Bridging Curve
Create a Curve connecting any two points, vertices, or Mate connectors. The resulting Curve is listed in the Feature list and the Parts list.
In the Feature toolbar:
Create a Curve connecting any two points, vertices, or Mate connectors. The resulting Curve is listed in the Feature list and the Parts list.
The Bridging curve feature tool allows you to create a Curve connecting any two points or vertices. The resulting Curve is listed in the Feature list and the Parts list. To create a bridging curve, select the Bridging curve feature tool on the toolbar. Then select the first point to be used as the start of the curve. Click the End field in the dialog and select the End point for the curve in the graphics area. Using the Magnitude/bias method, enter a magnitude in the dialog or adjust it by the arrow in the graphics area. Alternatively, select Control points for the method to convert the points to control points. Check Edit control points to adjust the Magnitude and Start curvature offset either in the dialog or in the graphics area. When finished, click the green checkmark to exit the dialog. The new Curve appears in the Curves list.
With at least two sketch points or vertices in the graphic area:
- Click .
- Select one of the following to act as the Start:
- A point or vertex, and optionally a face.
- An existing Mate connector. If one does not exist, click the Mate connector icon to create a new implicit Mate connector.
- Select one of the following to act as the End:
- A point or vertex, and optionally a face.
- An existing Mate connector. If one does not exist, click the Mate connector icon to create a new implicit Mate connector.
- For each point, vertex, or Mate connector (Start and End), select a continuity definition:
- Match tangent - The curve ends at the point, vertex, or Mate connector and is tangent to the edge, face, or Mate connector's Z-axis.
- Match position - The curve ends at the vertex or Mate connector origin point.
- Match curvature - The curve matches the curvature of the guide curve, face, or Mate connector's Z-axis in addition to the tangency.
Onshape remembers the selection for the continuity definition and opens the dialog with the last selected option in subsequent operations.
- Select a method to adjust the bridging curve:
- Magnitude/bias
- When Match tangent is selected for at least one vertex or point, you have the option to specify a
Magnitude, any positive number (defaults to 1), to further define the shape of the curve. Magnitude is a scaling factor applied to Onshape's default calculation. The closer you get to zero the straighter the line. The larger the Magnitude the faster the curve 'shoots out of' the selected point or vertex.
When Match tangent is selected for two or more vertices or points, you have the option to specify a Bias value between 1.000e-4 and 0.999. This weights the tangency toward one side of the curve or the other. A value of 0.5 weights the tangency equally. This determines whether the curve 'shoots out more' from one side (closer to 0) or the other side (closer to 1).
- Control points
- Check Edit control points, and adjust the points numerically via the dialog, or directly using the arrows in the graphics area.
- With Match tangent selected, adjust the start and/or end magnitude of the control points
- With Match curvature selected, adjust the start and/or end magnitude of the control points, in addition to the end curvature offset
- Magnitude/bias
- When Match tangent is selected for at least one vertex or point, you have the option to specify a
Magnitude, any positive number (defaults to 1), to further define the shape of the curve. Magnitude is a scaling factor applied to Onshape's default calculation. The closer you get to zero the straighter the line. The larger the Magnitude the faster the curve 'shoots out of' the selected point or vertex.
- Edit control points - (Available only with Control points.) Check this option to control the Start magnitude, Start curvature offset, and End curvature offset:
- Edit edge positions - Check this option to control where to locate the Start edge position and End edge position:
- Edit tangency angles - Check this option to adjust the Start angle and the End angle:
- Click to accept.
In addition to entering a numeric value for Magnitude you can drag the arrow to adjust the Magnitude of the curve as shown below on the left corner of the new curve:
In addition to entering a numeric value for Bias you can drag the circle to adjust the Bias of the curve as shown below, affecting the left side of the curve:
-
You cannot show/hide the feature associated with a Curve; use the show/hide functionality in the Parts list instead.
- If you have chosen Match position then you do not need to select an edge.
- If you select a vertex for one of the lists and there is only one edge coming out of the vertex then you do not need to select the edge.
- If you select a vertex and more than one edge comes out of it then you need to select an edge.
- If you select a vertex and an edge then the vertex must be at one end of the edge (but doesn't have to be a vertex of the edge, just in the same place).
- You may also select an edge but no vertex. If you do that, Onshape will try to work out which vertex you mean based on the selection(s) for the other side. Override Onshape by selecting an edge.
With at least two sketch points or vertices in the graphic area:
- Tap the Bridging curve tool.
- Select a point or vertex to act as the Start. (Optionally, tap the Mate connector icon to select or create inferred mate connectors.)
- Select a point or vertex to act as the End. (Optionally, tap the Mate connector icon to select or create inferred mate connectors.)
- For each point, vertex, or Mate connector (Start and End), select a continuity definition:
- Match tangent - The curve ends at the point, vertex, or Mate connector and is tangent to the edge, face, or Mate connector's Z-axis.
- Match position - The curve ends at the point, vertex, or Mate connector origin point.
Match curvature - The curve matches the curvature of the guide curve, face, or Mate connector's Z-axis in addition to the tangency.
- Select a method to adjust the bridging curve:
- Magnitude/bias
- Any positive magnitude number (Defaults to 1.) - A scaling factor applied to Onshape's default calculation. The closer you get to zero the straighter the line. The larger the magnitude the faster the curve 'shoots out of' the selected edge.
Specify a Bias between 1.000e-4 and 0.999 - Determines whether the curve 'shoots out more' from one side (closer to 0) or the other side (closer to 1).
- Control points
- Switch Edit control points on, and adjust the points numerically via the dialog, or directly using the arrows in the graphics area.
- With Match tangent selected, adjust the start and/or end magnitude of the control points
- With Match curvature selected, adjust the start and/or end magnitude of the control points, in addition to the start and/or end offset
- Magnitude/bias
- Any positive magnitude number (Defaults to 1.) - A scaling factor applied to Onshape's default calculation. The closer you get to zero the straighter the line. The larger the magnitude the faster the curve 'shoots out of' the selected edge.
- Edit control points - (Available only with Control points.) Check this option to control the Start magnitude, Start curvature offset, and End curvature offset:
- Edit edge positions - Check this option to control where to locate the Start edge position and End edge position:
- Edit tangency angles - Check this option to adjust the Start angle and the End angle:
- Tap the checkmark.
You can not show/hide the feature associated with a Curve; use the show/hide functionality in the Parts list instead.
- If you have chosen Match position then you do not need to select an edge.
- If you select a vertex for one of the lists and there is only one edge coming out of the vertex then you do not need to select the edge.
- If you select a vertex and more than one edge comes out of it then you need to select an edge.
- If you select a vertex and an edge then the vertex must be at one end of the edge (but doesn't have to be a vertex of the edge, just in the same place).
- You may also select an edge but no vertex. If you do that, Onshape will try to work out which vertex you mean based on the selection(s) for the other side. Override Onshape by selecting an edge.
With at least two sketch points or vertices in the graphic area:
- Tap the Bridging curve tool.
- Select a point or vertex to act as the First side.
- Select a point or vertex to act as the Second side.
- For each point, vertex, or Mate connector (Start and End), select a continuity definition:
- Match tangent - The curve ends at the point, vertex, or Mate connector and is tangent to the edge, face, or Mate connector's Z-axis.
- Match position - The curve ends at the point, vertex, or Mate connector origin point.
Match curvature - The curve matches the curvature of the guide curve, face, or Mate connector's Z-axis in addition to the tangency.
- Select a method to adjust the bridging curve:
- Magnitude/bias
- Any positive magnitude number (Defaults to 1.) - A scaling factor applied to Onshape's default calculation. The closer you get to zero the straighter the line. The larger the magnitude the faster the curve 'shoots out of' the selected edge.
Specify a Bias between 1.000e-4 and 0.999 - Determines whether the curve 'shoots out more' from one side (closer to 0) or the other side (closer to 1).
- Control points
- Switch Edit control points on, and adjust the points numerically via the dialog, or directly using the arrows in the graphics area.
- With Match tangent selected, adjust the start and/or end magnitude of the control points
- With Match curvature selected, adjust the start and/or end magnitude of the control points, in addition to the start and/or end offset
- Magnitude/bias
- Any positive magnitude number (Defaults to 1.) - A scaling factor applied to Onshape's default calculation. The closer you get to zero the straighter the line. The larger the magnitude the faster the curve 'shoots out of' the selected edge.
- Edit control points - (Available only with Control points.) Check this option to control the Start magnitude, Start curvature offset, and End curvature offset:
- Edit edge positions - Check this option to control where to locate the Start edge position and End edge position:
- Edit tangency angles - Check this option to adjust the Start angle and the End angle:
- Tap the checkmark.
You can not show/hide the feature associated with a Curve; use the show/hide functionality in the Parts list instead.
- If you have chosen Match position then you do not need to select an edge.
- If you select a vertex for one of the lists and there is only one edge coming out of the vertex then you do not need to select the edge.
- If you select a vertex and more than one edge comes out of it then you need to select an edge.
- If you select a vertex and an edge then the vertex must be at one end of the edge (but doesn't have to be a vertex of the edge, just in the same place).
- You may also select an edge but no vertex. If you do that, Onshape will try to work out which vertex you mean based on the selection(s) for the other side. Override Onshape by selecting an edge.