Deforming Elements According to Shape Morphing

You can deform the elements on the basis of the deformation on shape morphing, that is matching each reference curve or point (reference elements) onto a target curve or point (target elements). The deformation is then defined by the transformation of the reference curves or points into target curves or points. The elements used for the deformation do not necessarily lie on the initial surface.

Tip: In Geometrical Sets and Ordered Geometrical Sets, you can use Cut, Copy, Paste, Powercopy, and UserFeature functionality on deformed elements.

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin:
  • You must have access to the Generative Shape Morphing app.
  • Create a 3D shape containing a surface, and several curves or points.
See Also
About Morphing Shapes

Deform an Element

You can deform an element by defining the reference and the target elements.

  1. From the Morphing section of the action bar, click Shape Morphing .
  2. Select a curve in the work area and the selection automatically appears in the Element to deform box.
  3. In the work area, successively select the first reference element and the first target element, which appears in the Deformation Elements tab.


  4. Repeat this operation by selecting the second reference and target elements.
  5. In the Type list, select the deformation to be applied.

    A Shape Morphing result is the image of the Shape Morphing's Element to deform option by a mathematical transformation. This mathematical transformation is defined by between 1 and n conditions combined together. Those conditions can be:

    • Feature.1's image is Feature.2. To request this condition, select:
      1. Feature.1 as Reference,
      2. Reference point/curve as Type, and
      3. Feature.2 as Target.
    • Feature.1's image must be identical to Feature.1. To request this condition, select:
      1. Feature.1 as Reference, and
      2. Reference frozen as Type.
    • There exists a vector t such that Feature.1's image by Shape Morphing transformation is identical to Feature.1's image by the translation defined by the vector t. To request this condition, select:
      1. Feature.1 as Reference, and
      2. Reference translation as Type.
    • There exists an isometric transformation I such that Feature.1's image by Shape Morphing's transformation is identical to Feature.1's image by the isometric transformation I. To request this condition, select:
      1. Feature.1 as Reference, and
      2. Reference isometry as Type.
    • There exists a similarity S such that Feature.1's image by Shape Morphing's transformation is identical to Feature.1's image by the similarity S. To request this condition, select:
      1. Feature.1 as Reference, and
      2. Reference similarity as Type.
    • There exists a linear transformation L such that Feature.1's image by Shape Morphing's transformation is identical to Feature.1's image by the linear transformation L. To request this condition, select:
      1. Feature.1 as Reference, and
      2. Reference linear transformation as Type.

  6. Click Preview.
    • The deformation is applied to a group of points.
    • There is a constraint' mapping between the reference and the target curves.


    You can visualize the mapping constraint by selecting a number in the Deformation Elements tab.

  7. Click OK.



    You can apply a constraint on the target element with the associated support surface. The Constraint list displays the available continuity types depending on the reference/target elements you chose.

    Notes:

    • If you select a reference and a target element, the Point and the Tangent continuity are available. In case of Point continuity, the Support box is unavailable.

      In case of Tangent continuity, select a support surface so that the continuity is kept.
    • If you select only reference elements, all continuities (Point, Tangent, and Curvature) are available. In case of tangent or curvature continuity, you do not need to select a support surface as the surface to deform is taken into account.
    • If you select the Type as Reference translation / Reference isometry / Reference similarity / Reference linear transformation, the None (G0), Rigid tangency and Rigid space continuities are available.

Deform an Element using Autocoupling Modes

In case of reference and target wires consisting of many edges, you can set coupling points automatically by selecting an autocoupling mode for the reference-target pair.

  1. In the work area, select a surface as Element to deform.
  2. Successively select the first Reference element and the first Target element, which appears in the Deformation Elements tab.


  3. Select Tangency in the Automatic coupling points box.
    All vertices located at G1 continuity break at places are selected to be set as coupling points.

    This mode has only effect if:

    • the deformation wires have G1 discontinuities,
    • reference and target have the same number of G1 discontinuities.

    If these conditions are not met, Tangency autocoupling mode has no effect or, if Vertices mode is also disabled, is not available.

  4. Select a second reference and target element.


  5. Select Vertices in the Automic coupling points box list.
    All the vertices that can be selected are used as coupling points.

    This mode is only available if:

    • the deformation wires have selectable vertices.
    • reference and target have the same number of vertices.
  6. Select a vertex on the second reference element as the Reference's origin and a vertex on the second target element as the Target's origin.

    In case of closed wires, you have to manually select the origin of the deformation wires on which the coupling points are defined.

    In case of open wires, the origin point is automatically selected.





  7. Click Preview to visualize the deformation.


  8. Select the first line in the Deformation Elements tab.
    In the work area, selected elements are highlighted and handles appear at the vertices.

    In the Shape Morphing Deformation Definition dialog box, the Reverse direction option is enabled.

  9. To invert the direction of the coupling points, click a handle or Reverse direction.

    In case of open wires, the start and end point's direction is reversed.

    In case of closed wires, the origin's direction is reversed.

  10. Click Preview again to visualize the deformation.


  11. Click again a handle or Reverse direction option to undo the last step.
  12. Click OK to create the deformed element.


Define Limit Elements

You can define one or more limit elements to separate a feature in multiple parts. You can then decide which parts of the feature you want to deform and which parts to keep intact (freeze).

  1. In the Shape Morphing Deformation Definition dialog box, select the Limit Elements tab.
  2. In the work area, select a limit curve, which automatically appears in the Limit Elements tab.
  3. Optional: Click Add or Remove to add or remove limit elements.
  4. Optional: In the Continuity list, select the required continuity.
  5. Optional: Click Reverse Direction to reverse the direction of deformation. You can also click the arrow in the work area.

    Important: By default, a limit element has a point continuity and right direction and any new limit element's direction is opposite to that of the previous limiting element. However, you can manually change the direction (along with the continuity), as described above.





Define Coupling Points manually

You can define coupling points to map reference elements with target elements.

  1. In the Shape Morphing Deformation Definition dialog box, select the Manual Coupling Points tab.
  2. In the work area, select the reference point and its corresponding target point, which automatically appears in the Manual Coupling Points tab.

    Important: The points must be located on the reference and target curves.

  3. Optional: Click Add or Remove to add or remove coupling points.



Important:
  • You must always successively select a reference then a target element to define a pair. You cannot select all the reference elements first, then all the target elements, for example.
  • When several pairs of curves are selected, they must be selected in order, not randomly.
Tip: Reference and target curves can be multi-cells. Joined, blended, or matched curves, can be used as reference or target curves, for example.

Rigid Zones

Sometimes you need to preserve some faces, shapes, and dimensions without attenuating the deformation.

  1. Click Shape Morphing .
    The Shape Morphing Deformation Definition dialog box is displayed.
  2. Select the surface as the Element to deform.
    Note: Rigid Zones functionality works only for deforming surfaces.
  3. Select the reference and target elements.
  4. In the Rigid Zones tab, select the faces from the surface to deform by any of the following ways:
    • From the 3D area, select the faces.
    • From the surface in the tree, select the previously extracted faces.
    • Select faces by creating extract features (Create Extract, Create Extract (in point), Create Extract (in tangency), Create Multiple Extract) by right-clicking the 3D area or the list in the Rigid Zones tab.
    Tip: You can remove and replace elements in the rigid zones list by selecting the rigid zone from the list and clicking Remove or Replace.
  5. Optional: Select the elements from the list and click Distance Propagation to add to the list all the faces that can be reached from the selected zone according to point continuity propagation.
    Note: Depending on the part size and complexity, this action may take appropriate time.
  6. Optional: Select elements from the list and click Angular Propagation to add to the list all the faces that can be reached from the selected zone according to tangent continuity propagation.
    Note: Depending on the part size and complexity, this action may take appropriate time.
  7. Optional: Click Preview to see preview of deformed surface.
    In the following examples, you can see the preview of the deformed surface when rigid zones are not selected, when rigid zones are selected, and when rigid zones are removed.
    When no rigid zones are set,^ the preview appears in orange color. When rigid zones are set, the feature is updated and no orange preview appears. When all the rigid zones are removed, the previously computed result is seen in red color and the new result in orange color.
  8. In the Recognition context list, change the industry to Power Train.

    If faces set as rigid zones share fillets or chamfers with the surface to deform, in most cases the geometry is too complex to allow sewing the deformed surface to these rigid zones. In this case, the Shape Morphing Feature's result is not connected (i. e. it is multidomain).

    If the fillets or chamfers are constant, the Recognition context list options allow sewing translated zones sharing fillets or chamfers with the surface to deform to this surface, provided the fillet's radius or chamfer's length belongs to the recognition context's range.

    For more information on the ranges for the different industries, see About Morphing Shapes.

  9. Click Preview.
    If the fillets' radius does not belong to Power Train's radii range, an Update Error dialog box appears.
  10. Click OK to close the dialog box.
    The translated zones, which cannot be sewn to the deformed surface are highlighted.

  11. Change the recognition context to BiW.
  12. Click Preview again.
    The fillets' radius belongs to BiW's radii range. The surface is deformed and the rigid zones with shared smooth edges translated. The fillet between them is set back.

  13. Click OK to create the deformed surface.
    The Multi-Result Management dialog box appears if some rigid zones cannot be sewn to the deformed surface.
  14. Click OK.
    Note: Select keep all the sub-elements option to create Extract Features of the deformed surface and translated zones that could not be sewn to the deformed surface.

Use the Parameters Capability

You can define the constraint propagation on the element to be deformed to obtain the required shape.

In the Shape Morphing Deformation Definition dialog box, select the Parameters tab and select the required constraint propagation.

The different constraint propagations are:

  • Low attenuation
  • Medium attenuation
  • Strong attenuation
  • Very strong attenuation.

Important:
  • The magnitude of the deformation gets lower when the value of the constraint propagation is stronger and large deformations are possible even with the Medium attenuation and Low attenuation options.
  • The Strong attenuation and Very strong attenuation constraint propagations cannot maintain the Reference linear transformation continuity.

Deform a Surface with Limit Elements

Sometimes, you need to create a deformed element in relation to another element. The shape morphing capability lets you fix an element that can be used by another one, thus allowing you to retain a connection between elements while deforming the initial element.

  1. Click Shape Morphing .
    The Shape Morphing Deformation Definition dialog box appears.
  2. In the Element to deform box, select the surface to be deformed.
  3. In the Deformation Elements tab, successively select the first reference element and the first target element.
  4. Click Add to add another reference element.
  5. Select the second reference and target elements.
  6. Select the Limit Elements tab.
  7. Select one or more limit elements and adjust their continuity and direction as per requirement. For more information, refer to Define Limit Elements.



  8. Click OK to create the deformed element.


Deform a Wireframe with Limit Elements

You can deform a wireframe with limit elements, provided they all lie on the wireframe’s support surface.

  1. Click Shape Morphing .
    The Shape Morphing Deformation Definition dialog box appears.
  2. In the Element to deform box, select the wireframe to be deformed.
  3. In the Deformation Elements tab, successively select the first reference element and the first target element.
  4. Select the Limit Elements tab.
  5. Select one or more limit elements and adjust their continuity and direction as per requirement. For more information, refer to Define Limit Elements.

    Important: All the limit elements should lie on the support surface that contains the wireframe.

  6. In the Support surface box, select the support surface.

    Important: The Support Surface box is available only if you select a wireframe for deformation.


  7. Click OK to create the deformed element.


Use the Diagnosis Capability

The diagnosis capability lets you visualize the deviations in the work area when the result is not fully accurate.

In case the result is inaccurate, a message is displayed. Refer to Managing Warnings for more information.

  1. Click Shape Morphing .
    The Shape Morphing Deformation Definition dialog box appears.
  2. Select the surface or the curve as the Element to deform.
  3. Select the references, target elements, and constraints.
  4. Click Preview to visualize the deviations:



  5. Select a line in the dialog box to display the corresponding mapping and deviation.



    A warning is displayed when the inputs are of bad quality:

    • If the reference or target curves are not continuous.
    • If reference or target curves are not continuous in tangency or in curvature and discontinuities are not coupled.

    To solve the warnings, thethe do the following:

    1. Use the Smoothing Curves command to smooth the small discontinuities.
    2. Use the Manual Coupling Points tab to associate the great tangency or curvature discontinuities between target and reference.

    When reference curves intersect, there may be an incompatibility between constraints:

    • If the targets do not intersect.
    • If the targets intersect but the mapping between reference and targets does not associate the reference's intersection with the targets' intersection. In this case, we advise you to add coupling points.
    • If the tangency constraint cannot be guaranteed.