Patches > Shuffle > Panels rearranges the patches within a panel into a uniform structure, and fills empty panels with patches if necessary.
Action group - specifies an action that will be taken when you click the mouse in the Viewing Area.
Define radio button - Selects all patches within a panel. Click any point inside the panel to select all patches. The other Actions will apply to the patches that are selected by the Define Action.
Add/Del 2 Paths radio button - edits the patch structure inside a selected panel. Click a side of a panel to add two paths; Ctrl-Click a side of panel to delete two paths.
Edit radio button - allows patch corners to be moved, or black lines to be promoted to orange and vice versa, by activating the Editing group of controls below.
Split Panels radio button - (only when the panel contains no patches) splits a panel into two. Click a point on the panel boundary at each end of the “cut”. After the second click, two panels exist in the space where one existed.
Relax radio button - offers the functionality of Patches > Relax Patches (by activating the Relax Linear and Relax Curvilinear buttons below).
Distribute radio button - creates equal spacing of patch corners along the panel side that you click.
Type group - specifies the geometry into which all patches in the selected panel will be organized. Press Execute to effectuate a change. Pick one:
Auto Detect radio button - produces a generally grid-like patch layout with 4-degree corners.
Grid radio button - produces a patch layout that resembles a grid.
Strip radio button - produces an optimal patch layout for an elongated panel.
Circular radio button - produces an optimal patch layout for a round panel.
Elliptical radio button - produces an optimal patch layout for an oval panel.
Collar radio button - produces a patch layout that propagates toward the center of the panel.
Editing group (active when Action is Edit) - controls behavior of the mouse:
Promote/Demote Lines radio button - To promote a line to orange, click it. To demote an orange line to black, Ctrl-Click it.
Move Vertices button - Use the mouse to move an intersection of patch lines by clicking and Left-Dragging the intersection.
Diagram - a graphic representation of the geometry Type.
Hide Diagram checkbox - hides the instructional Diagram.
Auto Distribute checkbox - (applicable when Action is Add/Del 2 Paths) causes the vertices on both sides of the panel to be redistributed equidistantly when the addition or deletion of paths is complete.
Auto Fill Neighboring Panels checkbox (only when Action is Add/Del 2 Paths) - specifies whether to execute a layout of type “Auto Detect” in the adjoining panel after the addition or deletion of two paths on this panel. If the adjoining panel already has a grid, strip, circular, elliptical, or collar, the layout Type will revert to “Auto Detect”.
View Panels group - controls the one-by-one highlighting of individual panels for close inspection.
Step Through dropdown (“All Panels” or “Unfilled Panels”) - specifies the kind of panel that is stepped-through by the First, Previous, Next, and Last buttons:
All Panels - the buttons control the highlighting of all panels on the object.
Unfilled Panels - the buttons control the highlighting of only those panels that are not filled with patches.
First, Previous, Next, and Last buttons - highlights the first, previous, next, or last panel in the chosen set.
Remove Last Vertex button - removes the most recently clicked vertex from the patch layout.
Select Internal Layer button - selects the internal panel of a Collar layout for further processing.
Relax Linear button (only when Action is Relax) - the same as Patches > Relax Patches > Linear.
Relax Curvilinear button (only when Action is Relax) - the same as Patches > Relax Patches > Curvilinear.
Remove Interior button (all Actions, but only after use of the Define Action) - removes all patches in the selected panel.
Execute button - performs the shuffling as configured.
Fill All Panels button - generates patches in the panels that have no patches.
Test Path Intersections checkbox (The state of this checkbox is shared with checkboxes of the same name in Contours > Detect Contours, Patches > Construct Patches, Contours > Subdivide/Extend, Patches > Shuffle > Panels, and the Check Geometry checkbox of Grids > Construct Grids) - specifies whether to advise the user, upon completion of this and related functions, whether certain imperfections should be fixed by using Patches > Repair Patches.
OK button - saves changes to the Shape object and closes the dialog.
Cancel button - closes the dialog without saving the Shape object.
Next button - prepares the dialog for re-arrangement of the patches another panel.
To shuffle the patches within one or more panels on a Shape object:
Highlight the Shape object in the Model Manager.
Select Patches > Shuffle > Panels. A dialog opens.
Click any one panel and use the controls in the dialog.
Click Next.
If necessary, go to Step 3.
Click OK to save the rearranged panel(s), or Cancel to close the dialog.