Edge Deselection in NX5

[tomcatcool17]

I'm using Edit w/Rollback to edit my blends. The problem is that when I hold shift and deselect an edge from the blend operation, it deselects the entire blend. If I wait for QuickPick, it shows 2 options: All of intent, and Edge. Is there any way I can get them reversed so that the single edge has priority in the quickpick menu? Or am I missing something else entirely on how to do this?

Chad C.
Steering Column Designer

 

[MickyV007]

Chad,

it has probably to do with the selection Intent, if you apply a blend the standard setting is Tangent Curves. So if you select one edge NX will search for tangent edges to blend. Same with deselecting edge, standard setting is Tangent Curves, if you change it into Single curve you get what you want.

Kind regards,

Michaël

 

[tomcatcool17]

Correct, so there is no way to change it? Sometimes I don't want to pick all my edges one at a time.

 

[JohnRBaker]

When you create something like an Edge Blend, the 'Selection Intent' option used to select the edges actually BECOMES part of the 'definition' of the Blend feature. That allows for more reliable update since the Blend now knows how it's supposed to behave if the model is changed, after all we did name it 'Selection Intent'. Your 'intentions' are remembered and therefore, even when you perform an explicit edit, such as adding or removing edges, the system will obey whatever Selection Intent option was in effect when those edges where originally selected. That is how it was INTENDED to work and what you're experiencing is precisely that.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[tomcatcool17]

That's what I kinda figured after the previous response. Makes sense and gives me something to tell my CAD mates when they ask why it's different. Thanks for the quick answers guys.

 

[hudson888]

John,

Interesting answer! I have always wondered that when you select by one technique like all in face or the tangent edge chaining technique that you cannot then change the method to single in order to allow you to shift deselect a few individual edges. You can do this if you use a rectangular selection or lasso method in some dialogs but not others. Obviously I'd wish for consistency and maximum flexibility at all times.

Best Regards

Hudson

www.jamb.com.au

Nil Desperandum illegitimi non carborundum

 

[JohnRBaker]

Please don NOT confuse a 'Selection Intent' with a 'Selection Method'.

As a little test of these concepts, do the following:

Create a Block.

Add an Offset Face feature with the Selection Intent option set to 'Body Faces' and then selecting the Block.

Add an Edge Blend to the resulting solid.

Reorder the Edge Blend so that it's BEFORE the Offset Face feature and note the results.

Now repeat this test following the slightly modified procedure outlined below:

Create a Block.

Add an Offset Face feature with the Selection Intent option set to 'Single Face' and then using the 'Select All' method to select all of the faces of the Block.

Add an Edge Blend to the resulting solid.

Reorder the Edge Blend so that it's BEFORE the Offset Face feature and note the results.

That should be sufficient demonstration of the difference between an 'Intent' and a 'Method'


John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[hudson888]

John,

I didn't quite follow the meaning in your instructions of the sentence.

Add an Offset Face feature with the Selection Intent option set to 'Single Face' and then using the 'Select All' method to select all of the faces of the Block.

Is that two offset features or one? Anyway of the later result is meant to be that the blend fails when re-ordered than maybe I'm seeing something that might be relevant.

I think the better example of how I appreciate the retention of intent is with a blend propagating along tangent edges. If underlying geometry changes so that the chain is comprised of what would be a greater number of single edge elements and yet knowing the intent the system reapplies the chaining logic without requiring user input.

The case I was speaking to nevertheless prefers that the selection method where necessary could be available without exclusively having being locked into maintaining the inetnt. In other words if ever I could set the intent to single edge and yet have all the bulk selection techniques available so that the workflow is far easier then I'd consider that saving in mouse clicks worthwhile. That's why the example I give says you bulk select to begin with then exclude the one or two elements excess to your requirement. There are plenty of examples where the number edges in a face that I do want to blend are significantly larger than those which I do not.

Best Regards

Hudson

www.jamb.com.au

Nil Desperandum illegitimi non carborundum

 

[JohnRBaker]

As for my example, the result is a single Offset Feature in either case.

BTW, I was going to use the Tangent Edge example but I was looking for something which would actually FAIL (extra points for drama).

As for 'having your cake and eating it to', it would be tricky to somehow selectively decide when to honor the 'intent' and when not to.


John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Cypress, CA

http://www.siemens.com/plm

http://www.plmworld.org/museum/

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[hudson888]

Yes! I wanted to highlight the bended tangent edges example in order to acknowledge that most time you'd rather have the robustness which recalled intent offers over the flexibility of the selective de-selection technique that I alluded to.

The fact is that when it comes to cases where I am forced to individually select a great many items it is easy to forget the balance of those pros and cons and simply wish for an extra slice of cake.

Best Regards

Hudson

www.jamb.com.au

Nil Desperandum illegitimi non carborundum