VPM Navigator

This task explains how to customize VPM Navigator > Reference settiings.

This page includes:

Background Color



Select a color other than the gray default if you want to change the color of the background in VPM Navigator. Choose from the list of ready to use colors or click the More Colors... option at the bottom of the list to access additional colors or create your own custom colors.

Rendering



Reduce visualization flickering

Select the Reduce visualization flickering box if you want to reduce the visual flickering created by overlapping zones competing for visual representation. Note that for some exceptional cases, the flickering may not be entirely eliminated.

The flickering occurs because two or more polygons have similar values in the z-buffer, therefore one polygon "wins" the z test, then another polygon wins the test, and so on. The overall effect is a flickering of polygons "fighting" to color the screen pixels.

By default, this option is deactivated.

Expand Root Node on Open



Expand automatically the root node

Depending on the size of your products and how your products are structured, you may or may not want the root node of your tree to be automatically expanded when it is opened in VPM Navigator.

Select the Expand automatically the root node box if you want the root node of the VPM Navigator tree to be expanded one level on open.

Un-checking the box results in the root node not being expanded at all when it is opened in VPM Navigator. This gives you an opportunity to apply a filter before any additional nodes are retrieved.

By default, this option is activated.

Expand with Filter



Apply Engineering Filter by default

Select the Apply Engineering Filter by default check box to ensure that the de-activated instances are filtered out, each time an assembly is explored in VPM Navigator Workbench.

By default, this option is deactivated.

Stable Order



Order the VPM Navigator graph nodes

Select the Order the VPM Navigator graph nodes box if you want graph nodes to be ordered as defined using the Graphical Tree Reordering command. (Note: this command is only available in an Authoring window.)

By default, this option is activated.

Order alphabetically

Select the Order alphabetically box if you want to order nodes alpha-numerically. (The applied order is: 1) numeric 2) capital alpha 3) lowercase alpha.)

By default, this option is deactivated.

3D Navigation



Activate the 3D Navigation

Select Activate the 3D Navigation to visualize a 3D representation of your structure in the turntable view.

Un-checking the box results in the 3D view not being visible, which reduces the time necessary to load your structure.

By default, this option is activated.

Alternative CGR loading

CATIA Graphical Representation (CGR) formats are a representation of the geometry of the object. They are smaller in size so they load faster than the full geometry and require less memory.

Select Alternative CGR Loading to load the CGR format of the parts (instead of the 3D Thumbnail) for representations in the structure. Note: For leaf references, the 3D Thumbnail will be used if it exists, else the CGR of its child representation will be used.

If the option is not selected, 3D Thumbnails will be used for the entire structure.

By default, this option is activated.

Show Representations in the 3D

Select Show Representations in the 3D to show the Representation objects of your product structure in the turntable view.

Checking the box results in the visualization on the turntables of the Representation objects found under the various Reference objects.

By default, this option is activated.

Dynamic 3D Thumbnails

Dynamic 3D Thumbnails mode enables 3D Thumbnails to be generated dynamically during a user's session.

Important: Configuration filters and security attributes will be taken into account for the 3D Thumbnails that are displayed for a given user. Note that response time will not be as fast as when using 3D Thumbnails generated by the Thumbnail Builder and stored on the server.

Select Dynamic 3D Thumbnails to activate the high definition mode.

Slide the Quality slider to designate the quality of the generated Dynamic3D Thumbnail. The higher the quality, the more precise the 3D Thumbnail will be, i.e. the larger will be the number of loaded leaf Representations. (This parameter modifies the number of launched rays in the 3D index and consequently the potential number of hit leaf Representations to load.)

By default, this option is activated.

3D Search



Maximum number of results before warning

In the Maximum number of results before warning box, enter the maximum number of Search results before a warning is displayed (maximum: 10000).

By default, the value is set to 1000.

3D Similar Search



Number of Results

In the Number of results box, enter the maximum number of Similar Search results that can be displayed (maximum: 100).

By default, the value is set to 10.

3D Shape Representation Filtering



Show design representations

Select the Show design representations box if you want to see the native 3D design geometry representations in the VPM Navigator tree.

If you are a designer, you would normally select this option. If the option is selected, it will be taken into account by the open commands.

By default, this option is activated.

Show review representations

Select the Show review representations box if you want to see the computed 3D Shape review representations (cgrs) in the VPM navigator tree.

If you are a reviewer, you would normally select this option. If the option is selected, it will be taken into account by the open commands.

By default, this option is activated.

Tree Display



Enable the grouping nodes by applicative types

Select Grouping Nodes to activate the option.

This option enables you to group objects of same applicative type under one node in the tree, thereby making the tree more readable.

Note:

  • Only applicative types from the Fastener, Piping and Electrical disciplines are available for grouping.
  • When the option is activated, grouping nodes will not be displayed in the 3D when the "in-place" navigation mode is activated.

By default, the option is set to No.