HCM 3-D in the ICN

When assigning constraints, the part structure and hence the arrangement of the parts is crucial.

You can assign constraints only within a main assembly and only to parts of an active body.

If, for example, you activate a main part with sub-parts, HiCAD regards the sub-parts of a hierarchy as one unit. No constraints can be assigned within this unit.

In the 3-D part structure, part containing dimensional or positional constraints are indicated by a black H against yellow background:

In the Configuration Editor at System settings > Assembly HCM you find the setting option Show HCM errors in part structure?. This function is deactivated by default. If you activate this option, inconsistent HCM models in assemblies will be marked in the 3-D structure with a corresponding symbol.

In this case a red H will be shown instead of a black H. This marking will also be applied to superordinate parts and assemblies to indicate the inconsistencies up to the top level of the affected element:

Please note:

• The Drag function moves subordinate assemblies as a unit if you have activated an assembly. If, however, you activate a subordinate assembly, you can drag each individual part.
• The HCM tab of the ICN lists the constraints for all parts of the active assembly. The first line lists whether the HCM model is fully defined or under-defined. In the latter case, the number of degrees of freedom is additionally displayed. For the individual constraints, HiCAD also indicates if there is an under-definition of the element.
• If you select an HCM constraint in the ICN, the elements that belong to this constraint are marked in the drawing. This marking is also preserved when views are rotated. Relevant surfaces of a constraint are marked in green. This default setting (mark_faces=1) is saved in kzugpar.dat in the SYS directory.
• Right-clicking in the window enables you to switch between sorting by geometries and sorting by constraints. You can use the context menu of a set constraint to change or delete the constraint.

3-D Parts Constraint Manager