Creating Associative Use-Edges

Associative use-edges are the use-edges which are associative to the geometrical inputs. If input geometry is modified, then the use-edge becomes not up-to-date, and can be updated using the view update. To create associative use-edges, select Create associative use-edges option, from Tools > Options > 2D Layout for 3D Design > Geometry tab. If this option is cleared, then non-associative use-edges are created.
The associative use-edge created on input geometry is composed of one or several marks, that define one or more connex domain of the geometry. The marks created can be simple or complex curves. Simple mark consists of single basic 2D element and complex mark consists of multiple 2D elements.

Creation of associative use-edges

When creating a use-edge from a geometrical input external to the part containing the edited 2D Layout, a geometrical import will be created in the current part, linked to the original geometry or not, will depend on the option Keep link with selected object, in Tools > Options > Infrastructure > Part Infrastructure > General tab.

In the Visualization toolbar, activate the Display Backgrounds as Specified for Each View icon. Select the option Create associative use-edges, in Tools > Options > 2D Layout for 3D Design > Geometry tab. On selecting this option, by-default associative use-edges are created. You can still create non-associative use-edges, by activating the option in the Tools Palette. Similarly, if the Create associative use-edges, option is not selected, then associative use edges can be created. In this case the Tool Palette option should not be activated.

1. Double-click the front view to activate it.

2. Select the element to be projected. For the purpose of our scenario, select the half circle from the big end in front view.

3. Click Project 3D Elements in the 3D Geometry toolbar or select Insert  > 3D Geometry > Use Edges > Project 3D Elements from the menu bar.

4. Use-edge associated to the geometry is created. A new node Use-edge Inputs is added to the specification tree with 3D Sub-element input.1 referencing the newly created use-edge geometrical input.

5. Right-click the use-edge in geometry to display the contextual menu, and select Definition to edit the reference element. You can also double-click the use-edge in the geometry. The 2D Layout Use-Edge edition dialog box is displayed.

   In this case change the reference element to the circle on the small end as shown. Click OK.

   The use-edge geometrical input is changed as seen. 3D Sub-element input.2 is added to the specification tree.

6. The other contextual menu commands are:

   Isolate: isolate the associative use-edge making it non-associative with geometry Deactivate: remove the associative use-edge from update process (the use-edge is still associative to geometry but is not updated) Auto-search: will perform an implicit profile search starting from this geometry

7. Right-click the 3D Sub-element input.2 and select the Parents/Children.... The Parents and Children dialog box is displayed giving a summary of the links created to 3D.
   If you wish to see more details on the parents, just double-click one of the element in the dialog box.

Associative use edges can be created using the Intersect 3D Elements and Project 3D Silhouette Edges commands depending on the type input you want to give.

More about Associative Use-Edges

• Associative use-edge marks are used as other 2D curves to create dimensions, constraints or annotations. It is possible to dimension a mark or a mark sub-element as any other 2D geometry.

  • If a mark is composed of a single element, it is possible to dimension, annotate and constraint it.

  • If a mark is composed of multiple elements, then it is possible to dimension and annotate only the basic sub-elements of the mark. It is not possible to dimension the whole mark.

• Use-edges are visualized in yellow color with thickness and linetype as defined in the current curve standards which is modifiable in the Style toolbar.
  The color can be modified globally for the next created use-edges using Tools > Options > 2D Layout for 3D Design > Geometry tab, Colors field, Protected elements drop-down list.

• Use-edge cannot be copied or pasted.

• When the input geometry of a use-edge or the plane support of the 2D Layout view changes, use-edge marks becomes not up-to-date.

  When a mark is not up-to-date, the update icon appears on the view icon in the specification tree containing this mark. A use-edge cannot be independently updated.

• If the geometry has major change (deleting edge of solid, etc) which prevents the updating of use-edge, then error related to this use-edge is shown during view update.

• Use-edge can be re-routed to new specification, by editing it and selecting new geometrical input.

• When a use-edge is deactivated, then it is not updated even if input geometry or view plane changes. Activating or deactivating one mark of a use-edge will activate or deactivate all marks of that use-edges.

• When deleting a use-edge mark, the whole use-edge is deleted.

• Use-edges which have geometry imported from other parts as an external reference or a datum geometry, will not be deleted when the use-edges are deleted. These imports must be specifically deleted by you if they are not needed anymore.

• Isolation of a use-edge is available in contextual menu on each different marks. When isolating a use-edge mark, this use-edge and its marks are deleted and replaced by identical standard 2D geometries, with no link to input geometrical element.
  Dimensions and annotations created on this use-edge marks are not automatically rerouted to new isolated geometries.
  Isolation command is also available using through Insert  > 3D Geometry > Use Edges > Isolate from the menu bar and also in the in the Projections/Intersections tab of Sketch Analysis dialog box using the Sketch Analysis command.

• When creating a new part from  Product Data Filtering workbench, the use-edges in the new part are isolated.

• Edit/Search commands can be launched for associative use-edges on following type:

  • Projection

  • Intersection

  • Silhouette

  • Mark

• Use-edges are not displayed in the specification tree.

• List of associative use-edge inputs are displayed in specification tree after the sheets node.

• Use-edge inputs can be deleted from the specification tree.
  When you delete a use-edge input, all use-edges impacted by this input will be marked as non up-to-date. You will have to edit, deactivate, isolate or delete these use-edges.

• If the use-edge is made up of multiple connex geometries then associativity with the geometrical input is not kept. This is indicated with a warning dialog box.

• Annotation created on a sub-element mark cannot be moved to another sub-element mark.

• Centerlines and axis cannot be created on use-edge sub-elements.

• Automatic use-edge creation for offset or constraint functionalities is not available.

• Mark sub-elements are not accessible when they are seen in the 2D background of a view. Thus, it is not possible to add a dimension on a sub-element of a 2D mark if is not in the edited in 2D layout.

• Use-edges can be analyzed in the Sketch Analysis command, in the Projections/Intersections tab of Sketch Analysis dialog box. For more information refer to Analyzing View Geometries.

• It is possible to create a driving dimension between a simple use-edge and a geometrical element. In this case, if the use-edge is isolated, the driving dimension takes into account the geometrical element created from the isolated use-edge.