Dir

Toolbar	Menu
Analyze Main Main2	Analyze Direction

Toolbar

Toolbar: Analyze | Main | Main2 | Surface Tools

Analyze

Direction

The Dir command displays and edits an object's normal direction.

Closed polysurfaces, surfaces, and lightweight extrusion objects cannot have their normal direction facing toward the interior of the object.

Input supported
Curve, surface, polysurface, mesh, Clipping Plane and rectangle light.

Steps

Select objects.
Arrows show the normal direction.
Move the cursor over the object to show a dynamic arrow for the direction.
Click the mouse to flip (reverse) the normal direction.

Single Curve option
Flip	Reverses the direction.

Multiple Curve options
FlipAll	Reverses the direction on all selected curves.

Single Surface options
	The arrow color for the u and v directions matches the construction plane x and y axis colors. The draft angle for surfaces displays on the status bar.
UReverse/VReverse	Reverses the surface u or v direction.
SwapUV	Switches the u and v directions.
Flip	Reverses the direction.

Multiple Curve options
FlipAll	Reverses the direction on all selected curves.

Multiple Surface options
FlipAll	Reverses the direction on all selected surfaces.
NextMode	Cycles through the Modes for all of the selected surfaces.
Mode	FlipU/FlipV Reverses the u direction or v direction for all of the selected surfaces. FlipNormal Reverses the normal direction for all of the selected surfaces. SwapUV Switches the u and v directions for all of the selected surfaces.

Note

The colors of the surface direction arrows match the X/Y/Z axis lines set in Appearance: Colors Options.
The normal direction arrow color is controlled by the Tracking lines setting in Appearance: Colors Options.
The size of the arrows is controlled by the Direction arrow icon setting in Appearance Options.
When a single curve is selected, the status bar displays the parameter value at the current marker location on the curve.

Related commands

ShowDir

Toolbar	Menu
Analyze Surface Analysis Surface Tools	Not on menus.

Toolbar

Toolbar: Analyze | Surface Analysis | Surface Tools

Analyze
Surface Analysis
Surface Tools

Not on menus.

The ShowDir command opens the Direction Analysis control and displays the direction of curves, surfaces, and polysurfaces.

Steps

Select objects.
Direction arrows display on the object.

Direction Analysis options

Show

Direction

Displays the object's normal direction.

U (Surfaces only)

Displays the u direction.

V (Surfaces only)

Displays the v direction.

Flip Direction

Reverses the direction.

Reverse U

Reverses the surface u direction.

Reverse V

Reverses the surface v direction.

Swap UV

Switches the u and v directions.

Direction color

Set the display color for the direction arrows.
Select color

The u and v direction colors are determined by the Options > Appearance > Colors settings for the X axis and Y axis lines.

Add Objects

Add objects to the Direction Analysis display.

Remove Objects

Remove objects from the Direction Analysis display.

ShowDirOff

Toolbar	Menu
Analyze Surface Analysis Surface Tools	Not on menus.

Toolbar

Toolbar: Analyze | Surface Analysis | Surface Tools

Analyze
Surface Analysis
Surface Tools

Not on menus.

The ShowDirOff command closes the Direction Analysis control and turns off direction display.

Dir

Steps

FlipU/FlipV

FlipNormal

SwapUV

Note

Related commands

ShowDir

Steps

Show

Direction

U (Surfaces only)

V (Surfaces only)

Flip Direction

Reverse U

Reverse V

Swap UV

Direction color

Add Objects

Remove Objects

ShowDirOff

See also