Modeling:
Curves
CurvesEllipseCreation steps
When you first enter the mode, you will be asked to double-click to mark the center point of the ellipse. The cursor’s location will be projected onto the currently active working plane to define the center (always remember to release the mouse button after double-clicking, before dragging to the next point).
After the first point has been set, you may specify the first radius by again double-clicking at a location on the working plane. During this operation, a rubber-band line will be displayed indicating the current center and radius of the ellipse.
In the third step, you may specify the second radius of the ellipse by again double-clicking a point on the drawing plane. During this operation, a rubber-band ellipse will be displayed indicating the current shape of the ellipse.
Finally, an ellipse dialog box appears where you may check your settings and specify a name and a curve for the new ellipse.
SHIFT key
By pressing the SHIFT key after the first point has been set, the cursor movement is fixed in one coordinate and may only be moved in the other and vice versa.
Display of locations
Throughout this mode the current mouse location will be displayed in the lower right corner of the main plot window .
Snap mode
All positions will be adjusted to the snap grid when active.
Cancel interactive mode
You may cancel this mode at any time by pressing the ESC key. Pressing ESC again in the following dialog box will terminate the ellipse creation.
Undo last double-click
You may go back to the last step by pressing the BACKSPACE key. Pressing this key in the interactive mode will undo the last double-click.
Numerical specification of coordinates (TAB key and SHIFT+TAB key)
To precisely specify the shape coordinates, you may press the TAB key whenever a point must be double-clicked. A small coordinate dialog box will open in which you may specify the shape coordinates numerically.
The dialog entries take over the coordinates at the cursor position on the working plane. However, if the SHIFT+TAB key is pressed, the coordinates are always set to zero.
Pick tools to specify coordinates
You may snap the location to a previously defined shape’s corner, cylinder radius, etc., by activating a point pick tool, at the moment when the next point must be specified. The double-click will be processed by the pick functionality to specify the location of a point. The picked point will then be taken as the selected location.
See also
Working Plane, Standard View Changing Options, Snap Grid, Ellipse Dialog Box, Coordinate Dialog Box, Point Pick Tool, Curve Creation