Mechanical Modeler 

What You Will Learn With This Use Case

This use case illustrates the sub-section entitled "The Contents of the Specification Container - Non Geometrical Features Set" and "The Contents of the Specification Container - Non Geometrical Features" you can find in the "Technical Articles" section of the Mechanical Modeler home page.
Its main intent is to show you MechanicalElements and "MechanicalSets" derivates specificities [1], [2] and to explain how to use them when you need to design non Geometrical Features.

In this use case, you will learn to:

• Create features derivate from MechanicalElement and MechanicalSet:

How to create a new StartUp of MechanicalElement or MechanicalSet, how to store it in a feature's catalog and how to instantiate it.

• Integrate  MechanicalSet and MechanicalElement derivates in V5 Mechanisms using their default behaviors.

Default Behaviors for CATIParmPublisher, CATINavigateObject, ContextualMenu.

How to make a Build process with non geometrical features
How implement visualization on non Geometrical Feature.

The "Creating Non Geometrical Features:" use case constitutes a set of articles, each describing the creation or the integration in V5.

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What Is a "CAAMmrMultiMeasure", What Is a "CAAMmrMeasureSet"

The CAAMmrMultiMeasure is an analysis feature derivate from MechanicalElement StartUp which allows users to compute the Length, or the Wet Area and/or the Volume of a Geometrical Feature.
Consequently, it is designed with one input: The Geometrical Feature to analyze, and three outputs: the three computed parameters reachable with CATIDescendants or CATIParmPublisher.

It doesn't have any geometry but a visualization: on the 3D View, its result - constituted from a physical measure - is displayed in a violet box.

As it is a specific feature, we decided to design a specific set to aggregate it in the MechanicalPart: the CAAMmrMultiMeasure.
This set is derivate from MechanicalSet StartUp and can display the visualization of the feature aggregated in its own.

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The "MultiMeasure And MeasureSet" Use Case

The "MultiMeasure And MeasureSet" is an use case of the CAAMechanicalModeler.edu framework that illustrates MechanicalModeler, MecModInterfaces and MechanicalModelerUI framework capabilities in creating a non geometrical feature.

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What Does the "MultiMeasure And MeasureSet" Use Case Do

The final intent of this use case is to design, create and use an analysis feature which doesn't have any geometry but which has a 3D Representation. It can be divided into several steps:

1. Creating the new Analysis Feature StartUp(CAAMmrMultiMeasure), the new Analysis Set StartUp (CAAMmrMeasureSet) and storing them in the catalog "CAAMmrMultiMeasureAndMeasureSetCatalog.CATfct" using "OSM Modelling Language".

   The CATfct file has been generated using CATfctEditorAssistant tool.  The client authentication is "CAAMmrUseCaseForMechanicalSetsAndElements" .

2. Creating an interface to instantiate the new StartUps "CAAMmrMultiMeasure" and "CAAMmrMeasureSet" - the CAAIMmrMultiMeasureAndMeasureSetFactory.

   To create instances of the CAAMmrMultiMeasure and CAAMmrMeasureSet StartUp, you should create and implement a factory interface on the specification container [3]. This interface creates instances but do not set them in the MechanicalPart.

   Fig.1: The CAAIMmrMultiMeasureAndMeasureSetFactory Interface

   CATPrtCont is the container containing all the specifications of the Part document. This factory interface uses the "CAAMmrMultiMeasureAndMeasureSetCatalog" catalog file created in the first step.

3. Creating an interface to modify or retrieve the input specifications of the CAAMmrMultiMeasure instances.- Creating CAAMmrMultiMeasure's Interface of Type

In the CATIBuild implementation, or in the edition command, it is mandatory to have an access to the input specifications of the new feature. It is the role of the CAAIMmrMultiMeasure  interface. 
 

Fig.2: The CAAIMmrMultiMeasure Interface

With this interface you can retrieve or modify the value of CAAMmrMultiMeasure's Attributes.
 

4. Integrating the CAAMmrMultiMeasure in the V5  

To integrate a new feature in V5, Interfaces classified in three classes need to be taken into account:
 

• The mandatory interfaces:
   
  • CATIBuild - Building CAAMmrMultiMeasure Result
    
    To compute something, analysis feature has to integrate update mechanism  [4], which is done implementing CATIBuild interface on CAAMmrMultiMeasure (CAAEMmrMultiMeasureBuild.cpp).
     
  • CATIReplace - Modifying CAAMmrMultiMeasure inputs
    This interface enables you to define the available elements for a replacement, and makes the replacement, which is done in CAAMmrMultiMeasure's implementation (CAAEMmrMultiMeasureReplace.cpp). 
• The Dassault Systèmes Behavior interfaces:
   
  • CATIEdit - Editing CAAMmrMultiMeasure inputs
    
    This interface of the ApplicationFrame framework enables editing feature.
    Double clicking on MmrCAAMultiMeasure, launches  the CAAMmrMultiMeasureStCmd state command; an interactive command without panel. This command can be used in the creation mode and in the edition mode
    
     
  • CATIContextualSubMenu  - Use of Default MechanicalElement / MechanicalSet behaviors
    
    As MechanicalElement has a default behavior, CAAMmrMultiMeasure inherits from this one. Consequently, CAAMmrMultiMeasure has a default contextual sub-menu .
     
  • CATINavigateObject, CATIParmPublisher, CATIParmPublisher: - Display Measure's result.
    
    As CAAMmrMultiMeasure inherits from MechanicalElement, it has default behaviors for all of those interfaces: all features aggregated under MechanicalElement using CATIDescendants::Append(), and more particularly Parameters are shown in SpecTree and in f(x).
    
     
  • CATIMechanicalCCP
    Please, don't overload this interface.
• Specific Case:
  
  As we want to visualize the measure's result in the 3D view, we decided to implement Visualization behaviors:
   
  • CATIVisu or CATI3DGeoVisu - building a 3D Representation for CAAMmrMultiMeasure and CAAMeasureSet.
    
    This Specialized 3D Visualization interface makes objects have a 3D representation. In CAAEMmrMultiMeasureVisu, CAAMmrMultiMeasure builds a 3DBagRep in which the representation of the measure's result is shown.
    CAAMmrMeasureSet's implémentation (CAAEMmrMeasureSetVisu) builds a 3DBagRep which aggregates all the 3DRep of its aggregated features.
    
    For more detail in CATI3DGeoVisu, please refer to specified article [].
     
  • CATIVisProperties -
    
    This interface manages the graphic properties associated with the features representations.
    
    For more detail in CATIVisProperties, please refer to specified article [].
     
  • CATISelectShow - Adding hide/Show command to your non geometrical features.
    
    The Hide/Show command enables to hide or show the selected features. But to benefit of this functionality on your feature, it must implement the CATISelectShow interface, which is done with CATEMmrMultiMeasureSelectShow implementation.
    
    Please, note Hide/Show command uses the CATIVisProperties to modify the visibility state of the feature.
     
5. Creating Interactively Instances

To create interactively new instances of the CAAMmrMeasureSet or CAAMmrMultiMeasure, you will create an add-in of the Shape Design workbench (CAAEMmrMultiMeasureAndMeasureSetAdn) into which you will add the MmrMultiMeasure and the MmrMeasureSet Creation Commands (CAAMmrMultiMeasureStCmd and CAAMmrMeasureSetStCmd).

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Overview of the "MultiMeasure And MeasureSet" Use Case Articles

The documentation of the Extending Combined Curve Use Case contains the following articles:

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How to Launch the "MultiMeasure And MeasureSet" Use Case

To launch this use case, you will need to set up the build time environment, then compile the following modules of the CAAMechanicalModeler.edu framework along with their prerequisites:

• CAAMmrMultiMeasureAndMeasureSet.m,  
• CAAMmrMultiMeasureAndMeasureSetUI.m,
• CAAMmrMultiMeasureAndMeasureSetAddIn.m 

Next, let's execute interactively the use case. Several steps must be followed in order to completely execute the use case:

• Launch CATIA. When the application is ready, follow scenarios described below:

The Creation scenario:

• In the Start menu choose Mechanical Design and click Wireframe and Surface Design
• Retrieve the CAAMmrMultiMeasure Additional toolbar
• Open a Part including geometrical instances or Create one "from scratch" [9].
• Measure the length or the wet area (and) the volume of a geometrical feature using the "CAAMmrMultiMeasure" command: .
  Click on the icon command and select a geometrical feature in 3D View or in the Specification Tree.
• Then the Part will become "non updated"
• Update
• The computed length, or area or volume, will appear in 3DVisualisation, And, in the Spec Tree.

  View Of MmrMultiMeasure instance

•  Instantiate a MeasureSet using the dedicated command (). A new set appears under the Part Node. Then, if you instantiate a new CAAMmrMeasure, it will be aggregated under the CAAMeasureSet.
   
• Use of Default MechanicalSet and MechanicalElement:
  • f(x) shows all parameters aggregated under CAAMmrMeasureSet and its sons. It shows all parameters aggregated under CAAMmrMultiMeasure.
  • Sub-Menu allows Reorder/Reorder Children for CAAMmrMeasureSet and Reorder for CAAMmrMultiMeasure.
  • Copy/Paste can be use.
• It is possible to see the computed parameter on f(x) panel and to use this value into rules. To do this, just click on f(x) icon. You will note that the computed value is in "read only mode" (The Cell containing the computed value is gray.).

The Edition scenario

• Double click the CAAMmrMultiMeasure instance
• Change its input selecting a new geometrical feature
• Update
• The Feature result and its 3DRepresentation have changed!

The Open scenario:

• Open a Part including "CAAMmrMultiMeasure" instances (*)
Check the visualisation in 3D, in SpecTree.
• Change MmrMultiMeasure's input
• Update.
• Check Modification in the 3DVisualisation and in SpecTree.

(*) The file "CAAMmrMultiMeasureAndMeasureSet.CATPart" is located in the directory CAAMechanicalModeler.edu/InputData

• Unix : InstallRootDirectory/CAAMechanicalModeler.edu/InputData
• Windows : InstallRootDirectory\CAAMechanicalModeler.edu\InputData

where InstallRootDirectory is the directory where the CAA CD-ROM is installed.

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Where to Find the CAAMmrMultiMeasureAndMeasureSet Code

The "MultiMeasure And MeasureSet" use case is made of several modules of the CAAMechanicalModeler.edu framework:

where InstallRootDirectory is the directory where the CAA CD-ROM is installed.

These modules are:

• CAAMmrMultiMeasureAndMeasureSet.m - This module contains the implementations of  the CATIBuild interface (manages the build operation called during the update of MmrMultiMeasure), the definition and the implementation of the CAAIMmrMultiMeasureAndMeasureSetFactory  interface (manages the CAAMmrMultiMeasure And CAAMmrMeasureSet StartUp instantiation), the CAAIMmrMultiMeasure  interface (manages the access to the input specifications of the Analysis Feature).
  Moreover, in this module, you will find the implementations of CATI3DGeoVisu, CATIVisProperties.
   
  • CAAIMmrMultiMeasure.cpp, the header file is in the PublicInterfaces directory of the CAAMechanicalModeler.edu framework
  • CAAIMmrMultiMeasureAndMeasureSetFactory.cpp, the header file is in the PublicInterfaces directory of the CAAMechanicalModeler.edu framework
     
  • CAAEMmrMultiMeasure.cpp, the header file is in the LocalInterfaces directory
  • CAAEMmrMultiMeasureAndMeasureSetFactory.cpp, the header file is in the LocalInterfaces directory
  • CAAEMmrMultiMeasureBuild.cpp, the header file is in the LocalInterfaces directory
  • CAAEMmrMultiMeasureReplace.cpp, the header file is in the LocalInterfaces directory
  • CAAEMmrMultiMeasureVisu.cpp, the header file is in the LocalInterfaces directory
  • CAAEMmrMultiMeasureAndMeasureSetVisProperties.cpp, the header file is in the LocalInterfaces directory
  • CAAEMmrMeasureSetVisu.cpp, the header file is in the LocalInterfaces directory
• CAAMmrMultiMeasureAndMeasureSetAddIn.m - This module contains the implementation of the CATIShapeDesignWorkshopAddin interface. In other words, it defines an Add-in to the Shape Design workbench.
  • CAAEMmrMultiMeasureAndMeasureSetAdn.cpp, the header file is in the LocalInterfaces directory
• CAAMmrMultiMeasureAndMeasureSetUI.m - This module contains the implementation of the CATIEdit for CAAMmrMultiMeasure and CATISelectShow for CAAMmrMultiMeasure And CAAMmrMeasureSet.
  It also contains the implementation of StateCommands to create and insert CAAMmrMultiMeasures and CAAMmrMeasureSets.
  • CATEMmrMultiMeasureSelectShow.cpp, the header file is in the LocalInterfaces directory
  • CAAEMmrMultiMeasureEdit.cpp, the header file is in the LocalInterfaces directory
  • CAAMmrMeasureSetStCmd.cpp, the header file is in the LocalInterfaces directory
  • CAAMmrMultiMeasureStCmd.cpp, the header file is in the LocalInterfaces directory

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Step-by-Step

You can now successively get to:

• Creating a feature Catalog using OSM Language

• Creating  the factory interface of CAAMmrMultiMeasure And MeasureSet

• Creating the CAAMmrMultiMeasure 's Interface of Type

• Building the CAAMmrMultiMeasure's Result

• Displaying the Computed Result in the 3D View

• Creating an Add-in in the Shape Design Workbench

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In Short

The CAAMechanicalModeler.edu "MultiMeasure And MeasureSet" sample shows how to create your own Non Geometrical Feature.

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References

History

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