Adding a 3D Clipping to an Exact View

This task explains how to define easily the 3D limits of the geometry to be visualized, without entering the DMU workbench. This command is especially useful for a voluminous assembly.

Open the Product_Balloon3.CATDrawing and linked .CATProduct document.

  1. Click the Add 3D Clipping in the Views toolbar (Break view sub-toolbar).
    The Clipping Object dialog box is displayed.

    • Clipping Mode:

      • Clipping Box: To select 3D elements inside the clipping box.
      • Clipping By Slice: To select 3D elements between the back clipping plane and the front clipping plane.
      • Back Clipping Plane: To select 3D elements positioned ahead of the plane. The blue arrow indicates the front face of the clipping plane.
        By default, this clipping mode is selected.

      For these three clipping modes, elements intersecting the clipping planes will be cut.

    • User Input: Defines the position and dimension of the clipping planes.
      You can also drag and drop the green bullet at the center of the clipping plane

    • Create: Creates the clipping view and closes the dialog box.

    • Apply: Creates the clipping view without closing the dialog box.

  2. Select the Back Clipping Plane mode, and enter the x, y, z coordinates as below.
    You can also drag and drop the green bullet to position the clipping plane.

  3. Click Create.
    The front view is modified.

    Do not close the drawing and product files to perform the next sub-task.
 

Defining 3D Clipping using 2D or 3D Geometry

  1. Click Add 3D Clipping . The Clipping Object dialog box is displayed.

  2. Select the Clipping Mode as Clipping Box. Note that all the mode options are available.

  3. Select a manipulator and double-click it to set it as current manipulator. You can see that the manipulator symbol changes to red star and the plane of manipulator turns green.

  4. To reset the manipulator click the Clear Current Manipulator button.

  5. Select the 2D geometry from drawing or 3D geometry from part or product file. As soon as you select the geometry, the current manipulator plane snaps to it. The manipulator remains to be current manipulator and you can select another geometry.

    The plane containing the selected geometry (point, line, edge, planer face, plane) must be parallel to the current manipulator plane.
  6. Click Create.
    The front view is modified.
    2D Geometry selected Modified View
       
    3D Geometry Selected Modified View

 

More About Selecting 2D or 3D Geometry
 

The following geometries can be selected if plane containing the geometry is parallel to the current manipulator plane:

  • Point in 2D. The 2D point has to be generatively created and selection can be done in any valid generative view.

  • Point in 3D.

  • Line in 2D. The 2D line has to be generatively created and selection can be done in any valid generative view.

  • Line in 3D.

  • Line in 2D (projection of a 3D edge). The 2D line has to be generatively created and selection can be done in any valid generative view.

  • Edge in 3D.

  • Planar face in 3D.

  • Plane in 3D.

  • FTA plane in 3D.

  • Geometry outside the 3D clipping box.
  • Selection of 2D geometry that is a projection of non-linear 3D edge is not supported. For example, projection of a cylindrical face as a line.
  • Selection of 2D views (Front view, Section view, etc.) from sheet or specification tree and non-planar faces (cylindrical, conical, etc.) are not supported.
  • 3D line projected as 2D point cannot be selected as geometry.
  • Geometry cannot be selected in the Clipping Object dialog box.
 

 

About 3D Clipping

  • You can add only one 3D clipping object per view.
  • A 3D clipping object is not associated with 3D elements.
  • The 3D clipping is not available on the following views:
    • CGR, raster, approximate views
    • Section cut views
    • Aligned section views
    • Unfolded views
    • Views from 3D
    • Advanced front views with DMU box.
  • The option Cut in section view has no effect on a 3D clipping, whether selected from the CATProduct (Specification tree > Contextual menu > Properties > Drafting tab) or from the Drafting (via Overloading properties).

Removal/Appliance of a 3D Clipping

In the contextual menu of a 3D clipped view (selecting the current View object, then 3D Clipping), the following commands are proposed:

  • Remove 3D Clipping: to restore the view.
  • Apply 3D Clipping: to copy the selection of 3D objects in another view.

Customization of a 3D Clipping

Cut elements are represented with the same parameters as breakout views.
To modify these parameters, select Tools > Options > Mechanical Design > Drafting > View tab> Geometry generation / Dress-up > View linetype, and click Configure. The Linetype and Thickness dialog box is displayed. Choose a type for breakout view. It will also configure representation of cut elements in 3D clipped views.

It is also possible to modify the representation of 3D clipping elements by customizing Generative View Style parameters.