Cut Active : Options and Results

This function enables you to select a plate (stock) and then to select parting faces (which may be from different parts). The system then automatically stitches the selected parting faces and then either cuts the stock by these parting surfaces, or imports the parting faces to the plate part.

Required Step 1

Pick a plate (stock) to be cut by the parting faces (or select the part from the Assembly Tree).

The following parameters are displayed:

A dropdown list displays the following options:

Pick Target Part	Pick the target part to be cut. The Target Part field displays the name of the selected part. The parameter is displayed in red when it is empty (before a part is picked or if you clear the selection). After a part has been picked, the parameter is grayed out and displays the name of the selected component. For example: Before picking the target part. After pick the target part.
Pick Target Sub-Assembly (Export to New Part)	Pick a target sub-assembly to be cut. This is exported to a new part upon which the cut operation will be performed. The Target Assembly field displays the name of the selected sub-assembly, and operates similarly to that of the Target Part in the previous option. The New Part Name field displays the name of the new part for the cut operation.

In the examples below the picked plate is a stock. The plate can be picked using one of the following methods:

1. Pick the plate (object) from the Graphics Area.

When the object is picked, the function immediately moves to the 2nd step and the picked object is displayed in wireframe mode.

2. Select the part from the Assembly Tree.

When the part is selected, it is highlighted and the part name is displayed in the Target Part parameter. To move to the 2nd step of the function, either press the 2nd step icon in the Feature Guide, or press <exit><exit>(middle mouse button).

Notes:

• A non-activated assembly part can be selected.

• You can switch the selection from an object (in the Graphics Area) to a part (in the Assembly Tree) and vice versa.

• If a part from the tree is selected:

• • The activeactive(the parts of the mold that touch the plastic during the injection process) object in this part (if it exists) is selected. If it is hidden, it is now shown.

  • If there is no active object and no objects at all in this part, no selection takes place.

  • If there is no active object, but objects exist in this part, the first visible object (in the object list) is selected. If it is hidden, it is now shown.

  • An object with an cutting object attribute cannot be selected.

• When editing the feature, you cannot use the tree.

Required Step 2

Pick the parting faces by picking a split direction (any attached parting faces will be selected) and then press exit. These parting faces will cut the stock that was picked in the 1st step.

Note: In this step, the object picked in the 1st step is displayed in wireframe mode for clarity - so as not to obstruct the display.

Note: The parting faces may belong to multi-lump bodies, solids containing several distinct solid parts.

The following toggle parameters appear: Pick Faces by indicating Split Directions / Free Selection:

Pick Faces by indicating Split Directions

Pick the parting faces by indicating split directions. In this case, the split directions must have attached parting faces (the attached parting faces will be selected). This option can only be used if split faces exist in the assembly. If there are no split faces in the assembly, nothing can be picked (as there are no split directions); in this case, toggle to the Free Selection option. Using this method from the Graphics Area: Only single selection is available (selection By Box or Select All is not available). Only faces with a split attribute are can be selected. After picking a face with a split attribute, all the parting faces related to the picked split direction are added to the selection. Using this method from the Parting Tree, the following popup menu options are available from the appropriate parting surface node: Select Faces: the faces belonging to the appropriate parting surface node are selected. Clear Selection: the faces belonging to the appropriate parting surface node are unselected (if they were previously selected). The following dropdown list of options are displayed when Pick Faces by indicating Split Directions is chosen: Parting Faces Only After picking a face with a split attribute, only the parting faces related to the picked split direction are added to the selection. All faces can be picked, except those attached to QuickSplit sets. The system ignores these assigned faces. QuickSplit Faces Only After picking a face with a split attribute, only the QuickSplit faces related to the picked split direction are added to the selection. QuickSplit & Parting Faces After picking a face with a split attribute, the QuickSplit and parting faces related to the picked split direction are added to the selection. Note: If a QuickSplit direction that was selected for a Cut Active operation, was changed, the active part that was created will be marked for update.

Free Selection

Pick the parting faces using the normal selection methods. The following toggle option is displayed when Free Selection is chosen: Ignore Assigned Faces All faces can be picked, except those attached to QuickSplit sets. The system ignores these assigned faces. All Faces All faces can be picked, including those attached to QuickSplit sets.

In addition, the following parameters are also displayed:

Start Open Edge Analysis	Analyze and show the open edges on the selected parting faces by marking them in yellow. This option helps you to detect if there are any problematic areas. This is particularly important if the default Cut operation is selected. ExampleExample:
Max Gap	Enter the stitch tolerance used to stitch the parting faces selected in the 2nd step. The initial default tolerance value is as defined in the Preferences. See the same Preference also for the tolerance range. Changes to the tolerance will not be reflected on the screen until the Preview button is pushed.

Required Step 3

Either cut the object selected in the 1st step by the parting surfaces selected in the 2nd step, or import the parting surfaces to the object.

Note: As the function moves into this step, the system automatically stitches the parting faces selected in the 2nd step according to the Max. Gap parameter value (see above).

The following toggle parameters appear: Cut / Import which determines whether the object selected in the 1st step is cut or has parting surfaces imported to it.

Cut	The object selected in the 1st step is cut by the parting surfaces selected in the 2nd step. This is the default option. See Cut Operation Details. ExampleExample: When the Cut option is selected, additional parameters are available; see Cut Parameters, below.
Import	The parting surfaces selected in the 2nd step are imported to the object selected in the 1st step. ExampleExample:

 

Cut Parameters

The following parameters are displayed if the Cut toggle option is selected:

Cut by QuickSplit and Parting Faces / Cut by Parting Faces Only	This is a toggle option: Cut by QuickSplit and Parting Faces Cut the selected object by the QuickSplit and parting faces selected in the 2nd step. This is the default option. Cut by Parting Faces Only Cut the selected object only by the parting faces selected in the 2nd step. The remaining active faces are imported. This option saves the stitching time; however, the result is two objects instead of one. The stitching operation can be performed later.
Transfer Quick Split Colors	This is a dropdown list with the following options to control the transfer of colors to the cut part: Transfer Quick Split Colors Transfer the color of the quick split set. This is the default option. Transfer Part Colors Transfer the original face colors (the results may be the same as the Transfer Quick Split Colors). Don’t Transfer Colors Do not transfer any colors.
Transfer Sets / Don’t Transfer Sets	This is a toggle option to control the transfer of sets (in which the faces take part) to the cut part: Transfer Sets Transfer any set attribute attached to the faces (not including Quick Split sets). Don’t Transfer Sets Do not transfer any sets. This is the default option.

 

When editing the Cut Active feature, the last two parameter options change to the following:

 

Overwrite with Quick Split Colors	This is a dropdown list with the following color transfer options: Overwrite with Quick Split Colors Overwrite all face colors resulting from the cut with quick split set colors. Overwrite with Part Colors Overwrite all face colors resulting from the cut with work part colors. Don’t Change Colors Do not change any colors. This is the default option.
Overwrite Sets/ Don’t Change Sets	This is a set update toggle option: Overwrite Sets Overwrite all sets of faces resulting from the cut according to the sets they have on the work part. This removes all sets from the faces on the active part and adds the sets of the cutting faces. Don’t Change Sets Do not change any sets. This is the default option.

When editing the Cut Active feature, a change will only affect newly cut faces.

 

Cut Operation Details

When using the Cut option, the object selected in the 1st step is cut by the parting surfaces. In this case you need to indicate the side to be removed by using the directional arrows. You can flip the direction by clicking the arrow.

Note: If, for some reason, the Cut operation fails, the resulting action depends on whether the parting faces consist of single or multi-lump volume bodies:

• Single lump volume body: The Import operation is automatically performed and an appropriate message is displayed.

• Multi-lump volume bodies: In this case, the system recognizes the "main parting faces" of the multi-lump bodies. The following outcomes are possible:

• • If the Cut operation fails due to the main parting faces, the Import operation is automatically performed and an appropriate message is displayed.

  • If the Cut operation fails due to one or more of the other ("minor") parting faces, the Cut operation is still performed, however, the problematic minor parting faces are imported to the object.

Example of multi-lumps. The system recognizes the main parting faces.	Successful Cut operation by the main and minor parting faces.

In this example, some of the minor parting faces (shown in red below) failed in the Cut operation and these were imported to the object.

Press OK or Apply in the Feature Guide to complete the function.

When completed, the Cut Active feature will appear in the Feature Tree as follows:

Notes: For information on popup operations from this feature, see Feature Tree Popups. For information regarding associativity in import/export operations in the Part application, see Associativity. For specific feature associativity operations, see Update & Disassociate.

Some functionality may be dependent on the product package. Contact your Reseller if you require a license.