Modify Attributes and Duplicate

Activating the command:

• Draw Modify Attributes
• If lines or construction objects are selected, right-click and choose Modify Attributes or Modify.

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.

• Select the lines or construction objects that you want to change. (Selection Select Lines or Construction Objects)
• Select the command. If the items are lines the command is Draw Modify Attributes or right-click Modify Attributes (or right-click Duplicate --- see below). If the items are construction lines, the command is Draw Modify Attributes or right-click Modify. If the items are other construction objects, the command is right-click Modify.
• Change the fields to the desired values.
• Press the OK button to apply this change to the model.

Changing Lines and Construction Lines:

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:

• Maintain part boundary only has an effect when the part number is being changed and only at the boundary between the existing part and the new part. If the element type for the lines being changed is defined, and if changing the part number of some of the selected lines would leave incomplete elements in the unselected lines at the boundary between the two parts, then activating the Maintain part boundary creates a copy of some of the selected lines so that whole elements are maintained in the original part. The part number of the original lines are changed to the new part number. See the figure below.
• Duplicate will make a copy of all of the selected lines on the new part number.

  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.)

Changing Other Construction Objects:

When changing other construction objects (arcs, circles, and splines), there are two different options for changing the objects:

1. The Modify command opens the original dialog window for the type of object. All attributes available when the item was originally created can be changed.

   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.

   Note: Endpoints of arcs, circles, and splines can be changed with the Modify command. The command is only available if a single item is selected. Multiple arcs cannot be changed simultaneously.
2. The Modify Attributes command opens the Line Attributes dialog. As described above (see Changing Lines and Construction Lines:), the part, surface, and layer properties of the selected objects can be changed.