Display Body Under Functional Features

The Display Body under functional features capability simplifies the specification tree and improve management of the insertion point. It provides a mechanism for users to gather bi-dimensional and tri-dimensional elements within the same work environment. The bodies referenced by FMP features will be displayed in the specification tree only under the pointing feature.

Functional features that reference bodies are the external shape features, push, pull, fitting features and shellable features using the option Selected core.

An External Shape feature is a functional feature created via Shape Feature toolbar and using the External Shape option.

The scenario provided shows you how to use the Display Body under functional features  capability. It simplifies the specification tree display when an external shape feature or a push/pull/fitting feature references a body.  The referenced body will only be displayed under the pointing feature if when selected, it is not used by another feature or Boolean operation. 

Open the DisplayBody.CATPart document.
  1. You can see the specification tree display before creating an External Shape feature.

  2. Click the Shellable Feature icon .

    The Shellable Feature dialog box is displayed.

  3. Click the External Shape icon from any shape feature dialog box. The following dialog box is displayed:

  4. Select Body.2 from the specification tree for External Shape.

  5. Click OK.

  6. You can see the specification tree display after creating an External Shape feature that references Body.2. The referenced body is aggregated by the functional specification.

  • This enhancement is only available for functional features created within the new R16 specification tree. i.e. created inside a Solid Functional Set.

  • When a body is aggregated by a functional specification it can still be used by another functional specification. In that case the body is not displayed under the second specification.

  • The aggregated body is switch to No Show at the end of the feature definition command (on OK). During edition of the feature the aggregated body is in show and visible.

  • When deleting a body reference feature (like External Shape or Push/Pull/Fitting) that aggregates its body, the Delete panel appears. If the user keep checked the option Delete aggregated elements then the body is removed during operation. If the user unchecks the Delete aggregated elements then the aggregated body is moved under the part during the delete operation.
        

  • It is possible to define the In Work Object on aggregated bodies and on features inside those bodies. The In Work Object is used as insertion point for solid features. It is also possible to set the In Work Object on a geometrical set inside an aggregated body in order to create some wire frame features.

  • When activating the View only current body option and setting the In Work Object inside an aggregated body, only the In Work Object is displayed in 3D. When activating the View only current operated solid the wire frame is also displayed.

  • The parent Children command is available on aggregated body and display the functional feature as a children of the body.

  • The replace command is available on the aggregated body. It is possible to select another body. If this body can be aggregated by the functional feature (Mechanical Tool under the part which is not the Part Body) then the selected body will be aggregated by the functional feature.

  • Functional features that reside in or are aggregated by a pre-R16 Functional Body will not be able to absorb contextual features.

  • External Shape and Push/Pull/Fitting features that reside in a Functional Body (pre R16 data) do not hide the visualization of a referenced body in the spec tree.  The referenced body will continue to be visualized in the spec tree in both its original position and indented under the External Shape feature.

  • Multi-body features, like Divide and Extract, will not hide the visualization of a referenced body in the spec tree. 

  • Hybrid bodies are not aggregated by functional specifications. 

  • Part Body is not aggregated by functional specifications. 

  • The different colors of an aggregated Body are not reported on the result of the aggregating functional specification.

  • The scan command is not able to manage the content of an aggregated body.