Intent Datum Plane

[Dcentral]

A quick question to satisfy my curiosity relating to intent references.

Ive been messing around with intent chains and surfaces recently and can see how they can be very powerful.
When it comes to creating Intent Datum Planes, I cant find any info on their merits or otherwise.

Do they offer any advantages over standard datum features. I see that you can search for features reference to the datum reference but how is this any different to info>reference viewer?.. I guess you can subsequently select the features in the search box but to what end? One that justifies the logistics of creating the extra feature?

If anyone can shed any light or has found a valuable use for them id be interested in finding out.

Thanks
Dave

 

[neomechanikos]

These are called intent objects. The idea behind intent objects is several fold:

1 - Features based on intent objects are much more robust and less prone to failure when model topology changes. It consolidates your references into a feature that subsequent features can reference so you only have to update one reference and not all of the references of other features.
2 - Intent objects help to communicate design intent to other users....again consolidated references. I view this as similar in nature to skeleton parts and copy geometry features for communicating design intent.
3 - It can greatly speed things up for UDF's.

Below is a great post about it in another forum as well as a very interesting slide show. Play around with the cylinder references as he suggests...using an edge on one side and an intent edge or user defined intent object on the other side of the cylinder to create rounds...change the cylinder to a square and see what happens.

PTC Community: Using Intent Objects to Build Robust Models and Automatically Place UDFs

I'm just learning about intent objects myself. I'd love to hear what others have found.

 

[Jacoolo]

These are called intent objects. The idea behind intent objects is several fold:

1 - Features based on intent objects are much more robust and less prone to failure when model topology changes. It consolidates your references into a feature that subsequent features can reference so you only have to update one reference and not all of the references of other features.

aside of number 3, this is to me the biggest advantage

Imagine you have complicated model and dozen of features related to it. Attempt to replace such a datum plane to the another one would normaly require redifining each feature. With Intent Datum you make it only once.

 

[Dcentral]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

I had a good handle on the intent edges and surfs already but the presentation and your posts add a little more clarity.
Usually when Im building very complex top down design surface master files (1000 features) I will already know my key planes and they are unlikely to ever need changing.

Jacek.. do you create an intent datum after each of these planes in your model tree?

 

[Jacoolo]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Jacek.. do you create an intent datum after each of these planes in your model tree?

yes,

but the whole approach requires some thinking and planing 3, no 5 steps ahead

so, first I decide how my model is going to be built, then I decide what geometry would or could use the same datum plane, and if this datum plane is up to be replaced by the different one

so, as you see, I do not use this funcionality too often

 

[Dcentral]

Ya.. outside of the UDF placement with an intent csys I can't see any material benefit in the intent datum plane.
I use copy> paste special now quite a bit with a standard csys as the only ref where possible and its pretty good so dont use the UDF functionality. I'll keep playing around and digging into it to see if I can find anymore benefits.

thanks for taking the time to feedback.

Dave

 

[csusie]

aside of number 3, this is to me the biggest advantage

Imagine you have complicated model and dozen of features related to it. Attempt to replace such a datum plane to the another one would normaly require redifining each feature. With Intent Datum you make it only once.

You can do this with Edit References->Reroute Feat, why use an intent object?