Creating a Contour

You can take advantage of the visual feedback to create a contour.

Notes:
  • This task is available in Composites Design, in Composites Manufacturing Preparation and in Composites Braiding.
  • When creating plies that will be braided, start with a tubular surface and create two loop contours, one at each end (Do not create a single contour referencing two loops). These contours can be an extract of the edge at each end, or created by intersecting a plane with the tubular surface.
  • The operating mode described below applies to the following commands as well, with possible slight differences.
    • Zone
    • Ply (and cut-piece)
    • Edge of Part
    • Butt Splice Zone
    • No Splice Zone

  1. From the Shape tools section of the action bar, select Contour .
  2. Select the support surface.
  3. Select the first curve.
    Its highlight remains throughout the contour creation to help you close the contour.

    Its callout is displayed in the middle of the curve for a better view.



  4. Select the second curve.
    If the selection is not valid, an information is added to the callout.

    The curve is highlighted.

    Whenever you select a curve, its name is displayed.

    There is a reframe on the name of the curve in the list displayed in the dialog box.

  5. Select the third curve.
    This selection defines a portion of curve that can be part of a contour. This portion is highlighted. This is only an indication that the next selection can make irrelevant.

  6. Continue the selection.
    If a possible closed contour is detected, it is displayed with a special highlight. If you select another curve no longer leading to a closed contour, the special display disappears.

    If the geometry is too complex to define a portion of contour, only the first selected curve is still displayed with a special highlight. The complete special highlight reappears when portions of a contour, or a closed contour are detected again.

    Note: You can select the same curve several times.

  7. Use Insert After, Before, Add and Remove to modify the order of the curves as well as the contour.
  8. Define the Extrapol Distance that is the gap tolerance to support curves that do not intersect or are not connected.

    • This can be the case of the output curve of slicing features.
    • Extrapol Distance represents the accepted extrapolation value, that is, curvilinear distance, for the curves that do not form a closed contour.
    • It is stored in the tree.
    • By default, Extrapol Distance is 0.2 mm.

  9. To create curves for the contour, right-click the curves box and create the element you need.