Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Status Bar
The status bar at the bottom of the user interface will guide you through
the steps for cutting or joining geometry when you are using the tools
on the Geometry panel. To select an invisible void, first select the solid.
The void appears, and you can select it.
You can establish the cut relationship with a void and a solid before they are
overlapping. After you use the Cut tool and create the relationship, the void
will cut the solid when it is moved to overlap the solid. You can create a cut
relationshipbetweenonevoidandmultiplesolidobjects,asshownin
Figure
17.15
. The void form has been highlighted in this image to illustrate that it
is a single void cutting multiple solid objects. A void will remember its cut
relationships; this allows us to create cut and not-cut conditions or to show
different cutting shapes parametrically.
Figure 17.15
Void cutting multiple solids
The file
Ch17_Modeling_MultipleSolidandVoid.rfa
is provided as
an
example
and
can
be
found
at
In the case of a hosted family, you can use the Cut tool to create a cut
relationshipbetweenavoidandthehostgeometry.Thisisusefulforlighting
fixture and air terminal families when you want to show that the component
requires an opening in its host. This type of relationship can be established
within face-hosted or with model-hosted families. However, when you're
using face-hosted families in a project, the void will not cut a linked host
face.
While voids are an important modeling feature, consideration should be
given to all the other solid modeling tools to create forms before resorting to
