Creating Gradient Surfaces
Right, it’s time to tackle the upwardly sloping part of the base plate because ours, at the moment, is perfectly flat.
Go to Construct → Plane through 3 points → Select 3 points across the sloping part → Click Ok.
Place 3 points on the slope so the plane follows the gradient, be warned this may take a few attempts to get right. You’ll also want to offset this, as we will use the offset plane as a base to cut down the model to the correct size.
Right-click on the Plane → Select Offset → Adjust the distance (usually around the same thickness as the base piece)
When you’re happy with the plane’s position, it’s sketching time again. This time it’s just a rough sketch around the general area.
Go to the Solid Tab → Select Sketch → Select the first plane.
Then extrude the Sketch, join it to the previous body, and check that it follows the gradient correctly. If not, try again; if it does, it’s time to start cutting it down to the correct size and shape.
Go to the Solid tab → Select Sketch → Click on the 2nd Offset Plane → Draw a Rough Sketch Around it → Select Extrude and Cut.
For the first cut to correct its thickness, draw another rough sketch around the new part using the offset plane and another extrusion, and drag your extrusion away from the main model so it cuts from the base outwards to remove any excess pieces.
Now that we’ve cut it down to match the surface, it’s time for a final trim.
Go to the Solid Tab → Select Sketch → Click on Your Model from the Top → Sketch the shape carefully and do rough exterior sketch.
So create another sketch of your base model, and draw careful lines and curves around your object’s edges using the Line and Arc Tools. Then sketch a rough box around the excess area that needs removal.
And now, it’s time to use the Extrusion Tool to cut off the edges.
Contents
Importing and Adjusting a Model
