Web Cutting

Using Planar or Cylindrical Surfaces

The commands used to webcut with a planar or cylindrical surface in CUBIT are:

1. Coordinate Plane: In the command's simplest form, a coordinate plane can be used to cut the model, and can optionally be offset a positive or negative distance from its position at the origin.

Webcut {Volume|Body|Group} <id_range> [With] Plane {xplane|yplane|zplane} [Offset <val>]

The coordinate plane to be used for web cutting can be previewed with the Draw Plane command.

2. Planar Surface: An existing planar surface can also be used to cut the model; in this case, the surface is identified by its ID as the cutting tool.

Webcut {Volume|Body|Group} <id_range> [With] Plane Surface <surface_id> [NOIMPRINT|Imprint] [NOMERGE|Merge] [group_results]

The planar surface to be used for web cutting can also be previewed using the Draw Plane command.

3. Plane from 3 points: Any arbitrary planar surface can be used by specifying three vertices that define the plane.

Webcut {Volume|Body|Group} <id_range> [With] Plane Vertex <vertex_1> [Vertex] <vertex_2> [Vertex] <vertex_3> [NOIMPRINT|Imprint] [NOMERGE|Merge] [group_results]

The Draw Plane command will also provide a preview of the infinite plane used for web cutting for this case.

4. Plane Normal to Curve: The next command allows a user to specify an infinite cutting plane by specifying a location on a curve. The cutting plane is created such that it is normal to the curve tangent at the specified location.

Webcut {body|group} {<body_id_range>|all} [with] Plane Normal To Curve <curve_id> {fraction <f> | distance <d> | position <xval><yval><zval> | close_to vertex <vertex_id>} [[From] Vertex <vertex_id> (optional for 'fraction' & 'distance')] [NOIMPRINT|imprint][NOMERGE|merge][group_results]

The position on the curve can be specified as:

  1. A fraction along the curve from the start of the curve, or optionally, from a specified vertex on the curve.
  2. A distance along the curve from the start of the curve, or optionally, from a specified vertex on the curve.
  3. An xyz position that is moved to the closest point on the given curve.
  4. The position of a vertex that is moved to the closest point on the given curve.

The point on the curve can be previewed with the Draw Location On Curve command and the plane to be used for the webcut can be previewed with the Draw Plane command.

5. Cylindrical Surface: Finally, A semi-infinite cylindrical surface can be used by specifying the cylinder radius, and the cylinder axis. The axis is specified as a line corresponding to a coordinate axis, the normal to a specified surface, two arbitrary points, or an arbitrary point and the origin. The "center" point through which the cylinder axis passes can also be specified.

webcut {blank} cylinder radius <val.> axis {x|y|z|normal of surface <id>| vertex <id_1> vertex <id_2>| <x_val> <y_val> <z_val>>} [center <x_val> <y_val> <z_val>] [NOIMPRINT|imprint][NOMERGE|merge] [group_results]

The cylinder used for the webcut operation can be previewed using the Draw Cylinder Command.