Several inquiry functions are available in this module to help you identify relations and associated elements. In particular, you can also inquire a part's degrees of freedom.
Highlight relations
You can highlight all relations associated with either specified reference elements or 3D objects using the inquiry commands in the relations menus. You can also highlight the labels and reference elements for an individual relation.
To highlight the relations associated with reference elements,
1. Click Relations and then, in the Relations Mode group, click Assembly or Parametrics.
2. Click Relations and then, in the Tools group, click the arrow next to Inquire.
3. Click HiLit Elem.
4. Select the reference element(s).
The labels for all relations with those reference elements in their definitions will be highlighted together with the related reference elements.
To highlight the relations associated with 3D objects,
1. Click Relations and then, in the Relations Mode group, click Assembly or Parametrics.
2. Click Relations and then, in the Tools group, click the arrow next to Inquire.
3. Click HiLit 3D Obj.
4. Select the required 3D object(s).
The labels for all relations with those 3D objects, or reference elements within them, in their definitions will be highlighted, together with the related reference elements.
Inquire tangency
When you create a Parametric relation set, you can specify whether or not to maintain smooth tangential transitions between faces, see
Change Relations settings. The Keep Tangent inquiry highlights the edges where these transitions occur for the active relation set.
To highlight the tangential edges,
1. Click Relation and then, in the Tools group, click the arrow next to Inquire.
2. Click Keep Tangent.
Inquire degrees of freedom
With Assembly relation sets, it is sometimes useful to identify how a part within an assembly is constrained. By constrained, we mean what restrictions have been imposed on parts within an assembly by setting relations. This is usually referred to as determining a part's degrees of freedom. The following graphic shows a part with one translational degree of freedom.
One Translational Degree of Freedom
The degrees of freedom that a part is capable of moving in can be viewed dynamically by animating that particular degree of freedom. In the following example, part 1 has a fixed relation attached to it. Part 1 and part 2 are related by a coincident relation through the holes at point 3. Part 2 has two degrees of freedom: One in a vertical plane along the coincidence axis (picture A) and one rotationally about the coincidence axis (picture B). By default, Creo Elements/Direct Modeling colors the fixed part blue and the free part orange. These colors can be changed in the Relation Settings menu.
Inquiring Degrees of Freedom
To inquire a part's degrees of freedom:
1. Click Relations and then, in the Relations Mode group, click Assembly or Parametrics.
2. Click Relation and then, in the Tools group, click the arrow next to Inquire.
3. Click Freedom.
4. If necessary, select one of the following from the Context selection list:
◦ Part - Part: Use this option to inquire the degrees of freedom between a part and a reference part (the reference part is temporarily fixed). Only relations between these two parts are considered.
◦ R-Set: Use this option to inquire one part in context with the complete relation set. All relations in the relation set are considered.
◦ R-Set Fixed: Use this option to temporarily fix all parts except the part you are interested in. All relations in the relation set are considered.
◦ Click Part and specify the free part.
5. Click Ref Part and specify the reference part (this becomes the temporarily fixed part).
Creo Elements/Direct Modeling activates the Move and Rotate buttons depending on the part's degrees of freedom.
6. Click the appropriate button to view the animation. To view all available animations sequentially, click All.
Switch off By Color if you do not wish to see the default blue/orange color-coding. Use the By Drawlist option to hide any parts not associated with the relation set being inquired.
When using the Freedom inquiry function, note the following:
• It applies to positioning relation sets only.
• All parts below the assembly owning the relation set are considered.
• Parts that are below the assembly but not associated with the relation set being inquired, also change color (steel blue color). This is to show that the part is not involved in the relation set being inquired.
Assembly or 
Parametrics.
Inquire.
HiLit 3D Obj.
Keep Tangent.
Freedom.