Generating a Flattened Layout

You can use the formboard generation process to flatten your entire 3D design harness on the same plane. The flattened layout is generated by maintaining the tangency of backbone branches orienting the secondary branches on relevant side of the backbone.

Note: For secondary branches the tangency is not kept but it is used to determine the orientation.
As a consequence, the flattened harness is simplified compared to the 3D design harness.

The stages in this procedure are as follows:

Before you begin: Import the 3D harness data.

For more information, see Electrical Manufacturing Preparation Applicative Content.

See Also
About the Formboard Generation Process
Procedure for Generating a Straightened and Torsion-free Layout

Customize Preferences

You can manage tangency using options available in the Preferences dialog box.

In Me > Preferences > App Preferences > 3D Modeling > Electrical and Electronic Systems > Electrical Manufacturing Preparation, select the Formboard tab and customize the following preferences:
  1. Under Component orientation, select Closest preferred plane.
  2. Under Tangency and shape at device junction, select the Keep branch definition check box.
  3. Under Offset from global xy plane, enter a distance in mm.

For more information about these options, see Formboard.

Customize Business Logics

You can implement business rules to customize the generation of your layout.

  1. To extract supports that are instantiated in the electrical geometry, write a rule for the Extract component business rule opening ID.
    For more information, see Extract Component Business Rule (EHFSynchronization_ComputationIfExtractComponent).
  2. To set the minimum angle to apply between branches, write a rule for the Rotate business rule opening ID.

    For more information, see Rotate Business Rule (EHFLiveManipulator_AngleofRotate).

  3. To apply length tolerance at junctions, write a rule for the Junction management business rule opening ID.

    For more information, see Junction Management Business Rule (EHFArrangedJunction_ComputationLengthToleranceForOwningSegments).

  4. To set the maximum bend radius and the minimum angle for rigid branches, write a rule for the Flatten Rigid branch business rule opening ID.

    For more information, see Flatten Rigid Branch Business Rule (EHFFlatten_ComputationRigidBranchFlatten).

  5. To set the ambiguity width value around the vector at the entry segment within which any segment is ambiguous, write a rule for Junction Ambiguity Zone opening ID.

    For more information, see Junction Ambiguity Zone (EHFTorsion_AmbiguityZone)

Generate the Formboard Layout

You can generate the formboard layout of the 3D harness in one single process.

  1. Open the harness data in an authoring tab.
  2. From the Formboard section of the action bar, click Formboard .

    The command is not available if a generated layout is already open.

  3. Select one of the following:
    • An electrical physical system
    • Required electrical branch geometries

    Notes:
    • You can click Select all to select all the electrical geometries.
    • If you select another electrical physical system after previous selection, previous selection is not considered.

    • In the 3D area, the selected content is highlighted.
    • In the Formboard Process panel, under the Selection tab, the selected elements are listed. You can click to filter the selection.
    • The Validation button is available.
  4. Click Validation to check the network connectivity.
    The content (branches, supports, devices, and mechanical parts) is highlighted as below:



    		The content is validated.


    		The content is not validated because of discrepancy.

    If discrepancies are found, the Validation button is displayed with icon and the expanders between following are displayed in the Validation tab:

    • Electrically disconnected branches: Under this, all the branches which are open ended or electrically disconnected are listed.
    • Branches without curve: Under this, all the branches which are not linked to any curve are listed.
    • Loops in data: Under this, all the elements which are forming the loop in the harness data are listed. These elements will be displayed in orange .
    • Multiple Connected Networks: Under this, all the networks connected to current electrical physical system are listed. By default, the biggest network among the connected networks is flattened.
      Color Significance


      		Network to be flattened


      		Other identified connected networks

      To flatten the required network, you can right-click the required network and click the Select network. The selected network to be flattened is displayed in green in 3D area and the that will not be flattened is greyed out.

    You can click Validation to validate the connectivity. The Validation button is displayed with icon.

  5. Click Backbone and then select the required start and the end elements of the harness backbone.

    Note: You cannot select a 3D part with junction point as a start or end device for the backbone.

    • The labels, START and END, appear on a selected branch. The branch with color indicates the backbone.
    • The Backbone button is displayed with icon.
    • All the branches forming the backbone are listed in the Backbone tab under Report. The flatten status and the total rounded-off length of backbone branches is displayed.
    Tip: To change the backbone start and end element, click the Start or End boxes.
    The Harness Identification button is displayed with icon.
  6. Click Layout Options to confirm the orientation vector of start device of the backbone and to choose how to flatten the branches.

    By default, all the branches have flatten status as Flatten. You can click the branch successively till the required flatten status appears. For more information, about the various flatten status, see Preparing the Flattening Process.

    • The new flatten status of the branch appear in the Flatten status tab under Report.
    • In the Comment column, the next flatten status that you can specify is displayed.
    Notes:
    • You can select the face of the start device to change the orientation vector or click the orientation vector to flip it.
    • If you set the rigid flattened status on a branch for which bend portions are computed by default or through the Flatten Rigid branch business rule, yellow arcs appear in the 3D area to help you identify the bend portions.

      If the rigid flattened status is set on branches without bend portions, the branches are laid out straight.

    • The branches at device junction are not flattened keeping their shape intact and are displayed in orange color . The flatten status for these braches appears as Move.
  7. Optional: Apply filters to the required columns to display the required values.
    For more information, see Applying Filters.
  8. Click Generate layout to start the formboard generation process.
    The formboard layout appears in a new tab.
    • The backbone is aligned with the x-axis from left to right with start device placed on left-hand side.
    • The flattened layout is generated by maintaining the tangency of backbone branches orienting the secondary branches on relevant side of the backbone.