When a ribbon cable is created, there is a natural amount of twist added based on the path. As the harness changes, and folds and additional work points are added and adjusted, the twist is affected and may require adjustments to achieve the shape you need.
Using Twist Control, you can select a work point on the ribbon cable path to interactively reposition it, or you can enter a specific angle. After you adjust the position of Twist Control and accept the angle, that angle is added to the work point as an internal attribute, and the ribbon cable is swept at the specified angle at that point. This attribute dictates the amount of natural twist the ribbon cable has on either side of the work point. To remove the explicit angle at that particular point, you must delete the point and create another to replace it.
The work points at which you can edit the twist angle are only the normal work points that control the shape of the spline. They are not the work points used for the start or end of a ribbon cable portion or for fold points.
Understand Twist Control
Twist Control consists of several elements:
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Orientation Bar |
Reflects the surface orientation of the ribbon cable at the current location. The bar is the same length as the ribbon cable's width. |
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Conductor One Indicator |
A sphere on the end of the Orientation Bar that indicates the position of the first conductor on the ribbon cable relative to Twist Control. |
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Rotation Arrows |
Shows the rotation angle possibilities for the ribbon cable, and enables unrestricted rotation around the displayed axis. Click and drag the arrows to rotate the axes. To enter a precise angle, move the cursor over the rotation handle arrow, right-click, and select Enter Angle. |
To resize Twist Control use the plus sign (+) and minus sign (-) keys on the keypad.
Adjust twist
- Double-click the harness assembly that contains the ribbon cable to edit.
- In the browser or graphics window, right-click a ribbon cable work point, and then select Adjust Twist from the context menu.Note: You cannot select the work point that represents the start or end of the ribbon cable path or a fold point.
- Use the elements of Twist Control:
- Click and drag one of rotation arrows and rotate Twist Control around the work point to adjust interactively.
- To enter a precise value, right-click a rotation arrow and select Enter Angle.
The ribbon cable updates when the new angle is accepted.
Note: To resize Twist Control use the plus sign (+) and minus sign (-) keys on the keypad.
- Right-click and select Finish from the context menu.