Simplify geometry

Menu access : shape | manage | Simplify geometry

Description :

Allows to simplify the geometry of a basic shape by replacing the planar polynomical surfaces with analytical planes (need less memory and allows a faster calculation), and recompute some edges by intersecting the neighbouring faces.

This functionality proves to be useful for example for IGES files which generates b-spline surfaces (surfaces whose limits are splines): thus it makes it possible to reduce the size of the file and to improve its speed.  Once the surfaces that could be converted into planar, cylindrical or conical surfaces, were processed, the use of other functions will be much faster or more

practical.  In a draft document for example once the part projected, you will be able to create diameter dimension on the edges that have become circular.

General philosophy :

Select the basic shape.

Available option(s):

You can give the tolerance for the replacement of the surfaces.

The button  ALL SHAPES  allows to simplify all the basic shape of the active layers.

the option   Show the simplified topologies = YES  or  NO  allows to display with red colour all the face that have been simplified.

Dialog box options:

• Simplify geometry : allows to apply the simplification to the surface.

• Simplify B-splines : allows to simplify the B-splines used for the surface definition. This will result a reduction of the nodes number on the surface.

The linear tolerance represent the maximum distance on any point between the original B-spline and the smoothed one. and the smooth curve.

The angular tolerance: the angle is measured on each point between the tangents of the B-spline. The function will smooth all the angle lower than the given value.

Once the geometry has been simplified, the button  CHECK CLEANED SHAPES  allows to use the equivalent functionality to "Shape | Manage | Check geometry".

Specific point(s):

If one of the selected shape is not basic (without associativity), TopSolid will ask you if you want to basify them. If you answer "No", the function is stopped.

The simplification is a complex operation, it may sometimes create invalid elements, so it is recommended to check the shape validity with the function Shape | Manage | Check geometry.

If it is the case, the simplest thing to do is to do not apply the simplification (so it is safer to save the document before you simplify !), but sometimes it is a pity you cannot apply the simplification because of a very small surface which becomes invalid.

The solution consists in applying the simplification before the sewing, by avoiding to apply it to the zone that causes problems.