Inventor^® Training

Control inventor Splines with Spline Commands

By David Melvin, PE, TEDCF Publishing

This is the forth in a series of Tips and Tricks that will show you how to create and use 2D and 3D Splines. If you haven’t read the Drawing 2D Splines, Constraining Splines, and The Process of Drawing Splines Tips and Tricks, you might want to read them before proceeding.

In this short exercise you will learn how to use Spline Commands to control the shape of splines.

Create a Fully Constrained Spline Loop

If you’re not sure how to create a fully constrained spline loop, read The Process of Drawing Splines Tips and Tricks.

Fit Methods
You can use three different Fit Methods to fit the shape of splines through spline points. By default the Standard method is used, which provides a smooth transition through spline point, but it cannot be controlled by tension setting. The AutoCAD method is less smooth, but it can be controlled by tension settings. And the last setting is the Minimum Energy setting, which is just as smooth as the Standard setting, but this setting can be controlled by tension settings. It also creates the largest amount of data, which increases file size.

To access these methods, right click on the spline and select a Fit Method.

BowtiesBowties are used to define the shape of the spline near spline points, and they can take three forms: a Handle, a Handle and Curvature, and a Handle and Flat.

First we’ll add a Handle and dimension it. Right click on the top spline point and select Activate Handle.

Once you select the command a handle is highlighted on the spline point.

The handle can be used to …