Current Help System: PC-DMIS CMM (View Core Help)

#### Description of the Section Cut Dialog Box

Section Cut dialog box

Item | Description
Select plane point option | This option lets you select a point on the CAD model which will become the cut plane point.
Limits area | This area lets you specify the start and end points along the intersection. You can either select the points in the Graphics Display window, or specify an arc length to precisely position the start and end point. Select start point - This option lets you select the start point of the section cut by selecting the start point in the Graphics Display window. Select the point on the black intersection line. A red point will appear on the screen indicating the location of the start point.

Start arc length - This box lets you precisely position the start point with respect to the cut plane point. Type the arc length between the projection of the cut plane point onto the section cut and the start point. Note that you can also define a negative number.

Select end point - This option lets you specify the end point on the section cut by selecting the end point in the Graphics Display window. Select the point on the black intersection line. A magenta point will appear on the screen indicating the location of the end point.

Arc length - This box lets you precisely position end point. The value you type is the arc length between the start and end points. Note that you can also define a negative number.

Reverse Direction - Click this button to swap the direction that the arc lengths are measured from the plane point.

Point Density area | This area lets you control the point spacing and number of points computed between the start and end points. Minimum Spacing - This option uses a minimum number of points based on the curvature of the surfaces along the section cut. If the surfaces are flat, then only two points will be created at the start and end points. If the surfaces are curved, then more points will be created. The number of points created on curved surfaces depends on the value set in the tessellation multiplier defined in the OpenGL Options dialog box. See the "Changing OpenGL Options" topic in "Setting Your Preferences" in the core documentation.

Number of points - This box lets you type the number of points you want created. PC-DMIS evenly distributes the points between the start and end points.

Point spacing - This box lets you specify the arc length between each point.

Axis spacing - This option limits the creation of the points along only the selected axis. Once you select this option the X axis, Y axis, and Z axis options become enabled. The box next to this option lets you define the spacing between points along that selected axis. For example, if you selected the X axis, then the points would be spaced along the X axis according to the value you specified.

Point Selection area | This area lets you specify the snap options for the plane, start, and end points. Snap to edge - This check box determines whether or not PC-DMIS snaps the point to the nearest surface edge or surface boundary. Snap to grid - This check box determines whether or not Planner snaps the point to the nearest grid intersection. You an use the snap to grid functionality even when the 3D grid is not showing. See the "Setting up the View" topic to enable the 3D Grid.

If you select both Snap to edge and Snap to grid, PC-DMIS will snap the point to the nearest grid line that intersects a surface edge or boundary.

Plane Vector Selection area | This area lets you specify the cut plane normal vector. X axis - This option sets the cut plane normal to the X axis vector (1,0,0). Y axis - This option sets the cut plane normal to the Y axis vector (0,1,0). Z axis - This option sets the cut plane normal to the Z axis vector (0,0,1).

Edge - This option sets the cut plane normal to the nearest surface boundary tangent vector. Whenever you select the plane point, the plane normal will be updated to the nearest surface boundary tangent vector.

Other - This option lets you define the cut plane normal values manually. Once selected, you can either type the IJK values in the Plane Vector area or you can click the Select button to select a feature on the CAD model to use as the normal vector.

Select - This button displays the Select Points dialog box which you can use to select a feature to use as the cut plane normal vector. This dialog box is already documented in the "Transforming a CAD Model" topic in "Editing the CAD Display" in the core documentation.

Plane Point area | This area shows the XYZ values of the plane point. You can manually modify the values by typing new values in the X, Y, and Z boxes. Note that if the point you specify does not lie on a CAD surface, the actual point that is used will be projected onto the CAD model.
Plane Vector area | This area shows the IJK values of the plane normal vector. You can manually modify these values by typing new values in the I, J, and K boxes.
Start Point area | This area displays the XYZ values of the start point. You can also use this area to define or adjust the value of the selected axis. The other two axis values will be computed from the intersection line.
End Point area | This area displays the XYZ values of the end point. You can also use this area to define or adjust the value of the selected axis. The other two axis values will be computed from the intersection line.
Output area | This area lets you determine the type of feature or features created from the section cut. PC-DMIS creates the output feature or features only after you click the Create button. Vector points - This option specifies that vector points should be created.

Scan - This option specifies that a Linear Open scan should be created from the points.

Create button | This button creates the specified feature or features from the section cut. The type of features depends on the option selected in the Output area.
Close button | This button closes the Section Cut dialog box.