Slicing a Solid

This task shows you how to generate the base curves of the plies contours by slicing the solid.
The height of each ply is computed from the solid and the thickness law information.

You can generate several Slicing Curves Group features in a CATPart, e.g. to support collaborative design:
several designers would slice portions of the solid and then reconciliate the curves through the merge contour tools.

Slicing Curves Group features have their own update mechanism that lets you track and decide which changes of their inputs need to be applied downstream.
Open the SlicingSA.CATPart document.

  1. Click Slicing Group . The Solid slicing dialog box is displayed.

    A node Slicing Curves Group of Zones Group.1 is created in the specification tree.

    It contains two parameters, SAG and STEP:

    • the computation is based on a discretized view of the upper surface of the solid.
      This surface is discretized using those SAG and the STEP parameters.

    • the default values of those parameters meet most required precisions.
    • however, they are editable: click More... and enter the values you require.

  2. Select the solid you want to slice.

  3. Select the zones group corresponding to the solid: the thickness of the solid must correspond to the thickness laws of the zones.

  4. Select a Slicing Method:
    • Thickness Law (recommended).
      To use this method, the zones in the zones group selected must comply with the staggering rule.
      This method support multi-material zones scenarii. Material and direction information will be applied to the plies.
    • Constant Thickness.
      To be used if the zones do not comply with the  staggering rule.
      The contours of the plies will be generated using this constant thickness.
      Note that the plies will be generated with no material and no direction information.
      Only the generated contours will be applied to the plies.
      If you select this method, key in the Slicing Thickness.

  5. Select a Curve degree: the contours are computed from the discretized view of the upper surface of the solid and smoothed using this curve degree.

  6. If necessary, click More... and select or clear the Reduce micro edges check box:
    • By default, this check box is not selected. The slicing is done patch by patch (by patch, we mean the patches supporting the surface).
    • If you select this check box, the underlying patches are grouped by tangency continuity. This is useful with a surface with many underlying patches as it reduces the number of edges on the contour and removes micro-edges.

    When working with very taut parts, be careful not to select this check box if you have set the Curve degree to 1: the result would be too simplified, the curves would no longer follow the design.

  7. Click OK.
    The curves are created under the node Slicing Curves Group of Zones Group.1.
    They are grouped by Geometrical Level, each one corresponding to an "altitude" of the contours.
    Hide/Show is available on each Geometrical Level node.

    A contextual menu is available to delete a Slicing group: