Operations Commands in Initial Design Surface

OPERATIONS \ SUBTRACT

If selected, the User is prompted to interactively pick (from one of the graphics views) two surfaces. The second being deducted from the first.

OPERATIONS \ UNITE

If selected, the User is prompted to interactively pick (from one of the graphics views) two surfaces, which are added together to form a single surface.

OPERATIONS \ SOLID INTERSECTION

If selected, the User is prompted to interactively pick (from one of the graphics views) two surfaces. The resulting retained surface, being the volume common to both surfaces.

OPERATIONS \ THICKEN...

Brings up the Thicken dialog, to allow a thickness to be applied to a surface.

OPERATIONS \ INTERSECT

If selected, the User is prompted to interactively pick (from one of the graphics views) two surfaces. Leaves both surface in their original state and generates the intersection curve of the bodies.

OPERATIONS \ IMPRINT

If selected, the User is prompted to interactively pick (from one of the graphics views) two surfaces. Calculates the intersection and splits the faces of the two bodies at the intersection curve.

OPERATIONS \ IMPRINT & JOIN

If selected, the User is prompted to interactively pick (from one of the graphics views) two surfaces. Calculates the intersection and splits the faces of the two bodies at the intersection curve and also logically connects the two bodies.

OPERATIONS \ JOIN

If selected, the User is prompted to interactively pick (from one of the graphics views) two adjacent surfaces to be joined. Results in a single surface containing (at least) two faces with a common internal boundary.

OPERATIONS \ STITCH

If selected, the system will join any surfaces (in the project) sharing a common boundary to form a single surface.

OPERATIONS \ CONCATENATE

This gives the following options:

KNUCKLE

If selected, the User is prompted to interactively pick (from one of the graphics views) two adjacent surfaces (single faced only). Results in a single faced surface, created by merging the polygon points of the originals, maintaining knuckle continuity across their common boundary.

TANGENT

If selected, the User is prompted to interactively pick (from one of the graphics views) two adjacent surfaces (single faced only). Results in a single faced surface, created by merging the polygon points of the originals, maintaining tangent continuity across their common boundary.

CURVATURE

If selected, the User is prompted to interactively pick (from one of the graphics views) two adjacent surfaces (single faced only). Results in a single faced surface, created by merging the polygon points of the originals, maintaining curvature continuity across their common boundary.

OPERATIONS \ ALIGN

This gives the following options:

KNUCKLE

If selected, the User is prompted to interactively pick (from one of the graphics views) two surfaces (single faced only). The second surface’s boundary being altered to exactly match (so that it might subsequently be joined) that of the first. Aligning the boundary such that it has only knuckle continuity with the first surface.

TANGENT

If selected, the User is prompted to interactively pick (from one of the graphics views) two surfaces (single faced only). The second surface’s boundary being altered to exactly match (so that it might subsequently be joined) that of the first. Aligning the boundary such that it has at least tangent continuity with the first surface.

CURVATURE

If selected, the User is prompted to interactively pick (from one of the graphics views) two surfaces (single faced only). The second surface’s boundary being altered to exactly match (so that it might subsequently be joined) that of the first. Aligning the boundary such that it has at least curvature continuity with the first surface.

OPERATIONS \ SINGLE SIDED

If selected, the User is prompted to interactively pick (from one of the graphics views) the double sided surface to be made single sided

OPERATIONS \ DOUBLE SIDED

If selected, the User is prompted to interactively pick (from one of the graphics views) the single sided surface to be made double sided

OPERATIONS \ REVERSE

If selected, the User is prompted to interactively pick (from one of the graphics views) the single sided surface, whose surface normals are to be reversed, swapping the side.

OPERATIONS \ DELETE FACE

If selected, the User is prompted to interactively pick (from one of the graphics views) the face of a surface to be deleted.

OPERATIONS \ DETACH FACE

If selected, the User is prompted to interactively pick (from one of the graphics views) the faces of a surface to be detached (unstitched).

OPERATIONS \ COVER EDGES

If selected, the User is prompted to interactively pick (from one of the graphics views) a series of connected planar boundaries to create a planar face.

OPERATIONS \ COVER HOLE

If selected, the User is prompted to interactively pick (from one of the graphics views) a surface containing planar openings. The system identifies all free edges in a selected surface and then attempt to find closed loops of edges which in turn will be covered and stitched to the original body. This will usually work only if all of the edges lie within a plane. The tolerance allowed is very strict (< 0.000001m). If the resulting face is created without a surface, it is deleted and a warning is given.

OPERATIONS \ GROUPS...

Brings up the Groups & Instances Editor dialog, on the Groups page, to allow the User to create and/or edit groups.

OPERATIONS \ GROUPS/INSTANCES...

Brings up the Groups & Instances Editor dialog, on the Instances page, to allow the User to create and/or edit instances.

OPERATIONS \ COMBINE

If selected, the User is prompted to interactively pick (from one of the graphics views) two or more surfaces to be treated as a single group (using the name of the first surface selected).

OPERATIONS \ SEPARATE

If selected, the User is prompted to interactively pick (from one of the graphics views) a surface (made up of a group of objects), splitting it into its original component surfaces.

OPERATIONS \ ENCLOSE VOLUME

If selected, the User is prompted to interactively pick (from one of the graphics views) a surface (fully enclosed shell), converting it into a solid volume.

OPERATIONS \ MINIMUM DISTANCE

If selected, the User is prompted to interactively pick (from one of the graphics views) two surfaces and calculates the minimum linear distance between them.

OPERATIONS \ PROPERTIES

If selected, the User is prompted to interactively pick (from one of the graphics views) a surface, whose properties are displayed in the Output Window.