You can create a 3D block of imported point cloud data. This is a more compact form for storing the point data. Block is listed on the Pick Filter list for move, erase, blank and inquire commands.
This rendering mode is faster but produces a lower quality image. The transparency attribute is supported, but no refraction will take place.
The VX file that is currently loaded for editing.
When a layer is active, all entities created will be assigned to that layer until a new active layer is set. Only one layer is active at a time. The active layer is listed in the VX Title Bar.
The object (part, component, sketch, drawing packet, drawing sheet, CAM process plan, etc.) that is currently being worked on.
The part (or component) that is currently activated for editing. This is sometimes referred to as the target part.
Refers to the current sketch plane. It can be a datum plane or part face.
When you are running VX, all activity is referred to as the active session. When you create a new file it resides in the active session (until you save it) and contains the initial root objects that you create.
Refers to the amount of ambient light reflected from a face. Ambient light is the generalized lighting not attributable to a direct light source. With a minimum value the face would reflect no ambient light. With a maximum value the face would reflect the greatest amount of ambient light available.
Refers to the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) drawing standard. See the Dimension Attributes Form for more information.
Aliasing refers to the jagged lines that appear at silhouette edges when attempting to represent smooth lines or edges with pixels. Antialiasing is the process of smoothing these \"jaggies\" by adaptive super-sampling. The number of samples taken (level) greatly affects calculation time. The greater the antialiasing level the longer it takes to generate an image.
The intensity value of the light decreases as the distance from the light increases. This is called attenuation.
VX supports many types of data and entity attributes including graphical attributes of points, lines and faces. Non-graphical part attributes are also supported such as material, cost, designer, etc. You can add user attributes and search parts based on attributes.
In a drawing sheet layout of a 3D Part, auxiliary views can be created that are skewed (not orthogonal). Auxiliary views are typically projected perpendicular from part features that are difficult or impossible to detail in a standard orthographic view.
The default view displayed at the part/assembly level. You will notice that the vertical axis of the auxiliary view is tilted slightly to the right so that it is not a true isometric view. In a shaded display, features are more difficult to distinguish when the view is set to a true isometric.
This is when a 3D part and 2D drawing is bi-directionally associated. This means that drawings will update automatically when 3D parts are modified and 3D part dimensions can be modified from within the 2D drawing. In the latter case, both the 3D part and the 2D drawing are updated at the same time.
To turn off the visibility of an entity, object, or layer.
Bill of Materials. VX tracks parts attributes so that you can display a parts list at the assembly level or create a BOM table with balloon callouts on a drawing sheet. Tools are provided to clean up BOM balloons when components change and move.
The CAM Level of VX contains functions that relate to creating CAM process plans. The CAM Level is activated from the Object Level by creating or editing a CAM process plan.
You can use the Clone Part command to aid in the creation of variant designs from existing parts or assemblies. See Component Tools for more information.
While a solid has been traditionally defined as a closed shape, it is important to remember that VX allows you to create solid features even if the shape is open (i.e., one or more faces of the solid are missing). See also Open Shape.
Coordinate Measuring Machine. VX can use point data from CMMs to recreate curves and faces for reverse engineering applications. See also Point Cloud.
Command options are displayed by selecting the \"Options...\" button located below and to the right of the Text Input Field. Command options can be displayed automatically using the VX Configuration Form.
Components can be stored in a component library and then referenced by multiple assemblies. This is the most efficient way of designing large or complex assemblies. You can also design or edit a component while in the assembly (referred to as in-context assembly modeling). See Assembly Modeling for more information.
Refers to the VX Configuration Form used to modify the VX default configuration.
Control keys have been preprogrammed to provide easy execution of a variety of VX commands. Many control keys execute functions on the Utility Tool Bars.
Control surfaces refers to CAM surface features whose Class property is set to Drive, Part, Start Check or Stop Check. They are used to orient the tool and limit the tool path during 5 axis Swarf Cut and Interactive Cut operations.
The convex hull is the smallest convex polygon that contains the points.
The convex hull is the smallest (minimum height) convex polyhedron that contains the visible faces of a 3D-shape (in the case of VX QuickMilling it is STL representation). It's like a covering the shape with tent.
During point input, the coordinate readout appears in the lower right corner of the graphics window. The readout indicates the current x,y,z position of the cursor as measured from the world origin. When a sketch is active, the coordinates are measured from the origin of the sketch plane.
Thread attributes attached to hole features can be displayed graphically in a drawing sheet layout view. They are displayed for representation and documentation purposes if the \"Show threads\" option is checked on the View Attributes Form or on the Options Forms for the various layout view commands. This graphical representation is referred to as cosmetic threads.
(See Tangent Continuity)
A selection of curves (i.e., lines, arcs, curves, or edges) connected end to end. This allows multiple curves to be combined into a single selection. The curves are not physically combined (concatenated) or otherwise modified. Curve lists are created using the Make Curve List input option or the Make Curve List command.
This is a command that bundles a group of history operations into one operation. Essentially, all of the operations are made \"sub-operations\" of a single entry in the history. This \"single entry\" is called a Custom Feature. It becomes the \"wrapper\" for the subsequent operations used to define the Custom Feature. You can create a library of Custom Features to perform design tasks that are parametrically driven by user input.
This is a command that gathers user input based on a command template associated with the operation. It then inserts a Custom Input operation into the active part's history. A Custom Input operation is the \"start\" operation of a Custom Feature.
The VX Data Manager is a tool that you can use to control many aspects of your part, drawing or CAM plan. It contains the History Manager, Assembly Manager, Layer Manager, View Manager and the Input Manager each on separate tabs. Not all of the managers will be available at any given time. Refer to the help topics for each of the managers to understand how they operate.
Datums are used to establish a plane of reference. They can be defined by a datum plane or a planar face. When a sketch is created, you are prompted to select an insertion plane. The sketch is aligned with the plane, sketch geometry is created on the plane and the sketch is parametrically associated with the plane. There are three default datum planes XY, XZ and YZ.
Used to alert you when an object associated with another object has been modified. You can choose to ignore dependency checking in various situations such as during the Regenerate Drawing Sheets command. This means that all layout views will be regenerated regardless of dependency.
You can make smooth surfaces while still having the simplicity of drawing with arcs by using Designer Arcs. A Designer Arc is a NURBS curve that matches the tangency of the arc but has zero curvature at the end points. If the Designer Arc is inserted with the 2D fillet command, it will match the curvature of the neighboring curves.
Refers to the amount of diffuse color reflected from a face. Diffuse color refers to the color of the face under pure white light. With a minimum value the face would reflect no color and seem to disappear. With a maximum value the face would reflect the maximum amount of its color.
Refers to the DIN (Deutsches Institut fuer Normung) drawing standard. Refer to the Dimension Attributes Form for more information.
Pressing the F4 key activates Dynamic View and Rotate View about Line or Axis. However, unlike F3, while the F4 key is pressed, Dynamic Rotate will be constrained about an imaginary axis starting at the View Origin and projecting perpendicular to the operator. This is referred to as the Display Axis.
You can drag a component through its DOF (degrees of freedom). Note that a fully constrained component will not move. You can also test the total freedom of a constraint system within a linkage-type assembly and automatically detect collisions among components.
A level of activity within the VX hierarchy. This level is activated when a drawing packet is created or edited from the Object Level or when the \"Go up to Parent Object\" icon is selected when a drawing sheet is active.
A level of activity within the VX hierarchy. In VX, a drawing packet is a collection of one or more drawing sheets. A drawing sheet is where the actual detail geometry is located. This level is activated when a Drawing Sheet is created or edited from the Object Level or Drawing Packet Level.
DWG is a native binary data format developed by Autodesk, Inc. to store AutoCADŽ drawing data.
DXF (Drawing Interchange File) is an industry standard ASCII (can also be binary) neutral data format developed by Autodesk, Inc. to store AutoCADŽ drawing data.
With Dynamic Pan you move the current view from one location to another on the display. The current rotation and zoom level are not affected. After Dynamic View is turned on, the left mouse button controls the Dynamic Pan motion.
See \"Echo\"
With Dynamic Rotate you spin or rotate the current view. The current pan and zoom factors are not affected. After Dynamic View is turned on, the right mouse button controls Dynamic Rotate motion about the current View Origin. While the F3 key is pressed, Dynamic Rotate will occur about the View Axis. While the F4 key is pressed, it will occur about the Display Axis.
Dynamic View consists of three methods of dynamically transforming the current view of the part. The three methods are: Dynamic Pan, Dynamic Zoom, and Dynamic Rotate.
With Dynamic Zoom you can zoom in out on the current view. The current pan and rotation are not affected. After Dynamic View is turned on, the middle mouse button controls Dynamic Zoom motion.
VX previews features before you commit to creating them. This is referred to as the Preview Echo or simply Echo. The Echo will change dynamically as command options are modified to allow \"what if\" scenarios. You can change the attributes of the Echo using the Echo Attributes command and toggle the use of echo on and off from the View menu.
VX can save your design information automatically in case of an emergency (like a system crash). See the Files Tab of the VX Configuration Form for more information.
Executes the Display Help Browser command only when the F1 key is enabled using the Enable/Disable F1 Key command.
Activates the Pull Down Menu bar.
Activates Dynamic View. While the F2 key is pressed, Dynamic Rotate will be constrained about the View Origin.
Activates Dynamic View and Rotate View about Line or Axis. While the F3 key is pressed, Dynamic Rotate will be constrained about the View Axis.
Activates Dynamic View and Rotate View about Line or Axis. However, unlike F3, while the F4 key is pressed, Dynamic Rotate will be constrained about an imaginary axis starting at the View Origin and projecting perpendicular to the operator. This is referred to as the display axis.
Executes the Redraw Display command. You can also press (Ctrl+R) to redraw the display.
Used as an \"alternate pick\" option. After an entity is picked, press F6 to toggle through entities that are coincident with the picked entity.
Activates extended picking. This allows you to select entities outside the active part or sketch. During point input the mode will temporarily change to Critical and Smart Pick (if On) will snap to critical external reference points (endpoints, midpoints, center points, etc.) anywhere in the active part or assembly where geometry is visible.
The total number of Facets generated when the Shaded Display mode is activated is based on the current View Extent value. You can refine the display facets based on the current View Extent at any time.
When the Shaded Display mode is active, facets (planar polygons) are generated and applied to the faces of each visible object. Faces that consist of curved and freeform surfaces require an array of connected facets. Shading algorithms are then applied to the faceted representation of the part. The result is a secondary model that is a shaded representation of the original part.
When exporting VX parts to the STL format, facets (triangular planar polygons) are generated and replace the faces of the part. Faces that consist of curved and freeform surfaces require an array of connected facets. The resulting faceted model is then exported to a neutral STL file format for use by Rapid Prototyping (RP) systems.
You can derive one or more parts from another \"seed\" part or simply duplicate a part. You can use part tables, driving parameters or attributes. This is referred to as a Family of Parts.
FEM is an approach generally used for simulating very complex physical entities by approximating them with much smaller and thus more primitive, finite number of \"elements.\" The behavior of such individual elements and their interactions with one another is relatively better understood and thus more feasible for computer-based implementations. If enough of these simpler elements are used, the results can closely approximate their much more complex physical counterparts.
When you open a file and edit it, only the file edits (i.e., the actual objects being edited within the file) are stored with the active session. The original file remains unchanged until the file is saved. At that time, the file edits are cleared from the active session.
A level of activity within the VX hierarchy. This level contains functions that relate to the management of VX object files. These functions are available from the File Menu. The file level is where new files are created or existing files are activated.
VX Object files contain all of the information created for a design. This information is stored in top level root objects such as parts, assemblies, drawing packets, drawing sheets, CAM process plans, etc. These root objects also contain lower level sub-objects such as sketches and attributes. This object-oriented structure allows for the efficient management of complex designs. Portions of files and objects are loaded into the active session as needed where they are edited and temporarily stored.
VX uses the keyboard function keys F1 through F7 to automate a variety of tasks. Many tasks are keyboard sensitive in that an action results while the key is pressed and ends when the key is released. Others act as a switch to toggle a function on or off.
This plot color codes subtle changes in curvature. White indicates no curvature. Red indicates convex curvature and blue indicates concave curvature. Differing shades of red or blue indicate the amount and transition of curvature.
Chinese Drawing Standard. See the Dimension Attributes Form for more information.
The area of the display where objects (e.g., parts, components, sketches, drawing sheets, CAM Process Plans, etc.) are displayed.
A hidden line display is similar to the Wireframe Display but the curve, surface, and solid portions of the part that are not in the direct line of sight are removed from view. It is also similar to the Shaded Display but without the shading. A hidden line display offers the realistic view of the part without decreasing system performance as much as a shaded display. Like the shaded display, the hidden line display is used for visually inspecting the part.
All functions used to create the part (e.g., base features, cut/boss features, sketches, hole features, lines, curves, surfaces, etc.) are stored in the part's history. The history can be replayed and modifications made at any desired location. The History List refers to the listing of these functions. The History Tree refers to the parent and child dependencies of the functions stored in the part's history.
The Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES) is an ASCII neutral data format (can also be in the less commonly used binary format) used for the exchange of 2D and 3D geometry, annotations, wireframe, surface, and solid entities between dissimilar CAD systems. Refer to the import and export commands as well as the IGES Import Options Form and the IGES Export Options Form. When an IGES file is opened using the Open File command or when a VX file is saved as an IGES file using the Save File As command, the translation is performed automatically. An IGES/VX entity map is available to use as a reference.
Use the increment and decrement buttons to increase or decrease a numeric value in the text input field. The amount of increase or decrease is equal to the step size. The buttons will become inactive when numeric input is not requested.
You can right-click the mouse during any command that is prompting you for input. Doing so will display a menu of the Input Options for that command prompt. The options that appear are command sensitive and will vary depending on the situation. The input options are listed in the Input Options Index.
Refers to the ISO (International Standards Organization) drawing standard. See the Dimension Attributes Form for more information.
An Iso-Curve is an independent wireframe curve that is associated with the U or V parameter of a face. They can be created using a variety of methods including At Points, At U/V Parameter and At Multiple U/V Parameters.
An isoline is a curve placed on a face for display purposes only. It cannot be selected or associated with other features. The lines represent the U and/or V parameters equally spaced along the face. Iso-lines are a form of surface analysis. They show the curvature of a face while using very little display and system resources.
Refers to the JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard) drawing standard. See the Dimension Attributes Form for more information.
For the comprehensive management of a design, entities can be assigned to individual layers. There is always an active layer. Layers can be created, renamed, deleted, turned on or off, and assigned attributes. The layer manager handles all of these functions.
To move the cursor over an item on the display and press the left mouse button once.
For object editing, position the cursor over an entity and double-left-click to execute a hard-coded command. The command executed will vary based on the entity and the level of VX that is currently active (e.g., Part, Sketch, Drawing Sheet, etc.). For example, double-click on a sketch to activate it for editing, on a dimension to edit it, or on an edge to add a fillet, etc.
Position the cursor over an entity or listed item and left-click to select it.
Patterning or mirroring a component will result in a \"locked component.\" This means that the resulting component will be locked against geometric editing. An error message will be returned if you try to activate a locked component for editing. There is a reduced number of commands that will execute on a locked component. These commands are shown by the Object Editor.
Copying a sketch using any of the commands on the Copy Part Entity Menu (these include copy, pattern, and mirror commands) will result in a Copying a sketch using any of the commands on the Copy Part Entity Menu (these include copy, pattern, and mirror commands) will result in a \"locked sketch.\" This means that the sketch copy(s) will be locked against geometric editing. The sketch can be parametrically edited by modifying its dimensions (double-click a dimension to edit it) but it cannot be loaded into the sketcher for geometric editing. Copying, patterning, or mirroring a sketch with these commands is used primarily in preparation for Loft commands where sketch copies with varying dimension values can be used. There is a reduced number of commands that will execute on a locked sketch. These commands are shown on the Object Editor Menu. A locked sketch can be used for any feature creation the same as a regular sketch.
System prompts and messages are displayed in the message area at the top left (or bottom left) of the display. The markers to the right of the message window collapse or expand the area for viewing previous messages.
Middle-click to accept default values and as an alternative to the Return Key in many situations.
A dialogue whose goal is to set a mode of operation.
VX supports multiple objects in a single file. One VX file can contain a part, it's detail drawings and a CAM process plan. You can also force VX to create traditional single-object files using the VX Configuration Form.
VX provides a new CAM Plan Manager that allows you to create and manage CAM plans from a graphical tree interface. This is a more intuitive interface than the traditional forms-based interface.
VX supports non-graphical components such as grease and glue. You can create a part without geometry (delete the datum planes also) and add part attributes defining the component. Non-graphical components will show up in parts lists and Bill of Materials BOM tables.
The normal vector is a direction perpendicular to a curve, edge or face at the tangent point in the direction of the outside of the curve, edge or face.
Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline. VX is a NURBS-based CAD/CAM application. You can inquire the NURBS data of curves and surfaces using the Inquire NURBS Curve Data command and the Inquire NURBS Surface Data command.
The Object Editor provides a quick and easy way to perform many frequently used editing commands. Simply move the cursor over an object such as a curve, text, or feature. When it highlights, right-click the mouse to display a set of editing commands tailored to that specific object type. You can also double-left-click on an object such as a sketch to activate it or a dimension to edit it.
The Object Level of VX contains functions that relate to the management of Root Objects such as parts, drawing packets, drawing sheets, root sketches, cam plans, and root equations. The Object Level is activated when a VX file is created or edited. At the Object Level the Root Object Browser, Pull Down Menus, and the Utility Tool Bars are all displayed.
(see Files and Objects)
Operation Definition Form. Each tool path in VX CAM has an Operation Definition Form that defines many of the parameters needed for that tool path. In the CAM Manager, right-click on Parameters under a tool path operation to display this form.
While a solid has been traditionally defined as a closed shape (and still is in many solids-only CAD applications), it is important to remember that VX allows you to create solid features even if the shape is open (i.e., one or more faces of the solid are missing). Only the faces needed to interact with the feature are evaluated. Open shapes can be created and solid features added without the shape having to be closed. See Basic Part Modeling Concepts for more information. See also Closed Shape.
Features or objects that are dependent on other objects are called children. Objects that have dependent children are called parents. These relationships within a part's history are referred to as parent child dependencies.
The Part Level of VX contains functions that relate to creating parts and assemblies. The Part Level is activated from the Object Level by creating or editing a part or from the Drawing Sheet Level by activating a part for editing that is referenced by a layout view. At the Part Level, the Shape Tool Bar, Pull Down Menus, and Utility Tool Bars are all displayed. You return to the Part Level when the \"Go up to Parent Object\" icon is selected at the Sketch Level when a part sketch is active.
VX allows you to derive new parts from a \"seed\" part using a Part Table interface. This is a spreadsheet data table where each record in the table can create a unique part within a Family of Parts.
VX can create a feature that defines a pattern of entities, other features, components and even other patterns. Linear, circular and irregular (at points) patterns are supported.
Product Data Management. VX provides an integration to the SmarTeam PDM application. VX also provides built-in PDM functionality.
A perspective display is one that alters that visual aspect of the part to make it appear to have more depth. For example, in a perspective view of a box, if you extended the edges of the box they would appear to converge at a distant point.
A Point Block is a Point Cloud that VX has flagged as a single entity. Point Blocks make it easy to manage and manipulate large sets of point data.
Point clouds are a dispersed set of points that VX can use to create curves and surfaces from. Point clouds can be created by VX or imported from CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine) data for reverse engineering applications. See also CMM and Point Block.
VX can create a wireframe entity that consists of multiple connected lines. PolyLines can be used like any other wireframe geometry to drive part features.
Refers to a group of curves (i.e., lines, arcs, circles, or curves) that lie on the same plane and are used to create open or closed shapes and features. A profile can be a single curve, a curve list, or a sketch. Profiles can be open or closed. For surface features, the profile geometry may intersect itself, but multiple shapes may results depending on the geometry used. See About Part Modeling for more information.
Refers to the series of menus located at the top of the display. Left click a button to display the pull down menu.
Without Radiosity turned on, ambient illumination is assumed to be a constant value and the diffuse reflection is calculated using only direct illumination. With Radiosity turned on, both are correctly calculated taking into consideration the energy from all sources, both direct and indirect. Radiosity can be turned on in both the A-buffer and ray trace render modes. There are only three differences between the radiosity and non-radiosity mode. Radiosity requires more time, it produces better images and it correctly calculates area light.
The Ray Trace Mode refers to the face method used to calculate the ray trace image. The Face mode is slower but yields the highest quality images. In face mode, the NURB-ray intersection is solved directly on a true parametric representation of the NURBS face. The brute force of the ray tracing algorithm simplifies the handling of trims and produces perfect edges along trim boundaries. This mode also requires less memory than the polygon mode.
The Ray Trace Mode refers to the face method used to calculate the ray trace image. The Polygon mode is faster and provides reasonable quality. The polygon mode subdivides NURBS faces into polygons before rendering. In this mode the ray tracer performs smooth shading by calculating the face normal as a weighted average of vertex normals. To allow continuity across NURBS face meshes, the subdivision process maintains nodal connectivity over boundaries of adjoining NURBS faces.
This value tells how many reflections or refractions will be performed before the ray dies out. The recursion depth of the ray tracer can greatly affect calculation time.
To redraw is the same as refreshing the display. Only what is visible in the graphics window is redrawn. During a redraw the history is not regenerated and the part is not evaluated in any way.
While it is possible to over-constrain a sketch in VX, mechanisms are in place to guard against it. For example, if you add a dimension that would result in the sketch being over-constrained, it is automatically converted to a reference dimension. In a sketch, reference dimensions are not evaluated. You can also toggle a dimension's reference status.
Refers to a face's ability to reflect light. Chrome for example would have a high reflectance value while wood would have a low value. With a value of zero the face would not reflect light. With a value of 100 the face would have a mirror-like reflectance.
The total shading process is complicated and consists of several different and independent processes. First, a global illumination model, such as ray tracing or radiosity is used to determine how light from the environment illuminates a face. Various face attributes, such as color and reflectance are then applied. These attributes determine how light will interact with the face. This interaction is expressed by means of a reflectance model describing how the face will reflect light. From a micro point of view, (i.e., on a pixel-by-pixel basis), the final output is simply a color. However, from a macro point of view, (i.e., considering an area of a face), the final output from the reflectance model determines the overall texture of a face.
The Phong model is faster but produces a lower quality image. The Cook model is slower but yields a higher quality image. Faces shaded with the Phong model always have a white highlight, making it impossible to simulate metallic faces. The face specular color, which is not used in the Phong model, is used to give color to the highlight in the Cook reflectance model. When rendering metallic faces, the simplest thing to do is to set the face specular color to the same color as the face color.
Refers to the bending of light as it passes through one medium and into another. This attribute will only affect a face with a Transparency attribute value greater than zero. With a Refraction value of zero light will not refract or deviate from its path as it passes through the face. With a Refraction value of 100 light refracts the maximum amount as it passes through the face.
Attributes defined by the Rendering Attributes Form can be saved and loaded as a unique attribute bundle. Rendering attributes applied to one object can be saved and recalled for later use.
Press the Return
To move the cursor over an item on the display (e.g., entity, no entity, item in a list, etc.) until it highlights and press the right mouse button once.
You can display an additional Input Options Menu for many commands if you right-click the mouse. Using these options can further define or modify the requested input.
For object editing, position the cursor over an entity and right-click to display a list of Object Editor functions. The functions available will vary. If you are inside the Graphics Window but away from any entities a default Object Editor menu will appear that is specific to the level of VX that is currently active (e.g., Object, Part, Sketch, Drawing Packet, Drawing Sheet, etc.). You can also right-click on highlighted entities. For example, if you right-click on a sketch dimension an Object Editor menu will appear that is specific to the entity type.
A drawing sheet that was created at the Object Level. Root drawing sheets can be inserted (shared) among many different drawing packets. A drawing sheet created at the Drawing Packet Level is assigned to the active drawing packet and is not referred to as a root drawing sheet. However, Drawing Packet Level drawing sheets can also be inserted to other drawing packets just like root drawing sheets.
The first part created or inserted into an assembly. Also, all VX objects created at the Object Level (e.g., Parts, Drawing Packets, Root Drawing Sheets, Root Sketches, CAM Plans and Equation Sets) are referred to as root objects because they are top-level objects in the VX hierarchy. Drawing Sheets can be root objects (e.g., Root Drawing Sheets) as well as children of drawing packets (e.g., Drawing Sheets). Sketches can also be root objects (e.g., Root Sketches) as well as children of any part (i.e., root part or any other child part).
A sketch that was created at the Object Level. Root sketches can be copied (shared) into many different parts. A sketch created at the Part Level is assigned to the active part and is not referred to as a root sketch.
You can rotate the current view about a line or axis. This works with Dynamic Rotate. First you set the Display Axis. Then you turn on Rotate about Line. Using Dynamic Rotate will then constrain the view to rotate about the Display Axis you set.
Refers to the mating edge of two adjacent faces.
When you are running VX it is referred to as the Active Session. When you create a new file it resides in the active session and contains the initial root objects that you create. When you save a file that is new and has not been saved yet, the File Browser is displayed and defaults to the \"File Save\" directory defined on the Files tab of the VX Configuration Form or the last directory specified by this command or the Save File As command. If you save all files and one of the files is new, it is saved from the active session to the \"File Save\" directory mentioned above. When you open a file, the active session only retrieves the root objects and sub-objects needed. Also, display information is loaded on-demand. Display information that lies outside the initial view window, that is blanked, or that isn't needed for the active display mode (e.g., facets for shading) is not loaded. This is all part of VX's efficient object manager. A file opened during the active session does not represent the entire file - only what you have edited. When you save a file that was opened, the original file is updated and the session is cleared of the file. You can think of the active session as an efficient work area where multiple files can be created, opened and then saved as needed. NOTE: It is important to remember that the undo and redo history is maintained only during each session and that every time a file in the session is saved, the undo/redo history is reset.
In a shaded display, all surfaces and solids in the direct line of sight are shaded based on the current View Extent and attributes assigned to them. A shaded display gives a realistic and more comprehensive view of the part. With a shaded display however, the part needs to be rotated to see areas hidden from view. Working with a shaded display can also decrease system performance.
Show All adds all levels of Parent objects and all of their Children (components, sketches, etc) that are located in the Active part to the display (e.g., they become visible).
Show Target displays the active object and all of its children (components, sketches, etc) that are located in the active part. All other objects are blanked from the display.
A level of activity within the VX hierarchy. The Sketch Level contains functions that relate to creating a sketch (part and root sketch). The Sketch Level is activated when a sketch is created or edited at the Part Level or when a root sketch is created or edited at the Object Level. At the Sketch Level, the Basic Tool Bar, Pull Down Menus and the Utility Tool Bar are all displayed by default. From the Sketch Level you return to the Part Level or Object Level (in the case of a root sketch) when the Go up to Parent Object icon is selected.
In VX, a sketch can be a two-dimensional stand alone root object like a part or drawing packet root sketches can be inserted into any number of parts to drive feature geometry. While in a part, a sketch is a two-dimensional geometry group created on a datum plane or planar part face, whose primary function is to drive a part feature. Sketches can be created on-the-fly while a command to create a feature is executed. The feature command is temporarily halted while the sketch is created and then resumes using the newly created sketch. The sketch remains associated with the feature. A sketch can also be created for use during later commands. VX is flexible by allowing the use of various types of sketches. A sketch can be an open or closed profile. It can be undimensioned, partially dimensioned, underconstrained, or fully constrained. For solid features, the sketch geometry should not intersect itself. For surface features, the sketch geometry may intersect itself, but multiple shapes may result depending on the geometry used. The figures below show examples of sketch type that can exist in a VX part.
When Smart Pick is activated, cursor movement will automatically detect and highlight fixed and relational pick points. Refer to the Sketch Settings Form and Drawing Sheet Settings Form.
Refers to the special characters and symbols available for text insertion. Refer to the Text Attributes Form and the Text & Dimension Editor Form for more details.
Refers to the characteristics of specular (mirror-like) reflection from a face. This setting adds highlights and gives a more realistic appearance to faces. A low value will produce highlights that are spread out and diffused. A high value will produce highlights that are almost point like.
Refers to light from a specific light source reflected off the face and back to the viewer's eye. The color of the light reflected is the color of the light source. With a value of zero the face reflects no light from any light sources. With a value of 100 the face would reflect the maximum amount of light provided by the light source.
Area surrounding geometry that is affected by modifying a shape. Points on the shape at the geometry are moved the full amount. Points on the shape at the edge of the sphere of influence are not moved at all. All other points (the transition area) are moved a percentage of the full amount. Refer to the Morph Shape commands.
Optional radius smaller than the Sphere of Influence. All points on the model that are inside this sphere move the full amount of the transformation. Refer to the Morph Shape commands.
VX allows you to creates a section view of a section view in a drawing sheet. This is referred to a Stacking Sections. Be careful though. Too many stacked sections can cause delays when regenerating the drawing sheet.
Refers to one of the six orthographic views (top, front, right, left, back, or bottom).
STEP (Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data) is an international standard. The intended goal of STEP is to interrelate all geometric and non geometric data in a useful and meaningful way so that the complete description of a product can be shared between CAD systems. STEP is an ASCII neutral data format primarily used for the exchange of 3D solid geometry between dissimilar CAD systems. Refer to the import and export commands as well as the STEP Import Options Form and the STEP Export Options Form. When a STEP file is opened using the Open File command or when a VX file is saved as a STEP file using the Save File As command, the translation is performed automatically. A STEP/VX entity map is available to use as a reference.
Use the Step Size Button to increase or decrease the numerical step applied when the Increment and Decrement Buttons are picked. You can modify the step size anytime.
Refers to any icon that appears in a submenu. See also Top Menu Icon.
The marker that appears to the right of an icon or menu text that indicates the presence of a submenu.
A function used to hide or display all datum planes in the Active Part. Each time the function is selected the datum planes are swapped between being displayed and being hidden.
A function used to hide or display all dimensions in the Active Part. Each time the function is selected dimensions are swapped between being displayed and being hidden.
When an application has used all available physical memory (RAM) the system then uses a portion of the hard disk as supplemental memory. This portion of your hard disk is known as Swap Space. This setting is controlled through the operation system's control panel.
You can create a new part using a simple table-based family-of-parts interface. This is an alternate to the Part Attributes method of deriving new parts from an existing part. See Applying VX for more information.
Refers to the tangent continuity of two faces at a shared edge. The two faces share the same tangent plane.
Refers to the Active Object. When Show Target is used, the Active Object and all of its children are displayed.
This VX file becomes the default file for the object templates displayed by the New File/Object Form when a new VX object is created (e.g. part, drawing sheet, etc.). By default, the template file name is \"Templates.VX\". A default Templates.VX file is located in the \"\\resource\" directory of your user directory. Refer to the Files tab of the VX Configuration Form for more details. VX searches for the specified template file in your user directory first, then in the VX installation directories, then in the directories listed in the VX Search Path Form. However, if you put a custom Templates.VX file in one of the directories listed in the VX Search Path Form, it still will not be found by VX if there is a default Templates.VX file in one of the installation directories. The solution is to move your custom Templates.VX file to your user directory or to give your template file a different name and log that name here. See Tutorial - Customizing the Template File
Use the Tessellate Scattered Data command to tessellate point data into inter-connected and therefore traversable vertices and edges. The connected edges form a series of triangles. If a set of STL data is tessellated it will result in the same exact set of triangles but they will be fully inter-connected and sewn together (i.e., no overlapping edges or redundant vertices.) This provides a structured way of traversing random input data for further processing.
In response to a system prompt, keyboard entries can be made in the Text Input Field. The prompt for the command being executed is located to the left of the window. Pressing the Return Key on the keyboard accepts the entry you typed in.
Refers to the chord-height tolerance for the faceted representation and display of faces during shading. Use the Set Face Display Tolerance command to change this tolerance for selected faces.
Refers to the geometry tolerance of an individual feature. Use the Set Feature Tolerance command to modify the geometry tolerance of selected features. The new tolerance will override (for the selected features only) the default geometry tolerance defined in the Part Settings Form.
Refers to the default part geometry tolerance measured in the default units. The geometry tolerance is feature dependent. Every new feature is assigned a geometry tolerance as defined in the Part Settings Form at the time the feature is created. If the geometry tolerance is modified, only newly created features are affected. Earlier features retain the geometry tolerance in affect at the time the feature was created. You can adjust the geometry tolerance for individual features using the Set Feature Tolerance command.
Refers to the refitting of face edges to within a specified tolerance using the Refit Face Edges command. You can refit edges that have bad parameterization or a massive number of control points to make them more fair or compact.
VX is driven by a hierarchy of Tool Bars located along the right or left side of the display. The right or left location is user defined using the VX Configuration Form. By default, the Tool Bars are on the right.
In a part/assembly, the Top Level Parent Object refers to the initial part to which all subsequent components or sub-assemblies are related. All of the components (parts or sub-assemblies) are considered children of the Top Level Parent Object. See also Parent Child Dependencies.
Refers to any icon that appears along the far right side of the display. See also Submenu Icon.
Refers to the connection and relationship of vertices, edges, and faces that make up a 3D geometric object. Topology (vertices, edges, and faces) differs from geometry (points, curves, and surfaces) because it defines a relationship. The geometry of a part may differ (e.g., longer, shorter, wider, etc.) while the topology (the relationship) remains the same.
Area between the Sphere of Rigid Motion and the Sphere of Influence. A smooth function is used to transition between the full transformation within the Sphere of Rigid Motion and the stationary region outside the Sphere of Influence. The shape of the transition region is controlled with the Bulge factor, the Slope and the Flat/Peak option. Refer to the Morph Shape commands.
Refers to how transparent a face is. With a minimum value the face would be solid. With a maximum value the face would be totally transparent.
To turn on (unblank) the visibility of an entity, object, or layer that has been blanked.
The User Input Area is located in the top right portion of the display just below the Utility Tool Bars (or the bottom left as specified by the VX Configuration Form).
User specified text can be displayed instead of actual dimension values. User Text is an option during many of the dimension commands at the Sketch and Drawing Sheet levels. You can enter the User Text directly or use the Text and Dimension Editor. At the Drawing Sheet level you can use the Show User Text Dimensions command from the Inquire menu to display all user text in a defined color (red by default).
VDA (Verband der Deutschen Automobilindustrie - German Automotive Industry) is a subset of the IGES neutral data format for defining geometric data. Refer to the import and export commands as well as the VDA Import Options Form and the VDA Export Options Form. When a VDA file is opened using the Open File command or when a VX file is saved as a VDA file using the Save File As command, the translation is performed automatically.
The display axis is an axis about which the display is manipulated. It can be a line, edge, or datum plan axis. If the display axis is set, pressing the F4 key, will force Dynamic Rotations to be constrained about the display axis.
The view origin is a point about which the display is manipulated. During Dynamic Viewing, the display is dynamically viewed about the view origin. Changing the view origin is most noticeable during Dynamic Rotation. The part is rotated about the new view origin.
VX object files contain all of the information created for a design. This information is stored in top level root objects such as parts, assemblies, drawing packets, CAM process plans, etc. Refer to the figure shown under Basic Work Flow. These root objects also contain lower level sub-objects such as sketches and attributes. This object-oriented structure allows for the efficient management of complex designs. Portions of files and objects are loaded into the active session as needed where they are edited and saved when the files are saved.
Use the VX Search Path Form to tell VX where to search for files referenced by assemblies, drawing sheets and CAM process plans. When you open a file, its path is added to the list. If you move a file that VX needs to reference, be sure to add the path to the list. VX searches the current directory first and then the default search directories in the order they are listed. The current directory is the one that VX is running from (i.e., your User Directory).
The area located at the very top of the VX display. The VX title bar contains the VX version number and lists the names of the active file, active part, active layer, etc.
In a wireframe display, all curve, surface, and solid edges are displayed and viewed directly. The advantages of a wireframe display include increased performance (display regeneration) and the ability to view all geometry associated with the part at once. A disadvantage however, is that viewing a complex part can be confusing to those not familiar with the part.