SpaceClaim Online Help

Groups

You can create a group from any set of selected objects. When storing Ruler DimensionsValues or expressions you enter for precise control during the creation or modification of a design. You can dimension every element, from lines in sketches to faces of solids. See Ordinate dimensions, Progressive dimensions, Ruler dimension. for PullTool used to distort or deform geometry. Use the Pull tool to offset, extrude, revolve, sweep, draft, and blend faces; or to round, chamfer, or extrude edges. When converting a sketch to 3D, pulling a line creates a surface and pulling a surface creates a solid. or MoveA tool used to translate or rotate geometry. in a group, keep in mind that how the tool is initially placed and what is stored for later playback.

• The Move tool initially places itself ( for ease of quick moving) with respect to the oriented bounding box of the selected items
• The Group functionality stores the following:
  • Selected objects
  • Active tool
  • Any sub-selections that affect the behavior of the tool
  • Any active ruler dimension
  • Any anchor reference to that ruler dimension

For example, insofar as Group creation goes, a Move tool can be anchored to an edge of a face and oriented in a direction. This stores the selection, the edge, and the orientation direction. Subsequently, a selected axis of the Move handle can have a ruler dimension to a dimension reference. This stores the Move handle axis and the ruler dimension. Any re-invocation of this group will attempt to re-setup the tool, the selection, any options, and ruler dimensions, according to how the group was saved.

When using groups to store Move and Pull operations as described above, choose references appropriate to your design intent and the likelihood of any of the required references being present on re-invocation.

You can use groups in combination with the %%Product%% API to change these parameters, or use them as a way to indicate to others your design intentions about which sort of changes you expect them to make to your design.

Scope

GroupsSets of objects that appear in the Groups tab. You create a group from any set of selected objects. Information such as Selection, Alt+selection, move anchoring, axis, and ruler dimension is all stored with the group. can be saved for the root part or for its children. To change the scope at which groups are displayed, select Root Part or Active Part in the drop-down list near the top of the Groups panel. This allows you to see groups that are in children components without opening the component in another window.

If an external part has groups defined in it, you can right-click the component and select Import ComponentObjectAnything recognizable by the tools. 3D objects include vertices, edges, faces, surfaces, solids, layouts, planes, axes, and origins. 2D objects include points and lines. in a design, including the top-level design component. Each component consists of any number of objects, such as solids and surfaces, and can contain sub-components. You can think of a component as a "part." Components can be saved as a separate file. An external component is another design inserted as a component of your design. Making the component internal prevents changes from being made to the external component file. You can also create an external component by saving a component as a separate file. See Lightweight components, AssemblyHierarchy of components and subcomponents showing relationship within a design, as shown in the Structure tree. In manufacturing, a unit fitted together from manufactured parts. See Assembly tool, Component Groups to copy the groups to the current root part. This means you can open the component in its own window to change the groups there as well. Because the groups reflect geometry, they will change the geometry in original model where they were defined; but you're not changing the definition of the groups. If you redefine the copied group, the original group will not get redefined.

Driving dimensions

When you select an object with a dimension property and create a group, a driving dimension is usually created. These groups are added to the Driving Dimensions folder. Driving dimensions include offset distance (faces with an offset relationship), round radius, and ruler dimensions. You can change the dimension in the groups panel, and the geometry will change. These saved groups can be used for API-driven modification and can be sent to ANSYS.

• Creating a driving dimension with Pull (offset)

• Creating a driving dimension with Move (translation or rotation)

• Creating a driving dimension with the Select tool (round radius and distance between offset faces)

Named selections

If no driving dimension is available, a named selection is created. This allows you to save selection sets to easily recall them.

A round group is also created each time you fill a round and is saved in the Filled Rounds folder. You can reattach a group of rounds as long as some portion of the original edges (or faces that bordered the edges) still exists in your design.

Drag a group in the Groups panel to change its position in the list. Group order is important because they are changed from top to bottom when the change is initiated in an external application.

To create a group

1. Select any set of 3D objects.

2. Click Create Group in the Groups panel or press Ctrl+G.

   The group appears in the list. Mouse over the group to highlight the objects in the group and click the group to select them. Properties and other information, such as the selected axis for the last Move rotation, are saved with the group.

To create a coaxial group

1. Select two coaxial cylindrical faces on a solid.

   The cylindrical faces must be on the same solid.

2. Right-click and select Create CoaxialRelationship between faces that share the same center of rotation. If you check the Coaxial FaceSide or other surface of a solid. Some examples are the inside surface of a hole or the six sides of a rectangular solid. See Surface. Groups box in the Display tab, faces that share an axis are indicated with blue shading. Group.

   The group is added in the Face Groups folder in the Groups panel. A relationship is created between the cylindrical faces, so the faces remain coaxial when you change the faces. If you move one of the faces, the other will move with it.

To edit a driving dimension

1. Select the driving dimension from the Groups PanelSections of the user interface that initially appear along the left side of the application window and include: Structure panel, Layers panel, Selection panel, Groups panel, Options panel, and Properties panel. You can dock and detach these panels.. The current value should appear next to the Type.

2. Click the value. A dimension box should appear.

3. Type the new value for the dimension and press Enter.

   The driving dimension is updated in the Design windowArea in the user interface that displays your model or assembly. Also known as Workspace.. You can follow these steps to change round radii, offset distance, and ruler dimensions.

To reattach a round

1. Right-click one or more round group in the Groups panel.

2. Select Reattach RoundRounded corner at the intersection of two lines or edges. Round refers to an exterior corner; an interior corner is known as a fillet. Rounds and fillets are both called rounds. See Fillet, Constant-radius round, Variable-radius round. from the context menu.

To rename a named group

1. Right-click the group in the Groups panel.

2. Select Rename from the context menu.

3. Enter the new name for the group and press Enter.

To replace a named group

1. Select any set of 3D objects.

2. Right-click a group and select Replace Group.

   You can only replace groups in Named Selections.

To delete a named group

1. Select the group in the Groups panel.

2. Click Delete Group.

   You can also right-click the group and select Delete Group from the context menu.

   If all of the objects that comprise a group are removed from the design, the group is automatically deleted.

To explode a group

1. Select the group in the Groups panel.
2. Right-click and select Explode from the context menu.

Each group will be placed in its own group. The new group names are based on the parent group. For example, a group named "Group" will explode into "Group 1", "Group 2", etc.