Composite Design > Composite Feature
Composite Feature
A composite feature is used to create and analyze laminate and laminate objects. The composite feature can contain one or more internal features. In a part, you can create one or more composite features. The composite features are listed in the Model Tree.
Before you create or redefine a composite feature, make sure you are working in both of the following:
• The generic part and not an instance
• The master representation or automatic representation and not a simplified representation
Create a composite feature as follows:
1. Open a part or an assembly. In an assembly, activate the part in which you want to create the composite feature.
2. Click Engineering > Composite. The Composite Design tab opens.
3. To create laminate objects, set up the Composite Design environment and define laminate objects on the layup surface. To learn how to set up the Composite Design environment, see Setting Up the Composite Design Environment. To learn how to define laminate objects on the layup surface, see Create a Ply and Create a Core.
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When you skip this step, an empty composite feature is created in the part.
4. Click OK.
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Clicking Cancel exits the Composite Design environment without creating a composite feature.
In a Composite Design environment, you can use composite materials of the part to create laminate objects. The geometry you define in the composite feature remains inside it. When you create a composite feature, a system-generated composite material, a body, and optionally an IML quilt are usually created in the part. When the geometries defined in the composite feature do not merge, several construction bodies are formed in the part instead of a single body. The regular body or the construction bodies are categorized as the composite bodies.
A composite feature fails when one or more internal features of the composite feature fails. A failed composite feature is identified by .
Display Laminate Information in Part
Use one of the following ways to display laminate information in the part:
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Use info_output_format configuration option to specify the format of presenting the information.
• Use object-action approach as follows:
1. In a part, right-click the composite feature.
2. Select Information > Laminate Information.
• Use action-object approach as follows:
1. Select Tools tab.
2. Click Investigate > Laminate Information.
3. Select the composite feature.
Unsupported Applications 
You cannot create or modify the composite feature when one of the following applications is running in Part mode:
• Welding
• Mold/Cast
• Generative Design
• Ansys Simulation
• Simulate
• Simulate Results
• Flow Analysis
• Mold Analysis
• PTC Mathcad
• GD&T Advisor
• EZ Tolerance Analysis
• Widget Generator
• Render Studio
You cannot create or modify the composite feature when one of the following applications is running in Assembly mode:
• Welding
• Cabling
• Piping
• Mold Layout
• ECAD Collaboration
• Mechanism
• Animation
• Ansys Simulation
• Simulate
• Simulate Results
• Flow Analysis
• Mold Analysis
• PTC Mathcad
• GD&T Advisor
• EZ Tolerance Analysis
• Widget Generator
• Render Studio
When the Harness Mfg application is running, you can create a composite feature; however, you cannot modify a composite feature. When the Composite Design environment is active and you click Flatten Harness command on the Harness Mfg application, you must exit the Composite Design environment.
Composite feature creation and modification are not supported in Manufacturing Assemblies, Manikin, and Instrumented Assemblies.
Design exploration session is not supported in the Composite Design environment.
When a generic part contains one or more composite features, you cannot create instance accelerator files.
When you are working in a Composite Design environment, you cannot create a family table.
When you create a family table in a part, you cannot add the features created in a composite feature to the family table.
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