About Replacing Features

The Replace command allows you to change the parent feature of given element(s) in a representation context.

The following topics are discussed:

Related Topics
The Replace command Access and Dialogs
Replacing Elements
Manual and Automatic Rerouting After the Replace Operation

What is the Replace command?

Using the Replace operation on a feature and choosing another one to replace it, means that all the features that referenced the replaced feature, will reference the replacing feature at the end of the operation. However, certain checks are done before the replace operation is performed in order to ensure it will not compromise design consistency.

When do you use the Replace Operation?

The Replace operation may be useful when a modification occurs late in the design. When a feature is replaced, the whole geometry based onto the feature that is replaced is updated according to the new specifications coming from the replacing feature. Thus it helps you in quick design modifications.

What Type of Elements it can be used on?

The Replace command is used to replace the geometrical elements. It can be used to replace the elements such as,

  • Reference Elements- Lines, Planes and Points
  • Wireframe Elements- Curves and Sketches
  • Surface Elements- Surfaces and Volumes
  • Solids Elements- Bodies only

Note: The solid features such as Pad, Fillet, Draft, etc constitute to form a body element which cannot be individually replaced.

What Type of Elements are Impacted by Replace Operation?

Launching the Replace operation on a feature impacts features that are based on it :

  • The features that reference the replaced feature as a whole (e.g. a Line that references a Point)
  • The features that reference a sub element of the geometry of the replaced feature (e.g. an EdgeFillet that references the Edge of a Surface)

Therefore, the replace operation impacts the child features. It does not affect the parent features of the replaced feature.

By selecting the option Do replace only for elements situated after the In Work Object in Tools > Options > Infrastructure > 3D Shape Infrastructure > General tab > Replace you can choose to limit the impact of the replace operation to only the features located after In Work Object in the specification tree.



In case of solid bodies, when a replace operation is performed on a body, the elements which are referencing the body gets impacted. But the elements which are referencing the solid feature inside the replaced body are not impacted.

What Checks are Performed Before the Replace Operation?

When you replace a feature with an another feature, the replace operation is performed if the following checks are satisfied:

  • The feature to replace is one of the elements stated in What Type of Elements it can be used on?
  • The replace operation do not lead to on update cycle. In case of designs in ordered sets (OGS or Bodies), order and absorption concepts are respected. To know more about order and absorption concept, see Creating Bodies in a Hybrid Design Environment
  • The impacted elements (child elements) are not located before the Work In Object if the replace setting is selected.

Based on the above check results the replace operations can be fully or partially executed or blocked. An information dialog box is displayed to update you on operation status in case the replace leads to inconsistencies.