Keeping the Initial Element

You can retain or not an element on which you are performing an operation.

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin: Create a 3D shape containing various elements.
See Also
Splitting Geometry
Creating Projections
Creating Datum Elements

Use the Keep Mode

The implementation of Keep Mode allows modification features to have the same behavior as creation features.

Note: The Keep Mode and No Keep Mode option settings are saved as user preferences.

This mode is identical for both geometrical set and ordered geometrical set environments, whatever type of the input and output (= result) elements are, that is to say whether they are datum or not.

The input element:

  • remains in the show area.
  • can be detected and selected in the 3D geometry.
  • can be detected in the tree.

When this command is active, as soon as you perform an action in which you create or modify geometry, you are in fact working on a copy of the initial element.

Let's take an example with the Split command:

A surface and a line are created. The surface is to be intersected with the line

.



  1. Check that Keep Mode is activated.
  2. Click Split .
  3. Split the surface by the line.
    The whole surface remains in the show area.

    Double-clicking Keep Mode lets you work in a global mode: as a consequence, all created features will be in Keep mode.

Use the No Keep Mode

You can use the No Keep mode. The No Keep mode is only available with the modification and the contextual creation commands. It has no impact on the creation commands.

Here is the list of modification commands:

Command Conditions
All transformations Creation/modification mode
Blend With Trim support
Bump
Connect Curve With Trim mode
Corner With Trim mode
Curve Smooth
Diabolo No Generative Shape Design plane as input
Extrapolate With Assemble result
Fillet With Trim Support
Healing
Inverse
Join
Near
Shape Morphing
Split No Generative Shape Design plane as input
Sweep Tangent sweep with Trim mode
Trim
Wrap Curve
Wrap Surface

Here is the list of contextual creation commands:

Command Conditions
3D Curve Offset
All transformations Creation/modification mode
Combine
Develop
Disassemble
Offset
Parallel Curve
Project
Variable Offset

The implementation of this mode depends on the type of the input and output (= result) elements, that is to say whether they are datum or not. This mode transforms contextual creation features into modification features.

Datum Input and Datum Result

You can use datum inputs to get datum results.

This mode is identical, whatever the environment (geometrical set or ordered geometrical set).

The input element:

  • is deleted.
  • is replaced by the created feature (if their dimensions are strictly identical).
  • its child features are impacted.

=> Behavior 1 (see table below)

Let's take an example with the Split command.

A datum curve, a point on the curve, and a surface based on this curve are created.



  1. Check that No Keep Mode and Create Datum are activated.
  2. Click Split .
  3. Split the curve by the point.
    The input curve is replaced by the resulting split curve and the surface is impacted.

    When you select datum input elements that are in no show using both Datum and No Keep modes, the result will be in no show too.

Feature Input and Datum Result

You can work in different environment with feature input and get datum result.

Geometrical set environment

You can work in geometrical set environment with feature input and get datum result.

The input element:

  • is put in the no show area.
  • cannot be detected and selected in the 3D geometry.
  • can be detected and selected in the tree.
  • its child features are not impacted.

=> Behavior 2 (see table below)

Let's take an example with the Projection command.

A sketch and a surface are created. The sketch is to be projected onto the surface.



  1. Check that No Keep Mode is activated.
  2. Click Project .
  3. Click Create Datum .
  4. Project the element (Sketch.2) onto the surface (Extrude.1)
    The input sketch is put in no show and a datum curve is created.

Ordered geometrical set environment

You can work in ordered geometrical set environment with feature input and get datum result.

The input element:

  • is put in the no show area.
  • cannot be detected and selected in the 3D geometry.
  • can be detected and selected in the tree.
  • its child features are impacted if the created feature is inserted before them.

Let's take an example with the Split command.

An extruded surface is created and a line intersects it (Line.2). The extruded surface has a child feature (Split.1) and is defined as the current object.



  1. Check that No Keep Mode is activated.
  2. Click Split .
  3. Click Create Datum .
  4. Split the extruded surface with the line.
    The extruded surface is put in no show and its child feature is impacted: its input is now the new surface (Surface.1).

    Therefore, when the Datum mode is associated to the No Keep mode and the result can replace the input, the behavior is the one described above.

Datum or Feature Input and Feature Result

You can work in different environment with datum or feature input and can get feature result.

Geometrical set environment

You can work in geometrical set environment with datum or feature input and can get feature result.

The behavior is the same as above (Feature Input and Datum Result).

=> Behavior 2 (see table below)

Ordered geometrical set environment

You can work in ordered geometrical environment with datum or feature Input and can get feature result.

The input element:

  • is in the ghost area.
  • cannot be detected and selected in the 3D geometry.
  • can be detected and selected in the tree.
  • its child features are impacted if the new feature is the created inserted before them.

=> Behavior 3 (see table below)

Let's take an example with the Offset command.

A fill and a translate of this fill are created. The translate is thus a child of the fill. The fill is defined as the current object.



  1. Check that No Keep Mode is activated.
  2. Click Offset and offset Fill.1.
    The offset surface is created before the translate. The fill is absorbed and the translate is impacted.

Double-clicking No Keep Mode lets you work in a global mode: as a consequence, all created features will be in No Keep mode.

Note: To conclude with the No Keep mode, here is a table summarizing the different behaviors:
Datum ResultFeature Result
Datum InputGeometrical SetBehavior 1Behavior 2
Ordered Geometrical SetBehavior 1Behavior 3
Feature InputGeometrical SetBehavior 2Behavior 2
Ordered Geometrical SetBehavior 2Behavior 3
  • The default option is Keep mode for creation features and No Keep mode for modification features.
  • Features created using the context menu are always set to Keep mode.
  • If a sub-element is selected as an input of a command in No Keep mode, it is not put in the no show area.
  • When editing a feature, you cannot change its mode.