Creating surfaces

Estimated time to complete: 10–20 minutes

In this tutorial, you will use the Through Curves, Extend Sheet, and Trim Body commands to create surfaces in a part file.

1: Setup

  1. On your desktop or the appropriate network drive, create a folder named brick2.

  2. Click the link below:

    Download the parts

  3. Extract the files to your brick2 folder.

  4. Start Simcenter 3D or NX.

  5. Open welded_bracket_assem.prt.

2: Reset dialog box memory

The options you select in dialog boxes are preserved for the next time you open the same dialog box within a given session. Restore the default settings to ensure that the dialog boxes are in the expected initial state for each step of the activity.

File

Preferences→User Interface

  • Options

  •   Reset Dialog Memory

  • OK

     
3: Create a face on the front edge

Home

  Through Curves (Surface group)

  •   edge

  •   Add New Set

  •   edge on the other side of the part

  • The arrows of the two curves may be pointing in opposite directions, as shown below. You want the arrows to point in the same direction.

  • Reverse Direction (if necessary)

  • OK

     
4: Trim the front edge

Before trimming the front edge of the bottom body, you need to extend the Through Curves sheet to avoid tolerance issues with this part.

  Extend Sheet (Surface group→More list)

  •   (edge of the Through Curves face)

    Tip:

    Use QuickPick to select the edge.

  •  

     

  • Limit

    Offset

  • Offset

    5.0 mm

  •  

     

  • Body Output

    Extend Original Sheet

  • OK

     

  •  

     

 

  Trim Body (Feature group)

  •  

  •  

  •   Select Face or Plane

  •  

  • Note:

    Make sure that the arrow on the tool is facing out of the model, as shown below. If not, click  Reverse Direction.

  • OK

     

 

  Part Navigator

  •   Through Curves (12)

  •   Hide

 Save

5: Create a face on the back edge

  Rotate to the back of the assembly.

 Through Curves (Surface group)

  •  

  •   Add New Set

  •  

    Tip:

    Use Quick Pick to select the short edge on the right side.

  • Verify that the arrows of the two curves are pointing in the same direction. Reverse the direction if necessary, as described previously.

  • OK

     
6: Trim the back edge

Before trimming the back edge of the bottom body, you need to perform the same steps that were used to trim the front edge.

  Extend Sheet (Surface group→More list)

  •   (edge of the Through Curves face)

    Tip:

    Use QuickPick to select the edge.

  •  

     

  • Limit

    Offset

  • Offset

    5.0 mm

  •  

     

  • Body Output

    Extend Original Sheet

  • OK

     

  •  

     

 

  Trim Body (Feature group)

  •  

  •  

     

  •  Select Face or Plane

  •  

  • Note:

    Make sure that the arrow on the tool is facing out of the model. If not, click  Reverse Direction.

  • OK

     

 

  Part Navigator

  •   Through Curves (15)

  •   Hide

 Save

At this point, you could use a mapped mesh as a seed mesh and use a 3D swept mesh to mesh the components.

File

  • Close→All Parts