Symmetry Panel

Use the Symmetry panel to create symmetries that influence handles, morph volumes, domains, blocks, rwalls, and shapes.

Location: Tool page > HyperMorph module

Changes made on one subpanel do not affect the other, and are persistent so that you can switch freely between subpanels without losing any settings already made.

HyperLife Weld Certification supports reflective and non-reflective symmetries.

Symmetries can be combined, but you must be careful not to create confusing symmetrical arrangements. Symmetries can also be applied to unconnected domains. In this case, the symmetric handle linking works the same as that for connected domains, but the influences between handles and nodes for non-reflective symmetries do not extend across to all domains.

Create Subpanel

Use the Create subpanel to create new symmetries, to assign them to domains, and to update existing symmetries.
Table 1.
Option Action
name = Enter a name for the new symmetry that you wish to create. Alternatively, click the button twice to select an existing domains that you wish to update. Change the other settings as desired, and then click update to save the changes.
domains Select the domain(s) that the new symmetry is part of.
morph volumes & mapping By default, symmetries do not affect morph volumes or map to geom operations. If you wish the symmetry to affect morph volumes and mapping operations as well as domains, select this checkbox. Symmetries that affect morph volumes will affect all of the morph volumes in the model. Symmetries that affect mapping operations will affect all mapping operations, even if there are no domains in the model.
approximate / enforced For reflective symmetries (1-, 2-, or 3-plane, or cyclical), choose how strict the symmetric requirements should be.
  • Approximate symmetries may contain handles that are not symmetric to other handles. For example, handles created on any side of the symmetry are not reflected to the other sides. This option is best for asymmetrical, but similar, domains or for a cyclical symmetry applied to a mesh that sweeps through an arc but not a full circle.
  • Enforced symmetries cannot contain handles that are not symmetric on all other sides. For example, handles created or deleted on any side of the symmetry are created or deleted on the other sides so that the symmetry is maintained. When a reflective symmetry is created with the enforced option, additional handles may also be created to meet the enforcement requirements.
Note: Handles created due to the enforced option may not be located on any mesh, however, they will always be assigned to the nearest domain and will affect nodes in that domain.
(symmetry type switch) Use this switch to pick the type of symmetry you wish to create.
multilateral / unilateral For reflective symmetries (1-, 2-, or 3-plane, or cyclical), choose how different sides of the symmetry interact with each other.
  • Unilateral symmetries have one and only one side that governs the others, but not vice versa. For example, handles created and morphs applied to handles on the positive side of the symmetry are reflected onto the other side or sides of the symmetry, but handles created or morphs applied to handles on the other side or sides of the symmetry are not reflected.
  • For multilateral symmetries, all sides govern all other sides. For example, a handle created or a morph applied to a handle on any side is reflected to all the other sides.
syst Select a coordinate system with which the symmetry is aligned.
align with: Define which axis of the chosen system the symmetry is aligned with: the default axis, or one of its x/y/z axes.
size = Specify a size for the symmetry's visual icon. This only affects the appearance of the symmetry icon in the modeling window.
color Select a color for the symmetry's icon.

Update by Domain Subpanel

Use the Update by Domain subpanel to change which symmetries are attached to a specific domain.
Table 2.
Option Action
domain Select the desired domain. Only one domain can be selected at a time.
symmetries Select the symmetries that you wish to assign to the currently selected domain. You may pick multiple symmetries.

Command Buttons

Table 3.
Button Action
create Create a new symmetry based on the settings you have specified in the create subpanel.
update Update the selected symmetry to use the settings currently specified in the create subpanel.
review On the create subpanel, this displays the symmetry links between the handles for the selected symmetry.

On the update by domain subpanel, review loads the symmetries associated with the selected domain into the symmetry collector.
refresh Update the symmetry links between handles.
Note: This may cause different handles to be linked and new handles to be created if the model was morphed while the symmetries were inactive or if symlinks was turned off.
reject Reject the creation of an entity, such as a shape or constraint. This differs from undo because undo only undoes the movement of nodes; rejecting an entity can also undo node movements, but its primary function is to delete an entity that was just created.
return Exit the panel.