Plates are a group of surfaces in the model in which the middle surface will be inserted. Each plate has two sides: blue and green. The middle surface is inserted between the two sides of each plate. When you click show/edit all, surfaces are organized into components that reflect their plate type. To display the plates as per their component color, change the geometry display mode to Mixed on the Visualization toolbar.
When the automatic detection of plates is not correct, click show/edit all to manually edit plates.
Plate information will only created upon extracting midsurface using the offset+planes+sweeps and offset+planes methods.
Any changes made to the midsurface using the plate edit tools will not be visible until you click update within the same panel, or after you extract the midsurface using the offset+planes+sweeps or offset+planes methods.
1. | In the edit plates subpanel, click show/edit all. |
2. | Using the single surface selector, select surfaces to create new plates from. |
3. | On the left side of the panel, select a type of plate to create. |
4. | Click new plate. A new plate is created out of the selected surfaces. |
5. | Continue modifying the midsurface, or click update to re-extract the midsurface. |
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Transition surface provide more information to the algorithm regarding inserting surface where two regular plates are intersecting. An algorithm calculates how far intersecting plates can be extended based on the transition surface.
1. | In the edit plates subpanel, click show/edit all. |
2. | Using the single surface selector, select surfaces. |
3. | Click transition surface. The selected surfaces are used as transition surfaces during midsurface extraction. |
4. | Continue modifying the midsurface, or click update to re-extract the midsurface. |
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1. | In the edit plates subpanel, click show/edit all. |
2. | Using the single surface selector, select surfaces that you do not want to be considered trim surfaces. |
3. | Click not a trim surface. The selected surfaces are placed in the component, ^Not a trim surface. |
4. | Continue modifying the midsurface, or click update to re-extract the midsurface. |
During midsurface extraction, the surfaces in the ^Not a trim surface component will be ignored.
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Each plate has two sides (blue and green) between which the midsurface is inserted. By default, the midsurface is generated by offsetting the green side of the plate.
1. | In the edit plates subpanel, click show/edit all. |
2. | Using the single surface selector, select surfaces to switch the offset side. |
4. | Continue modifying the midsurface, or click update to re-extract the midsurface. |
During midsurface extraction, the midsurface will be offset from the opposite side that it was originally offset from. If the midsurface was generated by offsetting the green side of the plate, the midsurface will now be generated by offsetting the new green side which was blue before using switch side.
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Plate edges act as trimming surfaces for all plate types, and are used to trim inserted midsurfaces.
1. | In the edit plates subpanel, click show/edit all. |
2. | Using the single surface selector, select surfaces to serve as trimming surfaces. |
4. | Continue modifying the midsurface, or click update to re-extract the midsurface. |
During midsurface extraction, the midsurface is trimmed using the surfaces you selected.
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1. | In the edit plates subpanel, click show/edit all. |
2. | Using the full plate selector, select plates to merge. |
3. | On the left side of the panel, select a new plate type to create. |
4. | Click merge plates. All of the selected plates are merged into a single plate. |
5. | Continue modifying the midsurface, or click update to re-extract the midsurface. |
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