Chaining Edges

You can quickly chain edges. The selected edges define further geometry. The selection is updated after a design change.

This task shows you how to:

Chain Edges and Minimize Angle

You can chain edges from an initial one while minimizing the angle between two successive edges.

  1. From the Selection Tools section of the action bar, click Chaining Edges .
  2. Select Minimize Angle .
  3. Select the initial edge.
    It is displayed in purple, with two direction arrows.
  4. Optional: Select the Propagate Both Ways check box.
    Chaining edges propagates in both directions, starting from the initial edge.
  5. Click an arrow to indicate the direction and start the propagation.

    Note: Propagation through a partial edge is supported.

  6. Optional: To help propagation computation:
    • Select target edges. They are displayed in green.
    • Select stop edges. They are displayed in yellow.
    • If propagation reaches a target or a stop edge, it is automatically selected.
    • Propagation stops when a stop edge is reached.
    • Propagation does not try to reach target or stop edges, it uses them when reached.
  7. Under More, specify continuity tolerances.
    • G0 Tolerance: If the distance between two edges is lower than this value, they are considered as connected, propagation goes from one to the other.
    • G1 Tolerance: If the tangency discontinuity between two edges is lower than this value, they are considered as tangent. They are given propagation priority.
  8. Still under More, review the list of points where propagation made a decision not related to G1 continuity.
    As you select a line in the table, the point is displayed in the 3D area with some information.
  9. Optional: Activate Result As Selection.
    No feature is created. The result is a selection of edges.

    Useful to create a Generative Shape Design join or modify the visual properties of edges.

A Chaining Edges feature is created (Unless Result As Selection is activated), with its tolerance parameters and total length.

Chain Edges with Inner Curve

You can select edges between two points of a boundary. The edges are inner edges, that is not on the boundary of the selected support.

Use this mode to define areas on a surface, such as the flanges in Die Face Design.

Note: To guarantee stability when design changes:
  • The start and end points are automatically projected on the boundary. If the original BRep is lost, the last stored position is used.
  • If the passing edges are not found, the closest edge on the new support is used.

  1. Select Inner Curve .
  2. Select one start and one end point on the boundary.
    1. Select target edges.
      Propagation goes through them whenever possible.
    Propagation selects inner edges to go as fast as possible from the start point to the end point. G1 continuity is respected whenever possible.
  3. Under More, specify continuity tolerances.

    G1 Tolerance: If the tangency discontinuity between two edges is lower than this value, they are considered as tangent. They are given propagation priority.

A Chaining Edges feature is created (Unless Result As Selection is activated), with its tolerance parameters and total length.