Pocket Manager: Advanced Selection

Access: Open this function from the following location:

Manually define pockets that the automatic analysis was not able to detect due to the pocket recognition rules. Screen parameters are displayed to refine the pocket detection analysis.

In some cases the automatic pocket analysis fails to detect pockets, due to the pocket recognition rules. For example, in the image below, after using the Select All Displayed Surfaces option, there is a pocket which the system failed to detect. This is because the green face has a different angle, and according to the detection logic, this is not a valid condition.

To manually detect this pocket, use the Advanced Selection option. When this option is invokedinvoked (for more, click Access at the top of this Help topic), the following screen parameters are displayed, depending on the selected dropdown options:

Free Selection or
From Floor Faces:

Multi Directions:

Free Selection example

  1. Click the bottom face of the pocket. The whole pocket is selected, using the Free Selection option.

  2. Click the face of the wall that has a different draft angle to deselect it. Press OK.

  3. The result is a new manually defined pocket which contains only the flat floor. The green face is not included and the pocket is open on both sides.

Although it is not the full feature volume which is detected, the Advanced Selection option provides the means to manually define pockets which the automatic analysis was not able to detect.

Note: When the system is in pocket selection mode (for example, when selecting pockets for procedures), in addition to the selection options available in the Pocket Manager, the pockets can also be selected By Box.

Parameters:

Free Selection

This is a dropdown list of the following options:

Free Selection

Pick individual faces to select a pocket, or pick the floor face of a pocket to select all its faces.

From Floor Faces

Pick a floor face of a pocket to select only that face. The system then selects an existing UCS or creates a new UCS with the appropriate Z direction.

Since the floor of a detected pocket will always be perpendicular to the Z direction of the set UCS, the system checks all existing UCSs in the file and tries to match one with the appropriate Z direction. If it cannot find one, the system creates and activates and new UCS with the appropriate Z direction. The new UCS is displayed in the UCS List in the screen parameters.
Examples:Examples:

An undetected pocket:

Using the From Floor Faces option, select the floor face of the pocket:

Note that a UCS is found/created that has an appropriate Z direction:

Click OK to create the pocket:

Multi Directions

Create pockets in the main planes directions, perpendicular and parallel to the active UCS (Top, Bottom, Front, Back, Left and Right), without creating a predefined UCS for each direction in advanced.

Since each pocket requires a UCS, an existing UCS is attached to the new created pockets. If no UCS exists, a new one is created (similar to the From Floor Faces option). The UCS is created at the top center of the bounding box of all selected surfaces (Z).

When is option is selected the following additional options are selected, see the parameter explanations, below:

Select All Displayed Surfaces

This option is displayed if the Multi Directions option is selected, above.
Click this option to select all the surfaces displayed in the graphics window.

All Main Directions

This option is displayed if the Multi Directions option is selected. The list contains the following options:

Top & Side Directions

This option finds pockets in 5 directions (Top, Front, Back, Left and Right).

All Main Directions

This option finds pockets in all the directions (Top, Bottom, Front, Back, Left and Right).
In other words, all the directions of the Top & Side Directions option, plus the Bottom direction.

<UCS List>

This is a dropdown list of all the available UCSs, used to determine the direction in which the system detects the pockets. See the Pocket Manager: Active UCS option.

Faces Grouping Max. Gap

Create NC pocket geometry based on this Max. Gap value.

This maximum gap value is used to analyze the groups of selected faces and create the required geometry. This parameter is used to group faces according to the defined Max. Gap value (the selected faces are grouped considering the gaps between them).

In the example below, there are two groups of faces separated by a gap of 1.5 to 2.3 millimeters. In this example, the Faces Grouping Max. Gap parameter = 1mm, hence the two groups.
Example:Example:

If the Faces Grouping Max. Gap value is changed to 2.5 (greater than both gap values), the boundary segments that were before on both sides of the gap no longer exist. All faces are now grouped in one group.
Example:Example:

 

See the note below regarding this parameter.

Pockets Creation Max. Gap

Create NC pocket geometry based on this Max. Gap value.

This maximum gap value is used to analyze the faces and create the NC pockets. This parameter is used to concatenate faces according to the defined Max. Gap value.

See the note below regarding this parameter.

Don't Create Duplicate Pockets

Toggle option Don't Create Duplicate Pockets / Allow Creating Duplicate Pockets:

Don't Create Duplicate Pockets

When creating new pockets, duplicate pockets (pockets that are identical to existing pockets) are not created.

Allow Creating Duplicate Pockets

When creating new pockets, duplicate pockets (pockets that are identical to existing pockets) are created.

 

Note: The detection of some pockets may be prevented if the Faces Grouping Max. Gap value is greater than the Pocket Creation Max. Gap value. In this case, an appropriate warning message is displayed.

Approval options

OK: Accept the changes, perform the operation, and close the current dialog/task.

Apply: Accept the changes, perform the operation, and keep the current dialog/task open.

Cancel: Cancel all changes and close the dialog/task without saving the settings.

See also the Pocket Manager: Select All Displayed Surfaces option.

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