How many people use Splines

[hdh500]

Just wondering how many people out there use splines.
Personally, I do not. They are hard to work with and I can get better results using a polyline.
Any input?

[Globey]

When I used to do facilities design, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, I sometimes would show splines for wiring, I know most people use arcs when wiring lights, but sometimes for a longer run of wiring, or going around an obsure corner, I just happened to use splines and thought it worked rather well...

[williamsa]

I use splines when I need to do a simple 2D contour (no elevation) and don't have access to Land. They also work when defining Well Remediation projects.

I found them hard to manipulate at first, but the more I work with them, the better I like them.

The more points you give a spline the better it is to edit them.
The arcs in polylines are too confining for me.

Just my opinion

[jaberwok]

As a basis for solid extrusion, they allow more "organic" shapes than anything else. Otherwise, no.

[Coolmo]

How is a SPLINE different from a Polyline SPLINED? I know that they're different entities all together but is there a difference in smoothness (which can be adjusted for a Polyline) or accuracy in the spline itself?

[Mike.Perry]

Hi

Below snippets come from the AutoCAD Online Help File [F1] -

<snip>
SPLINE fits a smooth curve to a sequence of points within a specified tolerance. AutoCAD uses NURBS (nonuniform rational B-splines) mathematics, which stores and defines a class of curve and surface data.
</snip>

<snip>
Uses the vertices of the selected polyline as the control points, or frame, of a curve approximating a B-spline. This curve, called a spline-fit polyline, passes through the first and last control points unless the original polyline was closed. The curve is pulled toward the other points but does not necessarily pass through them. The more control points you specify in a particular part of the frame, the more pull they exert on the curve. AutoCAD can generate quadratic and cubic spline-fit polylines.

Spline-fit polylines are very different from the curves produced by the Fit option. Fit constructs pairs of arcs that pass through every control point. Both of these curves are different from true B-splines produced with the SPLINE command.
</snip>

You will find more information on this subject within the AutoCAD Online Help File [F1].

Have a good one, Mike

[robert.1.hall72202]

The only time Ive seen splines in my work is when I do an igesin of outside data.
A file translated from catia/proe has a GAjillion (new word webster should adopt)
points that are foreign to AutoCad. Its is really fun trying to turn it into a pline
without changing the data too much :-(

[sinc]

Spline arrows are sometimes useful when labeling drawings.