Model > Material

Stretch Material ( Modeling )

Tool summary :

Can be used in Modeling to alter the dimensions of one or more submaterials displayed in a solid form .
You draw an area box to define which parts of the selected materials you want to stretch.
Certain modifications made using Stretch Material are reflected in fields such as " Length " and " Width " on the material's edit window -- other modifications do not change any settings on the material edit window.
Instead of doing a Stretch Material on system connection materials, you may be able to change the size of those materials by using connection design locks .
On this help page, see the step-by-step instructions and to undo a Stretch Material operation .

Also see :

Modeling (where Stretch Material is a tool)
A solid form (material to stretch needs to be in)
Depth checking (affects Stretch Material )
Point selection by area box (affects Stretch Material )
Vertex points ( Stretch Material relocates the position of)
Model completed (material cannot be stretched on a member with this date set)
Move/Stretch Members (to "stretch" main material)
Move/Stretch Members, Include Material (to "stretch" main material plus move material)
Edit Material (can be an alternative to Stretch Material )
MemberMaterial.Material.SubMaterial.IsMaterialStretched

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Step-by-step instructions ( also see how to undo ):

The following instructions assume that you are using a 3-button mouse, that User and Site Options > General > " Point location target " is set to ' Fancy ' ( ), and that you use mouse bindings similar to those shown in these illustrations.

Before using this tool:

Make sure that the to-be-stretched materials are displayed in one of the three solid forms and that your depth check settings let you to grab the points on the materials that you want stretched. You should also be in an appropriate view that shows the to-be-stretched materials as flat, not skewed.

If you want to do preselection -- step 1 in this example -- you need to use of the ' Material ' selection filter in order to be able to click on connection materials and member main materials to select them. You don't need to mess with the selection filter if you do in-tool selection (that is, if you reverse steps 1 and 2).

Step 1 (preselection) is optional. If you don't do step 1, in-tool selection is required -- see note 2 .

1 . In Select Items mode, Select or Select+ (or draw an area box ) to select one or more materials to stretch. They display in the " Primary selection color " (green).

2 . Invoke Stretch Material . If you didn't do step 1, see note 2 before going to step 3.

3 . The status line prompts, " Locate material stretch/move box. " Hold down the left mouse button ( Locate ) and drag the mouse pointer ( ) to form an area box around the material vertex points that you want. Then left-click ( Yes ) to confirm the area enclosed by the rectangle is correct.

4 . The status line prompts, " Locate a reference point ." Place the pointer ( ) so that the target ( ) is where you want the reference point, then left-click ( Locate ). The selected Locate option in this example is INCL .

5 . The status line prompts, " Locate second point ." Left-click ( Locate ) when the target ( ) is where you want the material stretched in relation to the reference point. Tip : DXDY or INCL (shown here) is a good Locate option to use.

6 . Left-click ( Yes ) to confirm that the stretch operation is correct. Right-click ( No ) if you want to go back to step 5 and locate a different second point.

7 . Press the " OK " button to continue. The warning dialog shown here also provides " Options " for changing like materials, retaining the submaterial piecemark, etc. See note 5 before going to step 8 if any materials being stretched are system-generated.

8 . All vertex points of the material that were in the stretch/move box (step 3) are now moved the distance and direction that the second point (step 5) is from the reference point (step 4).

Tip 1: To select a member main material in step 1, choose " Select Other " on the context menu or first set the selection filter to ' Material '.

Note 1: To invoke Stretch Material , choose Model > Material > Stretch (classic), or use a keyboard shortcut , or click the icon. The icon, keyboard shortcut or context menu command can be found in the group named ' Model -- Material '. For lightning, Customize Interface is used to configure ribbons, keyboards, the context menu and modes. To invoke Stretch Material in Material Mode , hold down the Ctrl key and left-click ( Stretch ).

Note 2: If you didn't do step 1 (preselection), Stretch Material activates Select Item(s) mode so that you can select the materials that you want to stretch. This prompting also occurs when a member (instead of a material) was selected in step 1. Press the Enter key or right-click ( Menu ) and choose " OK " on the context menu when you are done selecting materials.

Select Item(s) bindings

Note 3: The reference point located in step 4 can placed at any convenient location. The vertex points in the move/stretch box are moved in relation to the reference point no matter where it is located.

Note 4: If you right-click ( No ) in step 6, Stretch Material lets you draw a different move/stretch move box. To move materials in their entirety, all of the vertex points of those materials need to be inside the box.

bindings , step 6

Note 5: If you are changing system connection material with this operation, the member will be designated as having a graphical connection , and the SDS2 Warning window appears with a message to that effect. Press the " OK " button on the SDS2 Warnings window to continue to step 8. Press the " Cancel " button to cancel this operation.

Note 6: Right-click ( Return ) in steps 3 or 4 ends the operation. Right-click ( Return ) in step 5 sends you back to step 4 so that you can locate a different reference point.

bindings , step 3, 4, 5

Note 7: A Stretch Material operation does not affect the length or placement of a member work line . It only relocates material vertex points . The exact points of a member remain in their same locations. To alter a member workline, use Move/Stretch Members or Move/Stretch Members, Include Material .

Note 8: The length and width fields of a stretched material will be updated on its edit window. For example, if the stretched material is a rectangular plate, its " Material width " " Order length " and " Part length " will be updated on the Rectangular Plate Material window.

To undo Stretch Material (also see the step-by-step instructions ) :

1 . Open the stretched material's edit window (e.g. double-click the material, or hover the material and choose " Edit Other " on the context menu ).

1a : If the stretch operation caused the material's " Length " or " Width " or etc. to change, you need to manually adjust the affected entry fields if you want the material to return to its pre-stretched dimensions.

1b : Press the " OK " button at the bottom of the material edit window.

2 . A yes-no dialog opens. On it is the question, "Do you want to regenerate this material to clear user modified material operations?

2a : Press the " Yes " button.

3 . The Change All Options window opens. On it is a " Warnings " list and " Options ."

3a : Optionally select the " Options " you want, then press the " OK " button.

4 . The material is regenerated per its edit window settings. If the Stretch Material operation changed any of those settings, the material does not return to its pre-stretched dimensions and shape.

Note: If other pieces with the same submaterial piecemark exist in the 3D model and you selected the appropriate " Options ," then other materials are also regenerated as specified on the edit window.

Report Writer: MemberMaterialMaterial.SubMaterial.IsMaterialStretched

	1 . In Select Items mode, Select or Select+ (or draw an area box ) to select one or more materials to stretch. They display in the " Primary selection color " (green).
	2 . Invoke Stretch Material . If you didn't do step 1, see note 2 before going to step 3.
	3 . The status line prompts, " Locate material stretch/move box. " Hold down the left mouse button ( Locate ) and drag the mouse pointer ( ) to form an area box around the material vertex points that you want. Then left-click ( Yes ) to confirm the area enclosed by the rectangle is correct.
	4 . The status line prompts, " Locate a reference point ." Place the pointer ( ) so that the target ( ) is where you want the reference point, then left-click ( Locate ). The selected Locate option in this example is INCL .
	5 . The status line prompts, " Locate second point ." Left-click ( Locate ) when the target ( ) is where you want the material stretched in relation to the reference point. Tip : DXDY or INCL (shown here) is a good Locate option to use.
	6 . Left-click ( Yes ) to confirm that the stretch operation is correct. Right-click ( No ) if you want to go back to step 5 and locate a different second point.
	7 . Press the " OK " button to continue. The warning dialog shown here also provides " Options " for changing like materials, retaining the submaterial piecemark, etc. See note 5 before going to step 8 if any materials being stretched are system-generated.
	8 . All vertex points of the material that were in the stretch/move box (step 3) are now moved the distance and direction that the second point (step 5) is from the reference point (step 4).