As you dene your sweep feature, you can apply a twist or draft.

For more information about these

tools, see “What types of features can you create?,” Section 11.9. You can also toggle on
to maintain any faces or edges that are generated between the swept solid feature and the
existing part. The internal boundaries can create regions that can be structured or swept meshed without
having to resort to partitioning.
The HTML version of this guide contains detailed instructions on using the Part module tools to
add a swept feature to a three-dimensional part. The following topics are covered:
• “Adding a swept solid feature,” Section 11.21.3
• “Adding a swept shell feature,” Section 11.22.3
• “Creating a swept cut,” Section 11.24.4

Lofting is a method that allows you to create complex three-dimensional features that cannot be created
by extruding, revolving, or sweeping. For example, you can use lofts to model an exhaust manifold that
would be difcult to create by other means due to varying cross-sections. You can create solid, shell, or
cut loft features in Abaqus/CAE. A loft feature transforms from a starting section shape and orientation
to an ending shape and orientation. You rst create sections that dene the shape of the loft as it passes
through an area in space. Then Abaqus/CAE can create the path between sections automatically, or you
can dene one or more continuous paths connecting one point on each loft section to a corresponding
point on the next section. You can also choose from several tangency options to control the shape of
the loft as it leaves the starting section or as it approaches the ending section. This section describes
the options available for dening the loft sections, loft paths, and loft tangencies prior to creating a loft
feature and explains self-intersection.

Loft sections represent the shape that the loft feature will have at a particular point along a loft path. At
least two sections are required to create a loft feature. You can create additional sections to control the
shape of the loft between the starting and ending sections. In a solid or cut loft, each loft section must be
a closed loop with no branches. In a shell loft, the loft sections can either all be open or all be closed. You
can dene planar or nonplanar loft sections to create a loft feature. Once the loft is created, the number
of sections and their order within the loft cannot be changed.
You create loft sections by picking from existing edges on the part in the current viewport. Any
edges can be selected; for example:
• Edges that dene extruded, revolved, or swept features.
 • Edges that dene planar wire or shell features.
• Spline wire features.
You can use individual edges from several features to dene a single section. However, planar wires
sketched on datum planes are one of the simplest means you can use to dene the loft sections. Using the
simplest means to dene your loft sections will give you more control and will result in a more robust
loft feature.
You cannot modify loft sections directly. Once you create the loft feature, you can use the Feature
Manipulation toolset to edit features that created the edges used in the loft sections. Moving a vertex or
edge that is used in a loft section will change the shape of the section and the shape of the corresponding
loft feature.

Each loft feature that you create requires at least one loft path. When you have dened the loft sections,
you can choose to modify the loft path or paths. The paths of a loft feature connect a point on the
starting section to a point on the ending section. If more than two loft sections are dened, each path
also passes through a point on each intermediate section. You can dene a loft path using the options on
the tabbed page of the dialog box.
When you create a loft feature, you can choose from the following methods to dene a loft path:

is the default loft path denition. If you select ,

Abaqus/CAE creates a single smooth path that passes through the center of each loft section, as
shown in Figure 11–51. You can apply tangency conditions that modify the shape of the loft near
the starting and ending loft sections. For more information on loft tangency, see “Dening loft
tangency,” Section 11.14.3.

A loft feature with a path dened by Abaqus/CAE.

 If you choose , you can select from existing edges to dene a loft path. This method
also allows you to dene multiple loft paths. The loft feature is created by following the loft paths
as they connect one loft section to the next, as shown in Figure 11–52. A loft feature with a
single selected path behaves similarly to a swept feature except that the cross-section of the loft
is constantly changing to match the position and shape of the next loft section along the path.

A loft feature with a single user-dened path.

You must pick from existing line segments in the viewport to create paths connecting all of the
loft sections. Each path must be a smooth curve, and it must connect the sections in the same order
that they will be connected when the loft is created. You can use the tool to create spline wires
that dene the three-dimensional paths.

Once the loft feature is created, you cannot edit the paths directly, regardless of which path denition
you chose. However, if you used , you can edit the points that created each spline wire by
using the Feature Manipulation toolset to edit the features that created the wire vertices.

If you accept the default method for a loft, you can choose from several loft
tangency options. Loft tangency affects the angle at which the loft faces leave the rst loft section and
approach the last section. The effect of tangency settings is transient, diminishing in proportion to the
distance from the start or end section. The shape of the loft feature between any intermediate sections is
unaffected by the loft tangency.
You can set all of the loft tangency options except independently for the starting and ending
section. For example, you can set the start tangency to and the end tangency to . You
can choose from the following options to dene the loft tangency:
 is the default setting, and it is the only tangency setting that can be used with nonplanar
sections. If you choose , you must use it for both the start and the end tangency. applies
no conditions to the shape or direction of the loft. The edges of the loft feature will make a linear
approach from the starting section to the second section and from the next-to-last section to the last
section as shown in Figure 11–53.

A loft feature with no tangency.

The setting forces the faces created by the lofted edges to be at 90° to the rst loft section
as they are initially lofted toward the second section. Similarly, this setting forces the faces to be at
90° as they approach the last section of the loft feature. If you set to , the
initial part of the lofted feature will be similar to a straight extrusion as shown in Figure 11–54.

A loft feature with normal tangency at both ends.

The setting forces the faces created by the lofted edges to be at 0° to the rst loft section as
they are initially lofted toward the second section. Similarly, this setting forces the faces to be at 0°
as they approach the last section of the loft feature. Thus, the faces initially radiate outward from the
starting loft section or inward toward the ending loft section. If you set to ,
the initial part of the lofted feature will be similar to an extrusion with a draft angle approaching
90° as shown in Figure 11–55.

A loft feature with radial tangency at the left

end and normal tangency at the right end.

If you attempt to create a loft feature with only two loft sections and a dissimilar
number of vertices, setting both and to may cause the loft
feature to fail.

The setting allows you to control both the applied to the lofted edges and the
that represents a relative distance through which the angle will affect the loft. If
you set to , the initial part of the lofted feature will be similar to an
extrusion with a draft angle of degrees as shown in Figure 11–56. Figure 11–56 shows a
angle of 45° (left) and an angle of 135° (right), both applied with
magnitudes of 25%. For reference, a tangency setting corresponds to specifying an angle
of 90° and a magnitude of 25% and a tangency setting corresponds to specifying an angle
of 0° and a magnitude of 25%.
The angle of the loft faces at any point depends on the and settings, the
distance between consecutive loft sections, and the severity of change between the loft sections.
Depending on these conditions, the requirement to make a smooth transition from one loft section
to the next may override some loft tangency effects. If you require greater control over the shape
of the loft, use the method to dene paths that the loft feature will follow exactly.
 A loft feature with specied tangency at both ends.

Due to the complexity of features that you can create by lofting, a set of tests is available to ensure that
the geometry will be valid for analysis. You can dene loft sections and paths such that the loft feature
would intersect itself. A loft feature with self-intersections would be impractical as a manufactured part
and would also be difcult or impossible to mesh and analyze.
When you toggle on in the dialog box,
Abaqus/CAE tests for self-intersection while it is creating the loft feature. If any faces of the loft intersect
other faces, Abaqus/CAE displays an error message stating that there are invalid intersections and does
not create the loft feature. The time required to complete the tests varies with the complexity of the loft
you are attempting to create. For example, if the shape of your loft varies greatly from section to section
or if you have dened a complex loft path, the tests will signicantly increase the time required to create
the loft feature. If you choose not to include the tests, Abaqus/CAE will create the loft feature regardless
of whether the geometry is valid.

Sketches are two-dimensional proles that form the geometry of the features dening an Abaqus/CAE
native part. You use the Sketcher to create these sketches; in the Part module you use them directly
to dene a planar part or a beam, or you extrude, sweep, or revolve them to form a three-dimensional
or axisymmetric part. Whenever you need to create the base feature of a new part, add a feature to a
part, or modify an existing feature, the Part module automatically enters the Sketcher and you operate
on the sketch that forms the two-dimensional prole of the feature. When you have nished sketching,
Abaqus/CAE automatically returns you to the Part module.