8

Data Transfer, Open Model, and Utilities

In This Section:

• Note on the CAI Translator 59
• Unigraphics Translator 59
• New Batch Application 60
• New Alias API Classes 60
• New Alias API Methods on Existing Classes 61

Note on the CAI Translator

Refer to the Alias 9.0 installation notes for instructions and requirements for installing the CAI Translator.

Unigraphics Translator

For more information, see Data Transfer, Open Model, and Utilities in Data Transfer for CAD and Solid Imaging.

Unigraphics Direct Connect (UG-DC) is a direct translator which will enable Studio to read and write UG part (*.prt) files.

When you import a Unigraphics part file, it is converted to the Alias format. Be careful to maintain its tolerances and units while in Alias if you want to export it to Unigraphics again.

When you export an Alias file to Unigraphics, the extension ".prt" is appended to the filename on export, as required by Unigraphics.

A log file providing details of the translation process is produced for both import and export. For both cases, you have the option to create a verbose version of this log file.

To import a Unigraphics part file (*.prt) into Alias, use either File > Open or File > Import File.

To export an Alias file as a part file (*.prt) for import into Unigraphics, select File >Save As or File >Export >Save Active.

New Batch Application

The stand-alone utility Alias -B has been replaced by the application AliasBatch, which uses the OpenModel API. You will find this new application offers more robustness.

New Alias API Classes

See the OpenAlias/ OpenModel Application Programmer's Interface online help.

The following new classes have been added:

• AlBlendCurve - interface to Alias blend curves. Blend curves are Alias curves with construction history.

• AlBlendPoint - interface to Alias blend points. Used by the AlBlendCurve class.

• AlCategory - interface to Alias categories useful for organizing layers.

New Alias API Methods on Existing Classes

• Support for UV constraints has been added to the Alias API with the following methods:

• AlAimConstraint::create(AlDagNode* ,
  AlDagNode* , AlAimConstraintAxis , AlAimConstraintAxis , double [2])

• AlConstraint::isUVConstraint() const

• AlConstraint::uv(double [2]) const

• AlConstraint::setUV(double [2])

• AlOrientationConstraint::create(AlDagNode* , AlDagNode* , double [2])

• AlPointConstraint::create( AlDagNode* , AlDagNode* , double uv[2] )

• The AlPromptBox( AlConfirmType , char *, AlAnswerType* , short , short ) function now supports kYes_No as a confirm type.

• The AlObject class has been extended to support downcasting for the new classes added.

• AlObject::asBlendCurvePtr()

• AlObject::asBlendPointPtr()

• AlObject::asCategoryPtr()

• The AlPerspectiveCamera class now has methods for setting placement parameters

• AlPerspectiveCamera::setPlacementShift( double)

• AlPerspectiveCamera::setPlacementFitCode( AlCameraWindowFitType )

• A new method AlPixFile::fileFormat( AlPixFile::Format & ) has been added so that the format of the pix file can be determined.

• Two new layer methods have been added to replace older obselete methods

• AlUniverse::creationLayer() replaces AlUniverse::creation()

• AlUniverse::setCreationLayer(AlLayer *) replaces AlUniverse::setCreation()

• Several new methods have been added to the AlUniverse class for accessing and walking new class objects that have been added to the API:

• AlUniverse::firstBlendCurve() returns the first blend curve in the universe

• AlUniverse::numberOfBlendCurves() returns the number of blend curves in the universe

• AlUniverse::applyIteratorToBlendCurves( AlIterator* , int& ) will appy an iterator to all blend curves in the universe

• AlUniverse::firstCategory() returns the first category in the universe

• AlUniverse::nextCategory(AlCategory *) returns the next category in the universe

• A new method,
  AlWindow::aliasWindowPosition( int& , int& ) has been added to return the position of the Alias window.

• Three new methods have been added to to the AlLayer class to replace the obselete ::selected() and ::setSelected() methods

• AlLayer::isPicked() returns if the layer is picked

• AlLayer::unpick() will unpick the layer

• AlLayer::pick() will pick the layer

• A new method AlDagNode::copyObject( AlCopyOptions* ,int ,int * ) has been added to support preserving specific blind data IDs while copying objects.

New Examples

• $ALIAS_LOCATION/ODS/OpenAlias/examples/linkObject.c++ is a very simple example of a command or construction history plug-in. This plug-in takes 2 curves nodes as its input and then connects the beginning and end points of these curves with 2 lines to give the appearance of linked objects. Moving the input curve causes the linked geometry to update.

This example, along with additional information, has been has been added to the "Command History Plug-in" section of the documentation.

• $ALIAS_LOCATION/ODS/OpenModel/examples/cppCreateCurvesAndSurfaces.c++ is an example that illustrates how to call the different ::create() methods of the AlCurve and AlSurface classes to create open, closed and periodic geometry.

• $ALIAS_LOCATION/ODS/OpenModel/utilities contains two OpenModel examples for removing blind data from a wire file. The first example removes blind data from the universe and the second example removes blind data from surface nodes. Both example applications are precompiled on IRIX and are in the $ALIAS_LOCATION/ODS/OpenModel/bin directory.