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Link Entity Browser Action Mode Tools

Link Entity Browser Action Mode Tools

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Link Entity Browser Action Mode Tools

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Use the series of action mode tools on the right-hand side of the Link Entity browser to control both entity selection and the display of the model in the graphics area.

ComponentListActionModestoolbar

The behavior of the action mode tools depends on the settings of the view options. When all of the view options are inactive (gray background), the core behavior of the action mode tools work exactly as they do in the Model browser. If you select one or more of the view options, the behavior of the show, hide, isolate, and isolate only options change and a connector symbol appears in the icon. In this mode, you are able to select entity links in the graphics area instead of entities. The entity links you are able to select depends on the view option you select.

ConnectorBrowser_toolbarchange

The table below explains the different action mode tools.

Icon

Description

next-16previous-16

Use the next and previous tools to cycle through the selected links in the Link Entity browser. To activate these tools, select link entities in the browser.

These tools will be especially helpful to you when not all of the selected links can be seen in the partial view of the list.

entityComponents-24

Use this tool to select a type of entity that the rest of the action mode tools will act on. For example, when you set this tool to "components", the Selector tools (described below) will only be able to select or deselect component links.

This icon is always disabled and set to the entity type that is defined by the view mode you have selected.

entityElementsGeometry-24

Use this tool to determine whether the rest of the action modes tools will act on:

•entityElements-24  elements only
•entityGeometry-24  geometry only
•entityElementsGeometry-24  both

 

If you select elements only, you can still perform actions on connectors (geometric entities) by selecting their link entities. However, any actions taken (such as Isolate) will only affect the entity types specified by this tool. In the case of geometry only, only the connectors with at least one link state defined as "geometry" are taken into account.

Since you can define connectors as linking elements, surfaces, or a combination of both, this tool affects actions taken on them in a similar manner. For example, if you set the tool to "elements only" but select a connector that only connects geometry, the actions you might take on that connector will not affect it. However, if the connector links both geometry and elements, then any actions you might take will still apply to the connector due to the element links.

select-24

Use the Selector tool to interactively select and find any type of supported link entity in the browser or graphics area. For example, when you select a link entity in the graphics area, Engineering Solutions highlights it in the browser. This is an efficient way of selecting and finding multiple link entities at once.

You can use this tool in conjunction with the show, hide, isolate, and isolate only action mode tools, as well as with the show/hide connectors between and isolate/isolate only connectors between advanced action tools. To use the Selector tool in conjunction with the other tools listed above, select the link entities in the browser or graphics area and then click the desired action mode tool.

Note:The advanced action tools are only active when when you select at least two link entities.

In other respects, the Selector tools behaves exactly as it does in the Model browser.

communication-24

The Add to Panel Collector is a function whereby the browser can be used to select and add entities to the panel collectors within HyperMesh. This is an alternative method to using the advanced selection capabilities already available in each panel collector's extended entity selection menu. This button only becomes available when you have a HyperMesh panel open that includes at least one entity collector.

displayAddRemoveConnectors-24

Use the Show/Hide tool to display or hide selected entites. The behavior of this tool will depend on the view options settings.

Click this option to activate it, and then select the desired links in the graphics area. Engineering Solutions hides the selected links and any other entities found by the view option settings.

Note:If you are selecting from the graphics area, this option will only work on visible links.

displayIsolateConnectors-24

Use this option to isolate/isolate only selected entities. The behavior of this tool will depend on the view options settings.

Click this option to activate it, and then select the desired link entity in the graphics area.

•Isolate displays only the selected entities which match the view option toggles, turning their display state to on and turning  all other entities of the same type off. Isolate works locally within a specific entity type--for example if component(s) are isolated then all display states of other displayable entities, such as load collectors, remain untouched.
•Isolate Only works like Isolate, except that it also affects entity types different from the matching, selected entities. Thus, it turns off ALL displayable entities (regardless of type) except for the selected one(s) that match the view option settings.
Note:Unlike the normal isolate button, when used in the graphics area this button only works on visible links.