morphing

Isolate the part of the rail that is going to be modified with Morphing Boxes. The Part Manager can be used for this task.

Go to the Morphing Tool and create a Morphing Box using the BOXES> ORTHO [USER] function. All the elements of the rail are loaded in this Box. Also the Connection Points that connect the two parts are loaded to the defined Box.

Use the CONTROL POINTS> EXTEND function to enlarge the Box in two directions as shown at the picture on the left.

In order to create splits exactly on the rail faces, define Control Points using the CONTROL POINTS> PROJECT [NORMAL] function.

Split the Box at the positions of the created Points. Use the BOXES> SPLIT function and select the created Points with the right mouse button to snap on the Points. NOTE: Deactivate the flag TANG (TANGENCY) in order not to apply tangency constraints when a split is defined.

Do the same for all the sides of the rail. Also a split must be created in each one of the two planes of symmetry.

Now the required splits for the embosses will be created. Define the Control Points where the splits will be created by projecting positions of the FE model to the Morphing Box Edges as shown at the picture on the left.

Use the BOXES> SPLIT function and select the created Points with the right mouse button to snap on the Points. The splits are created.

To handle the shape of the model, Morphing Parameters will be created. Activate the CONTROLS> PARAMS [NEW] function. A Parameter card opens. The user can select the type of the parameter that is going to be defined through the “TYPE” pull-down menu.

Two Morphing parameters are needed to handle the depth of the embosses. To define the first parameter activate the CONTROLS> PARAMS [NEW]. In the card that appears select parameter type “LENGTH”, enter the name for the parameter and confirm. Then select the Control Points that will be handled from the parameter and middle click to confirm. Select the Morphing Box Edges where the selected Control Points will slide on and confirm.

This parameter handles the depth of the horizontal embosses.

Define the second length parameter which handles the depth of the vertical embosses.

To modify the values of the parameters activate the function CONTROLS>PARAMS [LIST]. In the List Window that appears select the defined parameter and pick the MORPH button. The Angle/Length Window appears where the user can specify a new value. When the values of the parameters are modified, the embosses appear. The specified values represent the relative movement of the Control Points along the Edges. In that way Egdes with different length can be handled through one parameter.

The width of the embosses will be controlled with one Morphing Parameter. Activate the CONTROLS> PARAMS [NEW] function, select Type “TRANSLATE/ROTATE”, Movement “TRANSLATE” and confirm. Select the Control Points of the left side of the embosses as shown at the picture on the left and confirm. In the TRANSLATE window that appears define the vector for the translation which in this case is the X-axis. Middle click to confirm.

Select the Control Points of the right side of the embosses (yellow ones) and confirm. In the TRANSLATION window define the translation vector (negative X-axis). Middle click twice to exit the function.

The distance between the embosses will defined as parameter. In this case a new parameter with type TRANSLATE is used. The selected Control Points will be moved along a specified vector. Select all the Control Points of the one emboss (white ones) and middle click to confirm. In the TRANSLATE window that appears define the vector of the translation. In this case the X axis. Middle click to confirm and another group of Control Points can be selected (yellow ones) and another translation vector (-X axis). Middle click twice to exit the function.

All the parameters are defined and can be visualized, edited or modified through the Parameters List (CONTROLS>PARAMETERS>LIST).