Creates a 3D mesh surface by extruding an 2D entity along a straight path entity.
Accessing the Command
command bar: tabsurf
menu bar: Model | Meshes | Extruded Surface
ribbon: Meshes | 3D Mesh Surfaces
toolbar: Meshes | 3D Surfaces |
: TabSurf
Prompts you in the command bar:
Select entity to extrude: (Choose a single open entity, such as #1 in the figure below)
Select line or open polyline for extrusion path: (Pick a line or polyline, such as #2)
Arc segments of the extruded entity are divided in a number of equal length intervals defined by the SURFTAB1 variable.
Command Options
Option |
Description |
Select entity to extrude |
Specifies the cross-section shape of the extrusion. The entity to be extruded must be open and must be a single entity. |
Select line or open polyline for extrusion path |
Specifies the length and direction of the extrusion. The extrusion path can be a line or open polyline. The polyline need not be a line segment; if a polyarc or multisegment polyline, the extrusion, however, is always "straight," going from the start to the endpoint of the polyline. The path is a vector, which means its length specifies the length of the surface; its direction specifies the direction of extrusion. The extrusion starts at the entity to be extruded, but goes in the direction indicated by the path. The end selected on the polyline or line defines the direction of the extrusion. |
Grips Editing
Mesh-formed tabulated surfaces can be edited directly through grips:
-
Select the tabsurf. Notice that it has one grip at each vertex.
-
Drag the grip to move the adjacent faces.
Related Commands
Ai_Box - draws 3D boxes as mesh surfaces.
Ai_Cone - draws 3D cones as mesh surfaces.
Ai_Cylinder - draws 3D cylinders as mesh surfaces.
Ai_Dish - draws 3D dishes as mesh surfaces.
Ai_Dome - draws 3D domes as mesh surfaces.
EdgeSurf - draws edge surfaces as mesh surfaces.
Ai_Pyramid - draws 3D pyramids as mesh surfaces.
RevSurf - draws revolved surfaces as mesh surfaces.
RuleSurf - draws ruled surfaces as mesh surfaces.
Ai_Sphere - draws 3D spheres as mesh surfaces.
Ai_Torus - draws 3D donuts as mesh surfaces.
Ai_Wedge - draws 3D wedges as mesh surfaces.