General about Seam Statement

The SEAM statement generates seams between parts within a panel. Additional information related to the seam can be described as well, for example, beveling.

Seams may be straight or follow a curve, they may pass over the whole panel or end/start at another seam.

The generation of seams and plates are integrated in the sense that modifying the seams affect the plates. When generating seams any existing plates intersected by this seam will be automatically divided. The geometry of the plate as well as the user-defined point is updated by the system. Also when deleting or moving seams the affected plates are updated automatically.

A single plate can be defined before any seams are added. In such a case new plates will be automatically created when seams are added. The plates created will inherit the relevant attributes from the original plate. If no plate is defined when adding seams the areas created inside the panel boundary can be regarded as potential plates.

A seam can intersect the outer contour and/or any existing seam at most two times. The new seam must not coincide with the outer contour or any existing seam. Each added seam is normally supposed to divide at least one plate (true or potential) in two, the exception being the seam "chain" explained below.

A seam chain is composed of seams meeting end-to-end, where these ends are not connecting to the outer contour or to another seam. Only together the seams in a chain will divide any plates. The seam chains are found automatically by the system. If for example, a seam is added starting at the outer contour and ending inside the panel, no new plates are created as the seam doesn't intersect the panel surface.

If then another seam is added starting where the previous one ended and ending at the outer contour, a seam chain is created and two (potential) plates are created.

If then a third seam is added from the upper right corner ending at the connection point it will not be part of any chain as the two existing seams are already connected. However it will intersect a plate creating the third plate.

The third seam should have a TO keyword to emphasize that it is not part of the chain.

To be chained a seam must:

• Be defined by <line_two_uv-points> or by a curve.

• Have one or two end(s) not stopping at the outer contour but meeting the end of another chainable seam.

• Not have TO and/or FROM defined for the end(s) to connect.

The order between, or the directions of, the seams to be chained is not significant. As long as seams are ending inside a (potential) plate, the system will search for seams to chain.

Seam chains can for example, be used if different beveling or excess is needed along a seam as only one set of values can be given for each seam.

Syntax:

Example:

SEAM, Z=1500, BEV=002;

Description: