Creating a Limit Contour

You can create limit contours on plies or cut-pieces.

Note: This task is available in Composites Design and Composites Manufacturing Preparation.

  1. From the Plies Design section of the action bar, click Limit Contour .
  2. Select the Entity (ply, sequence, plies group or stacking) where to insert the limit contour.

    • Multiselection is available.
    • In the dialog box that appears gives access to the Stacking Management.
    • All plies must lie on the same surface.

  3. Click Multi-selection to select relimiting curves lying on the same surface as the Entity.
    The limiting curves and their values are listed as you select them.
  4. Pick a curve to select it or to make it current.

    Tip: Select several curves to edit in one shot. However, you cannot modify the Curve Orientation, nor reorder curves. Apply To All is not available.

    The orientation of the current curve is shown in green.

    See About Limit Contours and Limit Contour Groups to learn more about assembling curves into a limiting contour.

  5. Pick the green arrow or click Invert to reverse the orientation of the curve.
    • The Curve Orientation is either 1 or -1.
    • The curve orientation is saved in the limit contour feature.
    • The orientation of the other curves may have changed too to avoid inconsistency.
  6. Edit the staggering value.
    • Place the cursor in the cell of the table and edit the value directly.
    • Use the context menu of the cell to enter the staggering value as a formula.
    • Select one or several curves in the dialog box, and edit the value in the box below.
  7. Define the Staggering Step.

    By default, Staggering Step is 0. Therefore, the staggering step for the first ply is 0, 1 for the second ply, 2 for the third ply, and so on.

    • This option is available for any entity you have selected. If you have selected several plies, the step is automatically defined starting from the one you selected.
    • This option is influenced by the order of selection of the plies. Be careful when selecting the plies.

  8. Pick a staggering to make it current.
  9. Pick the arrow or click Invert to reverse the orientation of the staggering.

    • For highly curved surfaces or large staggering value and step, a distortion could occur between the preview and the actual staggering.
    • The staggering direction value is either 1 or -1.
    • All staggerings with the same value are shown in the same color.
    • Multiselection of staggering handle is supported.

  10. Close the multiselection dialog box to return to the main dialog box.
    The relimiting direction is shown by the red arrow.
  11. Optional: Pick the red arrow or click Invert to reverse the relimiting direction.
  12. Select how relimiting curves are joined.
    See About Limit Contours and Limit Contour Groups for more information.
  13. The created Limit Contour feature is a parallel to the curve you have selected. Select the parallel creation mode from the list.
    • Geodesic and Euclidian impose the type you have selected.
    • Geodesic otherwise Euclidian creates a geodesic parallel if possible, otherwise it creates an Euclidian parallel.
    • Euclidian otherwise Geodesic creates an Euclidian parallel if possible, otherwise it creates a geodesic parallel.
    • Parallel planes otherwise geodesic creates parallel planes if possible, otherwise creates a geodesic parallel.

A Limit Contour Group node and a limit contour feature are created.