Defining Contextual Links

The Define Contextual Link command enables to define (change) all the contextual links before and during the Change Context command. You can also make the operation on contextual parts, to modify unsolved links. You have the possibility to:

• Re-root each link, using the Edit button, pointing in 3D space or in graph.
• Re-root links, using the Replace button, changing one or many instance names for published contextual input.
• Re-root links, using the Reroute button, changing for non-published contextual input.
• Change the numbers of each link, using Replace.

Contextual Links:

For contextual parts, the reference keeps a link with the Original or Definition Instance (or Original Part).

For each part, every instance keeps a link with its reference. But the Contextual Reference (or Contextual Part) has only one link, with a single instance that is contextual. This unique link allows you to know the name of the document (CATProduct) on which the part 's external geometry rests.

There is a distinction between the Original Instance and the subsequent Contextual References because the geometrical definition of contextual Parts depends on neighboring components (support) in the Assembly. The Geometry of the Contextual Part depends on another instance in the same Assembly (second link).

Three Instances of Contextual Part exist:

In this case the user needs to resort to the "Define Contextual Links" or "Isolate Part" commands in order to redefine the context of the Part and this red flash will be turned into a blue chain or green arrow.

How to Replace a Part or a Publication

1. In the contextual menu of CtxPart (CtxPart.2), select Components > Define Contextual Links. The following dialog box is displayed:

2. In the Change Context dialog box, select the Publication path of Solid.1 and click the Replace button.

3. Select another component in the Specification Tree, for instance the Publication: PartBody, which will be the new pointed element.

4. Before going to the next task, please close DefineCtxLinks.CATProduct without saving it.

How to Reroute Unpublished External References

You can reroute broken unpublished external references using the Reroute button.

When a contextually defined CAT Part is moved under a different parent assembly or PRC, clicking on Reroute allows you to quickly redirect or relink the links to the unpublished elements in CATIA V5.

1. Click Reroute in the Define Contextual link dialog box.

   It allows you to select the required instance.

2. Once the selection of instance is done, link status will be also changed to Connected in the Define Contextual link dialog box.

This functionality does not allow you to change the contextual input to other geometrical feature. Reroute can be possible only in the case when CATParts are instantiated using copy-paste method.

How to Edit a Part or a Publication

First example:

Open the DefineCtxLinks.CATProduct document.

1. In the contextual menu of CtxPart (CtxPart.2), select Components > Define Contextual Links.

2. In the Change Context dialog box, select the Publication path of Solid.1 and click the Edit button, the following window appears displaying the graphical view of the external references, which you can compare with the product structure graph. The Edit button allows to re-root the external links of a contextual part with other elements.

   The part Support2.1 and the Publications PartBody are highlighted in red because Support2.1 should be under Compo2.CATProduct.

3. On the contextual menu of Support2.1, select the Insert Node before command to add a node, SubCompo2.CATProduct between Compo2.1 and Support2.1. You can directly select SubCompo2.CATProduct in the Specification Tree.

   And you obtain:

   Both the Part and the Publication are no longer highlighted. Their links are restored. Thanks to the creation of the new node SubCompo2.1.

4. Click OK. The Solid.1 is reconnected and it acquires a new pointed element, PartBody, and a new pointed instance, Support2.1:

5. Click OK.

6. Before going to the next example, please close DefineCtxLinks.CATProduct without saving it.

Second example:

Open the DefineCtxLinks.CATProduct document.

1. In the contextual menu of CtxPart (CtxPart.2), select Components > Define Contextual Links.

2. In the Change Context dialog box, select both Datum.1 and Curve.2 and click the Edit button:

   The following window appears:

   The reference of Support4.1 cannot be found under Compo1.1 because it has been renamed: Support.1.

3. Select Support4.1 and the contextual command Replace Node:

4. Select another component in the Specification Tree: Support1.1, which will be the new pointed element. And the link is restored.

5. Click OK.

6. The other solution is to Edit the node of Support4.1, as shown below:

7. And you can enter a new name, for instance: Support.1. Click OK.

   And you obtain:

8. Click OK. The new pointed instance is Support.1 and the new pointed elements are Sketch.1 and VDirection.

9. Before going to the next example, please close DefineCtxLinks.CATProduct without saving it.

Third example:

Open the DefineCtxLinks.CATProduct document.

1. In the contextual menu of CtxPart (CtxPart.2), select Components > Define Contextual Links.

2. In the Change Context dialog box, select Surface.2 and click the Edit button:

   The following window appears:

   The reference of Support1.1 cannot be found under SubCompo2 because its position has changed: it is under Compo2.1 and not under SubCompo2.1.

3. Select Support1.1 and the contextual command Replace Node.

4. Select Support1.1 in the Specification Tree or select another Publication under Support1.1: Extrude2. And you obtain:

   The other solution is to delete Subcompo2:

   As a consequence, Support1.1 is directly under Compo2.1:

5. Click OK and the links are reconnected between Support1.1 and Compo2.1.

6. Finally, you can update your document.

The Edit functionality is the same with Publications.