The Geometry Inspector detects flaws in model geometry, and it provides information to help you understand and resolve the errors. You can use the Geometry Inspector to identify flaws in imported foreign models that may cause problems in Solid Edge. You also can use it to simplify Solid Edge models for finite element analysis.
When you select the Geometry Inspector command, the Geometry Inspector dialog box is displayed.
You first choose the geometry you want to inspect, and whether you want to detect geometry flaws, or small entities, or both.
Selecting the Go button starts the inspection process.
When processing finishes, the Results area of the dialog box displays the part name, the number of faults or small entities found, and the names of the detected items.
You can select an item to read a description in the Results description area of the dialog box, and to highlight the geometry in the graphics window.
You can use the Fit button to display all of the problem geometry in the window at once.
You can use the Save As button on the dialog box to save the inspection information to an ASCII text file, with a .txt file extension.
Note:
If you make a change to the model, you must select the Geometry Inspector command again to update the results in the dialog box.
To learn how you can use the Geometry Inspector options to inspect simulation geometry for small entities, see Optimizing models for finite element analysis.
The following table shows the faults detected by Geometry Inspector and displayed in the Geometry Inspector dialog box.
|
Type of fault |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Corrupt Data-Structure |
The structure of the data does not conform to the Parasolid format. This is a very serious problem and will usually require the face, sheet, or body to be reconstructed. |
|
Invalid or Duplicate Identifiers |
This fault may be caused by importing very old (pre V5) versions of Parasolid files or bodies created by modeling with such bodies in later versions. This will not cause a problem, unless you want the model to remain associative with the inserted part copy because Solid Edge uses the identifiers and relies on their uniqueness. |
|
Missing Geometry |
The fault or error for missing geometry is usually the result of importing data that may not have a clear definition for bounding curves. As a result the geometry is not found as part of the sheet definition. Boolean operations cannot be performed on bodies with missing geometry, and you need to be careful when manipulating such bodies. |
|
Invalid Geometry |
The structure of the data does not conform to the Parasolid format. This is a very serious problem and will usually require you to reconstruct the face or sheet. |
|
Self-Intersecting Geometry or Degenerate Geometry |
This generally occurs when construction curves used in the creation of surface data have more than one intersection. Although, not always, this is seen more often in three-sided surfaces. This problems will usually require you to reconstruct the data so that the geometry can successfully be stitched and form a solid body. |
|
Geometry Not G1-Continuous, or Fails Other Composite Geometry Checks |
Non-tangent faces that are joined together to form a single sheet or composite create conditions such as geometry that is G1-discontinuous. When this type of geometry is encountered some modeling operations may work with the offending geometry, but it is best to replace this if possible. |
|
Open or Non-Periodic Curve Attached to Ring Edge |
The related edge has been turned into a ring edge by a large tolerance, leaving an open curve as the geometry. It indicates a possible internal failure if the tolerances on the edge become so large as to consume features incorrectly. |
|
Open or Non-Periodic Nominal Geometry Attached to Ring Edge |
The related open edge has been turned into a closed edge usually by a large tolerance leaving an open curve as the nominal geometry. |
|
Vertex Not on Curve of Edge |
This indicates failure, which may be the result of tolerances used by the curve. Such a failure may result in additional failures when you modify this body. |
|
Vertex Not on Nominal Geometry |
This indicates failure, which may be caused by tolerances on the nominal geometry that have become too large. Such a failure may result in additional failures when you modify this body. |
|
Edge Reversed |
This failure indicates that the order of the curves is not sequential and may cause a situation where the software is not able to close a curve set. |
|
Nominal Geometry in Wrong Direction |
This fault indicates a failure in which the tolerances on the nominal geometry have become too large, and a body exhibiting this would probably have other failures. |
|
SP-Curves of Edge Not Within Tolerance |
No definition found for this error. This could be caused by invalid SP-curve data, or, more likely, an unsuitable tolerance value on the edge |
|
SP-Curves Not Within Edge's Tolerance of Nominal Geometry |
This fault indicates an internal failure in which the tolerances on the nominal geometry have become too large, and a body exhibiting this would probably have other failures |
|
Vertices of Edge Touch |
This fault is usually a result of excess tolerance. |
|
Faces Incorrectly Ordered at Edge |
The order of the faces around an edge in the topological data structure does not agree with the order of the surfaces attached to those faces. |
|
Vertex Not on Surface of Face |
This could occur as a result of a tolerance mismatch between the trimming curve and the surface to be trimmed. |
|
Edge Not on Surface of face |
This could occur as a result of a tolerance mismatch between the trimming curve and the surface to be trimmed. |
|
Self-Intersecting Face |
This fault indicates a body that may contain a surface that loops back upon itself. This is usually not visible because the loop may be found on the portion of the surface that has been trimmed away by the bounding curve. Reconstruction of this geometry is recommended. |
|
Edges Incorrectly Ordered at Vertex |
This fault indicates edges that are not correctly ordered at their vertex. This may result in an open curve thought to be closed by the software. |
|
Loops Inconsistent |
Either the direction of the loop in the face is wrong, or the number and types of loops in the face are inconsistent with the surface type. |
|
Missing Vertex at Surface Singularity |
No information found for this definition. |
|
Wireframe Edge/Face Inconsistency |
This fault indicates that a wire frame edge intersects a face other than at a vertex. |
|
Wireframe Edge/Wireframe Edge Inconsistency |
This fault indicates that two wire frame edges intersect other than at a vertex. |
|
Size-Box Violation |
To handle precision correctly, all parts of a body must be within a box whose size is 1000 by 1000 by 1000, and is centered at the origin of the Solid Edge reference planes. This type of fault should be avoided, but does not mean that modeling operations will necessarily fail. Modeling with entities outside the size-box may often work, but it is not recommended. |
|
Face-Face Inconsistency |
No information found for this definition |
|
Body is Inside Out |
PK_BODY_state_inside_out_c This fault indicates that a surface normal in this body may be reversed. Software healing operation may resolve such a problem. |
|
Shells of Region are Inconsistent |
A shell is a connected collection of oriented faces. A region is an open connected subset of 3D space whose boundary is a collection of vertices, edges, and oriented faces. Regions are either solid or void (empty). This fault occurs when a region is invalid, such as a body with two positive shells. |
|
Regions of Body are Inconsistent |
A region is an open connected subset of 3D space whose boundary is a collection of vertices, edges, and oriented faces. Regions are either solid or void (empty). A body always has an infinite void region, which you can think of as all the space outside of the body itself, and the sum of all regions in a body comprises the whole of 3-D space. This fault occurs when there is an inconsistency between regions. It means that either the body contains more than one infinite region, or that the infinite region is not the first region. |
|
Geometry/Topology Inconsistency in Shell |
A shell is a connected collection of oriented faces. Inconsistency in a shell can only occur for general bodies. This means that a wire frame edge or a face in a shell is not geometrically inside that shell. |
|
Acorn Shell/Shell Inconsistency |
No information found for this definition. |
|
Unspecified Checker Failure or Checker Failure During Face-Face Check |
These fault types are used to distinguish cases where the checker itself has failed due to an internal numerical problem. They should not be taken to mean that the body itself is invalid |
|
Non-Printing Character Used in Name of Attribute Definition |
This fault can occur if a non-printing character, such as a line feed or carriage return, is used in an attribute definition name. |