Round dashboard.
The surface model after creating the rounds is as shown in Figure 14-108.
Figure 14-107 Edges selected to create rounds Figure 14-108 Round created on the merged edge
of the cylindrical slot, edge on the intersection of blend
surfaces and the base surface, and on the edges
forming the corners of the base surface
2. Select the two faces; front and back, of the base surface.
3. Invoke the slide-up panel by selecting the Set tab. After selecting the two surfaces, these
surfaces are displayed in the References collector. Select the Full Round button from
the slide-up panel. Now, you need to select the driving surface.
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3. Select the top face of the base surface. The preview of the round is highlighted on the
selected surfaces. Exit the Round dashboard.
4. Choose the Save the active object button from the File toolbar and save the model. The
order of feature creation can be seen from the Model Tree shown in Figure 14-110. Note
that the feature id numbers in your model may be different from the ones shown in this
figure.
Self-Evaluation Test
Answer the following questions and then compare your answers to the answers given at
the end of this chapter.
1. You can create a surface with capped ends by drawing an open sketch. (T/F)
3. Style features have the parent-child relationship among themselves and as well as with
Pro/ENGINEER features. (T/F)
4. In the Style environment, using the Free option when you press the SHIFT key and
select a point on a surface then point is selected on that surface. (T/F)
5. To create a Helical sweep surface, the procedure to follow is the same as in the case of
creating a solid Helical sweep feature. (T/F)
6. Any feature created in the Style environment is displayed in the Model Tree as a
__________ feature.
7. To enter the Style environment, choose the __________ available in the Base Features
toolbar.
8. The __________ tool is used to merge two surfaces and form an edge.
Review Questions
Answer the following questions:
1. Which of the following feature creation tools contain the options like parallel, rotational,
and general?
2. Which of the following editing tools are used to create a flat surface by drawing a sketch?
4. Which of the following editing tools forms an edge between two intersecting surfaces?
5. In which one of the following types of blend, sections are translated and rotated about
the x, y, and z-axes?
7. In the Style environment, the Edit curves button is used to project curves on surfaces.
(T/F)
9. In the Style environment, the Create surfaces from boundary curves button is used to
select at least three or four curves and create a surface. (T/F)
10. To undo the last operation, choose the Undo button from the Style toolbar. (T/F)
Exercises
Exercise 1
In this exercise you will create the surface model shown in Figure 14-111. The orthographic
views of the surface model are shown in Figure 14-112. (Expected time: 40 min)
Note
Create the base feature using the Blend option and the ends as revolve features.
Surface Modeling 14-51
Figure 14-112 Top, front, right-side, and the detailed views of the surface model
Exercise 2
In this exercise you will create the surface model shown in Figure 14-113. The orthographic
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views and the detailed view of the surface model are shown in Figure 14-114.
(Expected time: 55 min)
Figure 14-114 Top, front, right-side, and the detailed views of the surface model