entering equations into SD?

[Steve]

When using Unigraphics or Pro/Engineer, I can enter mathematical equations into any field that accepts a number.

For example, if I am entering a line parallel to another line that should be 5/25.4 inches away from another, when entering the offset I could enter:

5/25.4

Instead of calculating the value and puting the value in.

Is there a way to do this in SolidDesigner?

Steve

[Gary Brauch]

Steve,
The format for entering it would be:
(/ 5 25.4)

I think was discussed in this forum earlier, but I can't find it.
Gary.

[Mike Swartz]

Any OneSpace Designer command that presents you with a dialog box (such as modify 3D > Change Radius) will accept data entry similar to commands that are used by UG, or ProE such as 5/25.4
You only need to use the lisp notation as documented in the previous post when the commands require you to make your data entries in the command line.

[May Kung]

Some dialog boxes let you enter units and it will convert for you to the default units. Alas, I do not know which specific ones do this, just that I have used this feature in the past (I think in metric, but occasionally have to use a CAD station that is setup in inches).

[Steve]

Great, thanks for the tip. Awkward, but functional.

Steve

[Markus]

Any data entry field which expects a length value (e.g. Distance in Extrude or Radius in Change Radius) allows you to enter a value in different units. For example if you work in mm as user units you can enter 2in into a length data entry field to input a value of 2 inch. This value is automatically converted to mm.
The same applies to any other user unit. E.g. you work usually in inches and you have a value of 100 mm, just enter 100mm into the data field and the value is automatically converted to inches.

Please see the documentation for more information on that. Note, this automatic conversion does not work in the general user input line. Here you would need to use the LISP notation like (/ 5 25.4). BTW, this LISP notation also works in the specific data entry fields which I just mentioned.

Hope this helps.

Markus

[Michel Gendron]

Hi,
You can directly input 20/254 instead of 2/25.4. That work almost every time. The trick is to make sure you have "round" number. CoCreate did this for those you need to input 9/16 or any other imperial value. As I said, it's work only if your number doesn't have any digits.

I got people that doesn't like the way to input data in lisp so...

Hope that help

[Jim McKim]

Thanks, Michel, for pointing out the problem with numbers that include a decimal, and a workaround.
CoCreate folks: The only operand the non-lisp format seems to work with is "/"; if I try 2*2, 2+1, or 2-1, the result is always 2. (This is with the offset face command in v11.65A.) That limitation makes the process only marginally useful. And is there a better solution to the problem with non-integer numbers that Michel points out?

[Markus]

The trick Michel mentioned works, because the "/" notation with integer numbers on both sides of the "/" (numerator and denominator) is a LISP data type called Rational Number.

This data type represents a rational number and is not an equation. We don't support infix equations like 2*2 or such. You need to use the LISP notation for this (* 2 2 ).


Markus

[Steve]

I think it would be nice if in any numerical data entry field I could enter standard mathematical equations. i.e. 2+7, (2*4)-(14/3), etc., without resorting to using LISP, which I do not know.

Other CAD packages support this.

Steve