Thanks very much to David Harrington, John Evans and the team at AUGIworld for allowing me to re-publish this article. To read it in full, check out the May 2014 Issue of AUGIworld.
Hard Surface modelling is possibly the most challenging discipline within 3D CAD – and the most rewarding, once you’ve got the hang of it…
With a bit of surfacing theory you too can relish meeting the challenge with Autodesk Inventor!
Surface modelling – what’s that?
Surface modelling is the art of building complex geometrical features – one surface at a time. Usually surface modelling is used to create flowing, organic shapes, so the junctions between surfaces are terribly important.
We describe the ‘smoothness’ of a junction, where one surface meets another, using the term ‘G’ (G stands for ‘Geometry’). We can add a suffix to our G to describe how many like characteristics each surface has. The more alike the surfaces (the more conditions that match across the pair of inputs) the more smoothly the adjoining surfaces flow.
G_ = nothing
Image from Disney Wikia
I’ll always fondly remember being taken to our local library as a kid, to see the movies on a big screen (this was before cable TV and the internet, and describing it makes me feel old!)
One personal favourite were the ‘Herbie’ films, in which a plucky VW Beetle comes to life with hilarious results. The memorable scene is when Herbie breaks in half during a race, and ends up winning first and third place!
Two surfaces that don’t touch at all have no continuity. No ‘G’, nothing, nada, zip. As I try and imagine this in my mind’s eye, I can’t help but think of the bifurcated Herbie’s classically styled lines, so similar – but sadly not connected.
Next up read all about G0 surface continuity
or read this article in full in the May 2014 Issue of AUGIworld.