Adding a Cavity

A cavity is an unfilled space within a mass.

You can add a cavity to the following electrical devices:

  • Contact
  • Mounting equipment
  • Equipment
  • Terminal strip
  • Terminal block
  • Ground studs
  • Connector shells
  • Single insert connectors
  • Backshells.

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin: Open any document containing at least one device.

Add a Cavity

This scenario describes how to add a cavity to an electrical device using the axis system. This is the recommended method.

  1. From the Device section of the action bar, click Cavity .
  2. In the tree or in the work area, select an electrical device.

    The Cavity Definition dialog box appears.

  3. In the Name box, type a name.

    Important: The name must be unique.

  4. To place a cavity:
    1. Select the Standard tab.
    2. Click the icon.
      The Axis System Definition dialog box appears.

      If there is an existing representation, a right-handed axis system is positioned by default.

    3. Optional: Define an origin, and then the X, Y, and Z axes.
      For more information about defining axis systems, see Generative Shape Design User's Guide: Defining an Axis System.
    4. Click OK.




    In the Cavity Definition dialog box, the name of the axis system is displayed in the Axis System box.

  5. To specify the segment section parameters:
    1. Click More....
    2. For rectangular profiles, type a Width and Thickness.
    3. For circular profiles, type a Diameter.
      Tip: You can pre-define the profile of the branches that are connected to connection points to help you confirm or correct the cavity dimensions. For this, set the Width and Thickness (or Diameter) of the cavity and click the geometry background to visualize the shape and dimensions, which are highlighted in green, on the electrical device. The preview of Diameter will only be shown if Width and Thickness are 0 or Unset and Diameter value is > 0.

  6. Click OK to validate.
    The cavity is added to the selected device and appears under the Electrical node in the tree.
  7. Select Properties in the contextual menu of the cavity in the tree.
  8. Click the Electrical tab in which the Type is indicated. You can edit the Extra Length in the spin box and add a SubType attribute to the cavity.
  9. Set or edit the value of the Extra Length.

    Thus, you can know the length of conductors after routing them between two devices or device cavities.

    Conductors can be defined / routed between two devices (connector / shell or contact). A cavity defined on such a device behaves like a conductor termination / end. Conductors, passing through segments and backshells, are routed between the cavities of these two devices.

    To find the realistic length of a conductor, you need to know:

    • The segment length

    • The extra length of conductor to pass through the backshell

    • The extra length of conductor to reach the conductor termination, which is the cavity of the device.

    For more information about Extra Length, see Routing Conductors.

  10. You can add a SubType attribute to a cavity at its creation stage. First of all, you need to declare a list of subtype values in the Data Setup. The available strings to be used for subtype app during Cavity Definition are displayed in the preview frame of the assigned cavity resource.
    Thus when you double-click the cavity, the Cavity Definition window opens. In the Subtype field, a drop-down list displays the subtypes that are available for the cavity. The selected subtype is reflected in the Electrical tab of the cavity Properties (see step 8). You can change the subtype value in the Properties dialog box as well.

    This will further enable the user to filter cavities based on subtype attributes. When no cavity subtype resource has been defined in Data Setup, there is no Subtype drop-down list in the Cavity Definition dialog box.

Define Cavity Parameters

You can edit the parameters of a cavity.

The segment section parameters can be defined on the cavity. These dimensions are used while routing a branch on this cavity, if the Automatically impose profile properties from segment connection point or cavity option is selected in Me > Preferences> Equipment > Electrical Discipline > Electrical 3D Design > Electrical Geometry Management tab.

  1. Double-click a cavity in the tree.
    The Cavity Definition dialog box appears.
  2. Click More... to define the properties of a flat cable.

    Note: To manage the flat cables' orientation, it is recommended to use the Standard tab.

  3. Edit the Segment section parameters.
    You can visualize in real time the modifications on the device.

    The axis system of the connector's cavity is already defined. For a flat cable:

    • y: corresponds to the Width of the flat cable's profile.
    • z: corresponds to the Thickness.

    By default, a flat cable is rectangular, but if the user chooses to define the Diameter, the result will look like creating a standard branch (it will not be flat). The Diameter is taken into account only when the Width or Thickness is unset.

  4. Click OK to validate.
    Now the cavity contains the dimensions necessary for the flat cable creation, when you will route a branch on this cavity.
  5. Select the cavity in the tree.

    You can see the width, thickness and cavity tangency directions of the flat cable if these characteristics have already been defined in the Cavity Definition window.

  6. Route the flat cable on the segment connection point.