Performing Operations on Shape Geometry

Wireframe and Surface allows you to modify your design using techniques such as trimming, translating and rotating.

4.14.1 Splitting Geometry

This task shows how to split a surface or wireframe element by means of a cutting element. Click the Split icon . The Split Definition dialog box appears. Select the element to be split. Select the cutting element. A preview of the split appears. You can change the portion to be kept by selecting that portion. You can select several cutting elements. In that case, note that the selection order is important as the area to be split is defined according to the side to be kept in relation to current splitting element.

The Elements to remove and Elements to keep options allow defining the portions to be removed or kept when performing the split operation. Click OK to split the element. Check the Keep both sides option to retain the split element after the operation. In that case it appears as a separate Split.xxx element in the specification tree. Check the Intersections computation button to create an aggregated intersection when performing the splitting operation.

4.14.2 Trimming Geometry

This task shows how to trim two surfaces or two wireframe elements. Click the Trim icon . The Trim Definition dialog box appears. Select the two surfaces or two wireframe elements to be trimmed. A preview of the trimmed element appears. You can change the portion to be kept by selecting that portion. You can also select the portions to be kept by clicking the Other side of element 1 and Other side of element 2 buttons. You are advised to use the Elements to remove and Elements to keep options to define the portions to be kept or removed. Click OK to trim the surfaces or wireframe elements. The trimmed element (identified as Trim.xxx) is added to the specification tree. Check the Result simplification button to allow the system to automatically reduce the number of faces in the resulting trim whenever possible.

4.14.3 Boundary Curves

This task shows how to create boundary curves. Click the Boundary icon . The Boundary Definition dialog box appears. Select a Surface edge. The boundary curve is displayed according to the selected propagation type. You can relimit the boundary curve by means of two elements, a point on the curve for example. Click OK to create the boundary curve.

4.14.4 Extracting Geometry

This task shows how to perform an extract from elements (curves, points, solids, and so forth.).

This may be especially useful when a generated element is composed of several non-connex sub-elements. Using the extract capability you can generate separate elements from these sub-elements, without deleting the initial element. Select an edge or the face of an element. The selected element is highlighted. Click the Extract icon . The Extract Definition dialog box is displayed. Choose the Propagation type: Point continuity, No propagation, or Tangent continuity. Click OK to extract the element. The extracted element (identified as Extract.xxx) is added to the specification tree.

4.14.5 Translating Geometry

This task shows you how to translate one, or more, point, line or surface element. Click the Translate icon . The Translate Definition dialog box appears. Select the element to be translated. Select the Vector Definition. Click OK to create the translated element. The element (identified as Translate .xxx) is added to the specification tree.

4.14.6 Rotating Geometry

This task shows you how to rotate geometry about an axis. Click the Rotate icon . The Rotate Definition dialog box appears. Select the element to be rotated. Select a line as the rotation axis.

Enter a value or use the Drag manipulator to specify the rotation angle. Click OK to create the rotated element. Use the Repeat object after OK checkbox to create several rotated surfaces. Click OK.

4.14.7 Performing a Symmetry on Geometry

This task shows you how to transform geometry by means of a symmetry operation. Click the Symmetry icon . The Symmetry Definition dialog box appears. Select the element to be transformed by symmetry. Select a point, line or plane as reference element. Click OK to create the symmetrical element.

4.14.8 Transforming Geometry by Scaling

This task shows you how to transform geometry by means of a scaling operation. Click the Scaling icon . The Scaling Definition dialog box appears. Select the element to be transformed by scaling. Select the scaling reference point, plane or planar surface. Specify the scaling ratio by entering a value or using the Drag manipulator. Click OK to create the scaled element.

4.14.9 Transforming Geometry by Affinity

This task shows you how to transform geometry by means of an affinity operation. Click the Affinity icon . The Affinity Definition dialog box appears. Select the element to be transformed by affinity. Specify the characteristics of the axis system to be used for the affinity

operation. Specify the affinity ratios by entering the desired X, Y, Z values. Click OK to create the affinity element.

4.14.10 Extrapolating Surfaces

This task shows you how to extrapolate a surface boundary. Click the Extrapolate icon . The Extrapolate Definition dialog box appears. Select a surface Boundary. Select the surface to be Extrapolated. Specify the Limit of the extrapolation by either by entering the value of the extrapolation length or selecting a limit surface or plane. Specify the Continuity type tangent &

curvature. Specify Extremities conditions between the extrapolated surface and the support surface: tangent & normal. Select the Assemble result check box if you want the extrapolated surface to be assembled to the support surface. Click OK to create the extrapolated surface.

4.14.11 Joining Surfaces or Curves

This task shows how to join two surfaces or two curves. The surfaces or curves to be joined must be adjacent. Click the Join icon. The Join Definition dialog box appears. Select the surfaces or curves to be joined. Check the Check tangency button to find out whether the elements to be joined are tangent. Check the Check connexity button to find out whether the elements to be joined are connex. Check the Check manifold button to find out whether the resulting join is manifold. Other options available are Simplify the result, Ignore erroneous elements, Merging distance, Angle Tolerance, Sub-Elements To Remove, federation. Click OK to create the joined surface or curve.

4.14.12 Healing Geometry

This task shows how to heal surfaces, that is how to fill any gap that may be appearing between two surfaces. Click the Healing icon. The Healing Definition dialog box appears. Select the surfaces to be healed. From the Parameters tab, define the distance below which elements are to be healed. You can also set the Distance objective. Click OK to create the healed surfaces. The surface (identified as Heal.xxx) is added to the specification tree. Provided the Tangent mode is active, you can retain sharp edges, by clicking the Sharpness tab, and selecting one or more edges.

The Sharpness angle allows to redefine the limit between a sharp angle and a flat angle.

4.14.13 Restoring a Surface

In this task you will learn how to restore the limits of a surface when it has been split using the Break Surface or Curve icon. Click the Untrim icon in the Join-Healing Modification toolbar. The Untrim dialog box is displayed. Select the surface which limits should be restored.

Select the surface which limits should be restored. Click OK in the dialog box. A progression bar is displayed, while the surface is restored.

4.14.14 Disassembling Elements

In this task you will learn how to disassemble multi-cell bodies into mono-cell bodies. Select the element to be disassembled. Click the Disassemble icon in the Join-Healing toolbar. The Disassemble dialog box is displayed. Choose the disassembling mode: All Cells: all cells are disassembled, Domains Only: elements are partially disassembled. A resulting element can be made of several cells. Click OK in the dialog box. A progression bar is displayed, while the surface is being disassembled. The selected element is disassembled, that is to say independent elements are created, that can be manipulated independently.

4.14.15 Smoothing Curves

This task shows how to smooth a curve, i.e. fill the gaps, and smooth tangency and curvature discontinuities, in order to generate better quality geometry when using this curve to create other elements. Click the Curve Smooth icon . Select the curve to be smoothed. Texts are displayed on the curve indicating its discontinuities before smoothing, and type of discontinuity (point, curvature or tangency) and their values (In area). These values type are expressed in the following units:

for a point discontinuity: the unit is the document's distance unit (mm by default) for a tangency discontinuity: the unit is the document's angular unit (degree by default) for a curvature discontinuity: the value is a ratio between 0 and 1