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Complex designs need to be built up from many surface patches. The relationship
between these surface patches will give the design its character.

Positional Continuity
This is where surfaces meet at an angle—a sharp edge. Positional continuity is
important if you need a ‘closed’ model that represents a solid object. This can be
transferred successfully to another CAD system, have a volume calculated, or be
tessellated to create a rapid prototype.

Tangent Continuity
This is the kind of continuity created by rounds or fillets. The join between the two
surfaces is smooth, but, visually, you can see where one surface ends and the other
one starts. There is a ‘highlight line’—the sort of line you would draw with a soft
white pencil in a hand rendering.

Curvature Continuity
With curvature continuity, the join between the surfaces is smooth to touch and to
see—it is hard to tell where one surface starts and the other ends.

G0, G1, G2
These are standard terms used for the continuity conditions.

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 The Align Tool

The Object Edit>Align tool can be used to align curves and surfaces with
positional, tangent, or curvature continuity. A construction history relationship will
be created so that continuity will be maintained while the curves or surfaces are
modified.

The Align tool has been used in this example to show how CVs are used to
achieve the three levels of continuity.

Understanding how CVs relate to continuity is important for trouble-shooting some

of the advanced blending tools that you will use later in this course.

Continuity and CVs

Positional continuity requires the first CV of the aligned curve to be in the same
position as the end CV of the curve being aligned to.

Tangent continuity requires the second CV of the aligned curve to have a

straight-line relationship with the second CV of the curve being aligned to.

Curvature continuity requires the third CV of the aligned curve to be in a

constrained relationship with the third CV of the curve being aligned to.

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 Continuity and CVs

Positional Continuity
The end points meet exactly, but the direction of each curve is different as shown
by the ‘break’ in the comb plot.

Tangent Continuity
The end tangents of the curves are matched, meaning that the curves have the
same direction at the point they meet.

A round or fillet on a straight edge is smooth

but clearly has a ‘jump’ in the curvature as it
transitions from flat to a radius.

Curvature Continuity
Just as the curve directions match, the radius value is also matched so the rate of
change of direction is the same. This gives a smoother result.

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 Align Tool Options

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 Diagnostic Shading

The Diagnostic Shading in the Control Panel is designed to analyze the surface
quality.

The ‘Zebra Stripe’ shader simulates the technique

used in automotive design where a model is
placed under strip lights. By changing your view,
you can assess the quality of the highlights.

In Alias, you will tumble the model under the

zebra stripe reflections to get the same effect.

Choose horizontal
or vertical stripes
as required to
assess your model.

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 Surfaces:

Curvature at both ends:

six rows of CVs

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 Measuring Continuity

Evaluate>Continuity>Surface Continuity

Open the option window to set the level of continuity you want to
check. Click Go, and then click on the join between two surfaces.
A green locator indicates that continuity has been achieved.
A yellow locator indicates a continuity problem.

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 Using Align
There are two ways of using the Align tool:

1. Freeform Sculpting
When sculpting a fairly free shape—cosmetics bottles for example—Align can
be used successfully to create the main shapes for the design.

2. Patching and Blending

To use the Align tool for patching and blending surfaces on all four sides, you
will need to use advanced modeling techniques covered in a later course.

It is easier at this stage to use different

surface tools to achieve complex blends.
These will include the Surface Fillet,
Freeform Blend, Bi-Rail, and Square
surfaces.

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 The basic operation of the Surface Fillet tool was covered in the ‘Intersecting and
Trimming’ lesson.

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 Filleting Multiple Edges

The Surface Fillet tool will create a blend surface between one set of surfaces and
another set.

Each set of surfaces must be tangent continuous for the fillet to work.

Max Surf Spans

If you are building a complex fillet,

you may get a warning about
Max Surf Spans.

If you are building a concept model,

you can ignore this warning.

If you are planning to export your

data to a CAD system, there may
be a problem with stitching the
surfaces together as a solid model.

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 Flow Control and Continuity

Occasionally, choosing different flow control options can affect the continuity. To
check, turn on the Continuity Check option in the Surface Fillet tool.

Green means continuity has been successfully achieved; yellow means there is a
continuity break.

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 Shape

The Shape slider gives you some limited control over the blend shape.

It provides control over the ‘looseness’ or ‘tightness’ of the blend surface. If the
value is greater than 1.0, the result is a blend that fits tighter to the corner of the
input surfaces; if the value is less than 1.0, the result is a rounder blend that fits
closer to the edges of the surface.

0.1 0.5 1 2

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