The zebra analysis tool
projects stripes onto a surface so that you can inspect the continuity
between surfaces.
Surface continuity is a measure of how smoothly
two surfaces flow into each other. A car hood, for example, can
be composed of multiple small surfaces that appear to be one because
of the smoothness of the surface continuity.
NoteAnalysis tools only
work in the 3D visual styles; they will not work in 2D.
How to Interpret the Zebra
Stripes
In the seam where two surfaces meet, the way that the zebra
stripes align and curve tells you a lot about the smoothness of
the join.
G0 Position. The
position of the surface edges is collocated; they touch. But the
tangency and curvature do not match. The zebra stripes do not line
up.
G1 Tangency. The
position and tangency of surfaces is the same. This indicates G1
(G0 + G1 or position + tangency). The zebra stripes line up, but
they veer away from one another at sharp curves.
G2 Curvature. The position, tangency,
and curvature of the surface edges is the same. This indicates G2
(G0 + G1 + G2 or position + tangency + curvature).
The stripes
line up, but they do not veer away from each other at sharp curves
(because they share the same curvature). This distinction is subtle and
a little harder to discern from G1 continuity.
Procedure
To analyze surface continuity
Click Surface
tabAnalysis
panelZebra.At the Command prompt, enter analysiszebra.
Select a surface and
press Enter.
The zebra stripes display.
To turn off the zebra display
Click Surface
tabAnalysis
panelAnalysis
Options.At the Command prompt,
enter analysisoptions.
Click the Clear
Zebra Analysis button.
The zebra stripes disappear.
To change the zebra analysis
options
Click Surface
tabAnalysis
panelAnalysis
Options.At the Command prompt,
enter analysisoptions.
In the Zebra tab of
the Analysis Options dialog box, select the desired options and
click OK.
