Sphere Creation Mode

Modeling: ShapesSphere

In this mode, you may interactively define a sphere by double-clicking its center point and its radius in the currently active coordinate system. The sphere will always aligned in the currently active working plane.

You may change the view at any time by using the standard view changing options.

Creation steps

• When you first enter the mode, you will be asked to double-click to mark the center point of the sphere. The cursor’s location will be projected onto the currently active working plane to define the center (always remember to release the mouse button after double-clicking, before dragging to the next point).

• After the first point has been set, you may specify the radius of the sphere by again double-clicking at a location on the working plane. During this operation, a rubber-band sphere will be displayed indicating the current size and location of the sphere.

• Finally a Sphere dialog box appears where you may check your settings and assign a name, a component and a material for the new sphere.

Display of locations

Throughout this mode the current mouse location will be displayed in the lower right corner of the main plot window.

Snap mode

All positions will be adjusted to the snap grid when active.

Cancel interactive mode

You may cancel this interactive mode at any time by pressing the ESC key. Pressing ESC again in the following dialog box will terminate the sphere creation.

Undo last double-click

You may go back to the last step by pressing the BACKSPACE key. Pressing this key in the interactive mode will undo the last double-click.

Numerical specification of coordinates (TAB key and SHIFT+TAB key)

To precisely specify the shape coordinates, you may press the TAB key whenever a point must be double-clicked. A small coordinate dialog box will open in which you may specify the shape coordinates numerically.

The dialog entries take over the coordinates at the cursor position on the working plane. However, if the SHIFT+TAB key is pressed, the coordinates are always set to zero.

Pick tools to specify coordinates

You may snap the location to a previously defined shape’s corner, cylinder radius, etc., by activating a point pick tool, at the moment when the next point must be specified. The double-click will be processed by the pick functionality to specify the location of a point. The picked point will then be taken as the selected location.

See also

Working Plane Properties, Standard view changing options, Snap grid, Sphere, Coordinate dialog box, Point pick tool, Material Parameters.