To work on edges of a polygonal model, you must select the model, and then click this action.
It allows you to perform different tasks including standard editing of selected edges (translation, rotation, scaling, etc.), selection of boundary edges, control of edges smoothing (eventually given an angular threshold), weld selected edges, deletion of selected edges, split selected edges adding vertices by splitting selected edges, and fipping of selected edges.
How to use
1. Select a polygonal model (to convert a NURBS surface into a polygonal one, refer to the PolyMesh from NURBS or PolyMesh from NURBS control net modeling tools).
2. Click the Edges editing icon or choose the Tools > PolyMesh > Edges editing command.
3. An alert panel warns you: The selected PolyMesh is part of a Construction Tree. In order to edit with this Modeling Tool, the PolyMesh needs not to be a part of the Construction Tree. Do you want the PolyMesh to be set as hidden and a copy to be created for editing?
Note: If you have previously used a PolyMesh editing tool, the program will not prompt you, as the Construction Tree has already been broken.
4. If you click Yes, a new polygonal model with the same shape of the selected one is created.
When you apply the Edges editing action, the Construction Tree is broken. The original polygonal model is hidden from the 3D views but still displayed in the hierarchy browser.
The newly created polygonal model is NOT linked in any way to the original one. Thus, modifying the shape of the original model will NOT cause the new PolyMesh to change its shape accordingly.
5. Choose the Edit mode: edges can now be selected. They are displayed in blue and turn yellow when selected. The polygonal model can be refined and smoothed by working on selected edges.
Note: As well as translating edges, you can rotate and scale them by applying the rotation and scaling transformations as usual.
Options
Select all
To select edges of the polygonal models.
Views. Choose the Edit mode. Select the edges by picking them. When picked, they turn yellow. For multiple selections, pick edges while holding down the Ctrl key.
Modeling Tool panel. Press the Select All button.
Smooth
To make a polygonal object smoother in correspondence of its selected edges.
Views / Modeling Tool panel. Select the edges you want to smooth. Then, press the Smooth button.
No smoothing
To make a polygonal object angular in correspondence of its selected edges.
Views / Modeling Tool panel. Select the edges you want to make angular. Then, press the No smoothing button.
Smoothing options
To activate the Threshold option.
Modeling Tool panel. Switch the chosen radio button on. You have two options: Smooth always and Smooth under threshold. When you activate the Smooth always option, smoothing will be applied to all edges. When you activate the Smooth under threshold option, smoothing will be applied only to edges whose adjacent faces determine an angle lower than the Threshold value.
Threshold
To adjust the threshold angle.
Modeling Tool panel. Set the value either by moving the slider or by typing it in the data field and press Enter.
Delete
Deletes selected edges.
Views / Modeling Tool panel. Select the edges you want to delete and press the Delete button.
Welding lin. tolerance
Defines the maximum distance between two vertices (of the selected edges) for being merged after a welding operation.
Modeling Tool panel. Set the value either by moving the slider or by typing it in the data field and press Enter.
Welding ang. tolerance
Defines the maximum angle between two selected edges for being merged after a welding operation.
Modeling Tool panel. Set the value either by moving the slider or by typing it in the data field and press Enter.
Weld
Performs a weld operation on selected edges.
Views / Modeling Tool panel. Select the edges to which you want to apply the welding operation. Set the two above mentioned tolerances parameters either by moving the slider or by typing it in the data field, then press the Weld button.
Relax threshold
Deletes those edges in a selection whose adjacent faces form an angle that is lower than the specified threshold.
Views / Modeling Tool panel. After selecting the edges, set the value either by moving the slider or by typing it in the data field and press the Relax button.
Refine noise
Splits the selected edge into 2 edges adding more control points to a surface and applying a random effect on refining if the value is more then zero.
Views / Modeling Tool panel. Select the edge you want to refine. Set the value either by moving the slider or by typing it in the data field, then press the Refine button.
Rotate
Flips selected (non-boundary) edges around incident faces. At each button click, edge is rotated in counter-clockwise direction as shown in the picture below.
Views / Modeling Tool panel. Select the edge you want to rotate, then press the Rotate button.