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About this Block

What it does: The Conic Section Sweep block creates a swept conic section between two rail curves (Rail 1 and Rail 2), using the Spine curve as the origin. The resulting geometry extends beyond the rail curves along the tangents of the spine. Conic Section Sweep Conic Common uses:
  • Designing aerodynamic profiles for wings, fuselages, and other vehicle bodies.
  • Modeling smooth transitions in components like ducts, inlets, and nozzles to manage fluid flow.
  • Creating architectural features like arches and curved facades.
Tips:
  • It is recommended that you use Boolean Intersect block to create closed surfaces.
  • It is recommended to avoid steep angles between the rail curves and the spine to avoid unexpected shelling and offset results downstream. A threshold of 45-60 degrees is a good rule of thumb. Steep Angle
  • For advanced applications, you can change the Rho value to define the curve’s shape via a Ramp block to vary the shape spatially.
  • If you encounter errors while using this block, please check the following conditions:
  • Rails Perpendicular to the Spine: Rails cannot be perpendicular to the spine at any point. An error stating “Rays from the axis along the specified direction must intersect the curves only once” indicates this condition.
  • Closed Rail Curves: Rail 1 and Rail 2 cannot be closed curves. If you receive an error regarding closed rails, please replace them with open curves.
  • Curve Intersections: An error regarding “improperly configured inputs” often indicates that the geometry is self-intersecting relative to the axis. Please ensure that rays projected from the axis along the specified direction intersect the curve only once.

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Example File

Download Example: Lofting by Section Sweep
Creates an implicit body by sweeping a conic section along a spine curve between two rail curves, where the conic shape is controlled by a spatially-varying Rho field. The Rho parameter defines the conic shape factor at each point along the sweep (0.5 for parabolic, <0.5 for elliptical, >0.5 for hyperbolic sections), allowing smooth transitions between different conic types.

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Inputs

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Outputs