Surface Analysis¶
In one sentence: Displays a false-colour map of surface curvature (Gaussian, mean, min, or max) over a face or shell.
Third-party addon — installation required
The Curves workbench is not included in FreeCAD. Install it via Tools → Addon Manager → search "Curves" → Install and restart FreeCAD.
Overview¶
Workbench: Curves
Menu: Surfaces → Surface Analysis
Command: Curves_SurfaceAnalysis
The colour scale runs from blue (low / negative) through green to red (high / positive). A uniform colour indicates even curvature distribution.
Curvature modes¶
| Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| Gaussian curvature | Product of principal curvatures; zero = developable surface |
| Mean curvature | Average of principal curvatures |
| Min curvature | Smaller principal curvature |
| Max curvature | Larger principal curvature |
Common mistakes and pitfalls¶
Uniform colour on a visibly curved surface
The colour scale auto-ranges to the data. If curvature variation is small, even a curved surface can appear nearly uniform. Inspect the legend values — the surface may be nearly developable (low Gaussian curvature) even if it is visually curved.
See also¶
- Zebra Tool — visual continuity check
- Draft Analysis — mould draft angle colour map
- Flatten Face — unroll developable surfaces (zero Gaussian curvature)
- Curves Workbench — workbench overview