Enquiring Model Data and Identifying Details   

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Contents

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13.1 Enquiring model data

Parasolid provides a vast array of functionality to let you enquire about the status of any entity. This functionality includes the ability to:

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13.1.1 Information about model structure

You can find out about (and modify) the connections that exist between entities, such as the geometry that is attached to a piece of topology.

These functions access the Parasolid model data structure directly and are therefore very fast. You can use them to develop automatic feature recognition and decomposition applications.

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13.1.2 Topological and geometric enquiries

Parasolid provides functionality to enquire about the topological information in a model, such as the properties of a loop, or whether a region is solid or void. In addition, a wide range of functionality is available to enquire about model geometry: for example, you can retrieve parameterisation information for a curve or surface, coincidence information for two pieces of geometry that are coincident, or sample points on a curve.

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13.1.3 Model analysis

As well as getting information directly from a model, Parasolid provides sophisticated functionality to let you analyse any given model.

 

Analysis

Description

Clashing

Detect clashes between any entities in a model. Categorize any clashes in terms of whether one entity is contained completely inside another, whether the entities interfere with each other (that is, whether they cross over), or whether they are touching.

Containment

Detect whether a point is contained inside or outside an entity, or on its boundary.

Intersection

Detect intersections between pairs of any combination of curves, surfaces or faces.

Maximum/minimum distance

Find the minimum or maximum distance between any combination of geometric or topological entities.

Mass properties

Find mass property information for an entity, such as its length, mass, center of gravity, surface area or moments of inertia.

Model validity

Check whether a part is valid at any time: for example, during a sequence of modelling operations, or following a failed operation. Parasolid guarantees that operations on valid models will succeed or produce an intelligible failure code.

Redundant topology

Identify redundant topology such as wire edges and vertices on split rings on a body. Delete this redundant topology and merge together any remaining topologies that becomes mergeable as a result.

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13.2 Identifying model details

Parasolid includes support for identifying model details, namely:

Face-sets identified by any of these methods might subsequently be deleted from the model, or used as input to other face-based functionality; Figure 13-1 shows an example of identifying and deleting blends and holes from a body.

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13.2.1 Finding bounded face sets

You can find distinct sets of faces in a body that are separated by a given set of edges.

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13.2.2 Identifying and classifying specific details

You can identify distinct sets of faces in a body that represent a specific detail, such as faces that comprise a cylindrical hole. Parasolid returns face sets corresponding to individual details, which you might then decide to delete from the model.

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13.2.3 Identifying blends

Parasolid allows you to identify blend faces that are within (or connected to) a set of input faces. These must be constant-radius rolling-ball blends. However, these need not necessarily be defined as constant-radius rolling-ball blend faces, so long as the actual blended face is of near constant radius (to within a specified tolerance). Once identified, blends can also be deleted, and the body repaired using dedicated blend deletion functionality.

 

Figure 13-1 Identifying and deleting blends and holes from a body

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