Creating Junction Lines

This task shows you how to create or update junction lines from iso-thickness areas.
These junction lines are GSD lines, that can be edited as such, based on the ramp support curves.
They provide a greater stability when updating the solid after having modified the design.
  • You must have created a Grid.
  • Your first pick must be a Composites vertex (from a ply contour or an iso-thickness area):
    this provides the command with a reference surface to create the junction line.
  • Then, you can pick GSD point.
  • For each vertex selected, the command identifies the underlying ramp support,
    or reference element curves, and creates a GSD intersection point between the two curves.
  • The GSD lines created aggregate those intersection points.
    Note that when the command identifies a boundary as a curve to be processed,
    this boundary is split by the underlying ramp support. The result will be a Split, not a Line.
  • Double-click : this leaves the command open to create several lines.
    Click the icon again to close the command when you are done.
  • The junction lines created are associated to the ramp supports.
    This means that modifications that impact them will be properly propagated and handled but for instance,
    adding a ply will not modify the line created.
Work on the iso-thickness areas you have created in Creating Iso-Thickness Areas 
or open the GridJunctionLines01.CATPart document.

Creating the Junction Lines

  1. Insert a Geometrical Set in the specification tree,
    name it JunctionLines and make it the In Work Object.

  2. Double-click Iso-Thickness Junction Lines in the Top Surface & Solid toolbar.

  3. Select a vertex of an iso-thickness area. This will be the start point of the junction line.

    Underlying ramp supports or reference element curves are identified in the green labels.

  4. Pick a second vertex.

  5. The line is created in the In Work Object.

  6. Repeat steps 3 and 4 as often as necessary to create all required junctions lines.
    Click Iso-Thickness Junction Lines to exit the command.
    The junction lines are created under the JunctionLines geometrical set.

Updating the Junction Lines

  1. After a modification, start a standard update.
    If a junction line is no longer valid, a message is displayed.

  2. Click Edit. This brings you to the Create Solid from Iso-thickness areas dialog box.
    Click Apply.
    A message and labels pointing to the invalid junction lines are displayed.

  3. Display the junctions lines list, and use the contextual menu to correct the invalid ones.