Autodesk AUTOCAD 2006, Command Reference Manual, Page: 1210 / 1490

Creates a tabulated surface from a path curve and a direction vector
Surfaces toolbar:
Draw menu: Surfaces
➤
Tabulated Surface
Command line: tabsurf
Select object for path curve:
The path curve defines the surface of the polygon mesh. It can be a line, arc,
circle, ellipse, or 2D or 3D polyline. The surface is drawn starting at the point
on the path curve closest to the selection point.
Select object for direction vector: Select a line or open polyline
path curve
direction vector
selection point
extrusion upward
Only the first and last points on a polyline are considered, and intermediate
vertices are ignored. The direction vector indicates the direction and length
of the shape to be extruded. The end selected on the polyline or line determines
the direction of the extrusion. The original path curve is drawn with wide
lines to help you visualize how the direction vector dictates the construction
of a tabulated surface.
path curve
direction vector
selection point
extrusion downward
TABSURF constructs a 2 by n polygon mesh, where n is determined by the
SURFTAB1 system variable. The M direction of the mesh is always 2 and lies
along the direction vector. The N direction lies along the path curve. If the
path curve is a line, arc, circle, ellipse, or spline-fit polyline, tabulation lines
are drawn that divide the path curve into intervals of equal size set by
SURFTAB1. If the path curve is a polyline that has not been spline fit, tabulation
lines are drawn at the ends of straight segments, and each arc segment is
divided into intervals set by SURFTAB1.
polyline not spline fit polyline spline fit
1186 | Chapter 21