Recognizing Features Interactively

To recognize features interactively:

  1. Click Recognize Features tool_recognize_features.gif (Features toolbar) or Insert > FeatureWorks > Recognize Features.
    The FeatureWorks PropertyManager appears.
  2. Under Recognition Mode, click Interactive.
  3. Under Feature Type, click one of these options:
    • Standard features
    • Sheet metal features
  4. Under Interactive Features, choose the Feature type. See Interactive Feature Recognition Selections for details on the feature types.
  5. Under Selected entities , select geometry from the graphics area to recognize as the selected Feature type. You do not have to select every face of a feature to recognize it.
  6. Select from the following options, which appear depending on the selected feature type:
    Chain chamfer faces (Chamfer features only). Select this check box to have FeatureWorks find additional faces for a chamfer feature adjacent to the face you select.
    Chain fillet faces (Fillet features only). Select this check box to have FeatureWorks find additional fillet faces tangent to the fillet face you select. You can select a chain of fillets with different radii on each edge. Variable radius fillets can be included in a chain of fillets. The selected chain is recognized as a single feature. If the fillet faces do not chain automatically, you may be able to manually select them to create a chain as a single feature.
    Chain revolved faces (Revolve and Hole Features only). Select this check box if you want the FeatureWorks software to determine the faces for a revolved feature from a minimum set of faces you select. For an illustration of the effect of this check box, see Interactive Feature Recognition Selections.
    Check parallel faces (Extrudes only). Recognizes non-similar features if they have a face that is parallel to the selected face.
    End Face 1 and End Face 2/Support Face (Boss-sweep features only). Select a start and end face for these features.
    Cut faces (Cut-sweep features only).
    Neutral face (Draft features only). Select a face for the neutral plane of the Draft feature
    Normal to sketch (Rib features only). You can interactively recognize ribs that are extruded normal to sketch.
    Recognize filleted (Draft features only). Recognizes all the fillets and drafts associated with a selected neutral face in one step. Otherwise, you must use one step to recognize the fillets and then more steps to recognize each of the different drafts.
    Recognize similar (Extrudes, Revolves, Ribs, Sweeps, and Hole features only). Select this check box to recognize features with similar characteristics. For example, you have several boss extrudes with rectangular cross sections. Select the face of one boss, and these features are recognized at the same time, but as separate features.
    Recognize pattern (Extrudes, Revolves, Sweeps, and Hole features only).
    Up to face (Extrudes only). Select a face for termination of the feature. The FeatureWorks software extends the feature from the sketch plane to the selected face.
    Fixed face (Miter flanges only). The fixed face must meet and be on the same side (inner or outer) as the selected miter flange faces.
    If you select any wrong entities, right-click the part in the graphics area and choose Select Other or Clear Selections.
  7. If you want to delete one or more faces, click Delete Faces. You can use this prior to feature recognition to get rid of complicated or unwanted geometry. If you delete faces that are necessary for previously recognized features, FeatureWorks will not be able to recreate those features.
  8. Click Recognize to interactively recognize the selected features.
    If successful, the features are removed from the imported body in the graphics area.
  9. If you want to undo the recognition of a feature, click in the FeatureWorks PropertyManager. Click to recreate the undone feature.
  10. Continue to recognize features of different feature types.
  11. Click PM_next.gif or Recognize.
    The Intermediate Stage PropertyManager appears with the list of Recognized Features.
    You can click back.png to return to the FeatureWorks PropertyManager to recognize more features.
  12. Click PM_OK.gif to complete feature recognition and create the new features.