Using Flexible Modeling Tools in Creo Simulate

The geometry-based Flexible Modeling editing tools are available on the Flexible Modeling tab if you have an advanced Creo Simulate license.

You can use the Flexible Modeling tools to modify your geometry in order to simplify it and make meshing faster and more efficient. Use the Flexible Modeling tools to move or remove a surface, remove or edit rounds, holes, or chamfers. You can also use these tools to make changes in the dimensions of a surface.

• Shape Surface Selection Tools—Select a seed surface in your model and then click one of the Shape Surface Selection tools to select a boss or bosses, a single cut or cuts, a single round or chamfer, or rounds and chamfers in your model.

• Geometry Rules Selection Tool—Use the geometry rules selection tools to identify and collect design intent surface sets. You can select surfaces that conform to one of the following geometry rules:

◦ Curved Surfaces—When the seed surface is a curved surface, the following rules are available:

▪ Coaxial—Selects surfaces coaxial to the selected seed surface.

▪ Equal radius—Selects surfaces that have a radius equal to that of the selected seed surface.

▪ Same convexity—Selects all surfaces with the same convexity as the selected seed surface.

◦ Planar Surfaces—When the seed surface is a planar surface, the following rules are applicable:

▪ Coplanar—Selects surfaces in the same plane as the selected seed surface.

▪ Parallel—Selects surfaces that are parallel to the selected seed surface.

• Transform Tools—Use the following transform tools to modify the geometry of your model:

◦ Move—You can move geometry in your model using the following methods:

▪ Using the 3D dragger—Use the 3D dragger to freely rotate or translate geometry.

—You need to select two references and a dimension is created between them. One reference must be part of the geometry to be moved and the other reference must be a part of the geometry that is stationary. Select parallel references to move geometry in a translational movement. Select two non parallel references to rotate geometry.

▪ Using constraints—Use constraints similar to the way you constrain parts in an assembly model.

◦ Offset—Creates a new surface at an offset from the selected surface. You can extend the resulting surfaces to attach them to the surrounding geometry, and recreate existing rounds at the point of intersection of the selected surfaces and the rest of the part.

◦ Modify Analytic—Modifies the dimensions of analytic surfaces such as cylindrical, conical, spherical, and torus shaped surfaces. You can only modify a single surface of one type at a time.

◦ Substitute—Replaces a selected surface with another surface and removes or recreates existing rounds or other features automatically.

◦ Edit Round—Edits or removes an existing round in the part. You can change the dimension of the round or completely remove it from the part.

◦ Edit Chamfer—Edits or removes an existing chamfer in the part. You can change the dimensions or completely remove the feature.

• Edit Features Tools—Use the following Edit Features tools to edit or remove individual features from your model.

◦ Attach—Attaches an open quilt to solid geometry or other quilt geometry within the model.

◦ Remove—Removes a surface or quilt from solid geometry without the need to alter feature history, edit references or redefine a number of other features.

Using any of the Flexible Modeling tool commands adds new features to the model tree. To restore the original geometry of the model, you can delete or suppress the flexible modeling feature. You canpromote a flexible modeling feature in a part model but not in an assembly model.

If you use flexible modeling tools on models that have either surface or volume regions defined for them, the surface or volume regions are rolled back. The surface or volume regions may not be available after the flexible modeling feature is added to the model.

Refer to the Flexible Modeling Online Help for more details on the Flexible Modeling tools.