Part I: SolidWorks Basics
l (^) Tangency. Surfaces are tangent across an edge, but have different radius of curvature on
either side of the edge (non-curvature continuous). This condition exists when stripes line
up across an edge, but the stripe is not tangent across the edge.
l Curvature continuity. Surfaces on either side of an edge are tangent and match in radius
of curvature. Zebra Stripes are smooth and tangent across the edge.
FIGURE 5.10
Zebra Stripes
A B C
In Figure 5.10, the Zebra Stripes in example A do not match across the edge labeled A at all. This
is clearly the non-tangent, contact-only case. Example B shows that the stripes match in position
going across the indicated edge, but they change direction immediately. This is the tangent case.
Example C shows the stripes flowing smoothly across the edge. This is the curvature continuous
case.
You can use the remaining icons in the View toolbar to toggle the display of various types of
entities from reference geometry to sketches.
Tip
Consider using hotkeys to toggle the display of your favorite items to hide and show. I use T for Temporary
Axes, P for Planes, R for Origins, and so on. n
View Orientation
You can activate the View Orientation box by pressing the spacebar. View Orientation, shown in
Figure 5.11, keeps all named views, saved section views, and standard views. Tools in the box also
enable you to update standard views to the current view or to reset standard views to their
defaults. Be aware that a toolbar button on the View toolbar is also called View Orientation.