User Guide
User Guide
User Guide

Modify Element

Use it!

Used to do the following:

When used with AccuDraw, the Modify Element tool becomes even more powerful. The procedures that follow detail the interaction of AccuDraw and the Modify Element tool on various element types.

Elements with multiple segments are line strings, shapes, and complex chains and complex shapes placed with the Place SmartLine tool. When used with AccuDraw, the Modify Element tool not only lets you modify vertices and segments, but also lets you change a vertex's type (Sharp, Rounded, or Chamfered).

Tool SettingEffect
Feature (CTRL to mute)

Controls the movement of features:

  • If on, moves only the feature in the object.

  • If off, moves both the form and its features.

A feature is a set of shape refinements to a form, described by a list of operations on the form.

When working in a model with this setting turned on, you can suspend the functioning of this setting by pressing the <Ctrl> button.

This setting only applies to TriForma forms and TriForma solids, where a Boolean operation was performed with the Feature option turned on.

Vertex Type

Sets the vertex type.

  • Sharp

  • Rounded

  • Chamfered

Round Radius

(with Vertex Type set to Rounded) If on, sets the arc radius for a rounded vertex.

Chamfer Offset

(with Vertex Type set to Chamfered) Sets the two distances required to define a chamfer. Chamfer Offset requires that the two chamfer distances be equal (from a theoretical intersection of a midpoint).

Orthogonal

If an orthogonal vertex is identified, preserves the orthogonality.

Enable SmartLine modifications

If off, turns off the “smart” behavior, which may be desirable, especially when the element has a very high number of vertices (thousands) causing the tool to slow down considerably. (Note: turning off this setting causes the other options to be disabled, as they only apply to SmartLine style modifications.)

Enable segment selection

If off, only allows element modification by individual vertices.

Minimize number of linear elements

If off, no longer tries to reduce the number of component elements in a complex chain or shape (lines that can become “compacted” into linestrings, etc.).

Convert selected round or chamfer to segment

If on, when selecting a rounded or chamfered vertex, converts the component to a segment (arc or linear segment) so that it can be modified as such. This only applies to the selected round or chamfer, not to the whole chain or shape. After completing the modification, the component will thereafter not be treated as a round or chamfer again.

Vertex Settings: From Element/Last Used

Choose:

  • From Element
    • — to use the element's own settings.
  • Last Used
    • — to no longer use the element's settings.

Use the Last Used settings to determine whether the vertex being modified is to be treated as sharp, rounded, or chamfered, and what its radius or chamfer offset is. This can be convenient when changing the type or size of many vertices, to eliminate the need to keep entering values for each vertex.

To modify an element
  1. Select the Modify Element tool.

  2. Identify the element close to the vertex, segment, or axis to modify.

  3. Enter a data point to make the modification.

    Modify Element. Clockwise from top left: moving the endpoint of a line, moving a vertex of a line string, modifying dimension extension line length, moving a vertex of a B-spline control polygon, scaling a block, and changing the radius of a circle.

      

To modify the endpoint of a line
  1. With AccuDraw active, select the Modify Element tool.

  2. Enter a data point to identify the end of the line.
    The drawing plane origin moves to the opposite end of the line, and the coordinate system aligns its x-axis with the line. Additionally, the length of the line is displayed in the AccuDraw window.

  3. (Optional) Rotate the drawing plane axes.

  4. (Optional) Preview the modifications by keying in desired changes in the AccuDraw window.

  5. Enter a data point to complete the modification.

To modify a circle
  1. With AccuDraw active, select the Modify Element tool.

  2. Identify the circle.
    The drawing plane origin moves to the center of the circle. In addition, the coordinate system switches to Polar, and aligns with the view axes.

  3. (Optional) Rotate the drawing plane axes.

  4. (Optional) Preview the modifications by keying in a radius value in the AccuDraw window. (When modifying a circle, any value keyed in the AccuDraw window defines a new radius.)

  5. Enter a data point to complete the modification.

To modify an ellipse
  1. With AccuDraw active, select the Modify Element tool.

  2. Identify the ellipse by entering a data point near the axis to modify.
    The drawing plane origin moves to the center of the ellipse, and the coordinate system aligns its x-axis with the primary axis of the ellipse.

  3. (Optional) Rotate the drawing plane axes.

  4. (Optional) Preview the modifications by keying in desired changes in the AccuDraw window.

  5. Enter a data point to complete the modification.

To modify the sweep angle of an arc
  1. With AccuDraw active, select the Modify Element tool.

  2. Identify the arc.

  3. From the Method option menu in the Tool Settings window, choose Angle.
    The drawing plane origin moves to the center of the arc, and the coordinate system aligns its x-axis with the start of the arc's sweep.

  4. (Optional) Rotate the drawing plane axes.

  5. (Optional) Preview the modifications by keying in desired changes in the AccuDraw window.

  6. Enter a data point to complete the modification.

    Modifying the sweep angle of an arc

      

    7. You can adjust the arc sweep by either complement of the angle (180° either way).

To modify the radius of an arc without changing its center point
  1. With AccuDraw active, select the Modify Element tool.

  2. Identify the arc.

  3. From the Method option menu in the Tool Settings window, choose Radius About Center.
    The drawing plane origin moves to the center of the arc, and the coordinate system aligns with the view axes.

  4. (Optional) Rotate the drawing plane axes.

  5. (Optional) Preview the modifications by keying in a radius value in the AccuDraw window. (When modifying an arc, any value keyed in the AccuDraw window defines a new radius.)

  6. Enter a data point to complete the modification.

    Modifying the radius of an arc without changing its center point.

      

To modify the radius of an arc without changing its endpoints
  1. With AccuDraw active, select the Modify Element tool.

  2. Identify the arc.

  3. From the Method option menu in the Tool Settings window, choose Radius Preserve Ends.
    The drawing plane origin moves to the center of the arc, and the coordinate system aligns with the view axes.

  4. (Optional) Rotate the drawing plane axes.

  5. (Optional) Preview the modifications by keying in a radius value in the AccuDraw window.

  6. Enter a data point to complete the modification.

    Modifying the radius of an arc without changing its endpoints.

      

To modify a vertex of a multi-segment element
  1. With AccuDraw active, select the Modify Element tool.

  2. Identify the element by entering a data point near the vertex to modify.
    The drawing plane origin moves to the vertex, and the coordinate system aligns with the view axes.

  3. (Optional) Rotate the drawing plane axes.

  4. (Optional) Preview the modifications by keying in desired changes in the AccuDraw window.

  5. Enter a data point to complete the modification.

    Modifying a chamfered vertex

      

    Modifying the vertex of a Linear segment and an Arc segment

      

To modify a linear segment of a multi-segment element
  1. With AccuDraw active, select the Modify Element tool.

  2. Identify the element by entering a data point near the segment's midpoint.
    The drawing plane origin moves to the identification point, and the coordinate system aligns its x-axis with the segment.

  3. (Optional) Rotate the drawing plane axes.

  4. (Optional) Preview the modifications by keying in desired changes in the AccuDraw window.

  5. Enter a data point to complete the modification.

    Modifying a Linear segment

      

To modify an arc segment of a multi-segment element
  1. With AccuDraw active, select the Modify Element tool.

  2. Identify the element by entering a data point near the segment's midpoint.
    The drawing plane origin moves to the identification point.

  3. (Optional) Preview the modifications by keying in desired changes in the AccuDraw window.

  4. Enter a data point to complete the modification.

    Modifying an Arc segment

      

To move a linear segment parallel to itself
  1. With AccuDraw active, select the Modify Element tool.

  2. Identify the element by entering a data point near the segment's midpoint.
    The drawing plane origin moves to the identification point, and the coordinate system aligns its x-axis with the segment.

  3. Position the pointer on the drawing plane's y-axis.

  4. Press the <Enter> key.
    The movement of the segment is constrained parallel to its current location.

  5. Enter a data point to complete the modification.

To modify the vertex of orthogonal segments
  1. With AccuDraw active, select the Modify Element tool.

  2. Identify the element by entering a data point near the vertex to modify.
    The drawing plane origin moves to the vertex, and the coordinate system aligns with the segments.

  3. (Optional) Rotate the drawing plane axes.

  4. (Optional) Preview the modifications by keying in desired changes in the AccuDraw window.

  5. Enter a data point to complete the modification.

To change a vertex type
  1. With AccuDraw active, select the Modify Element tool.

  2. Identify the element by entering a data point near the vertex to modify.
    The drawing plane origin moves to the vertex. If the vertex is contained within a right angle, the coordinate system aligns with the right angle.

  3. From the Vertex Type option menu in the Tool Settings window, choose the desired type — Sharp, Rounded, or Chamfered.

  4. If changing Vertex Type to Rounded, key in the desired rounding radius, in working units (MU:SU:PU) in the Tool Settings window's Rounding Radius field.

  5. If changing Vertex Type to Chamfered, key in the desired chamfer offset, in working units (MU:SU:PU) in the Tool Settings window's Chamfer Offset field.

  6. To maintain the vertex in its original location — that is, to just change its type — enter a data point at the drawing plane origin.
    or
    To otherwise modify the vertex, follow steps 3-5 in the procedure     To modify a vertex of a multi-segment element.

Key-in: MODIFY ELEMENT

You can modify a line, line string, multi-line, arc, circle, ellipse, curve, shape, text, or complex element by dragging its handles when selected (see To scale or modify a selected element for more information).

To choose SmartLine Modification Settings, click the arrow in the bottom right corner of the Tool Settings window.

Tool settings cannot be enabled unless AccuDraw is enabled.

Arc axes cannot be modified with the Modify Element tool. Instead, use the Modify Arc Axis tool.