Contour search over edges and curves
Contour search over edges and curves is a utility that supports the user in easy and comfortable picking those curve elements that are going to build the required contour that becomes input for some intended next step activity.
With this contour search method, the inner and outer boundaries of a geometric model as well as the internal edges of the individual faces of that object can be searched for. But only if the geometry has been imported as exact geometry with its original topology. The method also supports to search along wireframe geometry.
This contour search method generally supports three search modi to assist in finding and selecting the required contour.
 | Search until Searches and selects the contour between two picked curve elements. The result may be open or closed. |  |
 | Closed contour Searches for and selects a closed contour when a curve element has been picked. When no closed contour could be found, a manual selection of a next element may continue the process. |  |
 | Surface boundary Selecting a surface will search for all closed inner (yellow) and outer (white) contours on that surface. |  |
or curves
The search engine supports a few methods of how curves are searched for and combined into a result contour. But globally it works as follows:
When the first element is selected the contour search uses some colored symbols to display its preliminary result.
 |  | The pre-selected contour elements are colored in light blue. |
 | A white ball with red arrow, indicating the start position of the contour and its tangent direction (for search). | |
 | A green ball, indicating the end position of the contour and from where the next element will be searched for. |
After the initial element on the intended contour has been selected, it will be possible to pick any other element, or elements, to complete the contour.
Picking additional elements outside the preliminary search result will add the found elements to the pre-selection.
|  |  |
| Start | Element selection | Result |
Picking an element within the preliminary search result will remove all elements up an including the picked element from the pre-selection.
|  | |
| Start | Element selection | Result |
Selecting the start arrow will reverse the direction. Start and end position of the pre-selected contour will be exchanged.
|  |
| Start | Reversed |
The algorithm tries to find a proper solution for a contour of continuously connected elements. If at some stage during the search multiple solutions are possible how the contour could continue, a graphical response appears. At the position where multiple search directions are present, some colored arrows are displayed. The user has to select the arrow for that direction he likes to have the search continued.
 |  | Steps back one element in the search. |
 | Continues the search in selected direction. |
On each of the markers and the contour itself the pie menu can be called.
The search engine uses the following parameters to find and build the resulting contour:
 | Gap for contour search | The automatic contour search stops when the gap between the already found contour and the next curve element is larger than the specified value. |
 | Angle deviation | The automatic contour search stops when the tangent angle between the already found contour and the next curve element is larger than the specified value. |
 | Create regular shapes | When the found contour fits a regular shape it will be converted into such a special contour. |
 | Sag for regular shape check | Tolerance or allowed deviation to convert a searched closed contour into a (best fit) regular shape contour, such as a circle or rectangle. |
 | Same plane preferred | The search can find multiple edges lying on top of each other, because each surface has its own edge. This might lead that along the result contour, the edge normals are differently oriented. The option will pick the edge that lies as closest on a fictive plane, defined by the other contour elements, to keep the edge normals constantly oriented. |
 | Limit to same body | When a workpiece consists of multiple geometrical bodies, the search can be restricted to the edges of the selected body. |
The contour search on surfaces basically works the same as the search on edges. The difference is that in this case the input is a surface element. After selection the search engine will look for all inner and outer boundaries of that element and creates for each solution a contour. Multiple selection of surface elements is supported.
When adjacent surface elements have been selected, the search engine merges those elements into a single surface object to find the outer boundary.
The surface boundary search uses the following parameters to build the resulting contour:
 | Max. boundary angle | Adjacent surfaces are merged when the angle between the (in surface) normals at the edges is smaller than the defined angle value.  |
 | Max. boundary distance | Adjacent surfaces are merged when the gap between the edges is smaller than the defined distance value.  |
| Create regular shapes | When the found contour fits a regular shape it will be converted into such a special contour. |
| Sag for regular shape check | Tolerance or allowed deviation to convert a searched closed contour into a (best fit) regular shape contour, such as a circle or rectangle. |
 | Manifold solution | When multiple possible solutions exist to merge adjacent surfaces, activating the option results in the solution where the angle between the adjacent surfaces is the smallest.  |
 | Disassemble bodies | Bodies can be disassembled in single surfaces, to generate other domains.  |
