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trim with lines subpanel (solid edit panel)

trim with lines subpanel (solid edit panel)

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trim with lines subpanel (solid edit panel)

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Location:   Geom page, solid edit panel

 

This panel allows you to select lines from your model to define the edges of a trim plane.

Three different methods of line-based trimming exist on this panel, separated into three different columns: with cut line, with bounding lines, and with sweep lines.

Cut Lines refers to creating a cut through the solid along a line that you draw with the mouse.

Bounding Lines refers to the process of choosing lines from the model geometry that define a plane or other 2-D area.  The solid is then cut along this plane.

Sweep Lines refers to selecting lines in your model and then extending those lines to create 2-D cutting surfaces.  Thus, you can "sweep" the lines through your model, either along a specified vector or to one or more end points, to define the cuts.

 

How do I…

hmtoggle_arrow1Trim a solid with cut lines
1.On the Solid Edit panel, trim with lines subpanel: use the toggle under the heading with cut lines to choose between selecting solids or surfs.
•If you choose solids, pick the desired solid(s) in your model.
•If you select surfs, then you can select the desired solids by picking the surfaces associated with them in your model.

The boundaries of each surface highlight, even though the surfaces themselves are not selected.

Note:Regardless of the method, you are still selecting solid entities to trim.
2.Select line options:

The smooth line option creates a curved line that passes through the points you specify.

solid_edit_cutline_cube_smooth

The close line option creates a closed loop, automatically connecting the first and last points that you specify.

solid_edit_cutline_cube_smooth_closed

3.Click the button labeled drag a cut line.
4.In the graphics area, use the mouse to draw your cut line:
•First, left-click at the point where you wish the line to start.
•Move the mouse the next point on the desired cut line.  A line stretches dynamically between the first point selected, and the current location of the mouse pointer.

solid_edit_cutline_cube

•Continue placing points on the cut line, as needed.
•Press <escape> or click the middle mouse button to stop drawing segments.
5.The selected solid entity is cut along the line segment(s) that you laid down.

solid_edit_cutline_cube_nooptions

Note:The angle of the cut depends on the viewing angle of the model; the cut line is extended directly "back" into the viewing area, as if the line were actually the edge of a plane that is perfectly edge-on relative to your viewpoint.  In other words, the cut is normal to your monitor screen, rather than to any surfaces across which you might have dragged the cut line.

solid_edit_cutline_cube_rotated

The same cut, rotated slightly.

 

Undo

Click reject to undo the most recent trimming operation. Note that this will cease to work if you leave the subpanel and then return.

 
hmtoggle_arrow1Trim a solid with bounding lines
1.On the Solid Edit panel, trim with lines subpanel: use the toggle under the heading with bounding lines to choose between selecting solids or surfs.

If you choose solids, pick the desired solid(s) in your model.

If you select surfs, then you can select the desired solids by picking the surfaces associated with them in your model.

The boundaries of each surface highlight, even though the surfaces themselves are not selected.

Note:Regardless of the method, you are still selecting solid entities to trim.
2.Click the lines selector to highlight it.
3.Pick the lines in your model that define the desired cutting plane.

TrimSolidWithBoundingLines_B4

In this example, the top & bottom lines selected (white).

4.Click the trim button.

The selected solids are split along the plane bounded by the chosen lines.

TrimSolidWithBoundingLines_After

 

Undo

Click reject to undo the most recent trimming operation.  Note that this will cease to work if you leave the subpanel and then return.

 

Comments

This process uses the *body_split_with_lines command.

 
hmtoggle_arrow1Trim a solid with sweep lines
1.On the Solid Edit panel, trim with lines subpanel: use the toggle under the heading with sweep lines to choose between selecting solids or surfs.
•If you choose solids, pick the desired solid(s) in your model.
•If you select surfs, then you can select the desired solids by picking the surfaces associated with them in your model.

The boundaries of each surface highlight, even though the surfaces themselves are not selected.

Note:Regardless of the method, you are still selecting solid entities to trim.
2.Click the line list selector to highlight it.
3.Pick the lines that you wish to sweep.

These lines, plus their destination, determine the shape and orientation of the cut.

4.Use the sweep to toggle to choose between 1 or 2 end nodes or sweeping by a vector.

If you choose by a vector:

•Use the plane and vector selector to define the vector.
•Use the final switch to choose the extent of the sweep:

Sweep all means that the lines sweep completely through the selected solids.

Input field enables a length field, so that you can specify how far to sweep.

N1-N2 sweeps the distance between the N1 and N2 nodes selected in the plane and vector selector (disabled if you used a different option to define the vector).

If you choose 1 or 2 end nodes:

•Pick nodes in your model to represent N1 and N2.  Each end of the line(s) chosen will sweep to the closest of these nodes.
•Use the toggle to choose between sweep all and sweep to nodes.

Sweep all means that the lines sweep completely through the selected solids. The cut continues onward until reaching the edge of the solid entity.

Sweep to nodes will only sweep the cut lines as far as the N1 and N2 nodes.

TrimSolidWithSweepLine_B4

Here, the line behind the cylinder is selected, and the green and blue nodes are N1 and N2.

5.Click trim.

HyperMesh sweeps the selected line(s) along the specified vector or through the specified nodes, splitting the entity along this path (which is frequently not planar when using "end" nodes).

TrimSolidWithSweepLine_After

This example used the "sweep all" option, so the surface sweeps past the nodes.

 

 

 

See Also:

solid edit panel

An Alphabetical List of HyperMesh Panels