About Surface Modeling Workflow

Surface modeling is a process that may require conversions between different 3D

modeling types.

The typical surface modeling workflow is to:

Create a model that combines 3D solids, surfaces, and mesh objects.

Convert the model to procedural surfaces to take advantage of associative modeling.
Convert the procedural surfaces to NURBS surfaces with CONVTONURBS to take
advantage of NURBS editing.
Check for imperfections and wrinkles with the surface analysis tools.
If necessary, rebuild the surfaces to restore smoothness with CVREBUILD.

About Creating 3D Surfaces

Surface modeling provides the ability to create and edit associative and NURBS
surfaces.

A surface is a 3D object that is an infinitely thin shell. There are 2 types of surfaces:
procedural and NURBS.

Procedural surfaces can be associative, maintaining relationships with other objects so that they
can be manipulated as a group.
NURBS surfaces are not associative. Instead, they have control vertices that allow you to sculpt
shapes in a more natural way.

Use procedural surfaces to take advantage of associative modeling, and use

NURBS surfaces to take advantage of sculpting with control vertices. The illustration
below shows a procedural surface on the left, and a NURBS surface on the right.
3D Surface Modeling
A surface model is a thin shell that does not have mass or volume. AutoCAD
provides two types of surfaces: procedural surfaces and NURBS surfaces.

Use procedural surfaces to take advantage of associating surfaces with their defining curves.
Use NURBS surfaces to take advantage of sculpting with control vertices.

One typical modeling workflow is to create basic models using meshes, solids, and
procedural surfaces, and then convert them to NURBS surfaces for additional
shaping.

You create surface models using many of the same tools that you use for solid
models: sweeping, lofting, extruding, and revolving. You can also create surfaces by
blending, patching, offsetting, filleting, and extending other surfaces.

Choose a Surface Creation Method

Create procedural and NURBS surfaces using the following methods:

Create surfaces from profiles. Create surfaces from profile shapes composed of lines and curves
with EXTRUDE, LOFT, PLANESURF, REVOLVE, SURFNETWORK, and SWEEP.
Create surfaces from other surfaces. Blend, patch, extend, fillet, and offset surfaces to create
new surfaces (SURFBLEND, SURFPATCH, SURFEXTEND, SURFFILLET, and
SURFOFFSET.
Convert objects into procedural surfaces. Convert existing solids (including composite
objects), surfaces, and meshes into procedural surfaces (CONVTOSURFACE).
Convert procedural surfaces into NURBS surfaces. Some objects cannot be converted directly
to NURBS (for example, mesh objects). In that case, convert the object to a procedural surface
and then convert it to a NURBS surface (CONVTONURBS).
Understand Surface Continuity and Bulge
Magnitude
Surface continuity and bulge magnitude are properties that are frequently used when
creating surfaces. When you create a new surface, you can specify the continuity
and bulge magnitude with special grips.

Continuity is a measure of how smoothly two curves or surfaces flow into each other.
The type of continuity can be important if you need to export your surfaces to other
applications.

Continuity types include the following:

G0 (Position). Measures location only. If the edge of each surface is collinear, the positions of
the surfaces are continuous (G0) at the edge curves. Note that two surfaces can meet at any angle
and still have positional continuity.
 G1 (Tangency). Includes both positional and tangential continuity (G0 + G1). With tangentially
continuous surfaces, the end tangents match at the common edges. The two surfaces appear to be
traveling in the same direction at the join, but they may have very different apparent speeds
(also called rates of change in direction, or curvature).

G2 (Curvature). Includes positional, tangential, and curvature continuity (G0 + G1+G2). The
two surfaces share the same curvature.

Bulge magnitude is a measure of how much surface curves or bulges as it flows

into another surface. Magnitude can be between 0 and 1 where 0 is flat and 1 curves
the most.

Set Surface Properties Before and After

Creation
Set defaults that control a variety of surface properties before and after you create
the surface objects.
 Surface modeling system variables. There are a number of system variables that are frequently
used and changed during surface creation: SURFACEMODELINGMODE,
SURFACEASSOCIATIVTIY, SURFACEASSOCIATIVITYDRAG, SURFACEAUTOTRIM,
and SUBOBJSELECTIONMODE.
Properties palette. Modifies properties for both the surface objects and their subobjects after
they are created. For example, you can change the number of isolines in the U and V directions.

About Constructing Solids and Surfaces

From 2D Geometry

You can construct surfaces and 3D solids from 2D geometry by extruding, sweeping,
lofting, and revolving.

Methods for Constructing Surfaces or Solids

From Other Geometry
When you extrude, sweep, loft, and revolve curves, you can create both solids and
surfaces.

Open curves always create surfaces, but closed curves can create either solids or
surfaces depending on certain settings.

If you select a closed curve and extrude, sweep, loft, or revolve an object, you create:

A solid if the Mode option is set to Solid.

A surface if the Mode option is set to Surface.
About Surfaces Based on Other Objects
The type of surface depends on additional settings. For example, you create

A procedural surface if the SURACEMODELINGMODE system variable is set to 0.

A NURBS surface if the SURFACEMODELINGMODE system variable is set to 1.
An associative surface if the SURFACEASSOCIATIVITY system variable is on.

In this illustration, the same profile creates a solid (left), a procedural surface
(middle), and a NURBS surface (right).

About Solids Based on Other Objects

You can also create 3D solids from 2D geometry or other 3D objects. For example, a
3D solid can also be the result of extruding a 2D shape to follow a specified path in
3D space.

The following methods are available:

Sweep. Extends a 2D object along a path.

 Extrusion. Extends the shape of a 2D object in a perpendicular direction into 3D space.
Revolve. Sweeps a 2D object around an axis.
Loft. Extends the contours of a shape between one or more open or closed objects.
Slice. Divides a solid object into two separate 3D objects.
Sculpting Surfaces. Converts and trims a group of surfaces that enclose a watertight area into a
solid.
Conversion. Converts mesh objects and planar objects with thickness into solids and surfaces.

Geometry That Can Be Used As Profiles and

Guide Curves
The curves that you use as profile and guide curves when you extrude, sweep, loft,
and revolve can be:

Open or closed
Planar or non-planar
Solid and surface edges
A single object (to extrude multiple lines, convert them to a single object with the JOIN
command)
A single region (to extrude multiple regions, convert them to a single object with the REGION
command)

Example: Use Splines to Create 3D NURBS

Surfaces
Splines are one of the many 2D object types that can be lofted, extruded, swept, and
revolved to create NURBS surfaces. Other 2D objects that can be used include lines,
polylines, arcs, and circles. Splines, however, are the only 2D object customized to
create NURBS surfaces. Because they allow you to adjust tolerance, degree, and
tangency, they are better suited than other types of 2D profiles (such as lines,
polylines, and circles) for surface modeling.
Many of the same commands used with NURBS surfaces, can also be used with CV
splines.

Create Associative Surfaces

Surfaces can be associative while solids cannot. If surface associativity is on when a
surface is created, the surface maintains a relationship with the curve from which it is
was generated (even if the curve is the subobject of another solid or surface). If the
curve is reshaped, the surface profile is also updated.

Note: To modify a surface that is associative, you must modify the generating curve and not the
surface itself. If you reshape the surface, its link to the generating curve will be broken and the surface
will lose associativity and become a generic surface.

Deleting the Curves that Generate the Solid or

Surface
The DELOBJ system variable controls whether the curves that generate an object
are automatically deleted after the solid or surface is created. However, if surface
associativity is on, the DELOBJ setting is ignored and the generating curves are not
deleted.

Related Concepts

About Modeling 3D Objects

3D modeling in AutoCAD includes 3D solids, surfaces, meshes, and wireframe
objects.

Types of 3D Models
Several types of 3D modeling are available in AutoCAD. Each of these 3D modeling
technologies offer a different set of capabilities.

Wireframe modeling is useful for initial design iterations and as reference geometry, serving as a
3D framework for subsequent modeling or modification.
Solid modeling is efficient to use, easy to combine primitives and extruded profiles, and offers
mass properties and sectioning capabilities.
Surface modeling offers fine control over curved surfaces for precise manipulation and analysis.
Mesh modeling provides freeform sculpting, creasing, and smoothing capabilities.

A 3D model can include combinations of these technologies, and you can convert
between them. For example, you can convert a primitive 3D solid pyramid to a 3D
mesh to perform mesh smoothing. You can then convert the mesh to a 3D surface or
back to a 3D solid to take advantage of their respective modeling features.

View 3D Models
The most useful command to view 3D models dynamically is 3DORBIT.
In addition to changing views, you can right-click to display a shortcut menu that
provides many options. The most popular options include the following:

Change between different visual styles such as Conceptual, Realistic and X-Ray
Switch between parallel and perspective projection
Choose between standard preset views such as Top, Front,

Apply 2D and 3D AutoCAD Commands

Most AutoCAD commands that are used for 2D operations can be applied to 3D
models. For example, with the ROTATE command, you can revolve a 3D solid about
an axis that's parallel with the Z axis of the UCS. To rotate the model about a
different axis direction would require you to change the direction of the UCS Z axis.

There are also commands specialized for the 3D environment such as 3DROTATE,
which displays a gizmo to facilitate rotation about any major axis.
The easiest command to start with is ROTATE due to familiarity, however the choice of
which command to use depends on the circumstances and your preferences.

About Modifying the Properties of 3D

Objects
Modify 3D objects by changing their settings in the Properties palette.

3D solids, surfaces, and meshes, and their subobjects can be modified in the
Properties palette.

Modify 3D Solid Objects by Changing Properties

By changing settings in the Properties palette, you can modify basic size, height, and
shape characteristics of primitive solids. For example, to change a four-sided
pyramid that ends in a point to an eight-sided pyramid that ends in a planar surface
(pyramid frustum), update the Top Radius and Sides properties.
With 3D solids that have been recombined to form compound objects, you can
choose to retain the history subobject, which represents components that have been
removed. The Properties palette controls the availability and display of these
histories.

Modify Surface Objects by Changing Properties

Surface objects have additional properties that are not found in 3D solid or mesh
objects. The properties differ depending on the type of surface (NURBS, blend,
patch, network, offset, fillet, chamfer, extend, loft, extrude, sweep, planar, or
revolve).

Surfaces include the following information in the Properties palette:

Geometry. Contains information such as radius for fillet surfaces, offset distance for offset
surfaces, and taper angle for extruded surfaces. You can also enter mathematical expressions to
control some of these properties.
Maintain Associativity. Toggles associativity for the selected surface.
Show Associativity. Toggles dependency highlighting if the surface is associated with other
surfaces.
Edge Continuity and Bulge Magnitude. Displays for surfaces that join other surfaces.
Wireframe Display and U/V Isolines. Turns the wireframe and U/V Isoline display on and off
(for non-NURBS surfaces).
CV Hull Display and U/V Isoparms. Turns the CV Hull and U/V Isoparm display on and off
(for NURBS surfaces).
Trims. Reports whether the surface has any trimmed areas and on which edges.

Modify Mesh Objects by Changing Properties

Mesh objects have additional properties that control the level of smoothness and
creases. Crease properties of face, edge, and vertex subobjects are also reflected in
the Properties palette.

Level of Smoothness. Smooths or sharpens the edges of a mesh object.

 Crease Type. Specifies the presence of a crease (or sharpened edge) and the effect of smoothing.
Smoothing does not affect a crease with a value of Always. A crease set to By Level retains its
sharpness until the mesh object is smoothed to the specified crease level.

Crease Level. When a crease is set to By Level, indicates the smoothing level at which the crease
starts to lose its sharpness.

Modify 3D Subobject Properties

In addition to solids, surfaces, and meshes, you can also use the Properties palette
to modify the properties of individual subobjects, such as faces, edges, and vertices.
Different properties are available for different types of subobjects.

In some cases, the application of properties can differ depending on the object type.
For example, you can modify the properties of mesh faces, including their color.
However, the color appearance of a mesh face might differ from the equivalent color
on a 3D solid face. This difference occurs because changing the color of a face
modifies the diffuse color of the face, but not the ambient color (which is derived from
the mesh material property). To obtain a closer match between the color of 3D solid
and mesh faces, you can add lights and turn off the default lighting (which disables
ambient lighting). You can also try assigning a material that has the same ambient
and diffuse color.
About Converting Surfaces and Meshes
to 3D Solids
You can convert eligible surface and mesh objects to 3D solids.

When you create 3D models, you can use 3D surfaces for precise surface control
and analysis, and 3D meshes for freeform sculpting. You can convert these objects
into 3D solids for applying Boolean operations, generating sections, and extracting
physical properties.

Note: The DELOBJ system variable controls whether the objects you select are automatically deleted
when the 3D object is created.

Convert 3D Surfaces to 3D Solids

You can convert surfaces to 3D solids by extruding the surface with THICKEN. To
thicken the surface inward in this example, a negative value was entered.

Use the SURFSCULPT command to convert a set of surfaces that completely

enclose a volume to a 3D solid. In the illustration below, an extruded arc is
intersected by two planar surfaces to enclose a "watertight" volume.
Note: A good practice is to make sure that the enclosing surfaces overlap or intersect to help you
avoid tiny gaps.

Convert 3D Meshes to 3D Solids

When you convert mesh objects to 3D solids, the shape of the new solid object
approximates, but does not exactly duplicate, the original mesh object. You can
control the differentiation somewhat by specifying whether the result is smooth or
faceted with the SMOOTHMESHCONVERT system variable. You can also specify
whether coplanar faces are merged, which optimizes them.

For example, the illustrated 3D mesh was first modified by increasing its smoothness
level, and then it was converted into a smooth 3D solid.

Note: You can also convert meshes to 3D solids by first converting them to surfaces and then
thickening them.
Overview

This chapter describes advanced surface modeling techniques and workfl ows used in AutoCAD.
Surface modeling provides the ability to create a more freeform shape with tools that solid modeling
cannot provide. You have been introduced to basic surface modeling techniques in previous
chapters. As you have learned, one way to create surface models is to extrude, revolve, sweep, or
loft profi les. This chapter builds on those techniques. In this chapter, you will develop an
understanding of surface modeling techniques that can stand alone in the design process or work in
combination with other modeling techniques. As discussed in previous chapters, a solid model is
created with a closed and bounded profi le and has mass and volume properties. A mesh consists of
vertices, edges, and faces that defi ne the 3D mesh shape. A mesh does not have mass or volume. A
surface model can be thought of as a thin-walled object with no Z depth. A surface model does not
have mass or volume.

There are a number of work flows in AutoCAD available to the 3D designer. The following
approaches can be considered depending on the nature of the work or the requirements of a specifi
c application: Creating 3D models as solids, meshes, procedural surfaces, or NURBS surfaces
(procedural surfaces and NURBS surfaces are discussed in the next section). Using Boolean
operations on solids to create composite solids. Slicing composite solids using surfaces.
Converting solids to mesh models. Converting solids to surface models. Converting surface
models to NURBS surfaces. These are just a few of the possible workfl ows. Editing techniques are
also available and often play a signifi cant role in surface modeling.

Surface model is like creating a skin on an object. It can be compared with

building physical models by using thin layers. You can apply material
properties and shading on surface models.

Mesh and Surface Modelling Commands

3DFace

Tabulated Mesh

Ruled Mesh

Revolved Mesh

Edge Mesh

Planesurf

Surfnetwork

3D Face

The simplest form of a surface in AutoCAD is a 3D Face. The 3D FACE

command is used to create 3DFaces. 3DFaces are flat surfaces with 3 or 4
straight edges.

A rectangle given thickness, is open at the top and bottom.

A 3DFace added to the top of the box, gives the effect of a solid surface.

Tabulated Surface TABSURF (Tabulated Mesh)

TABULATED MESH builds a surface with the help of a path curve and a vector.

The Pline on the ground is the path curve, a vertical line the direction vector.

Surftab1 and Surftab2 are system variables, which control the density of a created Mesh.

Ruled Surface RULESURF (Ruled Mesh) :

RULED MESH connects 2 curves (objects) with a 3DMesh

RULED MESH connects 2 curves (objects) with a 3DMesh.

 Ellipses are the defining curves; in between wish the surface
appears.

Revolved Surface REVSURF (Revolved Mesh) :

The REVOLVED MESH command enables you to create a surface, based on the revolution of a curve
about an axis. The curve can be a line, spline, polyline, arc, circle, ellipse, or elliptical arc.

The blue, vertical line is the axis of revolution.

Start and end angle of the revolved surface can be changed.

Edge Surface EDGESURF (Edge Mesh) :

The EDGE MESH command is one of the most powerful mesh creators. The command constructs a
polygon mesh on four adjoining curves. The curves can be lines, arcs, splines, 2D polylines or 3D
polylines. The curves must touch at their endpoints to form a closed path.

Surface - Mesh Primitives: With predefined 3D objects you can create some 3D geometrical shapes
such as box, wedge, sphere, cylinder, torus, pyramid, cone.

Vports:
Tiled viewports are applicable to Model space. Viewports enable you to view the models from
different view points at the same time. Various display settings such as snap and grid spacings, zoom
factor and shade modes can be applied to each viewport differently. Only one viewport can be active
at a time, that is the one with a bolder border and where the crosshairs appear. You can switch from
one viewport to another while a command is still activ.

Use the viewports dialoge box to create multiple viewports configurations.

Planesurf:

The Planesurf command creates flat 3D surfaces. You can create a planar surface through either of
the following methods: Specify the opposite corners of a rectangle through the command. Select
one or more objects that form one or more enclosed areas.

Surfnetwork: The SURFNETWORK command creates a surface in the space between several curves
in the U and V directions.
Planesurf command was applied at the bottom, using a square. Surfnetwork command was applied
on the roof, by using arc segments as curves in the U and V direction.

AutoCAD has number of commands for creating 3D objects, a lot can be done by changing the
properties of a basic 2D objects.

Introduction
Although AutoCAD has a number of commands for creating special 3D objects, a lot can be
achieved by changing the properties of basic 2D objects like polylines . Most 2D objects can
be given a thickness using the thickness option in the Properties (DDCHPROP) command.
Although objects with a thickness can be said to be extruded, this should not be confused
with the EXTRUDE command which creates solid extrusions; giving an object thickness
produces a surface extrusion. All objects can be given an elevation by moving them in the Z
direction using the MOVE command. With a combination of
the MOVE and Properties commands you can quickly create simple 3D drawings.

Using this tutorial you will learn how to give objects a thickness, how to move them vertically, how to
view your 3D creations and how to use the 3DFACE and SHADE commands.
The DDVPOINT Command
You can use this command to get an axonometric view of your drawing.

There are a number of ways to get an axonometric view of your AutoCAD drawing but
the DDVPOINT command is probably the easiest and quickest to use. It is, however, buried two
layers deep in the pull-down menu so it's often quicker simply to type it at the keyboard, since there is
no toolbar button. As you probably recognise from the command name it is a dialogue box driven
command. The Viewpoint Presets dialogue box is illustrated on the right. As you can see, you define
a view by specifying two angles. The first angle is the rotation from the X axis (the horizontal angle).
The second is the angle from the XY plane (the vertical angle). Using the dialogue box you can
specify an angle either by picking on the two dials or by entering an angle into each of the two angle
edit boxes. You can even look at your drawing from underneath by specifying a negative vertical
angle. For most purposes a horizontal angle along one of the diagonals, 45, 135, 225 and 315 and a
vertical angle of 30 give the best results.

You can return to a plan view of your drawing by using the PLAN command. To do this, just enter
"PLAN" at the command prompt and then to accept the "Current UCS" default. You can also
return to any previous view by using the Zoom Previous command option, Z P at the
keyboard or from the Standard toolbar.