Title:

Best Practice for Creating Sweepable, Surface‑Hugging Curves and Profiles on Complex Shapes (Ellipsoid/Football)

Body:

I’m working on a football‑shaped (ellipsoid‑like) solid and I need to create ribs that run along its length while staying perfectly “hugged” to the surface. I want to confirm whether my current workflow is the correct/expected method in SOLIDWORKS 2025, or if there’s a more efficient or robust approach.

My current workflow:

1. Sketch a 2D curve that represents the general rib path  

2. Use Insert → Curve → Project Curve to project that sketch onto the football surface  

3. Add Sketch Points directly onto the resulting 3D projected curve  

4. Create Planes → Normal to Curve at those points  

5. Sketch rib profiles on those planes and sweep them along the projected curve

This gives me sweepable curves and perpendicular profile planes that follow the surface curvature accurately.

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Main Question:

What is the best practice in SOLIDWORKS 2025 for creating sweepable curves and profile planes that accurately hug a complex 3D surface (such as an ellipsoid or “football” shape)? Is the workflow above the recommended approach, or is there a more direct or more stable method for generating surface‑conforming paths and perpendicular profile planes?