Twisting a simple set of objects

You'll twist a parallelepiped made of six surfaces with just one simple operation.

1 In the Entities drop-down list (under Entities to be modified) select Surfaces.

2 Press the left button to start a window selection and hold it down. Indicate a window large enough to contain all the surfaces. When the window is large enough, release the mouse button.
3 In the Axis of Twist drop-down list, choose Line. Select the line which defines the direction to be twisted.



Cutting lines
Mind that the line length defines the portion of the object that will be modified. All the portions of the objects not covered by the line will not be affected by the operation, while the resulting surfaces will be separate along a direction passing through the first end point of the indicated line (a "cutting line").

A handle is displayed, together with the twisting angle and another one enabling you to modify the length of the axis.

4 Set the value of the Angle or drag the handle to the position corresponding to the required twisting.



You can also modify the length of the portion to be modified, by setting the Length value or dragging the corresponding handle.

Self intersection detection
When a self intersection is detected, the program displays the surfaces delimiting the area within which self intersections occur.
If the modified entities are inside that area, self intersections will occur; no self intersection will occur if the modified entities are outside that area.
If you click the on Show Warnings button ( ), the corresponding warning will also be displayed.

5 Click or to confirm your selections modify the shape of the object.



Click to discard your changes.


Applying the changes to the original entities or to copies
  • If you selected the Copy check box under More Options, your original entities will still be there.The new ones which originated the new shape are surfaces of the type "GSM Twist".
  • If you deselected the Copy check box, the original entities will be modified.

Hiding the original entities when using the command
While you are using the command, you can select the Hide check box to temporarily hide the original entities, in order to better appreciate the changes you are making. The entities will be hidden only as long as the command is being executed.
Tips and Tricks