Adding Volumes

This task shows how to add a volume to another volume that is uniting them.
Open the AddVolume1.CATPart document and make sure Geometrical Set.2 is the current body.
  This is your initial data: the Add part is composed of three geometrical sets.
 

  1. Click Add from the Volumes operations sub-toolbar.

    The Add dialog box opens.
  2. Select the volume to operate (ThickSurface.2) in the Base object field.

  3. Select the destination volume (CloseSurface.1) in the Added operand field.

  4. Select a destination body after which the added volume will be located.

    If the Geometrical Set or the Ordered Geometrical Set is current, the After field is valuated with the current body and will be located after its last feature.
  5. Click Preview to visualize the added volume.

  6. Click OK.

    The operation (identified as Add.xxx) is added to the specification tree.
    The specification tree and the Add part now look like this:
    You will note that:
    • the material common to ThickSurface.2 and CloseSurface.1 has been removed,
    • both volumes keep their original colors.
    • You can edit an Add feature and modify the destination volume: simply double-click the feature in the specification tree and select a new volume in the Added operand field.
    • You can also swap the input volumes: right-click the Base object field and select the Swap operands contextual item.
    • You can add a body to a volumic feature.
    • You can also add a body to a solid body and vice versa. In that case, the second body you select remains at the same location in the specification tree once the Boolean operation is done. To see an example, refer to Mixed Boolean Operations.
       
    • Multi-selection is not possible.
    • Avoid using input elements that are tangent to each other since this may result in geometric instabilities in the tangency zone.