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link-boundary-to-line

 

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link-boundary-to-line

Structure ribbon | Create | Link | Link Boundary to Line

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Description

Creates a wireframe link between a perimeter (closed strings) and a string, honouring any boundary/bridge strings on the perimeter.

This command is used when creating bifurcated or split wireframes.

How to use

  1. In the Current Objects toolbar, select or create a new current wireframe object.

  2. Run the command.

  3. Following the prompts in the Status Bar, select a first point on the perimeter (the one which has associated boundary/bridge strings).

  4. Select a second corresponding string.

  5. Repeat step 3 and 4 for all 'bounded perimeter'  to string pairs.

  6. Click Cancel.

  7. Link the remaining perimeters or strings using the related link-boundary, end-link-boundary or any other relevant string linking commands.

In the example below, the bottom perimeter will be linked to the top two outside perimeters, using the link-boundary command, while the top middle string will be linked using the link-boundary-to-line command, honoring the red boundary strings:

 

The resultant wireframe links look like this:

 

note.gif (1017 bytes)

  • An error is reported if the first string is not a perimeter (closed string), or the second string is not open.

  • At least one of the two strings selected for linking must have at least one bridge string connected to it.

  • More than one bridge string may be connected to a string for linking.

  • A bridge string is a string that has both its first and last points connected to points on one of the two strings which are to be linked.

  • The  boundary/bridge strings must have their end points snapped (point or line) to a perimeter.

  • It is not necessary to select the bridge string, as these are automatically detected during the linking process.

  •  Bridge strings can contain any number of points and be fully three dimensional, but their end points must be connected to points on one of the selected strings. Crossovers of bridge strings should be avoided. The bridge strings themselves are not selected when running this command, they are automatically detected.

  • If the line is specified with the minimum number of points, then additional points be can generated in the link with the new point separation (dtm-new-point-separation) command to improve the triangle shape.

  • The links take their color from the first string of each string-pair used for the linking.

  • Various settings can be used to control linking, seeWireframe Linking Settings.

  • Tag strings can be used to control linking, see use-tag-switch.

 

note.gif (1017 bytes)

Using this command in conjunction with the 3D Solid linking method.

If you have strings on adjacent sections that are to be linked together, and those strings cross each other when viewed in the direction of wireframing, then temporary vertices are inserted into the string and these temporary vertices are used when the wireframe is created.  Since pairs of strings are wireframed at a time it is possible for these temporary vertices to be created for one pair of strings and not the other.  In this situation a wireframe may be built which contains inconsistencies.  Therefore the 3D-Solid method is not suitable for use with the older linking commands if adjacent sections contain strings that cross each other in the direction of wireframing.

More about the 3D Solid linking method...

  openbook.gif (910 bytes)   Related Topics

 

link-boundary
end-link-boundary