Defining the loft sections

Loft sections represent the shape that the loft feature will have at a particular point along a loft path. At least two sections are required to create a loft feature. You can create additional sections to control the shape of the loft between the starting and ending sections. In a solid or cut loft, each loft section must be a closed loop with no branches. In a shell loft, the loft sections can either all be open or all be closed. You can define planar or nonplanar loft sections to create a loft feature. Once the loft is created, the number of sections and their order within the loft cannot be changed.

You create loft sections by picking from existing edges on the part in the current viewport. Any edges can be selected; for example:

  • Edges that define extruded, revolved, or swept features.

  • Edges that define planar wire or shell features.

  • Spline wire features.

You can use individual edges from several features to define a single section. However, planar wires sketched on datum planes are one of the simplest means you can use to define the loft sections. Using the simplest means to define your loft sections will give you more control and will result in a more robust loft feature.

You cannot modify loft sections directly. Once you create the loft feature, you can use the Feature Manipulation toolset to edit features that created the edges used in the loft sections. Moving a vertex or edge that is used in a loft section will change the shape of the section and the shape of the corresponding loft feature.