PRIME MOTIONAnalyzing a design
The Analyze family, in the Inspect group of the Design rail, answers questions about the model without changing it. Long-press Analyze to choose a tool. Each opens a drawer that says what to pick, shows your picks as chips (tap a chip's ✕, or tap the geometry again, to remove it), and shows its result as you pick. Clear removes every pick.
If the geometry cannot be analysed, the drawer says That geometry could not be analysed.
Measure
Distances, angles and sizes. Tap one face, edge or vertex for its own size, or two for the relation between them (Now select the second one).
| You pick | You read |
|---|---|
| One edge | Length; for a circular edge Radius, Diameter, Circumference or Arc length |
| One face | Area, Perimeter; a cylindrical face's Radius and Diameter |
| One vertex | Position |
| Two things | Min distance, ΔX, ΔY, ΔZ, and the Angle between them where there is one |
Precision sets the decimal places (0–4, default 2); Secondary units adds inches beside millimetres. If the pair cannot be measured, the result is titled Cannot measure.
Interference
Finds where bodies overlap: parts of an assembly that would collide, or an inlay plug that is too big for its pocket. Pick two or more bodies and tap Compute. The result gives Bodies checked, Interfering pairs and Total overlap (volume). Include coincident faces counts bodies that only touch as interfering. With no overlap it says No interference — none of these bodies share any volume.
Section Analysis
Cuts the view through the model to show the inside. Pick a plane or a flat face to cut with, then:
- Distance moves the cut along the plane's normal (−50, −10, 0, 10 or 50 mm);
- Angle 1 and Angle 2 tilt it (−45°, 0° or 45°);
- Flip shows the other side;
- Show hatch fills the cut faces; Cut colour is From body or Custom.
It reports Bodies cut, the Section area and the Distance. Nothing is removed from the model.
Curvature Comb Analysis
Draws a comb of lines along edges, longer where an edge curves more tightly, to judge how smoothly a curve flows. Pick one or more edges; set Density (number of teeth) and Scale (their length). It reports Edges combed, the Tightest radius and the Peak curvature. A straight edge has no comb: These edges are straight — a straight edge has no curvature to comb. The drawer is titled Curvature Comb.
Zebra Analysis
Paints stripes on bodies, like reflections of strip lights. Where stripes run on smoothly across an edge, the faces meet smoothly; where they kink or jump, there is a crease. Choose the Direction (Vertical or Horizontal), Repeats, Opacity, Lock stripes (so they stay put as you orbit) and High quality. The drawer is titled Zebra.
Minimum Radius
Shows the tightest inside curves of a body, and so the largest cutter that can reach everywhere.
| Setting | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Tool radius | The cutter you plan to use, as a radius: 1.5, 3, 6 or 25 mm |
| Ignore below | Leave out radii smaller than this (0, 0.5, 1 or 2 mm) |
| Sharp edges | Also mark inside corners with no radius at all |
| Opacity | How strongly the colours show |
It reports the Minimum radius, the Largest cutter that fits, the Concave faces, how many are Out of reach for the tool radius you set, Sharp corners, how many are Below the floor you set, and where the tightest curve is (Tightest on).
Center of Mass
Pick one or more bodies. It reports the X, Y and Z of their combined centre of mass, their Volume and their Surface area. A selection with no volume says so: This selection encloses no volume, so it has no centre of mass.