Link Entity

A link entity is a reference to a separate entity that can be added to a connector. The entities, or a subset of them, to which the link entities refer are welded together during realization.

The references to the link entities can be established in various ways:

•	During combined connector creation/realization in the top subpanel for spots, bolts, seams and areas.

•	During pure connector creation in the create subpanel for spots, bolts, seams and areas, if connect when is set to now.

•	During adding links to an existing connector in the Add links panel, if connect when is set to now.

•	During adding links to an existing connector in the lower part of the Connector Browser. In the Connector Browser the link entities can also be precisely edited or deleted.

•	During pure connector realization of existing connectors in the realize subpanel for spots, bolts, seams and areas, if they have been created with connect when set to at fe realize.

Link Entity Type

The following link types are supported:

assemblies	Assemblies can be used to connect elements or surfaces. A group of parts that needs to be welded is often represented as an assembly.
components	Components can be used to connect elements or surfaces. A part that needs to be welded is often represented as a component.
elements	An element facilitates a patch-patch weld connector.
nodes	A node facilitates a node-node weld connector.
parts	Parts can be used to connect elements or surfaces.
properties	Properties can be used to connect elements.
surfaces	Surfaces can be used to create welds to connect geometry before meshing; the welds create fixed points for the mesh. The connected surfaces may be either meshed or unmeshed.
tags	The tag entity can be used to define a weld connector for a node or an element that it holds.

Note:

Only nodes, tags, elements, surfaces, components, properties, and assemblies can be added to connectors. The connectors can hold a single entity or a combination of these entities.

After establishing link entities, they can only be modified and edited in the lower part of the Connector Browser. The functions to add link, update links and remove links is found in the browser's right-click context menu.

The link entity options are set when creating the connector, or on the Add Links panel. The link entity can be edited/updated in the lower part of the Connector browser as well.