Selecting Edges To Define Geometry

You can use the Edge Selection dialog box to define geometry in a Machining Operation.

Before you begin: Whenever the selection of edges is required to define some geometry in a Machining Operation, the Edge Selection dialog box appears when you click this geometry in the sensitive icon. In some cases, the Edge Selection dialog box is started from a contextual menu.
Related Topics
About Interruption Feedback in Edge and Face Selection

  1. Click the icon representing the geometry to define.

    The Edge Selection dialog box appears like this

    in all Machining Operations with the exception of the Multi-Axis Flank Contouring operation: the contextual menu item Use curves as part starts the following dialog box:

    Note: Any hidden geometry selected using these commands is not taken into account in subsequent tool path computations. For more information, refer to the rules described in Influence of the Hide/Show Status of Selected Elements.

  2. To select a belt of edges:

    1. Select an edge.
    2. Click Navigate on Belt of Edges .

    All the edges that are tangent to the one you have selected are selected.

  3. To select edges up to a given edge:

    1. Select two edges that are tangent (to give the direction of selection) .
    2. Click Navigate on Edges Until an Edge .
    3. Select a third edge.

    All the edges between the start and a stop edges that are tangent are selected.

  4. To close a contour with a line:

    1. Select a contour or series of lines to form a contour.
    2. Click Close Contour with Line

    Note: Not available with Multi-Axis Flank Contouring

    A straight line is inserted from the beginning of the contour to the end of it.

  5. To insert a line on gaps:

    1. Click Insert Lines on Gaps
    2. Select one point as the beginning of the line and a second point as the end of the line.

    Note: Not available with Multi-Axis Flank Contouring

    A line is created between those two points.

  6. Click Extend Last Selected Edge

    An extension line is added to the last selected element of the current contour, in the same direction as this element. The length of the extension line is defined either by an Extension Value or by a Limiting Element. You can repeat Extend Last Selected Edge according to your need: each time you click Extend Last Selected Edge, an extension line is added after the previous one. Added extension lines can be analyzed in the Geometry Analyser.

  7. Click Reset Selection to Step Back

    The last selection reverts to a previous status given by a number of steps back defined in the Option dialog box.

  8. Click Reset Selection to Stop Edge

    The last edge selections is reset up to the last stop edge.

  9. Click Reset All Selections

    All the selections you have done are reset.

  10. To define selection options, click Options

    The Options dialog box appears and contains the following options. It looks like this:

    • in Multi-Axis Flank Contouring

    • in Lathe Machining operations

    • in all other Machining Operations

    The options available are:

    Link types
    Applies a global link type for managing gaps during contour selection:
    Automatic
    Propagates the contour selection up to a selected edge.
    No link
    Gaps are not filled.
    Line insert
    Creates a line segment to fill a gap.
    Linear extrapolation
    Uses two extrapolated line segments to fill a gap.
    Reverse Propagation
    During the edge selection, reverses the direction in which the following edges are to be selected.
    Propagation Domains

    By default, only the edges included in the current Body (or OpenBody) can be selected.

    Add
    Lets you select new bodies in the authoring window.
    Maximum gap and Maximum angle
    During automatic propagation, if there is more that one possible edge for selection, the best candidate is selected according to the following criteria:
    • The gap between the last selected edge and the candidate edge must be less than the Maximum gap.
    • The angle between the tangent of the candidate edge and the tangent to the last selected edges must be less than the Maximum angle. If there is still more than one candidate, the one that makes the smallest angle is preferred.

      Note: The maximum value of angle supported is 180 degree.

    Max Steps Forward
    When navigating on a belt of edges, propagation stops when the number of steps (or edges) forward is reached. In this case the label Next? appears at the end of the last selected edge to prompt a user action.
    Steps Back
    When resetting previous edge selections, specifies the number of edges (or steps) that can be reset.
    Limiting Element
    For Extend last Selected Edge, defines the length of the extension line added to the current contour.
    • If you select a point as the Limiting Element, the length of the extension is defined by the projection of the point onto the extension, as described below:

      A message is displayed when an extension cannot be added because the projection of the selected point coincides with the last point of the last selected element, or lies in the opposite direction.

    • If you select an edge as the Limiting Element, the length of the extension is defined by the intersection of the edge and the last selected element, as described below:

      A message is displayed when an extension cannot be added, for example when the selected edge and the last selected element are parallel, or lie in different planes.

    Extension Value
    For Extend last Selected Edge, defines the length of the extension line.
    Deep Selection
    When selected, lets you select the edges hidden by overlapping faces.

    By default, Deep Selection is not selected.

    Search in Plane

    • This check box applies to Navigate on Belt of Edges , Navigate on Edges Until an Edge , and Automatic Link Types.
    • Once you have selected the Search in Plane checkbox, proceed as explained above for each command. The only difference is that the first two non-colinear edges you select define a plane (shown in yellow), e.g.

      or

      Note:

      • If you select only one edge, an error message is displayed.
      • If you select more than two edges, only the last two ones are taken in account to define the plane.

    • Once the plane has been defined, candidate edges are searched only in this plane, making the definition of the required contour quicker and easier:
      • Search in Plane is not selected:

      • Search in Plane is selected:

    By default, Search in Plane is not selected.

  11. When you are done:

    • Click OK to validate and exit the Edge Selection dialog box.
    • Click Cancel to exit the Edge Selection dialog box without selecting edges.