AeroHydro

MultiSurf 8.0

Version 8.0

March, 2011

Copyright 1998 - 2011 AeroHydro, Inc.

Portions under U.S. Pats. 5,581,672; 5,627,949; 5,856,828; Australia Pats. 659,919; 672,944.Portions copyright (c) 1998 Chris Maunder.

AeroHydro, Inc.PO Box 684 / 54 Herrick Rd.Southwest Harbor, Maine 04679 USAvoice 207-244-4100fax 207-244-4171support@aerohydro.comwww.aerohydro.com

MultiSurf is a trademark of AeroHydro, Inc. Other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holder.

This manual was produced using Doc-To-Help, by ComponentOne, Inc.

March 25, 2011 AeroHydro MultiSurf 8.0 User's Guide ii

ContentsGetting Started 1

This Manual .....................................................................................................................................1What is MultiSurf?...........................................................................................................................1System Requirements......................................................................................................................2Installing MultiSurf .........................................................................................................................2Built-in Licensing Software.............................................................................................................2Authorizing Your MultiSurf License..............................................................................................3Network Licenses ............................................................................................................................4

Install MultiSurf if not already installed. .........................................................................7Waiting in Queue...............................................................................................................8Supported Server Platforms..............................................................................................9

License Transferal............................................................................................................................9Transferring Your License: Both Computers at a Single Site ..........................................9Transferring Your License to an Already-authorized Computer .................................11

Readme.txt .....................................................................................................................................11Help................................................................................................................................................13Technical Support..........................................................................................................................13

Fundamentals 15MultiSurf Terms.............................................................................................................................15

The MultiSurf Program Window....................................................................................15Definitions ........................................................................................................................16Generic- vs. Specific-Entity-Type References.................................................................16

Model Windows ............................................................................................................................16Window Controls.............................................................................................................17Application, Window, and Model Settings....................................................................17

Graphical Displays ........................................................................................................................18Shaded Display ................................................................................................................18Wireframe Display...........................................................................................................19Surface Curvature Display..............................................................................................19Curvature Profile Display ...............................................................................................20

3D Viewing ....................................................................................................................................20Keys and Buttons Available to Control the View ..........................................................20

Controlling the View.....................................................................................................................21Customizable Manager Dialogs....................................................................................................25The Entities Manager.....................................................................................................................26

Entities Manager Functions.............................................................................................26How the Entities Manager Works...................................................................................27Mouse Actions and the Delete Key.................................................................................28Entities Manager Symbols...............................................................................................28

The Properties Manager................................................................................................................28The Selection Set and Available Entities Managers.....................................................................31

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The Selection Set Manager...............................................................................................31The Available Entities Manager......................................................................................32

Selecting Entities............................................................................................................................33Selecting and Filters.........................................................................................................34Selecting in the Graphics Windows................................................................................34Selecting from the Entities Manager...............................................................................36Selecting from the Available Entities Pane.....................................................................36

Errors Manager..............................................................................................................................36Filters..............................................................................................................................................36

Class Filters ......................................................................................................................37Current Layer Filter .........................................................................................................37Visible/Hidden/Both Filters ..........................................................................................37

Layers .............................................................................................................................................37Current Layer Filter .........................................................................................................38

Shortcut Menus..............................................................................................................................39Entity Manager Shortcut Menus.....................................................................................41Selection Set Pane Shortcut Menus.................................................................................41Available Entities Pane Shortcut Menus ........................................................................41Surface Curvature window Shortcut Menus..................................................................42

The Status Bar ................................................................................................................................42Toolbars and Toolbar Buttons ......................................................................................................42

Toolbars ............................................................................................................................42Toolbar Buttons................................................................................................................43

Keyboard Shortcuts .......................................................................................................................45All Keyboard Shortcuts Listed Alphabetically by Option.............................................45

Mouse Actions ...............................................................................................................................46Pointer Shapes ...............................................................................................................................47Dragging and Nudging.................................................................................................................49

Entities You Can Drag and Nudge .................................................................................49Snaps.................................................................................................................................51Orthogonal Dragging Mode............................................................................................52

Timesaving Tips ............................................................................................................................52

Basic Concepts 55Solid modeling and Surface modeling.........................................................................................55Entity Dependencies......................................................................................................................55

Built-in Relationships ......................................................................................................56Dependency and Exact Junctions....................................................................................56

Beads, Magnets, and Rings ...........................................................................................................57Parametric Curves .........................................................................................................................57Parametric Surfaces .......................................................................................................................58Parametric Snakes..........................................................................................................................59The Coordinate System .................................................................................................................60

Creating Entities 61Overview........................................................................................................................................61Choosing Which Entity to Use......................................................................................................61

Variety and Simplicity.....................................................................................................61The General Process of Choosing ...................................................................................62Choosing Surfaces by Type.............................................................................................62Choosing Trimeshes by Type..........................................................................................63

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Choosing Surfaces by Need.............................................................................................63Choosing Curves..............................................................................................................65Choosing Points ...............................................................................................................65Changing Your Mind.......................................................................................................66

The Entity Creation Tools .............................................................................................................66The Insert Toolbar............................................................................................................67The Drawing Toolbar.......................................................................................................68The Insert Menu...............................................................................................................68

Inserting Entities with the Properties Manager...........................................................................68Defaults.............................................................................................................................68Internally-defined Entities...............................................................................................71

Using the Properties Manager ......................................................................................................71Overview..........................................................................................................................71Specifying Properties and Parents ..................................................................................72

Quick Points and Quick Splines ...................................................................................................74Quick Points .....................................................................................................................74Quick Splines....................................................................................................................75

How to........................................................................................................................................77Introduction......................................................................................................................77Lofting Surfaces: a Different Approach..........................................................................77Using Curves and Snakes to Join Surfaces Exactly and Durably..................................78Decreasing Surface Export Time.....................................................................................78Degrees of Continuity Between Surfaces and Between Curves....................................79Imposing Tangency Between Surfaces ...........................................................................81Making Domes.................................................................................................................82

Editing Models 83Introduction ...................................................................................................................................83Editing in MultiSurf ......................................................................................................................83

Editing a Single Selected Entity ......................................................................................83Editing Multiple Selected Entities...................................................................................86

Fairing Curves ...............................................................................................................................87Curvature Profiles: Basic Reading ..................................................................................88Examples ..........................................................................................................................89

Fairing Surfaces .............................................................................................................................90Surface Curvatures ..........................................................................................................90Some Properties and Applications for Surface Curvatures...........................................92

Relabeling Curves and Snakes......................................................................................................93Introduction......................................................................................................................93What Does and Does Not Change ..................................................................................93Default Labeling...............................................................................................................94SubCurve and SubSnake Alternatives............................................................................94The Relabel Entity............................................................................................................94Natural Relabel Entities...............................................................................................97Example Parameter Values for Relabels.........................................................................99

Understanding MultiSurf Entities 103Introduction .................................................................................................................................103Classification of Entities..............................................................................................................103Defining Entities ..........................................................................................................................103

Overview........................................................................................................................103

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Summary of Property Data ...........................................................................................104Properties Common to All Entities...............................................................................104Additional Curve and Snake Properties.......................................................................106Additional Surface Properties.......................................................................................107The Variable Portion of an Entity Definition ...............................................................108

Collective Entity Information .....................................................................................................108B-spline Entities ...........................................................................................................................108Contours Entities .........................................................................................................................110C-spline Entities...........................................................................................................................112Foil Curves...................................................................................................................................113Frame Entities ..............................................................................................................................116Intersection Entities .....................................................................................................................116Lofted Surfaces ............................................................................................................................119NUB and NURBS Entities ...........................................................................................................120Parametric Solids.........................................................................................................................121

Additional Solid Attributes...........................................................................................122Using Solids .................................................................................................................................123

Some applications ..........................................................................................................123Discussion of tank and grid examples..........................................................................123

Procedural Entities ......................................................................................................................124Projected and Mirrored Entities..................................................................................................124Triangle Mesh Entity Types........................................................................................................125

Triangle Mesh basics......................................................................................................125Recursive subdivision....................................................................................................126Locations on a Triangle Mesh .......................................................................................126Common data.................................................................................................................126Snakes on Triangle Meshes ...........................................................................................127

Surfaces as Triangle Meshes .......................................................................................................127

Using MultiSurf Effectively 129Guidelines for Designing in MultiSurf.......................................................................................129

1 & 2. Do and Use...........................................................................................................1293. To Get Started.............................................................................................................1294. Balance........................................................................................................................1305. Simplicity....................................................................................................................1306. Named Layers and Entity Naming Conventions.....................................................1307. Shortcuts .....................................................................................................................1318. Joining Surfaces Precisely..........................................................................................1319. Lofted Surfaces...........................................................................................................13110. Surfaces with Complex Boundaries ........................................................................13111. Establishing Tangency .............................................................................................13112. Making Highly-Contoured Surfaces.......................................................................13213. Divisions ...................................................................................................................13214. Trying to Match Something Very Exactly...............................................................13215. Multi-level Dependencies........................................................................................13316. Tools for Those Inevitable Changes ........................................................................13317. Clean up Your Model...............................................................................................133

Reference Guide to Functions 135Introduction .................................................................................................................................135About MultiSurf ..........................................................................................................................135

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Adopt Children............................................................................................................................135All .................................................................................................................................................136All Generations............................................................................................................................136Angle ............................................................................................................................................136Arrange Icons...............................................................................................................................136Auto Orientation..........................................................................................................................137

The Entity Orientation Display.....................................................................................137Axes..............................................................................................................................................138Both...............................................................................................................................................138B-spline Curve Fit........................................................................................................................138Cascade ........................................................................................................................................138Children .......................................................................................................................................138Class Filters ..................................................................................................................................138Clearance......................................................................................................................................139Clearance Profile..........................................................................................................................140Clear Selection Set .......................................................................................................................141Close .............................................................................................................................................141Command Window.....................................................................................................................141Component ..................................................................................................................................141

General component issues.............................................................................................142Load ................................................................................................................................142Resolving Parents dialog...............................................................................................142Resolving Names dialog................................................................................................143*NEW* The Component in the Entity Manager...........................................................146*NEW* Changing the Component Order.....................................................................146*NEW* Editing Individual Components in the Entity Manager.................................147Save.................................................................................................................................148Selecting the component entities...................................................................................148Saving the component file.............................................................................................149

Copies...........................................................................................................................................150Copy Last .....................................................................................................................................152Current Layer Filter.....................................................................................................................152Curvature Profile.........................................................................................................................153

The Graph.......................................................................................................................153Porcupine........................................................................................................................154

Decimal Places .............................................................................................................................154Delete (Edit Menu) ......................................................................................................................154Display Options...........................................................................................................................155Distance........................................................................................................................................156Divisions Multiplier ....................................................................................................................157Dragging Options........................................................................................................................157Edit Menu.....................................................................................................................................159Edit Model File.............................................................................................................................159Entity Options..............................................................................................................................160Entity Orientation........................................................................................................................161

The Entity Orientation Display.....................................................................................162Errors Window ............................................................................................................................162Exit................................................................................................................................................162Export 3DA wireframe................................................................................................................162Export DXF...................................................................................................................................163

Export 3D>DXF..............................................................................................................163Export 2D>DXF..............................................................................................................164

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March 25, 2011 AeroHydro MultiSurf 8.0 User's Guide vii

Condensing polylines in 2D DXF export......................................................................164Export IGES..................................................................................................................................165

If the Export Results Are Not Satisfactory ...................................................................165Poor Candidates for IGES Export .................................................................................166How Exported Trimmed Surfaces Are Represented ...................................................166How MultiSurf Generates Exported Surfaces..............................................................166

Export PAT Meshes.....................................................................................................................166Export PMARC............................................................................................................................167Export POV triangles...................................................................................................................167

POV-Ray setup and procedural considerations...........................................................167POV-Ray book and ordering.........................................................................................167

Export RUL Surfaces ...................................................................................................................168Export STL ...................................................................................................................................168Export VRML...............................................................................................................................169Export WAMIT ............................................................................................................................169File Menu .....................................................................................................................................170Filter..............................................................................................................................................170First Generation ...........................................................................................................................170Flatten...........................................................................................................................................171General Options...........................................................................................................................171Graph Profile................................................................................................................................172

Tools/Graph Profile -- Interactive (key-drag) editing.................................................173Grid...............................................................................................................................................173Help Menu ...................................................................................................................................173Help Topics..................................................................................................................................173Hidden .........................................................................................................................................174Hide..............................................................................................................................................174Icons..............................................................................................................................................175IGES..............................................................................................................................................175Import DXF ..................................................................................................................................175

Import DXF Options ......................................................................................................175Import IGES .................................................................................................................................177

Correspondence Between IGES and /MultiSurf Entity Types ...................................178Use Lightweight NURBS...............................................................................................179Layer Conventions.........................................................................................................179

Import .SLDCRV..........................................................................................................................180SLDCRV Import Options ..............................................................................................180To See the Data Points and the Fitted Curve................................................................181Creating a .SLDCRV File ...............................................................................................181

Import Triangle mesh..................................................................................................................181Insert.............................................................................................................................................182Insert Menu..................................................................................................................................183Invert Selection Set ......................................................................................................................183Last ...............................................................................................................................................183Layers ...........................................................................................................................................183

Layer Settings dialog and Undo ...................................................................................185Licensing ......................................................................................................................................185Macros..........................................................................................................................................185Mass Properties............................................................................................................................185

Printing...........................................................................................................................186Measure........................................................................................................................................187Mechanical View Orientation .....................................................................................................187

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Mode.............................................................................................................................................187Model Options .............................................................................................................................187Mouse Wheel Zoom Preference..................................................................................................189Nametags .....................................................................................................................................190

Nametag Display ...........................................................................................................190New ..............................................................................................................................................191New File .......................................................................................................................................191New Model Window...................................................................................................................191Open .............................................................................................................................................191Open Windows List.....................................................................................................................191Options.........................................................................................................................................191Orientation...................................................................................................................................192Orthogonal Dragging ..................................................................................................................192Pan................................................................................................................................................192Parent ...........................................................................................................................................193Parent/Child................................................................................................................................193Performance Options...................................................................................................................193Perspective ...................................................................................................................................195Point Dragging and Nudging.....................................................................................................195Point .............................................................................................................................................196Previous View..............................................................................................................................196Query/Breaks ..............................................................................................................................196Query/Evaluation Times............................................................................................................196Query/Extents.............................................................................................................................196Query/Host/Guest .....................................................................................................................196Query/Parent/Child...................................................................................................................197Query/Trimesh Properties .........................................................................................................197Quick Point Mode........................................................................................................................197Quick Spline Mode......................................................................................................................198Real Values...................................................................................................................................198Redo..............................................................................................................................................199Relax Control Point .....................................................................................................................199Render ..........................................................................................................................................200

Rendering options..........................................................................................................200Rendered view lighting .................................................................................................201More realistic effects ......................................................................................................201

Reset All Filters............................................................................................................................202Rotate............................................................................................................................................202Rotate View..................................................................................................................................202Save...............................................................................................................................................202Save As.........................................................................................................................................203Select All.......................................................................................................................................203Select Both....................................................................................................................................203Select By Name ............................................................................................................................203Select Children.............................................................................................................................204Select Expand Entity List ............................................................................................................204Select Hidden...............................................................................................................................204Select Menu..................................................................................................................................205Select Mode..................................................................................................................................205Select Parents ...............................................................................................................................205Select Visible ................................................................................................................................206Selection .......................................................................................................................................206

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Session Options............................................................................................................................206Set View........................................................................................................................................207

Additional Viewing Options.........................................................................................208Shaded..........................................................................................................................................208

The Shaded Display Image............................................................................................209Show.............................................................................................................................................209Show-Hide Menu ........................................................................................................................210SLDCRV .......................................................................................................................................210Spline............................................................................................................................................210Status Bar .....................................................................................................................................211Surface..........................................................................................................................................211Surface Curvature........................................................................................................................211

Curvature Type..............................................................................................................212Reading the Surface Curvature Display.......................................................................212Color Range....................................................................................................................212Tips for Narrowing the Color Range............................................................................212Coordination of Divisions .............................................................................................213

Surface Curvature Options .........................................................................................................213Curvature Type..............................................................................................................213Color Range....................................................................................................................214

Symmetry Images........................................................................................................................214Tangency Profile..........................................................................................................................214Tile Horizontal.............................................................................................................................215Tile Vertical..................................................................................................................................215Toolbars........................................................................................................................................215Tools Menu ..................................................................................................................................216Tools Options...............................................................................................................................216Transform.....................................................................................................................................216

Scale ................................................................................................................................217Shift .................................................................................................................................218Rotate..............................................................................................................................219

Trim Snake Tool...........................................................................................................................220Undo.............................................................................................................................................220Velocity Profile ............................................................................................................................220View..............................................................................................................................................221View Distance Reports ................................................................................................................222View Menu...................................................................................................................................222Visible...........................................................................................................................................223Weight Schedule..........................................................................................................................223Weight Schedule Options............................................................................................................224

"Selected entities" mode.................................................................................................224"Current layer" mode.....................................................................................................225"Enabled layers" mode...................................................................................................225"Specified layers" mode.................................................................................................225"Entire model" mode......................................................................................................225"Include Moments of Inertia" checkbox........................................................................225OK and Cancel Buttons .................................................................................................225Automatic updating of the Weight Schedule View.....................................................226Empty Weight Schedule ................................................................................................226Weight Distribution File................................................................................................226Printing...........................................................................................................................226

Whats Wrong..............................................................................................................................226

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Error Details window ....................................................................................................227Window........................................................................................................................................227Window Menu.............................................................................................................................227Wireframe ....................................................................................................................................227Zoom In/Out ...............................................................................................................................228Zoom to Area...............................................................................................................................229Zoom to Fit...................................................................................................................................229Zoom to Selection ........................................................................................................................229

Entity Descriptions 231Overview......................................................................................................................................2313-point Frame...............................................................................................................................232Arc ................................................................................................................................................233Arc-length Bead...........................................................................................................................236Arc-length Ring ...........................................................................................................................237Arc Lofted Surface.......................................................................................................................239Arc Snake .....................................................................................................................................240Bead..............................................................................................................................................241Blended Point...............................................................................................................................243Blend Surface ...............................................................................................................................245Blister............................................................................................................................................247Block Solid....................................................................................................................................250Boundary Solid ............................................................................................................................251Breakbead.....................................................................................................................................251Breakring......................................................................................................................................252B-spline Curve .............................................................................................................................252B-spline Fitted Curve...................................................................................................................253B-spline Fitted Snake...................................................................................................................255B-spline Fitted Surface.................................................................................................................255B-spline Graph.............................................................................................................................257B-spline Lofted Solid ...................................................................................................................258B-spline Lofted Surface ...............................................................................................................259B-spline Snake..............................................................................................................................260B-spline Solid ...............................................................................................................................261B-spline Surface ...........................................................................................................................262Center Point .................................................................................................................................263Centerpoint Boundary Surface ...................................................................................................264CGPoint........................................................................................................................................265Composite Surface.......................................................................................................................266Conic Section................................................................................................................................267Contours.......................................................................................................................................270Contour Curve.............................................................................................................................275Copies...........................................................................................................................................275Copy Bead....................................................................................................................................276Copy Contours.............................................................................................................................276Copy Curve..................................................................................................................................276Copy Magnet ...............................................................................................................................277Copy Point ...................................................................................................................................277Copy Ring ....................................................................................................................................277Copy Snake ..................................................................................................................................279Copy Solid....................................................................................................................................281

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Copy Surface................................................................................................................................281Copy TriMesh ..............................................................................................................................282C-spline Curve.............................................................................................................................283C-spline Lofted Surface...............................................................................................................284C-spline Snake .............................................................................................................................285Developable Surface....................................................................................................................286Edge Snake...................................................................................................................................288Entity List .....................................................................................................................................289Expanded Curve..........................................................................................................................290Expanded Surface (Flattener authorization required)...............................................................291Expanded TriMesh (Flattener authorization required).............................................................293Foil Lofted Surfaces .....................................................................................................................295Foil Curve.....................................................................................................................................297Foil Snake .....................................................................................................................................300Formula ........................................................................................................................................301

Constants and real entities ............................................................................................301Expression ......................................................................................................................302Rules ...............................................................................................................................309Real entities as parents ..................................................................................................310User interface .................................................................................................................310Example Application \Examples\IBeam.ms2 .............................312

Geodesic Snake ............................................................................................................................313Helix .............................................................................................................................................316Hydrostatic Real Entities.............................................................................................................317Intersection Bead .........................................................................................................................319Intersection Magnet.....................................................................................................................320Intersection Point.........................................................................................................................321Intersection Ring..........................................................................................................................322Intersection Snake........................................................................................................................326Knot List.......................................................................................................................................328Light TriMesh ..............................................................................................................................329Line...............................................................................................................................................330Line Snake....................................................................................................................................331Magnet..........................................................................................................................................331

System Magnets .............................................................................................................333Mirrored Curve............................................................................................................................333Mirrored Point .............................................................................................................................334Mirrored Surface..........................................................................................................................335NUB-spline Fitted Curve ............................................................................................................336NUB-spline Fitted Snake.............................................................................................................337NUB-spline Fitted Surface ..........................................................................................................337NURBS Curve ..............................................................................................................................339NURBS Snake ..............................................................................................................................340NURBS Surface ............................................................................................................................341Offset Curve.................................................................................................................................343Offset Point ..................................................................................................................................346Offset Surface...............................................................................................................................346Offset TriMesh .............................................................................................................................347Plane .............................................................................................................................................348Point .............................................................................................................................................350PolyCurve ....................................................................................................................................352PolyGraph....................................................................................................................................353

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PolySnake.....................................................................................................................................354PolySurface ..................................................................................................................................355PolyTriMesh.................................................................................................................................357Procedural Curve.........................................................................................................................357Procedural Snake.........................................................................................................................359Procedural Surface.......................................................................................................................360Projected Curve ...........................................................................................................................363Projected Magnet .........................................................................................................................364Projected Point.............................................................................................................................365Projected Snake............................................................................................................................366Projected Surface .........................................................................................................................368Proximity Points ..........................................................................................................................370Radius Arc....................................................................................................................................371Relabel ..........................................................................................................................................374Relative Curve .............................................................................................................................375Relative Snake..............................................................................................................................375Relative Surface ...........................................................................................................................376Revolution Surface ......................................................................................................................378Ring ..............................................................................................................................................379Rolling Ball Fillet .........................................................................................................................380Rotated Curve..............................................................................................................................382Rotated Point ...............................................................................................................................383Rotated Surface............................................................................................................................384RPY Frame ...................................................................................................................................385Ruled Solid...................................................................................................................................385Ruled Surface...............................................................................................................................387Solve Set .......................................................................................................................................388Strain Contours............................................................................................................................389SubCurve......................................................................................................................................390SubSnake ......................................................................................................................................392SubSurface....................................................................................................................................394Surface TriMesh...........................................................................................................................396Sweep Surface..............................................................................................................................397Tabulated Curve ..........................................................................................................................399Tabulated Point............................................................................................................................401Tabulated Surface ........................................................................................................................402Tangent Boundary Surface..........................................................................................................405Tangent Magnet...........................................................................................................................410Tangent Point...............................................................................................................................411Text Label.....................................................................................................................................412TMTrim1 ......................................................................................................................................414Translation Surface......................................................................................................................414TriMesh ........................................................................................................................................415TriMesh B-spline Snake...............................................................................................................416TriMesh Copy Magnet ................................................................................................................417TriMesh Copy Ring .....................................................................................................................417TriMesh Copy Snake ...................................................................................................................418TriMesh Edge Snake....................................................................................................................419TriMesh Intersection Snake.........................................................................................................419TriMesh Magnet ..........................................................................................................................420TriMesh Projected Magnet..........................................................................................................420TriMesh Projected Snake.............................................................................................................421

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TriMesh Ring ...............................................................................................................................422TriMesh SubSnake.......................................................................................................................423Trimmed Surface .........................................................................................................................423Trimmed Trimesh........................................................................................................................428UVSnake.......................................................................................................................................429Variable ........................................................................................................................................431

Constants and variables.................................................................................................431Variables.........................................................................................................................431

Wireframe ....................................................................................................................................436X-spline Curve .............................................................................................................................438X-Spline Lofted Surface...............................................................................................................440XYZ Bead......................................................................................................................................443XYZ Magnet .................................................................................................................................445XYZ Ring......................................................................................................................................446

Entities listed by class 449Entities Listed by Class ...............................................................................................................449Point Entities................................................................................................................................449Curve and Snake Entities ............................................................................................................449Surface Entities ............................................................................................................................450Parametric Solids.........................................................................................................................451Triangle Mesh Entities.................................................................................................................451Other Entities ...............................................................................................................................451

Macros 453Introduction .................................................................................................................................453What is OLE Automation?..........................................................................................................453MultiSurfSurfaceWorks Objects and Their Properties and Methods.......................................454Getting the MultiSurfSurfaceWorks Application Object ..........................................................459Collection Objects ........................................................................................................................460Using Properties and Methods ...................................................................................................461Helpful Facts and Suggestions ...................................................................................................462

MultiSurfSurfaceWorks Entity Names: User vs. Internal ...........................................462Disabling Interactive Input............................................................................................462Controlling Scope of Undo............................................................................................462International Issues........................................................................................................462

Property and Method Descriptions............................................................................................463AMSApplication ............................................................................................................463AMSModel .....................................................................................................................466AMSModels....................................................................................................................477AMSEntity......................................................................................................................479AMSEntities....................................................................................................................504AMSSelSet ......................................................................................................................506AMSView .......................................................................................................................508AMSViews......................................................................................................................510

Entities Syntax .............................................................................................................................517Writing Your First Macro............................................................................................................524Macros Dialog..............................................................................................................................525Running a Macro from MultiSurfSurfaceWorks .......................................................................525Macro Properties..........................................................................................................................526Export Offset Table Macro instructions .....................................................................................526

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Introduction....................................................................................................................526To use the Export Offset Table macro ..........................................................................527Offset table options........................................................................................................528

Commands 531Introduction .................................................................................................................................531

Disclaimer.......................................................................................................................531Interface........................................................................................................................................531

The Help command .......................................................................................................531Command Dropdown ...................................................................................................532'Silent' box.......................................................................................................................532Spaces in paths and filenames.......................................................................................532

Command-line script operation..................................................................................................532Command scripts...........................................................................................................532Script execution..............................................................................................................533

Commands...................................................................................................................................534Animate ..........................................................................................................................534Breaks .............................................................................................................................534Countpanels ...................................................................................................................535Create..............................................................................................................................536CreateCopies ..................................................................................................................536Delete..............................................................................................................................538File.Close ........................................................................................................................538File.Export3D.3DA.........................................................................................................538File.Export3D.3DG.........................................................................................................538File.Export3D.GDF1 command.....................................................................................538File.Export3D.NTL.........................................................................................................538File.Export3D.OBJ..........................................................................................................539File.Export3D.PAT.........................................................................................................539File.Export3D.PNL.........................................................................................................539File.Export3D.PTN.........................................................................................................539File.Export3D.STL..........................................................................................................539File.Export3D.UTP.........................................................................................................539File.Export3D.WRL........................................................................................................540File.Open ........................................................................................................................540FixNurbsKnots ...............................................................................................................540FreezeFit .........................................................................................................................540Applications of Freeze Fit..............................................................................................540GetPointsAt ....................................................................................................................541Guests .............................................................................................................................541Help, or Help command..................................................................................................542Host.................................................................................................................................542Import3DA .....................................................................................................................542Import3DG .....................................................................................................................542ImportGDF1 command .................................................................................................542ImportNTL .....................................................................................................................542ImportOBJ ......................................................................................................................542ImportOFE......................................................................................................................542ImportPLX......................................................................................................................543ImportRAW....................................................................................................................543ImportSTL ......................................................................................................................543

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ImportTable....................................................................................................................543ImportUTP .....................................................................................................................543Insert ...............................................................................................................................543LabelTrimesh..................................................................................................................544MCReversal ....................................................................................................................544MakeTriMesh .................................................................................................................544NUBFitSurf Command ..................................................................................................545PrintBevels......................................................................................................................546PrintSS ............................................................................................................................546RealValues......................................................................................................................546Relationship....................................................................................