Match Constraint Dialog Box

Elements

Source

Defines the source element to be constrained: an edge for surface, a vertex for curve.

Target

Defines one or two target elements on which the source element will be constrained: edges, planes, curves or vertices.

The target elements are not changed. Datum and Feature point elements are also supported as target elements for G0 continuity.

Invert

Only available if only one target element is selected.

Swaps source and target elements.

Limits

Partly

Matches the source edge to part of the target edge and specifies the limiting points via the selection fields.

This option is cleared when activating Inside option.

The snap manipulator lets you snap the vertex of the source element to a point.

Tip: For partial matchings, it is recommended to use Minimum Corner Distance in Me > Preferences > App Preferences > 3D Modeling > Styling > FreeStyle Shape Design, General tab, Matching Constraint command options section. In case of partial matching constraints, gaps or overlaps may occur if the source surface corners do not coincide with the target surface corners. With Minimum Corner Distance, a corner distance tolerance is specified. If the source surface corner is moved with the manipulator, it automatically snaps to the corresponding target surface corner as soon as its position is within the distance from the target surface corner defined by the tolerance. Avoiding gaps with the Minimum Corner Distance option

This option is cleared when activating Inside option.

Approximated and Exact

Approximated

The control point distribution in the first control point row of the source element remains unchanged. This may cause larger continuity deviations.

Orders of continuity

(G3 in ICEM Shape Design only)

Specifies the matching transition.

Begin and End Edge continuities

(G3 in ICEM Shape Design only)

Aligns the cross tangents at the edges of the source and the target.

• egin and End Edge continuities Cleared: All cross tangents will be aligned coplanar only, i. e. there may be an angle between the cross tangents of the source and the target.
• Begin or End Edge continuities Selected: The beginning or end cross tangent of the source will be aligned collinear to the beginning or end cross tangent of the target.
• Begin and End Edge continuities Selected: All cross tangents of the source will be aligned collinear to the cross tangents of the target.

Lock Boundaries

Fixes the selected boundaries of the source element. Only the other control points are moved. If both boundaries are fixed, only inner control points are moved.

Input geometry

Lock Boundaries at end of edge

Lock Boundaries at start and end of edge

Exact

This option is unavailable if Inside is selected.

Defines the continuity in case of matching curves.

In case of matching surfaces, the source element adopts the parametrization from the target element. Depending on the selected continuity, the control point distribution is influenced in the rows 1 (G0) to 4 (G3).

Exact cleared with G0 continuity

Exact selected with G0 continuity

Opposite Continuities

Source Opposite

Note: These options are only available if Diffusion is selected.

Defines continuities to be kept at the opposite curve end or surface edge of the source.

When using Diffusion option, control point/row modifications done to achieve the continuity with the target is propagated to other control points/rows than the ones directly involved by the specified continuity. This may move control points/rows at the opposite end or edge and thus modify the continuity at the opposite end or edge.

At the opposite source curve end point or surface edge, you can specify a maximum continuity to be kept using either the Max. list in the dialog box or in the work area the context menu available at the continuity labels which appear when Diffusion option is selected.

0 continuity is set by default, but you can select any other continuity irrespective of whether the order allows to keep it or not. If the continuity cannot be kept, the maximum possible continuity is applied and displayed under Applied in the dialog box and marked by asterisks in the context menu.

The Free option applies no continuity. This allows the movement of all control points or control point rows, without keeping any continuity, to obtain an optimal control point distribution with Diffusion. As in this case no continuity is kept at opposite, the continuity with neighboring elements at the opposite end point or edge may be broken.

Notes:

• Matching constraints between source and target always have priority over the continuity specified at the opposite in case that both continuities cannot be kept.
• Create another matching constraint between the opposite end point or edge and the other target to manage the wanted continuity at the opposite with the same priority.

See also Mean Surface Solver option in Me > Preferences > App Preferences > 3D Modeling > Styling > FreeStyle Shape Design, General tab, Matching Constraint command options section.

Target Opposite

Note: These options are only available if Diffusion and one of the Both options Mean or Extension are selected.

Defines continuities to be kept at the opposite curve end or surface edge of the target analoguous to the Source Opposite options.

Options

Inside

Projects the boundary on the target surface. On the target surface is displayed a preview of the edge position.

This option is automatically cleared if an edge is selected as target element or Partly option is selected.

On basic geometry

Matches curves or surfaces with the underlying geometry, i. e. considering the trimmed elements.

Diffusion

Modifies the maximum number of control points/rows, otherwise only control points/rows directly involved by the continuity chosen with the target are modified.

Condition before match is applied
G0 match without diffusion Only the first control point row is moved.	G0 match with diffusion Multiple control point rows are moved to optimize the control point distribution.

Adapt

Adopts the order of the target edge from the source.

Important: Only applicable when the target element is an isoparametric edge of its support surface.

Display deformation distance

Displays the maximum deviation value and its position between the original surface and the modified surface in the work area. The original mesh before the modification is also displayed.

You need to right-click the arrow of the variant display and select Reset Delta Reference to reset the reference, while using the command. The existing position of the surface is set as new reference. The reference mesh and the maximum deformation distance are computed with respect to the new reference.

Auto Apply

Refreshes the constraint each time you modify an option.

No Highlight Representations

Deactivates the highlight on the selected elements to avoid conflicts with the display of other entities such as control points.

Alignment

Alignment

Every control point row can be organized according to the following criteria:

3-points Plane

Orthogonal projection of control points on a 3-points plane. For each control point row of the surface to match, a plane is defined from the 1 ^st, the 2 ^nd and the last control point. All points of each row are projected into its plane.

Mean Plane

Orthogonal projection of control points on a mean plane. For each control point row of the surface to match a mean plane is defined, and all points of each row are projected into its plane.

Both

Both input elements are modified, the source and the target.

Depending on the selected continuity G0 to G3, up to four control points (in case of curves) or control point rows (in case of surfaces) are moved.

Mean

In case of matching curves, the endpoints of the input curves to be connected are moved to the midpoint of their connecting line:

Curve matching using Both: Mean with G0 continuity

In case of matching surfaces, the common edge is defined by the midpoints of the connecting lines between the opposite points of the edges to be connected:

Surface matching using Both: Mean with G0 continuity

Extension

In case of matching curves, the endpoints of the input curves to be connected are moved to the intersection point of the tangential extension of the curves.

In case of matching surfaces, the resulting common edge is the intersection curve of the tangential extension of the input surfaces:

Surface matching using Both: Extension with G0 continuity

Common Edge

In case of matching curves, the endpoints of the input curves to be connected are moved to the midpoint of the connecting line between the second control points of both curves, so that G1 continuity is created:

Curve matching with option Both > Common Edge with G1 continuity

In case of matching surfaces, the control point rows input surface edges to be connected are moved into the connecting plane of the second control point rows of both surfaces. The common edge is the midline of the connecting plane:

Surface matching with option Both > Common Edge with G1 continuity

Support

Defines the direction in which the control points are projected.

Along direction

Cleared: Moves the control points along the local normal of the target element.

Selected: The movement of control points depends on the propagation mode selected. The following modes are available which define the projection direction:

Along View

The direction is along the view direction. The control points move along the depth of the viewpoint. Rotate the part to see the control point movement.

User Line/Plane

The direction is along the selected line or normal to the selected plane.

The Robot option is available only with this mode. Right-click the Robot selection field and select the axis or plane. Using the contextual command you can create the required element. If Robot is selected, you can set this direction by manipulating the Robot in 3D.

Along Source

Projects the control points for G1/G2 along the normal of the source.

If Inside option is selected, the edge of the surface to be modified (the G0 row) is projected orthogonally on the target surface.

Gap Options

The Both options are not available for a Matching Constraint with a gap.

Gap

Cleared: Matches the source element to the target element without gap with the continuity set.

Selected: Creates the Matching Constraint with a remaining gap between source and target element for which the following conditions can be specified:

Extrapolation

Extrapolates the target surface internally and matches the source surface to the common edge calculated from the internal extrapolation with at least G1 continuity.

Parallel

Creates the matching constraint as with Extrapolation . In addition, an offset distance to the common edge internally calculated from the extrapolation is preserved. G1- G3 information is taken from the target element.

Offset fix

Creates the matching constraint at a defined offset value. The offset direction can be defined by a line or by the Robot direction.

Offset norm

Projects the offset distance of the matching constraint in normal direction of the target element.

Modification Ratio

Specifies a ratio for displaying an intermediate result between the original and last applied status. It helps to control the final result with the best possible solution between all the constraints modifying the particular surface.

Minimum and maximum values in the Deviation section are updated dynamically when moving the slider.

Once you exit the Matching Constraint command with certain modification ratio, the next update of the constraint ignores the earlier specified ratio.

Variants

You can save option settings in variants to quickly and simultaneously switch in one step to the settings saved in a variant. This lets you create similar or different matching constraints from different input sets.

Variant list

Lists all saved variants.

Creates a variant in which the current option settings are saved.

Deletes the current variant.

Saves the current variant.

Deviation

If selected, displays the Min Values and Max Values according to the orders of continuity after clicking Apply or OK.

G0

Distance - absolute.

G1

Angle between the tangents or normals - absolute.

G2

Radius error - relative.

G3

Angle (Envelope of curvature hedgehog) - absolute.