User Features: Limitations

  • Datums (features that cannot be calculated) cannot be inputs of User Features. 

  • Sub-elements cannot be inputs of User Features. For example, the face of a pad cannot be an input.
  • It is impossible to manage real inputs orientation in Meta Inputs instantiation mode. If allowed in the template definition, you can switch to a standard instantiation mode, select the input to edit and then change the orientation.
  • For User Features created in R17: It is possible to drive the color of the User Feature instance from one of its published parameters. If all internal components of the User Feature are colorized, it is no more possible to apply a color on the User Feature instance.
    It is highly recommended not to use Knowledge parameters in User Features to drive their graphic properties.
  • References UDFs do not contain specifications. They are not considered as geometrical features and thus do not have any geometrical result. That's why they appear as "not updated" in the specification tree and in the Edit/Properties window.
  • User Feature graphical properties (such as color, show/hide status, ...) depend on the graphical properties of the User Feature components at creation. As soon as the User Feature is created, i.e. as soon as the components are defined and validated (either by clicking OK in the definition window or by changing tabs), the graphical properties of the User Feature are "frozen" and thus independent from the graphical properties of its components.
    The reason why the User Feature graphical properties are independent from its internal graphical properties is that the User Feature is a feature with its own graphical properties. Those properties can be modified using the Properties contextual command. If the User Feature properties were dependant from the User Feature internal components, you would not be able to modify the User Feature graphical properties using the Properties contextual command, or the graphical properties available from the contextual command and graphical properties defined by parameter would not match.
    So it is highly recommended not to use Knowledge parameters inside the User Feature to drive its graphical properties.
  • User Features do not support standards used in the definition of thread features.