Producing Drawings with Generative View Styles

Generative view styles make it possible to customize the appearance of drawings via a set of parameters defined in an XML file, DefaultGenerativeStyle.xml.

Some generative view style parameters are specifically available to produce customized drawings from 3D shapes designed in the Sheet Metal Design app.

For more information about sheet metal parameters, see Drafting User's Guide: Administration: Setting App-Specific Generative View Style Parameters: Sheet Metal Parameters.

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin:
  • Make sure that you have an appropriate Drafting license.
  • Make sure that the Disable generative view style usage option is cleared in Me > Preferences > Mechanical > Drafting > Administration. This activates the generative view style functionality.
  • Open a 3D shape containing Sheet Metal features.
See Also
Producing Drawings

Produce a Drawing with the Default Generative View Styles File

You can produce a drawing with the default generative view styles file.

  1. Select Add > Drawing.
    A drawing sheet appears in a new tab.
  2. From the View Layout section of the action bar, click Unfolded View .
    The Generative view style dialog box appears.
  3. From the list, select DefaultGenerativeStyle.
  4. Return to the 3D document and select a plane surface on the Sheet Metal part to be used as the reference wall.


    A preview of the view is displayed in the drawing.

  5. Click anywhere in the drawing to validate the view creation.

    The unfolded view is created, using the Sheet Metal-specific styles defined by the chosen generative view style. Here, the bend tangent lines and the stamps are projected in the view, as specified in the DefaultGenerativeStyle.xml file.



    Notes:
    • The axis of upward and downward bends are represented in different colors.
    • The bend axis and bend annotations are displayed according to the direction of viewing.
    • Annotations containing the bend's direction, radius and angle values can also be displayed on the drawing, provided your administrator has activated the corresponding parameters contained in the DefaultGenerativeStyle.xml file.

Produce a Drawing with a Customized Generative View Styles File

You can produce a drawing with a customized generative view styles file.

Before you begin: Save the DefaultGenerativeStyle_customized.xml file and place it in:
install_root/resources/standard/generativeparameters
  1. Select Add > Drawing.
    A drawing sheet appears in a new tab.
  2. From the View Layout section of the action bar, click Unfolded View .
    The Generative view style dialog box appears.
  3. From the list, select the DefaultGenerativeStyle_customized style.
  4. Return to the 3D document and select a plane surface on the Sheet Metal part to be used as the reference wall.


  5. Click anywhere in the drawing to validate the view creation.

    The unfolded view is created with annotations specifying the parameters of bends and stamps. These parameters depend on the orientation of the part.





Display User Stamps Annotations

Annotations are displayed only for surface stamps and not for the user stamp because the Standard name box available in the Surface Stamp Definition dialog box has been filled in.

Since this box is unavailable in the User-Defined Stamp Definition dialog box, use the Formulas dialog box instead.

  1. Select a user stamp in the tree.
  2. From the Tools section of the action bar, click Formula .
  3. In the Formulas dialog box, select the Standard name parameter.
  4. Enter a value for the Standard name.
  5. Click OK to validate.
  6. Return to the drawing document and update the drawing.
    The user stamp annotation is displayed.

Important: Annotations can be freely positioned on the drawing. You can also modify them if needed. However, each time you update the drawing, they come back to their original place. For more information about annotations, see Drafting User's Guide: Creating a Text With a Leader.