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Understanding Curves: Air Intake Exercise - What start/end order do I use Bridging Curves?

skelobonesskelobones Member Posts: 29 EDU
Screenshot 2026-04-23 094247.png

What is the reason that we select Dark Blue's edge and point before selecting Grey's edge in step 1?
What is the reason that we select Dark Blue's edge before selecting Grey's edge and point in step 2?

et cetera…

For what reason are the edges chosen in this manner? I want to understand why a single piece doesn't have all the Start selection. What is the best practice to making Bridging Curves? Is it similar to fastening a tire, tightening the nut across from one another in a star shape as if i'm evening out pressure?

I would really love if this part of the course was more clear on what effects my ordering of parameters will have, if any :).

Screenshot 2026-04-23 094251.png Screenshot 2026-04-23 094256.png Screenshot 2026-04-23 094300.png

Answers

  • CADNurdCADNurd Member Posts: 143 ✭✭

    That's one of those tools which has had lots of upgrades over the years, except for its associated help files.

    A couple of prompts for your LLM of choice . . .

    In Onshape - when was the 'Bridging Curve' introduced and what problems was it trying to solve?

    and

    In Onshape - with 'Bridging Curves' does the order of edge or point selection affect the resulting shape of the curve?

    Here's Google's attempt at an explanation - https://share.google/aimode/LulrmVu1JV5KT7xoj

    Unemployed Onshaper - Operating on European time - More of me here ➤➤ https://linktr.ee/Liam.G

  • CADNurdCADNurd Member Posts: 143 ✭✭
    edited April 23

    Ok. I've just spent an hour experimenting with 'Bridging Curves' because I realised I didn't fully understand them myself.

    Edit: Specifically using the G3 continuity option.

    My observations:

    • VERY un-intuitive, especially those draggable white arrows, three for each start and end point
    • at the very least, those arrows need to be color-coded in some way
    • completely different initial results depending on selection order
    • the tool 'should' be smart enough to detect which 'end' of an edge is selected in order to suggest a better first guess

    A useful playground I made - have a go at adding the remaining three Bridging Curves with G3 continuity - https://cad.onshape.com/documents/c5c668a888cca9e5718a94c5/w/937dc1b803a314c1b486d6c8/e/d60c90a4a8d8edce42af1560?renderMode=0&uiState=69e9fbc29e20224e14c17fe4

    Unemployed Onshaper - Operating on European time - More of me here ➤➤ https://linktr.ee/Liam.G

  • roman_jurt190roman_jurt190 Member Posts: 67 EDU

    I love bridging curves, and I also think the standard help content is fairly straightforward.

    • You can also select all lines and points before starting a new bridging curve
    • The sequence of where you start doesn’t matter in my experience.
    • Colored arrows… mmm… not really needed in my opinion – just zoom in a bit:)
    Bildschirmfoto 2026-04-23 um 14.44.19.png
  • CADNurdCADNurd Member Posts: 143 ✭✭

    Standard help is 'far' from complete IMHO. There is only a single video that is many years old and it doesn't demonstrate any of the newer options that the tool now contains.

    Also, the direction changing buttons - indicated below - are not mentioned anywhere, and they make a huge difference, which I only 'accidentally' discovered.

    Copy of 1080p Annotate Template  (1).png

    Unemployed Onshaper - Operating on European time - More of me here ➤➤ https://linktr.ee/Liam.G

  • roman_jurt190roman_jurt190 Member Posts: 67 EDU

    Ok, but by the time you reach the point in your Onshape learning path where you start using bridges, you should already have seen and used the same orientation‑switching arrows before, for example in extrudes, right?

    But I’m probably a bit biased toward arrows… and I’m probably holding some kind of record for the highest number of different arrows in a single feature with my new custom feature, hehe:)

    Bildschirmfoto 2026-04-23 um 21.25.43.png
  • MDesignMDesign Member Posts: 1,375 PRO

    uhm…. I think I need to explore that custom feature.

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