Preferred Ellipse

Preferred Ellipse

Draws an ellipse by defining the centerpoint and the preferred major and minor half axes.

How to use

1. Click the Preferred Ellipse icon or choose the Tools > Curves > Ellipse > Ellipse: center, axis 1, axis 2 command.

2. The program console prompts Center.

3. Place the centerpoint either by clicking and dragging in any view (release the mouse button to confirm placement) or by typing its XYZ coordinates in the console. Values must be separated by a comma, i.e. 1,2,3, and confirmed by pressing Enter.

4. The program console prompts Axis endpoint #1.

5. Define the axis endpoint either by clicking and dragging in any view or by typing its XYZ coordinates in the console.

6. Repeat step 5 at the Axis endpoint #2 console prompt.

You can insert points in any view regardless of where you have started.

To interactively define the ellipse, hold the mouse button down after the click or click while pressing the Shift key.

Options

Center

To modify XYZ coordinates of the centerpoint of the ellipse.

Views. Choose the Edit mode. Click the centerpoint and drag it. Release the mouse button when you reach the desired position.

Modeling Tool panel. Type the new values in the XYZ data fields and confirm them by pressing Enter.

Axis endpoint #1

Axis endpoint #2

To modify XYZ coordinates of the axes endpoints.

Views. Choose the Edit mode. Click the endpoint and drag it. Release the mouse button when you reach the desired position.

Modeling Tool panel. Type the new values in the XYZ data fields and confirm them by pressing Enter.

Start angle

To change sweep of the arc.

Views. Choose the Edit mode. Click the Start point hotSpot and drag it. Release the mouse button when you reach the desired angle.

Modeling Tool panel. Set the value either by moving the slider or by typing it in the data field and pressing Enter. The value can range from 0 to 360 degrees.

End angle

To change sweep of the arc.

Views. Choose the Edit mode. Click the End point hotSpot and drag it. Release the mouse button when you reach the desired angle.

Modeling Tool panel. Set the value either by moving the slider or by typing it in the data field and pressing Enter. The value can range from 0 to 360 degrees.

Half Axis #1

Half Axis #2

To modify length of the half axes.

Modeling Tool panel. Set values either by moving the slider or by typing it in the data field and pressing Enter.

Arc type

To specify whether the circle must be weighted (exact) or non-weighted (approximated).

Modeling Tool panel. Switch the chosen radio button on. You have the following options: Weighted and Non-weighted. If you choose the first option, the number of control points is automatically defined. With the second option you can set the number of control points in the section below.

Note: in general, you could use Weighted if you do not plan to modify the original shape and Non-weighted if you want to edit it.

Points

To determine the number of control points of the circle in case you have chosen Non-weighted as the arc type.

Modeling Tool panel. Set the value either by moving the slider or by typing it in the data field and pressing Enter (remember: the more the control points, the more approximated the circle).