Curvature Module

Designing with Curvature Elements

Spiral Arcs and Curvature Elements in Curve Design

One procedure to design a profile might be to estimate how many vertices are needed to get around an obstacle, and then place curvature elements at each vertex so as to insure that a spiral arc can fit between each pair. We can use the relation between curvature elements on spiral arcs to try to satisfy constraints and minimize the value that measures aesthetics of the curve to get an optimal shape. Try this out on the application page.

Real-World Use

In practice this approach is not used because it requires that the designer understands the relation between curvature elements on a spiral arc. Instead, curves are designed using simpler mathematical representations that provide much less control over the spiral arcs and vertices, but are much easier to use and manipulate since the curvature elements need not be understood.


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