CreatingCircles

Thistaskshowsthevariousmethodsforcreatingcirclesandcirculararcs:

centerandradius
centerandpoint
twopointsandradius
threepoints
centerandaxis
bitangentandradius
bitangentandpoint
tritangent
centerandtangent

Italsoshowsyouhowtodefinethecircleradiusordiameterandcreateaxes.

OpentheCircles1.CATPartdocument.
Notethatyouneedtoputthedesiredgeometricalsetincurrenttobeabletoperformthe
correspondingscenario.

Anewlockbutton isavailablebesidestheCircletypetopreventanautomaticchangeofthe

typewhileselectingthegeometry.Simplyclickitsothatthelockturnsred .
Forinstance,ifyouchoosetheCenterandradiustype,youarenotabletoselectanaxis.Ifyou
wanttoselectanaxis,chooseanothertypeinthecombolist.
Thestatusofthisbuttonisstoredasthedefaultvalue:therefore,ifitisredandyoulaunchthe
samecommandagainoranothercommandowningthisbutton,thebuttonwillberedtoo.
Iftheinputisselectedautomatically,whenwechangethetype,theinputwillnotbetransferredto
thenewtype.Forexample,ifweselectCenterandradiusinCircletypeandWorkonsupportis

active,itisselectedasinputforsupportautomatically.Thissupportfeaturewouldnotbe
transferred,ifwechangecircletypetoCenterandpoint.

Definingtheplanetype

Centerandradius

1.ClickCircle .
TheCircleDefinitiondialogboxappears.
2.SelecttheCenterandradiuscircletype.

3.SelectapointascircleCenter.
4.SelecttheSupportplaneorsurfacewherethecircleistobecreated.
 5.EnteraRadiusvalue.
DependingontheactiveCircleLimitationsicon,thecorrespondingcircleorcirculararcis
displayed.
Foracirculararc,youcanspecifytheStartandEndanglesofthearc.

Ifasupportsurfaceisselected,thecircleliesontheplanetangenttothesurfaceatthe
selectedpoint.
StartandEndanglescanbespecifiedbyenteringvaluesorbyusingthegraphic
manipulators.
6.ClickOKtocreatethecircleorcirculararc.
Thecircle(identifiedasCircle.xxx)isaddedtothespecificationtree.

Centerandpoint

1.ClickCircle .
TheCircleDefinitiondialogboxappears.
2.SelecttheCenterandpointcircletype.

3.SelectapointasCenter.
4.SelectaPointwherethecircleistobecreated.
5.SelecttheSupportplaneorsurfacewherethecircleistobecreated.
Thecircle,whichcenteristhefirstselectedpointandpassingthroughthesecondpointor
theprojectionofthissecondpointontheplanetangenttothesurfaceatthefirstpoint,is
previewed.
DependingontheactiveCircleLimitationsicon,thecorrespondingcircleorcirculararcis
displayed.
Foracirculararc,youcanspecifytheStartandEndanglesofthearc.
 6.ClickOKtocreatethecircleorcirculararc.
Thecircle(identifiedasCircle.xxx)isaddedtothespecificationtree.

Twopointsandradius

1.ClickCircle .
TheCircleDefinitiondialogboxappears.
2.SelecttheTwopointsandradiuscircletype.

3.Selecttwopointsonasurfaceorinthesameplane.
4.SelecttheSupportplaneorsurface.
Youcanselectadirectionasthesupport.Thesupportiscalculatedusingthisdirection
andthetwoinputpoints.Theplanepassingthroughthetwopointsandwhosenormalis
closesttothegivendirectioniscomputedasfollows:

Let'stakeV1asthevectorP1P2,whereP1andP2aretheinputpoints.
Let'stakeV2astheuserdirection(whichcanbethecompass
direction).
ComputeV3=V1XV2(crossproduct).
ComputeV4=V3XV1(crossproduct).
ThesupportplaneisnormaltoV4andpassingthroughP1andP2.
NotethatifV2isorthogonaltoV1,V4=V2andthesupportplaneis
normaltoV2(userdirection).

5.EnteraRadiusvalue.
Thecircle,passingthroughthefirstselectedpointandthesecondpointortheprojectionof
thissecondpointontheplanetangenttothesurfaceatthefirstpoint,ispreviewed.
DependingontheactiveCircleLimitationsicon,thecorrespondingcircleorcirculararcis
displayed.
Foracirculararc,youcanspecifythetrimmedorcomplementaryarcusingthetwoselected
 pointsasendpoints.
YoucanusetheNextSolutionbutton,todisplaythealternativearc.

WithadirectionasSupport(thecomputedplaneisshownin
WithaplaneasSupport
blue)
6.ClickOKtocreatethecircleorcirculararc.
Thecircle(identifiedasCircle.xxx)isaddedtothespecificationtree.

Threepoints

1.ClickCircle .
TheCircleDefinitiondialogboxappears.
2.SelecttheThreepointscircletype.

3.Selectthreepointswherethecircleistobecreated.
DependingontheactiveCircleLimitationsicon,thecorrespondingcircleorcirculararcis
displayed.
Foracirculararc,youcanspecifythetrimmedorcomplementaryarcusingthetwoofthe
selectedpointsasendpoints.

4.ClickOKtocreatethecircleorcirculararc.
Thecircle(identifiedasCircle.xxx)isaddedtothespecificationtree.
 Centerandaxis

1.ClickCircle .
TheCircleDefinitiondialogboxappears.
2.SelecttheCenterandaxiscircletype.

3.Selecttheaxis/line.
Itcanbeanylinearcurve.
4.Selectapoint.
5.EnteraRadiusvalue.
6.SettheProjectpointonaxis/lineoption:

checked(withprojection):thecircleiscenteredonthereferencepointand
projectedontotheinputaxis/lineandliesintheplanenormaltotheaxis/line
passingthroughthereferencepoint.Thelinewillbeextendedtogettheprojection
ifrequired.

unchecked(withoutprojection):thecircleiscenteredonthereferencepointandlies
intheplanenormaltotheaxis/linepassingthroughthereferencepoint.

Withprojection Withoutprojection
7.ClickOKtocreatethecircleorcirculararc.
Thecircle(identifiedasCircle.xxx)isaddedtothespecificationtree.

Bitangentandradius

1.ClickCircle .
TheCircleDefinitiondialogboxappears.
2.SelecttheBitangentandradiuscircletype.
3.SelecttwoElements(pointorcurve)towhichthecircleistobetangent.
4.SelectaSupportsurface.
Ifoneoftheselectedinputsisaplanarcurve,thentheSupportissettoDefault
(Plane).
IfanexplicitSupportneedstobedefined,acontextualmenuisavailabletoclearthe
selectioninordertoselectthedesiredsupport.
Thisautomaticsupportdefinitionsavesyoufromperforminguselessselections.
5.EnteraRadiusvalue.
Severalsolutionsmaybepossible,soclickintheregionwhereyouwantthecircletobe.
DependingontheactiveCircleLimitationsicon,thecorrespondingcircleorcirculararcis
displayed.
Foracirculararc,youcanspecifythetrimmedorcomplementaryarcusingthetwotangent
pointsasendpoints.

YoucanchecktheTrimElement1andTrimElement2optionstotrimthefirstelementor
thesecondelement,orbothelements.
HereisanexamplewithElement1trimmed.

TheTrimElement1andTrimElement2optionsareonlyavailablewiththeTrimmed
circlelimitation.
6.ClickOKtocreatethecircleorcirculararc.
Thecircle(identifiedasCircle.xxx)isaddedtothespecificationtree.
 Bitangentandpoint

1.ClickCircle .
TheCircleDefinitiondialogboxappears.
2.SelecttheBitangentandpointcircletype.

3.Selectapointoracurvetowhichthecircleistobetangent.
4.SelectaCurveandaPointonthiscurve.
Thepointwillbeprojectedontothecurve.
5.SelectaSupportplaneorplanarsurface.
Ifoneoftheselectedinputsisaplanarcurve,thentheSupportissettoDefault
(Plane).
IfanexplicitSupportneedstobedefined,acontextualmenuisavailabletoclearthe
selectioninordertoselectthedesiredsupport.
Thisautomaticsupportdefinitionsavesyoufromperforminguselessselections.
Severalsolutionsmaybepossible,soclickintheregionwhereyouwantthecircletobe.
DependingontheactiveCircleLimitationsicon,thecorrespondingcircleorcirculararcis
displayed.

Completecircle

 Trimmedcircle

Complementarytrimmedcircle
YoucancheckTrimElement1andTrimElement2totrimthefirstelementorthesecond
element,orbothelements.
Hereisanexamplewithbothelementstrimmed.

TrimElement1andTrimElement2areonlyavailablewiththeTrimmedcircle
limitation.
6.ClickOKtocreatethecircleorcirculararc.
Thecircle(identifiedasCircle.xxx)isaddedtothespecificationtree.

Tritangent

1.ClickCircle .
TheCircleDefinitiondialogboxappears.
2.SelecttheTritangentcircletype.

3.SelectthreeElementstowhichthecircleistobetangent.
4.SelectaSupportplanarsurface.
Ifoneoftheselectedinputsisaplanarcurve,thentheSupportissettoDefault
(Plane).
IfanexplicitSupportneedstobedefined,acontextualmenuisavailabletoclearthe
selectioninordertoselectthedesiredsupport.
Thisautomaticsupportdefinitionsavesyoufromperforminguselessselections.
 Severalsolutionsmaybepossible,soselectthearcofcirclethatyouwishtocreate.
DependingontheactiveCircleLimitationsicon,thecorrespondingcircleorcirculararcis
displayed.Thefirstandthirdelementsdefinewheretherelimitationends.
Foracirculararc,youcanspecifythetrimmedorcomplementaryarcusingthetwotangent
pointsasendpoints.

YoucancheckTrimElement1andTrimElement3totrimthefirstelementorthethird
element,orbothelements.
HereisanexamplewithElement3trimmed.

TrimElement1andTrimElement3areonlyavailablewiththeTrimmedcircle
limitation.
Youcannotcreateatritangentcircleifaninputpointliesonaninputwire.We
adviseyoutousethebitangentandpointcircletype.
5.ClickOKtocreatethecircleorcirculararc.
Thecircle(identifiedasCircle.xxx)isaddedtothespecificationtree.

Centerandtangent

1.ClickCircle .
TheCircleDefinitiondialogboxappears.
2.SelecttheCenterandtangentcircletype.

Thecirclecenterwillbelocatedeitheronthecentercurveorpointandwillbetangenttothe
tangentcurve.
 Therearetwowaystocreateacenterandtangentcircle:

Centercurveandradius:
a.SelectacurveastheCenterElement.
b.SelectaTangentCurve.
c.EnteraRadiusvalue.

Linetangenttocurvedefinition:
a.SelectapointastheCenterElement.
b.SelectaTangentCurve.

Ifoneoftheselectedinputsisaplanarcurve,thentheSupportissetto
Default(Plane).
IfanexplicitSupportneedstobedefined,acontextualmenuisavailableto
cleartheselectioninordertoselectthedesiredsupport.
Thisautomaticsupportdefinitionsavesyoufromperforminguselessselections.
Notethatonlyfullcirclescanbecreated.
3.ClickOKtocreatethecircleorcirculararc.
Thecircle(identifiedasCircle.xxx)isaddedtothespecificationtree.

UsingtheDiameter/Radiusoptions
YoucanclicktheRadiusbuttontoswitchtoaDiametervalue.Conversely,clicktheDiameter
buttontoswitchbacktotheRadiusvalue.
ThisoptionisavailablewiththeCenterandradius,Twopointandradius,Bitangentandradius,
Centerandtangent,andCenterandaxiscircletypes.
NotethatthevaluedoesnotchangewhenswitchingfromRadiustoDiameterandviceversa.

UsingtheAxisComputationoption

YoucanselecttheAxiscomputationcheckboxtoautomaticallycreateaxeswhilecreating
ormodifyingacircle.Oncetheoptionischecked,theAxisdirectionfieldisenabled.
Ifyoudonotselectadirection,anaxisnormaltothecirclewillbecreated.
 Ifyouselectadirection,twomoreaxesfeatureswillbecreated:anaxisaligned
withthereferencedirectionandanaxisnormaltothereferencedirection.
Inthespecificationtree,theaxesareaggregatedundertheCirclefeature.Youcanedit
theirdirectionsbutcannotmodifythem.
Ifthedatummodeisactive,theaxesarenotaggregatedundertheCirclefeatures,but
oneorethreedatumlinesarecreated.

Axisnormaltothecircle

Axisalignedwiththereferencedirection(yzplane)

Axisnormaltothereferencedirection(yzplane)

IfyoucheckGeometryonSupportandtheselectedsupportisnotplanar,
thentheAxisComputationisnotpossible.
YoucancheckGeometryonSupportifyouwantthecircletobeprojected
ontoasupportsurface.
Inthiscasejustselectasupportsurface.
ThisoptionisavailablewiththeCenterandradius,Centerandpoint,Two
pointandradius,andThreepointscircletypes.
Whenseveralsolutionsarepossible,clickNextSolutiontomovetoanother
arcofcircle,ordirectlyselectthearcyouwantinthe3Dgeometry.
Acirclemayhaveseveralpointsascenteriftheselectedelementismadeof
variouscirclearcswithdifferentcenters.
Parameterscanbeeditedinthe3Dgeometry.Formoreinformation,referto
EditingParameters.
Youcanisolateacircleinordertocutthelinksithaswiththegeometryused
tocreateit.Todoso,usetheIsolatecontextualcommand.Formore
information,refertoIsolatingGeometricElements.