Surface profile between sections on a curved surface

[[Ki...]]

Hi, 

I have been tasked with measuring a surface profile on a coned part. The patch I can select includes more surface than needed. I have attempted to use the deselection in 3D tools with no luck. 

The surface area is essentially where the black point is. The image shown is a section through the cone. The surface profile is on a quarter of the cone AND between two other sections. 

 

Any ideas on how to approach this? 
Thanks

[[Yi...]]

Hi Kieran

I also encounter the exact same problem, where the nominal over-selection cannot be edited.

You can still control the result by editing the selection area of the actual element.

All this when it loses its consistency with the nominal element and then you will see that in the "Based on" row it has disappeared.

You can control the actual element using the deselect tool on surface or the decrease selection area tool by its two available options.

Another solution I found, although it is not possible in every case, is that I asked the product engineers to split the CAD patches for me exactly according to my need and so I could immediately get both nominal and actual the element as I need it for the program.

Tell me if this helps you.

[[Ki...]]

Hi Yizchak, 

 

That does indeed help, thank you. 

I think we will try and ask them to split the CAD patches and if not focus on the actual element and try and get that as repeatable as we can.

Thank you

[[Ch...]]

Some additional hints:

1) I assume you have choosen a surface (aka patch compound) to established your surface profile. Please note: You can also use primitive geometries (i.e. fitting cones, fitting planes, fitting cylinders and fitting spheres) if you surface is a perfect primitive form on nominal. Maybe this allows you much more stable selection on the actual, depending on you nominal selection. 

2) If no other solution left you can create the needed surface into the ZI software. It's quite bit complicated, therefore I would suggest to use this approach if all other ideas failing:

1. Making a copy of your CAD to an actual mesh
2. Cut all not needed parts from the copied actual mesh
3. Making the actual mesh, that is now your needed perfect nominal form to a CAD again
4. Create a patch compound onto this reduced CAD and create the surface profile on it.

Needed function to create an actual mesh from a CAD and vice visa can be found under Operation->CAD. But as said, it have a big construction effort, may be you try the other solution first.

But the best solution for this problem (at least at the moment) is to split the CAD patches as suggested above.

[[Ki...]]

Thank you for the additional hints Christoph! 
Much appreciated.