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Handles panel

Handles panel

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Handles panel

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Location:   Tools page - HyperMorph module

 

The Handles panel allows you to add and edit handles, or save to or load from a file.

 

Panel Usage


The Handles panel consists of several subpanels: create, update, load, and save.

handles_panel

Settings made on one subpanel are not lost of you switch subpanels, but may be lost if you return out of the panel.

 

Subpanels and Inputs


The Handles panel contains the following subpanels and command buttons:

hmtoggle_arrow1Create

Use the Create subpanel to create new handles.

If more than one handle is created, their names will have a number appended to the prefix so that all handle names are unique.

Dependencies assigned during creation apply to all handles being created.

You do not need to select a domain for a handle when using the by nodes option.  If you do not select a domain, the handle will be assigned to a domain that contains the node.

In the image below, three handles were created at the selected nodes.

morph07

To remove individual handles without affecting other handles that have been created, use the Delete panel (shortcut key: F2) and select handles.

 

Panel Inputs

Input

Description

attached to: domain

Use this domain selector to pick the domain that you want the new handle to be linked with/part of.  If the node selected for a handle is part of a domain, then this field is optional.

by nodes / type in

For by nodes, simply use the nodes selector to pick nodes from the model that you wish to create handles from.

For type in, type in the X, Y, and Z coordinates for the desired handle, as well as specifying the coordinate system in which it lies.  You can also click as node and then pick node from the model; that node's coordinates and system fill in the fields automatically, and you can edit them as desired.

dependent on: handles

When creating a dependent handle, use this selector to pick one or more existing handles that it is dependent on. This selector may be left empty.

name =

Type in a name for the new handle.

A default prefix of "handle" is used.  HyperMesh also adds a number to the name prefix if you create more handles without changing the name—for example, Handle1, Handle2, and so on.

size =

Use this to edit the handle size parameter.

 

hmtoggle_arrow1Update

Use the Update subpanel to update the position or dependencies of handles.

If more than one handle is selected, you can only update the handle dependencies.

Review sym displays the selected handle’s associated symmetries by plotting vectors between handles which are linked via symmetry. Review dep displays the selected handles’ dependencies by plotting vectors on the screen pointing from the selected handles to the handles upon which they are dependent.

Note:When using the hierarchical or mixed methods for global influences, the local handles are dependent on global handles.  These dependencies are calculated internally and cannot be changed manually.

 

Panel Inputs

Input

Description

Dependent on: handles

To change the dependencies for the selected handle(s), select the handle(s) upon which you want to make the selected handle(s) dependent. This selector may be left empty.

handle / handles

Use the toggle to choose whether to update one handle or multiple handles.

When updating a single handle, you can also change the position of the handle by entering new x, y, and z coordinates and, optionally, a local coordinate system.  Click as node if you wish to update the XYZ coordinates by clicking an existing node.

 

hmtoggle_arrow1Load

Use the Load subpanel to load shapes, global handles, or both from a file.

Only global handles and shapes are stored in the file.  Saving and loading local shapes to and from a file can be done in the Shapes panel.

The load and save subpanels allow you to transfer globally defined shapes from one model to another even though the local handle and domain definitions may be different.  It also allows you to save shape templates.  When you read in a shape, it searches for the handles it perturbs by name.  So if you have global handles with the same names in different models, you can transfer your shapes between them by saving your shapes in one model to a file and then reading that file into another model.  For this option, you should only read in the shapes and not the handles when loading the file.

 

Panel Inputs

Input

Description

browse

Use this button to navigate to and select a file containing handles and shapes that were created using the save option in the Handles subpanel.

file

You can type the file path in this text box (but using browse is recommended).

overwrite/no overwrite

Select overwrite to overwrite the entities in the model with the ones in the file.  Select no overwrite to retain the current state of the model entities.

Note:overwrite deletes ALL of the shapes and global handles in the model, not just those that may conflict.

read handles

Read in handles from the file. Only checked items will be read in from the file; unchecked items are ignored.

read shapes

Read in shapes from the file. Only checked items will be read in from the file; unchecked items are ignored.

 

hmtoggle_arrow1Save

Use the Save subpanel to save global handles and shapes to a file.

All of the shapes and global handles are saved to a file.  However, only global handles and global handle perturbations for the shapes are saved; local handles and local handle perturbations are not written to the file.  If a shape contains both local and global perturbations, only the global ones are written to the file, and constraints that are applied to nodes will not be saved.  Only shapes that have been saved as handle perturbations are written to the file.

Saving and loading local shapes to and from a file can be also done in the Shapes panel.

The load and save subpanels allow you to transfer globally defined shapes from one model to another even though the local handle and domain definitions may be different.  It also allows you to save shape templates.  When you read in a shape, it searches for the handles it perturbs by name.  So if you have global handles with the same names in different models, you can transfer your shapes between them by saving your shapes in one model to a file and then reading that file into another model.  For this option, you should only read in the shapes and not the handles when loading the file.

 

Panel Inputs

Input

Description

browse

Use this button to navigate to the desired file path and specify the desired file name to save.

file:

You can type the file path in this text box (but using browse is recommended).

 

hmtoggle_arrow1Command Buttons

The following action buttons appear throughout the subpanels:

Button

Action

create

Creates a new handle.

load

Loads in the specified file, using the specified criteria for merging the data into your model.

reject

Undoes the creation or update of a handle.

review dep

Displays the selected handles’ dependencies by plotting vectors on the screen pointing from the selected handles to the handles upon which they are dependent.

review sym

Displays the selected handle’s associated symmetries by plotting vectors between handles which are linked via symmetry.

save

Saves the file to the specified path and filename.

update

Updates the selected handle's characteristics.

 

How do I ...

hmtoggle_arrow1Create a handle:
1.From the Handles panel, select the create subpanel.
2.Enter a name prefix for the handle in the name = field.

A default prefix of "handle" is used.  HyperMesh also adds a number to the name prefix if you create more handles without changing the name—for example, Handle1, Handle2, and so on.

3.For attached to: select a domain using the mouse (optional).
4.Optional: For dependent on: select one or more handles.
5.Select by nodes and select a node or nodes where the handle is to be placed.

Or

Select type in and enter the XYZ coordinates where the handle is to be placed and optionally, a local coordinate system.  You can also select a node using the as node button, which will update the XYZ coordinates to that of the selected node.

6.Select create.

One or more new handles are created.

 

Undo

Click reject after clicking create.  To remove individual handles without affecting other handles that have been created, use the Delete panel (shortcut key: F2) and select handles.

 

Comments

If more than one handle is created, their names will have a number appended to the prefix so that all handle names are unique.

Dependencies assigned during creation apply to all handles being created.

You do not need to select a domain for a handle when using the by nodes option.  If you do not select a domain, the handle will be assigned to a domain that contains the node.

In the image below, three handles were created at the selected nodes.

morph07

 

hmtoggle_arrow1Update handles:
1.From the Handles panel, select the update subpanel.
2.Use the toggle to choose whether to update one handle or multiple handles.

When updating a single handle, you can also change the position of the handle by entering new xyz coordinates and, optionally, a local coordinate system.

Click as node if you wish to update the XYZ coordinates by clicking an existing node.

3.Optional: To change the dependencies for the selected handle(s), select the handle(s) upon which you want to make the selected handle(s) dependent.
4.Click update.

 

Comments

If more than one handle is selected, you can only update the handle dependencies.

Review sym displays the selected handle’s associated symmetries by plotting vectors between handles which are linked via symmetry. Review dep displays the selected handles’ dependencies by plotting vectors on the screen pointing from the selected handles to the handles upon which they are dependent.

Note:When using the hierarchical or mixed methods for global influences, the local handles are dependent on global handles. These dependencies are calculated internally and cannot be changed manually.

 

hmtoggle_arrow1Load shapes and handles:
1.From the Handles panel, select the load subpanel.
2.Using the browse button, select a file containing handles and shapes that was created using the save option in the Handles subpanel.
3.Select overwrite to overwrite the entities in the model with the ones in the file.

Or

Select no overwrite to retain the current state of the model entities.

Note:Overwrite deletes all of the shapes and global handles in the model.
4.Select read handles, read shapes, or both.

Only checked items will be read in from the file; unchecked items are ignored.

5.Click load.

 

Comments

Only global handles and shapes are stored in the file.  Saving and loading local shapes to and from a file can be done in the Shapes panel.

The load and save subpanels allow you to transfer globally defined shapes from one model to another even though the local handle and domain definitions may be different.  It also allows you to save shape templates.  When you read in a shape, it searches for the handles it perturbs by name.  So if you have global handles with the same names in different models, you can transfer your shapes between them by saving your shapes in one model to a file and then reading that file into another model.  For this option, you should only read in the shapes and not the handles when loading the file.

 

hmtoggle_arrow1Save global handles and shapes to a file:
1.From the Handles panel, select the save subpanel.
2.Enter a name for file:, use the browse button to select a directory, and click save.

Or

Use the browse button to select an existing file and click save to overwrite the existing file.

Or

Enter a name in the file: text box and click save to save the file in the current working directory.

 

Comments

All of the shapes and global handles are saved to a file.  Only global handles and global handle perturbations for the shapes are saved.  Local handles and local handle perturbations are not written to the file.  If a shape contains both local and global perturbations, only the global ones are written to the file, and constraints that are applied to nodes will not be saved.  Only shapes that have been saved as handle perturbations are written to the file.

Saving and loading local shapes to and from a file can be done in the Shapes panel.

The load and save subpanels allow you to transfer globally defined shapes from one model to another even though the local handle and domain definitions may be different.  It also allows you to save shape templates.  When you read in a shape, it searches for the handles it perturbs by name.  So if you have global handles with the same names in different models, you can transfer your shapes between them by saving your shapes in one model to a file and then reading that file into another model.  For this option, you should only read in the shapes and not the handles when loading the file.

 

 

 

See Also:

Domains and Handles - HM-3560

HyperMorph Module

HyperMorph Strategies