Creating Projections

You can create geometry by projecting one or more elements onto a support. The projection may be normal or along a direction.

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin: Create a 3D shape containing geometric elements.
Related Topics
Selecting Using the Multi-Selection

Project Elements

You can project the elements normal to the supporting element or along a direction.

  1. Click Projection in the Wireframe toolbar (Project-Combine sub-toolbar).

    The Projection Definition dialog box appears as well as the Tools Palette. For further information about the Tools Palette, refer to Infrastructure User's Guide: Selecting Using Selection Traps.

  2. In the Projected box, select the element to be projected.

    You can select several elements to be projected. In this case, the Projected box indicates: x elements.

  3. In the Support box, select the support element.

  4. In the Projection type list, select any one of the option:


    • Normal: the projection is done normal to the support element.



    • Along a direction: you need to select a line to take its orientation as the translation direction or a plane to take its normal as the translation direction. You can also specify the direction by means of X, Y, Z vector components by using the contextual menu on the Direction box.


  5. Whenever several projections are possible, select the Nearest Solution check box to keep the nearest projection.

    If this option is not selected, the Multi-Result Management dialog box appears to let you choose the solution. Click Keep all the sub-elements to have a complete solution.

    Warning: If the elements have the same distance to the support, an error message is issued. The distance corresponds to the maximum distance between a point of the projected element and its projection onto the support.

  6. Click OK to create the projection element.

    The projection (identified as Project.xxx) is added to the specification tree.

    Important: Generally speaking, the projection operation has a derivative effect, meaning that there may be a continuity loss when projecting an element onto another. If the initial element presents a curvature continuity, the resulting projected element presents at least a tangency continuity. If the initial element presents a tangency continuity, the resulting projected element presents at least a point continuity.

Smooth Elements

You can smoothen the projected elements by defining appropriate continuity.

  • Select any one of the Smoothing option:




    • None: deactivates the smoothing result With support surface: the smoothing is performed according to the support. As a consequence, the resulting smoothed curve inherits support discontinuities.
    • Tangency: enhances the current continuity to tangent continuity
    • Curvature: enhances the current continuity to curvature continuity

    • You can specify the maximum Deviation for G1 or G2 smoothing by entering a value or using the spinners.

      If the element cannot be smoothed correctly, a warning message is issued.

      Moreover, a topology simplification is automatically performed for G2 vertices: cells with a curvature continuity are merged.
    Warning: Only small discontinuities are smoothed in order to keep the curve's sharp vertices.

    • 3D Smoothing: the smoothing is performed without specifying any support surface. As a consequence, the resulting smoothed curve has a better continuity quality and is not exactly laid down on the surface. As a consequence, you may need to activate the Tolerant laydown option. Refer to General Settings for further information. The 3D Smoothing option is available if you previously select the Tangency or Curvature smoothing type.

      With 3D smoothing option selected

      With 3D smoothing option cleared