Selecting Faces to Define Geometry

You can use the Face Wizard and the Tools Palette to define geometry in a Machining Operation.

Before you begin: The Face Wizard appears when you click a geometry in the sensitive icon that requires the selection of faces. In some cases, the Face Wizard is started from a context menu.
  1. In the dialog box of a Machining Operation, right-click the geometry for which you need to select faces.
  2. Select Select faces in context menu.
    Notes:
    • Any hidden geometry selected using these commands is not taken into account in subsequent tool path computations. For more information, refer to the rules described in Influence of the Hide/Show Status of Selected Elements.
    • Regarding the selection of faces in a Body: Each face of a Body is linked to the container which is immediately above it in the tree. This container is either a PartBody or a Geometrical Set. It is highlighted in the tree when you pass the pointer over the face. This is important when a face linked to a body is selected in a Machining Operation. It is the container that is taken into account for machining and tool path computation.

    The Face Wizard and the Tool Palette appear. See Working with the Face Wizard.

  3. To select a belt of faces:
    1. Select two adjacent faces (to give the direction of selection).
    2. Click Navigate on Belt of Faces
    All the faces that are adjacent to the one you have selected are selected.
  4. To select a belt of faces up to a face:
    1. Select two adjacent faces (to give the direction of selection),
    2. Click Navigate on Faces Until a Face
    3. Select a third face where you want to end your selection.
    All the faces between the start and stop faces that are adjacent are selected.
  5. Select a face and click Navigate on Faces to navigate on faces.
    All the faces tangent to the one you have selected are selected.
  6. Click Preview the Contour
    The contour of the selected faces is highlighted.
  7. To select faces within a polygon trap:
    1. Click Faces in a Polygon Trap .
    2. Pick in the work area to draw a polygon around the faces to select.
    3. Double-click to end the selection.
    All the faces that are situated entirely within the polygon are selected
  8. Select a face of a given color and click Retrieve Faces of Same Color .
    All the faces with the same color as the one you picked are selected.
  9. In Multi-Axis Flank Contouring operations, click Multi-selection of Face to select a face more than once while defining the drive element.
  10. To select faces belonging to previously created selection sets:
    1. Click Selection Sets .
      The Selection Sets Selection dialog box is displayed. See Store Selections Using Selection Sets.
  11. In Stiffener operations, click Stiffener Selection to select drive elements as explained in Machining Stiffeners in the Mulit-Axis Machining User's Guide.
  12. Click Select Normal Faces.
    The Define Normal Faces dialog box appears to let you select faces from a Reference body that are:
    • Normal to a main axis (By Axis tab, Z selected).
    • Or parallel or perpendicular to a face that you select as reference (By Face tab, Reference face: No Selection, Parallel activated).
  13. Use the Tools Palette to multi-select face elements.
  14. Click Reset All Selections to reset all the current selections.
  15. When you are done:
    • Click OK to validate and exit the Face Wizard.
    • Click Cancel to exit the Face Wizard without selecting faces.