Modifying the Edges, Faces, and Bodies of 3D Solids

Use the EditSolid command to modify edges, faces, and bodies of 3D solid objects.

To edit 3D solids:

1. Type EditSolid at the command prompt.
2. Specify an option:
   • Edge: Lets you copy edges of solid objects and change the color of edges.
   • Face: Lets you extrude, move, copy, offset, rotate, and taper faces of solid objects, and change the color of faces.
   • Body: Lets you modify entire solid objects. You can
     • imprint other geometry on a 3D solid,
     • separate a 3D solid into individual 3D solids,
     • create a shell from a 3D solid,
     • clean a selected 3D solid, and
     • check a selected 3D solid.
   • Undo: Cancels the most recent body editing operation. You can use the Undo option repeatedly.
   • Exit: Exits solid editing.
3. When prompted to specify edges, faces, or bodies you can use the following options:
   • Remove: Removes one or more edges or faces from the set of selected edges or faces.
   • Note: When you specify faces, usually two faces are added to the set of selected edges. Use the Remove option and then specify one of the two faces by clicking to another edge belonging to the face you want to remove.
   • Add: Returns from removing mode.
   • All: Adds or removes all edges or faces from the set of selected edges or faces.
   • Undo: Cancels one or more previous selections.
4. Continue performing the choosen solid editing option as described below.

Edge Editing

To copy edges of 3D solids:

1. Click Solids > Solid Editing > Copy edges (or enter EditSolid, choose the Egde option, then the Copy option).
2. In the graphics area, specify one or more edges of a solid object and press Enter to complete the selection.
3. Specify a base point for the displacement.
4. Specify a destination point of the copied edges.
5. The resulting entities are lines, arcs, or circles, depending on the shape of the selected edges.

To modify the color of edges of 3D solids:

1. Click Solids > Solid Editing > Color edges (or enter EditSolid, choose the Egde option, then the Color option).
2. In the graphics area, specify one or more edges of a solid object and press Enter to complete the selection.
3. Specify a color number or specify the RGB option to specify a RGB value to set the color of the specified edges.
4. The specified edges redaw with the modified color.

Face Editing

To extrude faces of a 3D solid:

1. Click Solids > Solid Editing > Extrude faces (or enter EditSolid, choose the Face option, then the Extrude option).
2. In the graphics area, specify one or more faces of a solid object.
3. Specify the height of the extrusion.
4. Specify a taper angle for the extrusion.
5. The specified faces are extruded.

To move faces of a 3D solid:

1. Click Solids > Solid Editing > Move faces (or enter EditSolid, choose the Face option, then the Move option).
2. In the graphics area, specify one or more faces of a solid object.
3. Specify a base point for the displacement.
4. Specify a second point. The two points define the displacement vector.
5. The specified faces are moved in the direction and with the distance determined by the displacement vector.

To rotate faces of a 3D solid:

1. Click Solids > Solid Editing > Rotate faces (or enter EditSolid, choose the Face option, then the Rotate option).
2. In the graphics area, specify one or more faces of a solid object.
3. Specify the first point along a rotation axis.
4. Specify the second point along a rotation axis.
5. Specify the rotation angle.
6. The specified faces are rotated.

To offset faces of a 3D solid:

1. Click Solids > Solid Editing > Offset faces (or enter EditSolid, choose the Face option, then the Offset option).
2. In the graphics area, specify one or more faces of a solid object.
3. Specify the offset distance.
4. The specified faces are offset equally by the specified distance. A positive value for the offset distance will increase the body of the solid object while a negative value will decrease its size.

To taper faces of a 3D solid with an angle:

1. Click Solids > Solid Editing > Taper faces (or enter EditSolid, choose the Face option, then the Taper option).
2. In the graphics area, specify one or more faces of a solid object.
3. Specify the base point of a rotation axis.
4. Specify another point along the rotation axis.
5. Specify the taper angle.
6. The specified faces are rotated equally by the specified angle.

To delete faces from a 3D solid:

1. Click Solids > Solid Editing > Delete faces (or enter EditSolid, choose the Face option, then the Delete option).
2. In the graphics area, specify one or more faces of a solid object.
3. Press Enter.

To copy faces of a 3D solid:

1. Click Solids > Solid Editing > Copy faces (or enter EditSolid, choose the Face option, then the Copy option).
2. In the graphics area, specify one or more faces of solid objects.
3. Specify a base point for the displacement.
4. Specify a destination point of the copied faces.
5. The resulting entities are Regions or Surfaces.

To modify the color of faces of 3D solids:

1. Click Solids > Solid Editing > Color faces (or enter EditSolid, choose the Face option, then the Color option).
2. In the graphics area, specify one or more faces of solid objects and press Enter to complete the selection.
3. Specify a color number or specify the RGB option to specify a RGB value to set the color of the specified faces.
4. The specified faces redaw with the modified color.

Body Editing

To imprint other geometry on a 3D solid:

1. Click Solids > Solid Editing > Imprint (or enter EditSolid, choose the Body option, then the Imprint option).
2. Specify a solid object.
3. Specify a 2D entity to imprint.

   The 2D entity must be lying on a face or must be intersecting at least one face of the specified solid object.

4. Press Enter to terminate imprinting.
5. The 2D entity imprints onto the solid object. An imprint can divide a face into one or more individual faces.

To separate a 3D solid into individual 3D solids:

1. Click Solids > Solid Editing > Separate (or enter EditSolid, choose the Body option, then the Separate option).
2. Specify a solid object.
3. Disjointed solid objects are separated into individual solids. Bodies created using the Boolean operations (Union, Subtract, and Intersect) cannot be separated with this option.

To create a shell from a 3D solid:

1. Click Solids > Solid Editing > Shell (or enter EditSolid, choose the Body option, then the Shell option).
2. Specify a solid object.
3. In the graphics area, specify faces to use.

4. Specify an option:

   • Add: Adds faces to the selection.
   • Remove: Removes faces from the selection.

     Note: When you specify faces, usually two faces are added to the set of selected edges. Use the Remove option and then specify one of the two faces by clicking another edge belonging to the face you want to remove.

   • All: Adds or removes all faces from the selection.
   • Undo: Cancels previous selections.
5. Press Enter.
6. Specify the shell offset value to create the shell. Positive values offset faces outside the body. Negative values offset faces inside the body.

To clean a selected 3D solid:

1. Click Solids > Solid Editing > Clean (or enter EditSolid, choose the Body option, then the Clean option).
2. Specify a solid object.
3. Unused geometry of 3D solids such as redundant edges and vertices is removed. Imprinted edges are not removed.

To check a selected 3D solid:

1. Click Solids > Solid Editing > Check (or enter EditSolid, choose the Body option, then the Check option).
2. Specify a drawing object.
3. The command reports whether the specified object is a valid 3D solid object.

Access

Command: EditSolid

Menu: Solids > Solid Editing