Part Modeling > UDFs and Groups > Placing a UDF > About the UDF Placement User Interface
  
About the UDF Placement User Interface
User defined features are placed using the User Defined Feature Placement dialog box. The dialog box consists of tabs and preview controls.
Preview Controls
Placement tab
Variables tab
Options tab
Adjustments tab
Relation tab
Intersect tab
Properties tab
Preview Controls
You can generate a preview of the UDF in the target part after the placement references have been selected.
—Rolls back to before the first UDF feature was created.
—Rolls back to the previous UDF feature.
—Rolls forward or regenerates the next UDF feature.
—Rolls forward or regenerates all successfully regenerated UDF features, or regenerates all UDF features.
 
* After any changes other than changes made in the Adjustments tab, the first three buttons are not available. Click or check the Auto Regeneration check box to make these buttons available.
UDF Feature Identifier includes:
Feat #—Displays the feature number out of the total UDF features count, for example Feat #1 of 2.
The feature type
The label Failed when the feature fails to regenerate, or Succeeded when the feature regenerated.
Auto Regeneration check box—When selected (default), the UDF is automatically regenerated when a change is made in the UDF Placement dialog box.
Placement Tab
References of Original Features list—Select a reference from the list of UDF features to define its position on the model. ON SURFACE CSYS appears first on the list when the UDF has an on-surface coordinate system defined as the first feature.
References of UDF Features—Appears when you select a regular UDF reference from the References of Original Features list.
Collector—Click to activate it and then add or delete references.
Used By—Features in the UDF that use the highlighted original references.
References—Sets the position of the coordinate system when you select the coordinate system reference in the References of Original Features list.
Collector—Sets the surface on which the UDF coordinate system is set.
The Type list sets the offset dimensions according to the type of placement surface. If the placement surface is cylindrical or conical, the default offset type is Radial. If the placement surface is planar, the default offset type is Linear. The offset dimension types follow:
Linear—Uses two linear offset dimensions measured from specified offset references to the placement point.
Radial—Determines the distance the distance (radius) of the placement point from the offset reference and the angle of the placement point from the second offset dimension. It can be applied to either planar or cylindrical placement surfaces.
Diameter—Determines the distance the distance (diameter) of the placement point from the offset reference and the angle of the placement point from the second offset dimension. It can be applied to either planar or cylindrical placement surfaces.
Offset references—Show the two offset references that define the coordinate system placement point of the point along the placement reference.
The Orientation tab resets the axes of the coordinate system:
Use collector and to determine list—Set the coordinate system normal axis.
Flip—Reverses the orientation of the axis.
Use collector and to project list—Orient the second coordinate system axis in respect to the reference surface.
Flip—Reverses the orientation of the axis.
Add rotation about normal axis box—Determines the rotation angle about the first orientation direction reference.
 
The placement reference is always normal to the surface at the placement point, even if the reference surface is conical or cylindrical.
During UDF placement Add rotation about normal axis is always required to avoid jumps in the preview geometry.
Variables Tab
Variables list— Displays the UDF variables. Select a variable type from the list or All to view all variables in the Variables table.
Variables table—Displays the dimension values of the variables.
Select a variable from the Variables list, enter a new value in the Value column, and click Enter to update the value.
Options Tab
Scaling Options
Keep dimension values—Keep the same numeric value for all dimension values, regardless of any difference in units for the model and the group. For example, the dimension 25 inches becomes 25 millimeters.
Keep feature sizes—Keep the size of the features and convert the dimension values according to the target model units (for example, millimeters to inches). This option is available only for models and groups that do not share the same measurement units.
Scale by value—Scale all dimensions by a specified scale factor. Group units are not changed. Enter a value in the Scaling factor text box.
Scaling factor text box—Enter a scaling value.
Dimensions that may not be varied during placement of UDF—Select one of the following options to specify how nonvariable dimensions are treated:
Unlock—Visible and modifiable
Lock—Read only
Hide—Not visible
Redefine these features—Add or remove features from the list to specify which features to redefine during UDF placement. For a feature to be redefined, it must be checked. Features with variable elements are checked for redefinition by default. After redefinition of a feature, the check box corresponding to that feature is automatically cleared.
Edit Definition—Opens the user interfaces of the features selected in the list to edit their definitions. User interfaces open one at a time in the sequence they appear in the list.
Undo All—Restores the model to its state before the first UDF feature redefinition.
Adjustment Tab
Orientation Items—Presents a list of placement orientation items of the UDF.
Description—Provides alternative orientation options for the selected item.
Flip
If regeneration fails during the initial preview, only the successfully regenerated features are displayed.
Relation Tab
The Relation tab is active only when external symbols are defined in the UDF.
Original dimensions and parameters list—Displays the dimensions and parameters of the UDF.
Parameter Selection buttons
Select an existing parameter
Create a new parameter
Intersect Tab
The Intersect tab sets visibility options when you place a UDF in Assembly context.
Automatic Update box—Provides automatic updates in the following fashion:
Intersections are automatically updated on regeneration.
All components added before the UDF feature are automatically intersected on regeneration.
No components are removed from the list of intersected components and components assembled after the intersecting feature are not added.
By default, all components appear in the Intersected Models list. Clear the Automatic Update box to remove components from the list or to change the display level of a component.
Settings > Set Display Level—Sets the visibility level of parts intersected by the feature when you add them to the Intersected Models list:
Part Level—Makes the new feature visible wherever this version of the part is used, even outside the current assembly. This is similar to creating a feature in an active part in an assembly.
Top Level—Displays the feature only at the top-level assembly and creates instances of intersected parts. Does not create external references.
Add Intersected Models—Adds components with the same visibility level to the list. The visibility level is displayed in the Intersected Models List.
Check Geometry Option
Show Feature Properties In Sub-Models
Properties Tab
The Properties tab contains the following information:
Name—Type a name for the UDF or accept the default name.
—Displays feature information.