Activating the command:
Each item drawn (except for construction vertices and refinement points) are assigned to a part, surface, and layer number. Once the objects are drawn, the Modify Attributes command can be used to change those properties.
When changing lines or construction lines, the dialog that appears is the Line Attributes dialog. The Line Attributes dialog also includes an option to toggle the selected lines between regular mesh lines and construction objects. Simply activate (check) the Construction object check box to convert the lines into construction lines, and deactivate (clear) the box to convert construction lines into regular lines.
There are two other options on the Line Attributes dialog when the selected items are lines:
Ten element plate model on part 1 (in green). The lines on five elements are selected and being modified to part 2. |
Without the Maintain part boundary option, the fifth element from the left in part 1 is missing the line on the right-side to form a complete element. The missing shading indicates a problem. Part 1 now has four elements and two extra lines; part 2 (in red) has 5 elements. |
With the Maintain part boundary option, a duplicate line is created at the boundary, maintaining complete elements in part 1. Each part has five elements. |
With the Duplicate option, the lines on part 1 are not changed; additional lines are created on part 2. Part 1 has ten elements; part 2 has 5 elements at the same place as part 1. (Further steps are necessary to separate the plate elements if desired.) |
When changing other construction objects (arcs, circles, and splines), there are two different options for changing the objects:
In addition to changing the attributes, the points that define the object can be changed. Pressing the <Esc> key will undo through the definition of the points. Then new points can be entered. For example, if a three point arc is defined, pressing the <Esc> key once will undo the definition of the third point on the arc. Thus, the third point can be redefined, or pressing the <Esc> key again will undo the definition of the second point on the arc. Now, the second point can be redefined (followed by the third point), or pressing the <Esc> key again will undo the definition of the first point. Then, all three points can be redefined.