Dir

Toolbar Menu

Analyze
Main
Main2

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, SubD, Clipping Plane and rectangle light.

Steps

  1. Select objects.
    Arrows show the normal direction.
  2. Move the cursor over the object to show a dynamic arrow for the direction.
  3. 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

Related commands

ShowDir

Toolbar Menu

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

Add Objects

Select more objects to analyze.

Remove Objects

Remove selected objects from the analysis.

Show

Direction

Displays the object's normal direction in viewports.

Color

Sets the display color for the direction arrows.

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.

ShowDirOff

Toolbar Menu

Analyze
Surface Analysis
Surface Tools

Not on menus.

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

See also

Analyze objects

Manage object visibility