User Guide
User Guide
User Guide

Create Region

Use it!

Used to create a complex shape (a closed complex element that can be manipulated as if it were one primitive element) from either of the following:

Tool SettingEffect
Flood icon

Edges bound the area enclosed by elements that either touch one another or whose endpoints fall within the Maximum Gap. Selection sets can be used to select the elements required to enclose the flood area.
see footnote 80

Union icon

Edges bound the union of two or more closed, planar elements.
see footnote 81

Intersection icon

Edges bound the intersection of two or more closed, planar elements.
see footnote 82

Difference icon

Edges bound the difference of two or more closed, planar elements.
see footnote 83

Fill Type

Sets the Active Fill Type.

  • None
    • — If on, the complex shape is not filled.
  • Opaque
    • — If on, the complex shape is filled with the Active Color.
  • Outlined
    • — If on, the complex shape is filled with the Fill Color.
Fill Color

(Fill Type set to Opaque or Outlined only) Complex shape is filled with this color, if the Fill Type is Outlined. When Fill Type is Opaque, Fill Color displays the Active Color, which can also be set from this location. When Fill Type is None, the Fill Color option is disabled (dimmed).

Keep Original

If on, the original elements remain in the design.

Associative Region Boundary

If on, the region boundary retains association with the elements used to create it. If one of the original elements is modified, then the boundary element updates to reflect the modification.

Ignore Interior Shapes icon

(Flood icon selected only) If selected, interior shapes are ignored when the region boundary is calculated.

Locate Interior Shapes icon

(Flood icon selected only) If selected, closed elements inside the selected area are included as part of the new complex shape.

Identify Alternating Interior Shapes icon

(Flood icon selected only) If selected, alternating areas are flooded where shapes are nested inside one another.

Locate Interior Text icon

(Flood icon selected only) If on, any text or dimensional text inside or overlapping the selected area is avoided.

Dynamic Area Locate icon

(Flood icon selected only) If on, the area to be included in the region displays dynamically as you move the screen pointer over the view.

Max(imum) Gap

(Flood icon selected only) Sets the largest distance allowed between consecutive elements. If zero, only elements that connect can be added.

Text Margin

(Flood icon selected only) Sets the margin to be left around any text or dimensional text that is included in the selected area.

To construct a complex shape from the intersection or union of elements
  1. Select the Create Region tool.

  2. In the Tool Settings window, click the Intersection or Union icon.

  3. Identify one element.

  4. Identify second element.

  5. (Optional) Use <Ctrl> + Data points to select further elements.
    If the elements do not overlap, the following occurs, depending on the Method:

    Method

    If elements do not overlap, then

    Intersection

    “Elements do not intersect” displays.

    Union

    A shape is placed over each element.

  6. Accept to create the region.

    Creating a region from two elements

    Left: Intersection. Right: Union. Keep Original is on.

      

To construct a complex shape from the difference between elements
  1. Select the Create Region tool.

  2. Click the Difference icon.

  3. Identify the base element (the element to be subtracted from).

  4. Identify the element to be subtracted.
    see footnote 84

  5. (Optional) Use <Ctrl> + Data points to identify further element(s) to subtract from the initial element.

  6. Accept to create the region.

    Method set to Difference

      

To construct a complex shape by “flood”
  1. Select the Create Region tool.

  2. Click the Flood icon.

  3. Set Fill Type and Fill Color as required.

  4. Click the Ignore Interior Shapes, Locate Interior Shapes, or Identify Alternate Shapes, icon to define how any interior shapes are to be treated.

  5. (Optional) Click the Locate Interior Text icon if you want the region shape to avoid text and dimensional text.

  6. (Optional) Click the (Optional) Dynamic Area Locate icon to dynamically display the proposed region as you pass the pointer over the elements.

  7. Enter a data point in the area enclosed by the bounding elements.

  8. Accept the complex shape.

    Method set to Flood. Keep Original is on.

      

    Creating a flood region with Fill Type set to Opaque.

    Top left shows original elements. Placing a data point at 1, produces:

    Lower Left: Ignore Interior Shapes on.

    Lower Center: Locate Interior Shapes on.

    Lower Right: Identify Alternating Interior Shapes on.

      

Key-in: CREATE REGION [DIFFERENCE | FLOOD | INTERSECTION | UNION]