Synchronous Technology In Solid Edge ST3 – Part 3

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In this part I will explain the concept of having synchronous and ordered features in the same tree. This concept can be a bit tricky to grasp as first. So I am going to try and explain this in a rather unique way. I am going to model a tree, I mean a physical tree with a stem and branches, and use it explain how the feature tree is split into two parts – one for synchronous features and the other for ordered features. To better illustrate the concept I will color code the features – green for synchronous features and red for ordered features.

I will start by creating the main stem of the tree as a synchronous feature. I will explain why I did not create it as an ordered feature later. I start by extruding a square vertically upwards to create a protrusion and call it “Stem”. Then I sketch a rectangle on its right vertical side and extrude it to create a protrusion that I call “Sync Branch”

The feature tree looks like this.

As you can see there are two synchronous features called “Stem” and “Sync Branch” in the feature tree. Then I do something that is new in Solid Edge ST3. I switch to ordered modeling mode in the same part. I do that my clicking the Tools tab in the ribbon and select “Ordered” from the “Model” pane.

There is a third mode called “Simplify” which I will not talk about because it is beyond the scope of this discussion. When I switch to the ordered mode, the UI changes a bit and a new section is added to the feature tree called “Ordered”.

Note that the two synchronous features are still in the synchronous part of the feature tree. Now I am in the traditional history based parametric modeling environment and I create an ordered protrusion feature on the left side of the stem of my tree, call it “Ordered Branch” and paint it red.

The feature tree looks like this.

As you can see, the feature tree is now split up into two parts – synchronous and ordered with respective features on both sides. Now say I want to add new features to the synchronous side of the feature tree, all I need to do it click the mouse on the bar titled “Synchronous” and Solid Edge switches to synchronous mode. As I do this the ordered part of the tree is deactivated and all the ordered features disappear from the 3D model. I will explain why in a moment.

I then add a couple of synchronous features to the green branch called “Synch Sub-Branch 1” and “Sync Sub-Branch 2”.

As expected these new synchronous features gets added to the synchronous part of the tree.

Next I decide to go back to add a couple of sub-branches to the ordered side of the tree.

Now the feature tree looks like this.

So this way we can go back and forth adding features on both sides of the feature tree. The same goes for editing features as well. I can push pull the synchronous features using direct modeling and editing the ordered features using the power of history based parametric modeling.

But the best part of ST3 it yet to come, which I will get to in the next part of this series. I will also explain a few things that I purposely overlooked in this part to keep it simple.

Part 4 >>