About Sections

What Are Sections?

This subtopic provides background information about view sections.

An aligned section view or aligned section cut is a view created from a cutting profile defined from nonparallel planes. To include certain angled elements in a section, the cutting plane may be bent so as to pass through those features. The plane and feature are then imagined to be revolved around the original plane.

An offset section view or offset section cut is a view that allows sectioning through irregular objects, making it possible to show several features that do not lie in a straight line by offsetting or bending the cutting plane. It is created with multiple planes parallel to each other.

Cut in Section Views Capability

This subtopic provides information about the Cut in section views capability.

Note: As its name indicates, this capability applies to section views only.

In an assembly, you can specify whether a product must be sectioned or not when generated into section views or breakout views. (This capability is not available for section cuts).

The 3D part not intended to be cut, must have a dedicated Boolean property named E_DrwUncutInSections, valuated as TRUE through product Properties.

You can also do this when overloading element properties in a generated view.

Important: If you choose not to cut the elements in section views (that is clear the Cut in section views check box), this capability does not work for section views generated using the Approximate generation mode (selected elements are cut nonetheless). Likewise, if you switch an exact view to the approximate mode, the elements for which you cleared the Cut in section views check box are cut in the view.

Otherwise, you can specify using a drafting extension. For more information, see Creating Sections in Assembly Context.

Patterns

This subtopic provides information about the patterns that are used to represent sections.

Note: Patterns are not applied to aligned sections that are tangent to the 3D faces.

Patterns are defined in the standards. For more information, see Pattern Definition.

You may modify the pattern (hatching, dotting, coloring, or image) by right-clicking it and selecting Properties. In the Properties dialog box, select a new pattern or modify some graphical attributes of the existing pattern.

Important: In the case of parts that use a material to which a specific pattern is associated, views generated using the Approximate generation mode do not inherit the material properties from the 3D, and therefore do not use the pattern associated with this material. Furthermore, as the pattern properties are not persistent, the pattern may change after switching an exact view to the approximate mode and vice versa.

Creation of Section Profiles in a View Containing Broken Profiles

You can create an offset or an aligned section view or a section cut in a view that already contains a single or multiple broken profiles.

A view having single or multiple broken profiles can be divided into a number of zones. Consider the following view containing two broken operator profiles:

Three zones are defined as shown: Zone 1, Zone 2, and Zone 3.
Broken region is the area between the broken operator profile lines.

In this case, you can create valid aligned or offset section profile types such as section callout in single zone, or across broken region but with certain rules as mentioned below.


Types of Profiles	Description	Section Callout Creation
Section callout profile in single zone	A section callout profile (aligned/offset) is in a single zone, when all the callout profile segments lie completely in Zone 1, Zone 2 or Zone 3 and do not intersect/cut any broken operator profile lines.	Possible
Section callout profile partially in the broken region This scenario is possible only when a section callout profile is already present in the view and then a broken profile is created such that part of the section callout profile is encompassed inside the broken region.	A section callout profile (aligned/offset) is in partially in the broken region zone, if some of the profile segments of section callout are present in the broken region and the remaining of them are strictly present in a single zone.	Not possible
Section callout profile across the broken region	A section callout profile (aligned/offset) is across the broken region zone, if some of the end segment points of the section callout profile are present in Zone 1 and some of the segment end points are present in adjacent Zone 2, crossing the broken region.	Possible when the perpendicularity rule is followed.
Section callout profile completely in the broken region This scenario is possible only when a section callout profile is already present in the view and a broken profile such that the whole section callout profile is encompassed inside the broken region.	A section callout profile (aligned/offset) is completely in the broken region zone, if all the segments of the section callout profile are present completely inside the broken region zone.	Not possible
Section callout profile across multiple broken region zones	A section callout profile (aligned/offset) is across the multiple broken region zones, if some or all segment end points of section callout profile are present on either side of the multiple broken operators.	Possible when the perpendicularity rule is followed.

In short, consider the following points when creating an aligned section callout profile:

A valid aligned section callout profile cannot have any end point of a profile segment inside a broken region zone.
A valid aligned section callout profile can be created across broken region zones when the segment crossing the broken region zone is perpendicular to the two broken lines of that broken operator. This is referred as the perpendicularity rule.

Similarly, consider the following points when creating an offset section callout profile:

A valid offset section callout profile cannot have the start point of the first segment or end point of the last segment of a callout profile inside a broken region zone. (For example, for a single segment offset profile, no end points can be inside the broken region zone).
An offset section callout profile can only have even-numbered profile segments fully defined inside a broken region zone. This is referred as an even number rule. (Profile segment number starting with 1).
A valid offset section callout profile can be created across broken region zone/s when the segment crossing or intersecting the broken region zone follows the perpendicularity rule with respect to the broken operator lines.

However, if an invalid profile is created, a message is displayed informing that such a section callout profile cannot be created.

Note: You can create a broken profile on a view that already contains a section callout profile without any restrictions.

Edition of Section Callout Profile

You can edit the section callout profile or create a completely new section callout profile using the Replace Profile command in the Callout Edition app.

You can edit only valid section callout profiles. A warning message is displayed when you try to edit an invalid section callout.

Important: In Callout Edition app, the section callout appears in a broken state while the generated geometry in the background appears in an unbroken state.

After editing the section callout, the resultant callout has to be a valid one and follow the same rules as mentioned in Creation of Section Profiles in a View Containing Broken Profile(s). If the newly created callout is found invalid, an appropriate message appears.

The following table gives the summary of the edition of section callout profiles:


	Section Callout Profile in Single Zone	Section Callout Profile Partially in Broken Region Zone	Section Callout Profile across Broken Region Zone	Section Callout Profile Completely in Broken Region Zone	Section Callout Profile across Multiple Broken Region Zones
Section callout profile before edition	Allowed (aligned/offset)	Not allowed	Allowed when the perpendicularity rule is followed. (Aligned) Allowed when perpendicularity rule and even number rules are followed. (Offset)	Not allowed (aligned/offset)	Allowed when the perpendicularity rule is followed. (Aligned) Allowed when perpendicularity rule and even number rules are followed. (Offset)
Section callout profile after edition	Valid (aligned/offset)	Invalid	Allowed when the perpendicularity rule is followed. (Aligned) Allowed when perpendicularity rule and even number rules are followed. (Offset)	Invalid	Allowed when the perpendicularity rule is followed. (Aligned) Allowed when perpendicularity rule and even number rule are followed. (Offset)

Visualization of Section Callout Profiles

You can click the Callouts node in the tree or directly click the callout profile and visualize the section callout fully or in a truncated manner or not visualize it at all, depending on the type of section callout profile.

The following table summarizes the visualization of section callout profiles:


	Section Callout Profile in Single Zone	Section Callout Profile Partially in Broken Region Zone	Section Callout Profile across Broken Region Zone	Section Callout Profile Completely in Broken Region Zone	Section Callout Profile across Multiple Broken Region Zones
Aligned/offset section callout	Fully seen	Truncated	Fully seen/truncated	Not seen	Fully seen/truncated

Propagation of Broken and Breakout Specifications

You can propagate the broken and breakout specifications of a view to a newly created view. To propagate the specifications, select Propagate Breakout and Propagate Broken in the Creation Options panel, in the Propagate Operator Specifications list.

For more information, see Creating a View using Generative View Styles.

For an aligned section callout, the broken specifications are propagated to a newly created section view only if it is a valid single segment callout and it crosses all the broken operators present in that view.

For an offset section callout profile, the broken specifications are propagated only if it is a valid callout profile and it crosses all the broken operators present in that view, and the first segment of this valid section callout is perpendicular to the broken operator lines. (It is valid for a single as well as multiple segment callouts).

Understanding Unexpected Results

This subtopic provides information that may help you understand unexpected results:

Case of Aligned Sections

This subtopic provides information that must be useful in understanding the unexpected results in the case of aligned sections views or aligned section cuts.

Contrary to the other view types, in an aligned section view/cut, the 2D geometry seen in the view is not based on a single 3D plane, but on numerous 3D planes. However, like all generative views, the aligned section view represents only one projection plane. Then it selects only one of the 3D planes (the one corresponding to the first segment of its profile). As a consequence, some results can be different from your expectations:

Symbolic representation of threads can be ill-formed.
When creating an auxiliary, section, breakout, or box clipping view from the aligned section view/cut, the result might not be the expected one.

In these particular cases, create a view of each part to get the results you expect.

Case of Offset Sections

This subtopic provides information that must be useful in understanding the unexpected results in the case of offset sections views or offset section cuts.

When a planar face belongs to the section profile, you may get unexpected results. For example, the section edge may or may not be displayed, and the section may or may not be represented by a pattern. Indeed, as the cutting profile can be considered as being either inside or outside the part, the result largely depends on computing tolerances. Consequently, when defining the section profile, we advise that you avoid getting into such a geometrical configuration.

The example here shows what kind of results you may get for a given section:

Expected result:

Unexpected results: