Curve Continuity

Modify Curve Continuity

The Curve Continuity command enables you to control continuity between two single curves. The following types of continuity can be applied (see "Continuity Types" for a general definition of the continuity types):

Positional
Two methods are available:
- Fit reference curve — one of the two curves / surface boundaries (indicated through a Reference point or curve endpoint) is not affected by the change while the other ( Curve to Be Modified) is modified by moving its endpoint until the two curves meet at a point. This method can also be used to extend a curve up to a selected reference point, even if not belonging to another curve.
- Adjust both — both curves (the Curve to Be Modified item is displayed twice in the selection list) are modified in such a way that they meet at a "halfway" point between the two endpoints to be joined; in this case, you can control the extent to which each of the two curves is modified in relation to the other by assigning to each of the two curves a weight value. The higher the weight, the less that curve changes; and, if a curve has a weight value of zero, only that curve will move relative to the other.

Applying tangency or higher order continuity to two curves not positionally continuous
Higher order continuity can be applied also to curves that are not already positionally continuous (that is: they have no common end point). The command behavior in this case is the following:

First of all positional continuity will be established between the two curves by using the same method as the one exploited by the Fit reference curve mode: one of the two curves is not affected by the change while the other is modified by moving its endpoint until the two curves meet at a point.
Please note that positional continuity will be applied to the endpoint of each curve that is closer to the click position used for the selection of that curve. So, click on each curve at a point close to where you want them to meet.
Once positional continuity has been established as described in the above step, the desired higher order continuity will be applied to the resulting curves.

Tangency
Three methods are available:
- Fit reference curve — by modifying only one of the curves ( Curve to Be Modified), while the other — that can also be a surface boundary — is used just as a reference ( Reference Curve)
- Adjust both — by modifying both curves (the Curve to Be Modified item is displayed twice in the selection list)
- Modify common point and adjust both — by moving the point where the two curves meet (also in this case the Curve to Be Modified item is displayed twice in the selection list).
Curvature
Torsion
Smooth curvature
Curvature plot curvature.
For the above types, only the Fit reference curve method is available.

The Associative Mode check box enables you to create curves which retain a link to the surfaces/curves they derive from.

	When the check box is selected, the resulting curves will be associative. The new curve will retain a link to the entities it derives from. A specific node displaying both the original entities and the resulting associative curve will be added to the Model Structure.
	When the check box is cleared, the resulting curves will not be associative.

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