# Are sweeps broken?

**URL:** <https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/are-sweeps-broken/386>\
**Category:** Modeling Questions\
**Created:** [August 27, 2016, 8:18pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/are-sweeps-broken/386 "2016-08-27T20:18:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Apixel1234](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/apixel1234/32/336_2.png) [@Apixel1234](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Apixel1234)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2016, 8:18pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/are-sweeps-broken/386/1 "2016-08-27T20:18:30Z")

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Hello,

No matter what I try, the sweep tool ways generates mangled geometry. I’m starting with just a circle on the ground plane, and I’ve tried a spline as well as as a two straight line curve drawn on the “right” view.

If the tool is working as intended and you need examples of what I’m seeing, let me know.

Thank you,

Andres

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**Author:** ![Istvan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/istvan/32/23668_2.png) [@Istvan](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Istvan)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2016, 8:19pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/are-sweeps-broken/386/2 "2016-08-27T20:19:14Z")

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Can you post a screenshot?

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**Author:** ![Apixel1234](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/apixel1234/32/336_2.png) [@Apixel1234](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Apixel1234)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2016, 8:40pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/are-sweeps-broken/386/3 "2016-08-27T20:40:05Z")

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![](https://cdck-file-uploads-us1.s3.dualstack.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/1X/ef6b48d9442d73d9d0942509c7333b722559e6f2.png) ![](https://cdck-file-uploads-us1.s3.dualstack.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/1X/a70b78906acde39ec47d9cc59fe9f6c7a91995ed.png)

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**Author:** ![Istvan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/istvan/32/23668_2.png) [@Istvan](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Istvan)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2016, 8:44pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/are-sweeps-broken/386/4 "2016-08-27T20:44:34Z")

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No, that’s more or less fine, as the profile and the rail are not aligned. Try to align the profile and the rail. Sweep can be hard to understand otherwise, but it still makes sense to work like this. Actually it works like this in every other CAD as well, eg. here is what Rhino does in a similar case :  
 ![](https://cdck-file-uploads-us1.s3.dualstack.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/flex002/uploads/shapr3d/original/1X/0ce699b4bcc59ee65695c61cb3ec6066d957cf58.png)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Istvan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/istvan/32/23668_2.png) [@Istvan](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Istvan)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2016, 8:52pm UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/are-sweeps-broken/386/5 "2016-08-27T20:52:25Z")

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Basically with sweep, imagine a rigid rod, that connects the rail and the profile, and start to move this rod on the rail, and try not to rotate it around the rail at all. The path of the profile will define the resulting surface. I hope this makes sense, just trying to give a simple explanation 🙂

And in Shapr when you select a curve for the profile, it will create a surface, and if you select a face/sketch filling, it will create a solid object.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Apixel1234](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/apixel1234/32/336_2.png) [@Apixel1234](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Apixel1234)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2016, 7:37am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/are-sweeps-broken/386/6 "2016-08-28T07:37:07Z")

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I’m glad you are around!

I keep treating things like in form-z where the actual arrangement is initially the center and can be tweaked later. This lets you work on your profile without having to be on the exact spot initially. Learning curve!

Things looking good again!

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**Author:** ![Istvan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/discourse.shapr3d.com/istvan/32/23668_2.png) [@Istvan](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/u/Istvan)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2016, 7:45am UTC](https://discourse.shapr3d.com/t/are-sweeps-broken/386/7 "2016-08-28T07:45:59Z")

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Yes, we could do some auto alignment, but that would also linit the possibilites of sweep.