Creating Plane Systems

In structure applications, you can, for example, define reference planes in each ship direction to assist you place structural elements. You must define one plane system for each direction.

1. Click Plane System .

   In the Generative Shape Design workbench, this icon is found in the Tools toolbar. You can also select Insert > Advanced Replication Tools > Plane System... from the menu bar. In the Structure Preliminary Layout workbench, this icon is to be found in the Structure Grid Set toolbar. Having selected this command, you also need to select an entry in the specification tree under which you want to create a new CATPart to locate your plane system before proceeding. If you want to use an existing CATPart, then select that CATPart in the tree.

   The Plane System dialog box appears.

2. Select the type of plane system you want to create:

   Five types are available: Regular symmetric Regular asymmetric Semi-regular Irregular symmetric Irregular asymmetric

Symmetric Plane Systems 

Symmetric plane systems are created in similar fashion to asymmetric plane systems. The difference being that they have the same number of planes on either side of the origin.

Creating a Regular Asymmetric Plane System

3. Select a plane or a line to define the direction of the plane system.

   If you select a plane, the center of the plane is automatically taken as the origin of the plane system and an arrow appears showing the direction.

   You can, if desired, change the origin.

4. If you selected a line, select a point to define the origin,

   Or,

   If you selected a plane and want to change the origin, click the Origin field and select a point.

   Use the Reverse button in the dialog box or select the arrow in the geometry area to invert the direction. The contextual menus in Direction and Origin fields let you create appropriate geometry directly without having to exit the current command.

5. Specify the primary subset:

   Specify the distance between two planes in the Spacing field. Enter a prefix identifying all planes in this set. Planes are identified by this prefix plus a positive or negative number that increments away from the origin. Plane numbers are positive in the direction of the plane system. The origin is identified by suffix.0.

   Specify the number of planes. The number you enter is the number of planes you want to create on either side of the origin. Note that the number of planes does not include the plane at the origin.

6. Optionally, check Allow second subset to group a number of planes in the primary subset together and create a secondary subset:

   Specify the step. For example, enter 4.  Every fourth primary subset plane will belong to the secondary subset. Enter a prefix identifying all planes in this set.
   Note: The plane at the origin always belongs to the primary subset.
   	Select the subset in the specification tree to visualize all planes in this set in the geometry area.

7. Click OK when done to create a plane system along the specified direction.

Creating an Irregular Asymmetric Plane System

This file must be formatted as follows:

positive_or_negative_absolute_distance_from_origin<TAB>subset_prefix
where <TAB> denotes a TAB character

and should contain an entry 0<TAB>subset_prefix. Typically,

-4800  WEB
-4200  FRM
-3600  FRM
-3000  FRM
-2400  WEB
...
0  FRM
...
 2300  WEB
 2700  WEB

Notes:

• Do not type space characters using the space bar.
• It is not necessary to specify the positive sign '+' when entering positive distances.

It defines a plane system in one ship direction only but can contain as many subsets as desired.

3. Select a plane or a line to define the direction of the plane system.

   If you select a plane, the center of the plane is automatically taken as the origin of the plane system and an arrow appears showing the direction.

   You can, if desired, change the origin.

4. If you selected a line, select a point to define the origin,

   Or,

   If you selected a plane and want to change the origin, click the Origin field and select a point.

   Click Reverse in the dialog box or select the arrow in the geometry area to invert the direction. The contextual menus in Direction and Origin fields let you create appropriate geometry directly without having to exit the current command.

5. Click Browse... and navigate to the file containing the plane system definition.

6. Click OK when done to create a plane system along the specified direction.

Creating a Semi-Regular Plane System

3. Select a plane or a line to define the direction of the plane system.

   If you select a plane, the center of the plane is automatically taken as the origin of the plane system and an arrow appears showing the direction.

   You can, if desired, change the origin.

4. If you selected a line, select a point to define the origin,

   Or,

   If you selected a plane and want to change the origin, click the Origin field and select a point.

   Click Reverse in the dialog box or select the arrow in the geometry area to invert the direction. The contextual menus in Direction and Origin fields let you create appropriate geometry directly without having to exit the current command.

5. Specify the primary subset:

   Specify the distance between two planes in your first group in the Spacing field. Enter the number of the last plane having the specified spacing in the End field. Click Add to confirm your first group.

   The first group is identified in the list view control and the Start field incremented to display the number of the first plane in your second group.

   Repeat to specify the spacing and the number of the last plane to be created with this spacing, then click Add. Continue until satisfied.

   Note: If the current spacing is the same as the spacing of the previous group, any new planes are added to the previous group.

   Enter a prefix identifying all planes in the primary set. Planes are identified by this prefix plus a positive or negative number that increments away from the origin. Plane numbers are positive in the direction of the plane system. The origin is identified by suffix.0.

6. Optionally, check Allow second subset to group a number of planes in the primary subset together and create a secondary subset:

   Specify the step. For example, enter 4.  Every fourth primary subset plane will belong to the secondary subset. Enter a prefix identifying all planes in this set.
   Notes: The plane at the origin always belongs to the primary subset.
   	Select the subset in the specification tree to visualize all planes in this set in the geometry area.

Adding Groups to Your Plane System

• Click in the list view control to return to the Add mode.

Modifying Groups in Your Plane System

1. Select the group you want to modify.
2. Enter a new spacing value or modify the End value to change the number of planes in the group.
   Note: You cannot modify the Start value.
3. Click Modify.

   The plane system is updated. Changing the number of planes in any one group does not affect the number of planes in other groups.

   Note: Click in the list view control to cancel unwanted modifications that have not been confirmed using Modify.

Removing Groups

1. Select the group you want to remove.
2. Click Remove.

7. Click OK when done to create a plane system along the specified direction.