Adding points to a Studio Spline

[DLH81]

I'm not sure why I'm having so much trouble with this, but for some reason I cannot edit a studio spline and add new points into the middoe of it. As a simple example, lets say I have 2 lines that I connect the endpoints of each with a studio spline. So in my dialog box, the list of points shows 2 points. Now, I decide I want a 3rd point in the middle of the line and I define where I want that point to be and move it up above my spline in the part navigator. I try to edit the spline and make that new point be point 2, but if I just click the point, it makes it point 3 and the endpoint of the spline instead of a point along the spline. I can click on the spline and it inserts a point 2 there, but I can only drag it around, not click on my defined point to make it the point 2. What am I doing wrong? Any tips on how to do this, or how to edit the point list in the studio spline dialog box in general would be very helpful! Thanks!

 

[JohnRBaker]

What version of NX are you running?

John R. Baker, P.E.
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[DLH81]

Sorry, meant to add that in. I'm running NX8.

 

[Toost]

The operation you desire is a two step operation. First you add the new point onto the existing spline, move the cursor over the "segment" were it should be added and click.( Note that this cannot be a position away from the spline, it must be on the spline in the desired segment, else NX will not understand in between which points you want to add the new point.) Then when click or drag the newly added point to the desired coordinate.
Regards,
Tomas

 

[man2007]

To add points to the existing spline make sure that "Point on Curve" Snap point option is on (you can turn off other snap point options), and select the spline to add new point, and drag the point to move it to desired location, or use other snap point options.

 

[DLH81]

I have tried what has been suggested and it does not work for me. I have turned on the snap point options and clicked the spline in the segment I want the new point at and tried dragging it to my predefined point. The point highlights and seems as though it will snap to it, but when I release the left mouse button, the spline does not attach to the point.

 

[cowski]

Don't drag; the snap point options don't work well by dragging. Click on the new point you added to the spline, the point 'sphere' will highlight; now click on your existing point object. The point you added to the spline will snap to the point object and the spline will be associated to the point.

www.nxjournaling.com

 

[DLH81]

I appreciate the responses, but none of these suggestions are working. When I try what cowski suggested and click on my new point in the spline, then click the existing point object, it adds a new point to the end of my list instead of repositioning the new point to the existing point.

Is there some setting I need to change to get this to work? Other people in my office are unable to do it either and we are all running NX8.

 

[man2007]

What dialog your are getting while editing?
Are these points 1) Poles or 2) Thru Points?

If you are getting "thru points" icon highlighted while editing, you should be able to get the solution with the above suggestions.

If you are getting the "By Poles" icon highlighted while editing, then these points are Poles, or Control points, that will not pass thru the spline. In general poles are the points that give shape to the spline.

Here are couple of scenarios:
1) Editing a Spline created by Thru Points:
By default, NX dialog will show both Thru points icon (first icon) & By Poles icon (second icon).
Make sure that By poles icon is not selected! You can add the points as mentioned above.
Suppose, you have accidentally selected "By Poles" option and tried to edit the spline, and hit OK, next time when you try to edit the spline, you will see ONLY BY POLES ICON highlighted, which means
YOU CANNOT EDIT A SPLINE WITH THRU POINTS OPTION IF YOU HAVE EDITED IT WITH BY POLES OPTION EARLIER! This is old bug in NX.

2) Editing a Spline created by "By Poles" option:
By default, NX dialog will show only By Poles icon (second icon).
You can edit the spline by manipulating Poles, not thru points.

 

[cowski]

Is your intent to create a planar spline? If so, check to see that the point lies in the plane. If not, check your constraint options in the spline dialog - they may be preventing you from picking a point out of plane.

www.nxjournaling.com

 

[DLH81]

Ok, I FINALLY figured it out! In the "Movement" section of the Studio Spline dialog box, WCS was automatically selected. Therefore, it wasn't letting me move the spline freely in the view screen. I changed the selection to View and voila, it worked! Can't believe I overlooked that for 2 days.

I'm wondering why the WCS was the default selection in the first place. If anyone knows how to change that it would be appreciated, but at least I know how to make it work now. Thanks again to everyone who replied.