The fourth set of icons consists of section editing and sketching tools. These tools allow you to create and edit shell and solid sections as well as modify section parameters.
Button
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Function
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Behavior
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Create shell part or solid perimeter
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This tool is activated automatically when defining a new shell or solid section canvas, and has two distinct functions:
• | For shell sections, this tool will sketch one shell section part at a time. Left-click to create a connected vertex, and right-click to remove it. Once the cursor leaves the screen the section will be initialized. |
• | For solid sections, this tool will outline the perimeter of one continuous solid section at a time. It can also be used to cut holes in previously defined solid sections. Left-click to create a connected vertex, right-click to remove it. Once the cursor leaves the screen the section will be initialized. |
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Join parts / Split part at vertex
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To join two parts that meet at a common point end, left-click on the first part, then left-click on the second part to merge it into the first part.
To split a part at a vertex, left-click on the part that you wish to split, then right-click on the vertex that you wish to split the part at. The part splits into two parts.
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Move vertex / Edit dimension / Edit thickness
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This tool is active for standard, shell and solid sections, and has three distinct functions:
• | For standard sections, this tool allows you to edit any of the parameters displayed on the section. Left-click and hold a dimension or thickness on the screen, and then drag; the section value and corresponding graphics will change as it is dragged. Double-click on a dimension, which is represented in the graphics area as text, to create a box around the text you want to edit. |
Note: | The only available options to edit the text are backspace to delete characters, the ten number keys, and the period. Exponential notation is not supported. |
• | For shell sections, this tool allows you to quickly snap any vertex to the predefined grid. It can also be used to edit the thickness of a shell part by left-clicking and dragging the thickness value. Double-clicking on a thickness, which is represented in the graphics area as text, will create a box around the text want can edit it. |
Note: | The only available options to edit the text are backspace to delete characters, the ten number keys, and the period. Exponential notation is not supported. |
• | For solid sections, this tool allows you to quickly snap any vertex to the predefined grid. |
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Add vertex / Delete vertex
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Left clicking on or near any part (for a shell) or perimeter (for a solid) will create a new vertex on the closest part or perimeter. The part or perimeter will be diverted to now run through the new vertex. If a clicked point is closer to the end of a part than a segment of it, the part will be extended.
To prevent a bend in the part during vertex creation, select points on the shell parts themselves. If your cursor is near snap tolerance lines that cross existing shell parts, a "+" will appear. A relatively small snap size may make it difficult to tell whether the cursor is over the shell part or beside it. Increase the snap size so that it is more clear when the cursor has snapped to the shell part; or look at the point coordinates, if either the y or z value is not an even multiple of the snap size then the cursor is over the shell part and not beside it.
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Replace vertices / Detach a vertex
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To replace vertices, left-click on the vertex that you wish to replace, then left-click on the vertex that you wish to replace the first vertex with. The second vertex replaces the first vertex.
To split a vertex into two coincident vertices, right-click on a vertex.
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Delete shell part or solid perimeter
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Left clicking on or near any part (for a shell) or perimeter (for a solid) will delete the nearest part or perimeter.
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