Aligning Clouds Using Spheres

You can reposition a cloud of points with respect to reference elements, using sphere recognition.

Before you begin: Align using Spheres requires you have access to Digitized Shape Preparation.
See Also
Aligning a Cloud Using the Previous Transformation
  1. Select a geometrical set as Define In Work Object to store the output.
  2. From the Control section of the action bar, click Align using Spheres .
  3. Select the Cloud to Align (this is the cloud to reposition).
  4. Select the References (Either a set of clouds or meshes or surfaces, or a set of points).
  5. Use Hide/Show as required.
  6. Click on the right of cloud to align, and pick the spheres on the cloud to align.
  7. Click on the right of references and pick the spheres on the references.
  8. Decide to keep the initial cloud or not.

    By default, the Keep Initial check box is selected:

    • The initial cloud to align is kept as such.
    • A copy of this initial cloud to align is made and appears in the tree.
    • This copy is aligned with the references.

    1. Clear this check box if you do not want to create a copy of the initial cloud to align, for example because of its size. The initial cloud to align itself is aligned with the references.

      Note: To avoid inconsistencies, you cannot clear the Keep Initial check box in the following two cases:
      • When the geometry of the cloud to align is shared by other cloud elements, for example when the cloud to align shares points or vertices with another cloud without any parent/child relationship between them. Clearing the Keep Initial check box would move the other cloud together with the cloud to align, which you do not want to.
      • When the cloud to align is a feature, for example a Generative Shape Design transformation feature.

The cloud to align is aligned with the references.

  • If Keep Initial is selected, a new cloud, in fact the copy of the initial cloud to align, is created, and aligned with the references. The new cloud has the same graphic properties as the initial cloud to align.
  • If Keep Initial is not selected, the cloud to align is aligned with the references and no new cloud is created.
  • In both cases, an Axis Systems is created with an AxisRef.x (system axis computed on the cloud to align) and an AxisTrs.x (axis system created on the output cloud).
  • Those Axis Systems can be used with the Axis to Axis action on other elements to align.
  • Align with previous transformation is also available.