Add Links Panel

Location: Connectors module

In this panel you can also define the connectors you wish to add links to, as well as what components, when, and how to make the links. Add link function pays attention to the link conservation settings on the spot, seam, and options panels.

Note: The Add Links panel does not allow you to modify link entities already in the connector definition.

Panel Options

Option	Action
location	Select the connector to which new link entities will be added.
connect when	Select when to add link entity information. now Add link entity information now. For this option, you must select the connect what entities and number of layers to successfully create a connector. at fe-realize Add link entity information while realizing the connector. The link entities are determined by the projections and proximity from the connector location. For this option, you must specify a link entity type and the number of layers to successfully create a connector.
connect what	Select an entity type to be added as link entities. If connect when is set to now: Components Connect to either the geometry or elements of the selected components. Surfaces Connect to either geometric surfaces or elements associated with the selected surfaces. Tags If the selected entities are more than the # of layers, the closest (by proximity) # of layers entities will be added as links. If connect when is set to FE realize: Components, Properties Connector links to the entire entity. Surfaces Connector links to one or more surfaces. Nodes Connector links directly to nodes in the mesh. Elements Connector links to nearby mesh elements. Tags The actual entities of the selected type are added to the connector when it is realized, based on the closest entities that have valid projections.
geom/elems	Connect to either the geometry or elements of selected components, or associated to selected surfaces.
# of layers	Select the number of thicknesses/layers for the connectors. For 2T, 3T and 4T connectors, select from the pop-up menu. For connectors that connect more than four layers of entities, click ? and enter the number of layers in the total = entry field that displays.
reconnect rule	While realizing the connector, HyperLife Weld Certification looks for link entities based on the re-connect rule. Useful in situations where the parts to be connected have been changed/replaced. Note: Only valid if connect when is set to now. none No re-connect rule is defined. If the link entity is not currently in the model, the connector with this re-connect rule will fail to realize. use id Use ID of the selected link entity to re-connect. If the link entity is not currently in the model, the connector with this re-connect rule will search for entities with the same ID. use name Use name of the selected link entity to re-connect. If the link entity is not currently in the model, connectors using this re-connect rule search for entities with the same name.
add link from scratch	Remove the number of layers and the defined links on the selected connectors, then redefine the number of layers add new links.
search tol	Use an optional search tolerance while adding link entities to connectors, to eliminate entities that are irrelevant. Tip: Connectors can be created with different types of entities; for example, a connector can be defined by selecting a component on one side and a tag on the other side. This can be accomplished using the connector create panel to choose one of the entity types and selecting that entity. Update the connector with the second type using the add links panel.
add links	Update the connector(s) with provided input (if sufficient).
reject	Reject connector updates.

FAQs

Can multiple link entities be added to a connector with different rules?: Each link entity in a given connector can reference an entity of a different type all while each using different rules and states.
Can the number of thickness (# of layers) for a created connector be changed?: The number of thickness value can be modified in a connector. This can be done from the Connector browser or through a command file or a Tcl script.
Can the link entity state (elems or geom) be changed after it is added to the connector?: The link entity state can be modified for an entity once it has been added to the connector using the Connector browser or through a script.
Can the entity re-connect rule (by id, by name, none) be changed after it is added to the connector?: The entity re-connect rule can be modified once the entity has been added to the connector using the Connector browser or through a script.
How can a link entity added to the connector be removed from the connector?: A link entity added to a connector can be removed using the Connector browser or through a script using connector commands.
How do I add links to connectors created with the now or at fe realize option?: First review the information already stored in the connector using the Connector browser. The number of entities that can be added to the connector will depend on the number of thickness (T) value. At any given time the number of link entities added to a connector will be either less than or equal to its thickness value minus the current number of link entities already in the connector definition. To add more entities change the thickness to a higher value and select the entities and the desired rule setting.