| Power Plane Quick Help |
|  | Quick Help Home nPower Software Home Quick Video |
| Overview |
| The Power Plane tool provides a convenient way to create a spline cage and one Rail Sweep surface. The initial shape is a rectangle. The shape of the rectangle can be modified by editing the points and curves of the associated spline cage sketch or using the Sub-Object Point or Sub-Object Curve editing on the Power Rectangle object itself. Note that the modification of the Length and Width will reset the spline cage to the shape of the rectangle and loose any edits done on the spline cage. Once you have modified the spline cage, you can change the number of segments without resetting the rectangle shape because the new spline cage is generated using the existing surface. Note: See Usage and Tips in Power Box Quick Help. |
| Power Plane Parameters |
| Length: Size of the Box in the X direction of the local coordinate system (LCS) Width: Size of the Box in the Y direction of the LCS |
| Spline Cage Settings |
| Spline Cage Type: Smooth Bezier Curves: the Bezier points will all be "Smooth" C1 Bezier Curves: the Bezier points will all be "C1 Bezier Points" Length/Width/Height Segs: specifies the number of segments in the X, Y and Z direction. Note that the number of segments is one less than the corresponding number of curves. Y-Axis Symmetry: specifies that a symmetry will be applied at the local Y-Axis along the minimum X points of the rectangle. Note if you apply symmetry, you should not move any of the points on the minimum X side of the rectangle off the corresponding Y,Z plane. In other words don't change their X values. |
| Edge Rounding |
| Note: Rounding is useful for smoothing between the two surfaces when symmetry is turned on. It also works in cases where tangency has been broken in the spline cage and the resulting plane has creases in it. Rounding Turned On: This is a short cut to turn on "Step Back Blending" in the "Power Surface Parameters" panel. Turning this on, sets the blending to "Blend Corners" and the cross section type to "G2 Blend Section" in that dialog. If this is on a blend will be put between all edges and at the corners. If symmetry is turned on, it will also blend the connection between the symmetric pieces. Round Size: This is a short cut to modify the Step Distance% in the "Power Surface Parameters" panel. |