Creating an Associative Link Between Measures and Parameters

You can create a persistent and associative link between a measure created using the Measure Item or Measure Between command and a parameter.

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin: Refer to the Sample 2 topic to create the model required to perform this scenario. Check Keep measure in the Measure Item and Measure Between dialog boxes (if not the result is copied as a simple value.)

Measure Item allows you to get the length of a curve (edge, line, curve), radius or angle depending on the parameter magnitude.

  • The icon located on the right of the editor field is a measure between or item icon. Note that you will be able to edit the measure.
  • The parameters located below the Parameters node are directly linked to the measures.
  • You can invert the sign of the parameter using the Invert value command in the Measure Item or Measure Between window. The sign concerns only the valuated parameters and not the parameter of the measure.
  • To have an associative link, you must make an associative measure. If you select the Picking point mode and the Measure between function, the measure will not be associative. As a result, there will be no associative geometry.
  • When a measure is not associative, the value is displayed in the value field.
  • Even in the case of an associative measure, if you only want to get the result of the measure, unselect the Keep measure check box.
  • To create a customization, click Customize... in the Measure Item dialog box to see the properties the system can detect for the various types of item you can select.

Using the Measure Item... command

Measure Between allows you to get the minimal distance or angle between two elements, depending on the parameter magnitude.

  1. Add a parameter of Length type.

  2. Click Formula . The Formulas dialog box is displayed.

  3. From the New parameter of type scrolling list, select Length and click New parameter of type. Length.1 is displayed in the Edit name or value of the current parameter field.

  4. Right-click the value field of Length.1 and select Measure Item.... The Measure Item dialog box is displayed.

  5. Make sure the Keep measure option is checked in the Measure Item dialog box.

  6. In the geometry, select one side of the Pad and click OK in the Formulas dialog box. A new parameter is added below the Parameters node and below the Measure node. The Length.1 parameter is now linked to the result of the measure.

Using the Measure Between... command

You can use the Measure Between... command.

  1. Add a parameter of Angle type.

  2. Click Formula . The Formulas dialog box is displayed.

  3. From the New parameter of type scrolling list, select Angle and click New parameter of type. Angle.1 is displayed in the Edit name or value of the current parameter field.

  4. Right-click the value field of Angle.1 and select Measure Between.... The Measure Between dialog box is displayed.

  5. From the Selection 2 mode scrolling list, select the Edge only option.

  6. In the specification tree, select Plane xy then select the geometry as shown below.

  7. The selected items are highlighted in the geometry and the measure is displayed in green.

  8. Click OK in the Measure Between dialog box and OK in the Formulas dialog box. An angle parameter is added below the Parameters node and the measure is displayed below the Measure node.

Note:

  • If several characteristics of the measure are computed and have the same magnitude, the system will choose the most convenient according to predefined rules.
  • To remove the link to the measure, right-click the measure item in the specification tree and select measure object > Remove the link with measure.