Reviewing Connection Visualization

You can review the visualization of connections using the connection review toolbar. You can show or hide any connection type. You can also show only a specific connection type while hiding all others. Connection types include geometry supports, connected meshes, the connection guide, and the connection mesh.

Note: If mesh parts are selected directly as supports, you can control only the visualization of the connected meshes.

This task shows you how to:

See Also
Connection Manager

Show or Hide the Supports

You can show or hide geometry supports from the display. The number of supports varies from model to model, with a maximum of nine.

  1. From the Connections section of the action bar, click Connection Manager .
  2. From the Connection Manager, right-click a connection and select Review to open the connection review toolbar.

    Tip: You can also access the connection review toolbar from the context menu for a connection in the tree or by clicking directly on a connector in the model.

  3. From the connection review toolbar, select the supports you want to show or hide:

    • To show or hide the first support, click Show First Support .
    • To show only the first support, click Show Only First Support from the flyout options for the first support.
    • To show or hide the second support, click Show Second Support .
    • To show only the second support, click Show Only Second Support from the flyout options for the second support.
    • To show or hide the third support, if it exists, click Show Third Support .
    • To show only the third support, click Show Only Third Support from the flyout options for the third support.

    If more than three supports are involved in the connection definition, the remaining supports are highlighted in yellow.

Show or Hide the Connected Meshes

You can show or hide specific connected meshes from the display. The number of connected meshes varies from model to model. Connected meshes are associated with geometry supports. If the model is updated and each support meshed correctly, there is one connected mesh for each support.

  1. From the Connections section of the action bar, click Connection Manager .
  2. From the Connection Manager, right-click a connection and select Review to open the connection review toolbar.

    Tip: You can also access the connection review toolbar from the context menu for a connection in the tree or by clicking directly on a connector in the model.

  3. From the connection review toolbar, select the connected meshes you want to show or hide:

    • To show or hide the first connected mesh, click Show First Connected Mesh .
    • To show only the first connected mesh, click Show Only First Connected Mesh from the flyout options for the first connected mesh.
    • To show or hide the second connected mesh, click Show Second Connected Mesh .
    • To show only the second connected mesh, click Show Only Second Connected Mesh from the flyout options for the second connected mesh.
    • To show or hide the third connected mesh, if it exists, click Show Third Connected Mesh.
    • To show only the third connected mesh, click Show Only Third Connected Mesh from the flyout options for the third connected mesh.

    If more than three meshes are involved in the connection definition, the remaining connected meshes are highlighted in yellow.

Show or Hide the Connection Guide

You can show or hide the connection guide from the display. Connection guides are an additional type of geometry support, available only for fasteners. A connection guide can be a point, curve, or a plane. For example, if you have a weld connecting two parts that follow a curve, the curve is the connection guide.

  1. From the Connections section of the action bar, click Connection Manager .
  2. From the Connection Manager, right-click a connection and select Review to open the connection review toolbar.

    Tip: You can also access the connection review toolbar from the context menu for a connection in the tree or by clicking directly on a connector in the model.

  3. From the connection review toolbar, select the connection guide visibility options:

    • To show or hide the connection guide, click Show Connection Guide .
    • To show only the connection guide, click Show Only Connection Guide from the flyout options for the connection guide.

Show or Hide the Connection Mesh

You can show or hide the connection mesh from the display. The connection mesh is the mesh that connects two geometry supports, groups, or meshes. There is only one connection mesh for each connection.

  1. From the Connections section of the action bar, click Connection Manager .
  2. From the Connection Manager, right-click a connection and select Review to open the connection review toolbar.

    Tip: You can also access the connection review toolbar from the context menu for a connection in the tree or by clicking directly on a connector in the model.

  3. Click Show Connection Mesh .
    The connection mesh is displayed or hidden accordingly.
  4. To show only the connection mesh, click Show Only Connection Mesh from the flyout options for the connection mesh.
  5. To show only the structural elements of the connection mesh, click Show Only Structural Elements from the flyout options for the connection mesh.

    The structural elements are those that represent the connector itself; coupling links to the support mesh are not included.