RhinoLands Help

Patch

Where can I find this command?
Keyboard:
Patch
Icon:
Patch left click
RhinoLands:
Toolbar Group > Modeling Toolbar

The Patch command fits a surface through selected curves, meshes, point objects, and point clouds.

Insert a patch

Steps:

  1. Select point objects, curves, and edges to base the patch on.
  2. When you are satisfied with the results, Click OK to close the dialog.
Patch
Patch

Patch Surface Options

Patch surface options
Patch surface options dialog box

General

  • Sample point spacing
    The physical distance along the input curve between sample points. The minimum is eight points per curve.
  • Surface U spans
    The u direction span count for the automatically generated surface. This value is also used if the starting surface is a 1x1 span plane.
  • Surface V spans
    The v direction span count for the automatically generated surface. This value is also used if the starting surface is a 1x1 span plane.
  • Stiffness
    Rhino builds the patch surface by first finding the best fit plane (PlaneThroughPt) through the selected and sampled points along curves. Then the surface deforms to match the points and sampled points. The Stiffness setting tells how much you allow the best fit plane to deform. The bigger the number, the "stiffer" and more rectangular and planar the resulting surface will be. You can test this setting with small or even very big values (>1000).
    Click the Preview button to check the result.
  • checkbox Adjust tangency
    Match to the tangent direction of surfaces if the input curves are edges of existing surfaces.
  • checkbox Automatic trim
    Tries to find an outside curve and trims the surface to it.

Starting surface options

  • Select starting surface
    The Select starting surface button lets you select a surface that is similar in shape to the surface you are trying to create.
  • Starting surface pull
    Similar to the Stiffness option, but applies to the starting surface. The greater the pull value, the closer the resulting surface shape will be to the starting surface.
  • checkbox Preserve edges
    Clamps the edges of the starting surface in place. This is useful if you are using a curve or points for deforming an existing surface, and you do not want the edges of the starting surface to move.
  • checkbox Delete input
    The starting surface is deleted after the new surface is made.
  • Preview
    Displays a preview of the output.
    If you change the settings, click the Preview button again to refresh the display.