Creating a Multistate Structure

You can create a multistate structure and edit the folds of intermediate bend states.

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin:
  • Open your product in Flexible Circuit Board Design using Open Advanced, and select the With all representations option.
  • Activate the 3D shape representation of a board and display its folded view.
See Also
About Multistate

Create an Intermediate State

  1. From the Edition section of the action bar, click Multistate .
    The multistate structure is created.

    • In the tree, Body.1 contains a copy of the sheet metal body which is now hidden under PartBody.

      Moreover, the initial folded and unfolded states of the board are finalized. As a consequence, their representations appear under the board node as two new 3D shapes.

    • In the 3D area, the flexible sections of your board are colored in orange.
  2. Add an intermediate state to the structure:
    1. Click Create State .
      The State Creation dialog box appears.
    2. Enter a name, and then select the state which precedes the state to be created from the Previous State list.

      Tips:
      • You can select the previous state in the Body.1 node in the tree.
      • If there are no states in your structure, the copy of the sheet metal solid is selected by default.

    3. Click OK to validate.
      • The state is created and appears in the Body.1 node. The following icon indicates that the state is not finalized: .
      • The new state is the exact copy of the previous state you selected.

You can add as many intermediate states as needed in your structure. Once a state is created, you can edit its folds.

Edit a Intermediate State

  1. Under Body.1, select a state and click Activate State in the context toolbar.
    Foldable angles are highlighted and flexible sections appear in orange.

  2. Double-click the state.

    Tip: You can also select the state and click Edit State in the context toolbar.

    • The State Edition dialog box appears.
    • The first foldable face is selected for edition.


  3. Modify a fold:
    1. Under State Edition, select a face and modify its folding angle.

      Notes:
      • You can use the angle manipulator to visualize the angle edition in real time.
      • If the angle you set is not relevant, an error message appears and the state retrieves its previous folding angle.

    2. Under Preview Parameters, set your preferences for the display of the current and previous states.
      In the following example, the current state appears in green and its previous state appears in blue. A state colored in red indicates that the modifications are not validated.

    3. Click OK to validate your modifications.
    The state is updated as well as the positions of the components.

  4. In the tree, select the state and click Finalize State .

  • The state is finalized. In the Body.1 node, the icon next to the edited state is modified: .
  • A new 3D shape representation node is added to your product. It contains the solid representation of the finalized state.
Note: If you finalize an already finalized state, its existing 3D shape representation is updated.
Tip: In the tree, select Multistate to easily manage your structure:

  • Click Manage States to display the States Manager panel. It enables to navigate your structure and edit the intermediate states.
  • Manage the finalization of your structure as a whole using Finalize All States , Unfinalize All States , and Delete All States .

Set a Rigid Face as a Flexible Section

  1. From the Edition section of the action bar, click Switch Face .
  2. In the 3D area, select a board face.
    The selected face, as well as its edges and its opposite face are colored in orange. It is now a flexible section.

    Important: If you select a face with placed components, a warning message appears. Click OK to remove the components from the selected face or Cancel to keep the rigid face and its components.
  3. Optional: To switch back to a rigid face, select the flexible section again.

    Note: Placed components are not retrieved when you switch a flexible section back to rigid face.