vcFeature
vcFeature is the base class for all types of features in a component.
Hierarchy
Only Geometry and Frame features have a specific implementations. For example, a vcGeometry type object and its vcGeometryContainer type property can be used to create custom geometry. All other features can be manipulated as vcFeature type objects.
Features can represent geometry loaded from a CAD file, generated from a primitive or the result of an operation applied to subfeatures. The result of a feature tree evaluation is placed into the geometry container of a vcNode object. This process is governed by properties in feature objects, which are accessible through vcFeature.
Common Properties
The following properties are common in all feature types.
| Name | Type | Access | Description |
| Children | List of vcFeature | R | Gets a list of feature's immediate child features. |
| Name | String | RW | Defines the name of feature. |
| NodePositionMatrix | vcMatrix | R | Gets the position matrix of the feature relative to its node's coordinate system. |
| Parent | vcFeature | R | Gets the parent of this feature in the node feature tree.
If the feature is root feature, return value is None. |
| PhysicsCollider | Enumeration | RW | Defines the type of collider used by the feature for physics.
Note: A feature inherits the collider of its parent feature. See Collider Constants for more information. |
| PositionMatrix | vcMatrix | RW | Defines the position matrix of this feature relative to its parent feature's coordinate system. |
| Properties | List of vcProperty | R | Gets a list of all properties in feature. |
| Type | Enumeration | R | Gets the feature type.
See Feature Constants for more information. |
| Visible | Boolean | RW | Turns on/off the visibility of the frame in the 3D world. |
Feature Specific Properties
Angular Clone
| Name | Type | Access | Description |
| Count | Expression (integer) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the number of times to clone the feature's subtree.
0 1 1+n When evaluated, the expression should return an integer. |
| Offset | Expression (vector) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns a vector used to offset the direction of each clone from one another. |
| Step | Expression (real) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the angular distance used to offset each clone from one another. |
Block
| Name | Type | Access | Description |
| Height | Expression (real) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the height of the block projected along its Z-axis. |
| Length | Expression (real) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the length of the block projected along its X-axis. |
| Material | vcMaterial | RW | Defines the material of the block. |
| Width | Expression (real) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the width of the block projected along its Y-axis. |
Boolean
| Name | Type | Access | Description |
| Operation | Enumeration | RW |
Defines how the geometry is visualized. |
| Material | vcMaterial | RW | Defines the material. |
Cone
| Name | Type | Access | Description |
| BottomRadius | Expression (real) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the bottom radius of the cone. |
| Caps | Boolean | RW | Turns on/off the rendering of caps for the cone. |
| EndSweep | Expression (real) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the angle where the cone's geometry is swept to relative to the cone's center. |
| Height | Expression (real) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the height of the cone projected along its Z-axis. |
| Material | vcMaterial | RW | Defines the material of the cone. |
| Sections | Expression (integer) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the number of sections (sides) generated for the cone. |
| StartSweep | Expression (real) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the angle where the cone's geometry is swept from relative to the cone's center. |
| TopRadius | Expression (real) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the top radius of the cone. |
Cylinder
| Name | Type | Access | Description |
| Caps | Boolean | RW | Turns on/off the rendering of caps for th cylinder. |
| EndSweep | Expression (real) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the angle the cylinder's geometry is swept to relative to the cylinder's center. |
| Height | Expression (real) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the height of the cylinder projected along its Z-axis. |
| Material | vcMaterial | RW | Defines the material of the cylinder. |
| Radius | Expression (real) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the radius of the cylinder. |
| Sections | Expression (integer) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the number of sections (sides) generated for the cylinder. |
| StartSweep | Expression (real) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the angle the cylinder's geometry is swept from relative to the cylinder's center. |
Extrude
| Name | Type | Access | Description |
| Direction | Expression (vector) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns a vector defining the direction of the extrusion. |
| Length | Expression (real) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the length of the extrusion. |
| Material | vcMaterial | RW | Defines the material of the extrusion. |
| ShowBackFaces | Boolean | RW | Turns on/off the rendering of geometry backfaces in the extrusion. |
Frame
| Name | Type | Access | Description |
| UseAsGuide | Integer | RW | Defines if the frame can be selected when adding dimensions in the Drawing view. |
Linear Clone
| Name | Type | Access | Description |
| Count | Expression (integer) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the number of times to clone the feature's subtree.
0 1 1+n When evaluated, the expression should return an integer. |
| Direction | Expression (vector) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns a vector used to offset the direction of each clone from one another. |
| Step | Expression (real) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the linear distance used to offset each clone from one another. |
Mirror
| Name | Type | Access | Description |
| HideOriginal | Boolean | RW | Turns on/off the visibility of feature being mirrored. |
| Offset | Expression (vector) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns a vector/the axis of reflection, for example (1,0,0) would reflect along X-axis. |
Plane
| Name | Type | Access | Description |
| Size | Expression (real) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the length and width of the plane. |
Python Feature
| Name | Type | Access | Description |
| Script | String | RW | Defines the code of the Python feature. |
Revolve
| Name | Type | Access | Description |
| Caps | Boolean | RW | Turns on/off the rendering of caps for revolved geometry. |
| Material | vcMaterial | RW | Defines the material of revolved geometry. |
| RevolveAngle | Expression (real) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the angle for revolving geometry. |
| RevolveAxis | Expression (vector) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns a vector/direction for revolving geometry, for example (0,0,1) would revolve geometry around Z-axis. |
| RevolveOffset | Expression (real) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns an offset for revolved geometry. |
| Reverse | Boolean | RW | Turns on/off the inverting of revolved geometry. |
| Sections | Expression (real) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the number of sections/sides for revolved geometry. |
Sphere
| Name | Type | Access | Description |
| Caps | Boolean | RW | Turns on/off the rendering of caps for the sphere. |
| EndSweep | Expression (real) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the end angle for sweeping geometry. |
| Material | vcMaterial | RW | Defines the material of the sphere. |
| Radius | Expression (real) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the radius of the sphere. |
| Sections | Expression (integer) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the number of sections/sides along the longitude of swept geometry. |
| Spans | Expression (integer) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the number of sections/sides between the equator and poles of swept geometry. |
| StartSweep | Expression (real) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the starting angle for sweeping geometry. |
Switch
| Name | Type | Access | Description |
| Choice | Expression (integer) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns which immediate child of the switch to render in 3D world.
A zero value selects the switch, thereby not rendering any of its subfeatures. That is, indexing starts at one. |
Text
| Name | Type | Access | Description |
| IsFloating | Boolean | RW | Defines if the text floats freely in 3D world or is anchored directly to feature location. |
| IsReadOnly | Boolean | RW | Defines if the text is read-only and locked from editing. |
| Material | vcMaterial | RW | Defines the material of the text. |
|
Size |
Expression (real) |
RW | Defines the scale factor for sizing rendered text. |
|
Text |
String | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the text to be visualized in the 3D world. |
Transform
| Name | Type | Access | Description |
| Expression | Expression (matrix) | RW | Defines an expression for transforming subfeatures. |
Wedge
| Name | Type | Access | Description |
| BiggerHeight | Expression (real) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the Z-axis height of the wedge's back end. |
| BiggerLength | Expression (real) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the X-axis length of the wedge's bottom. |
| Material | vcMaterial | RW | Defines the material of the wedge. |
| MirrorBack | Boolean | RW | Turns on/off the mirroring of the wedge along its X-axis. |
| MirrorDown | Boolean | RW | Turns on/off the mirroring of the wedge along its negative Z-axis. |
| SmallerHeight | Expression (real) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the Z-axis height of the wedge's front end. |
| SmallerLength | Expression (real) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the X-axis length of the wedge's top. |
| Width | Expression (real) | RW | Defines an expression that when evaluated returns the Y-axis width of the wedge. |
Methods
| Name | Return Type | Parameters | Description |
| attach | Boolean | vcFeature feature, [Boolean rebuild] | Attaches a given feature to this feature, thereby allowing you to reorder the containing node's feature tree.
The given feature cannot be the root feature or parent of this feature. An optional rebuild argument can be used to control the rebuilding of geometry for an attached feature. Default is False value and will not rebuild geometry, whereas a True value will rebuild geometry. Returns True if attachment is successful; otherwise returns False. |
| clone | vcFeature | None | Copies the feature to the same level in containing node's feature tree, and then returns the clone. |
| collapse | None | None | Collapses the feature into a new Geometry feature.
The original feature will be deleted, thereby you need to get handle for the new feature. |
| createFeature | vcFeature | Enumeration type, String name | Adds a new feature of a given type and name as a child of this feature.
See Feature Constants for more information. |
| createProperty | vcProperty | Enumeration type, String name, [Enumeration constraints] | Adds a new property of a given type and name to the feature.
An optional constraints argument can be given to define constraints for the new property, which must be done at the time of creation. See Property Constants for more information. |
| delete | Boolean | None | Deletes the feature and its subfeatures, and then returns True; otherwise returns False. |
| deleteProperty | None | vcProperty property | Deletes a given property from the feature. |
| getFeature | vcFeature | None | Returns the feature. |
| getProperty | vcProperty | String name | Returns a property of the feature that matches the given name; otherwise returns None. |
| rebuild | None | None | Rebuilds the feature and its subfeature tree. |
Examples
Example. Create features and rebuild geometry
|
from vcScript import * app = getApplication() comp = app.findComponent("MyComponent") transform = comp.findFeature("Transform") transform.Expression = 'Tx(400.0)' block = transform.createFeature(VC_BLOCK, "MyBlock") # create feature under another feature cylinder = comp.RootFeature.createFeature(VC_CYLINDER, "MyCylinder") #create feature under the tree root cylinder.Height = '300' #expression properties are set as strings cylinder.Radius = '150' cylinder.Sections = '24' cylinder.rebuild() app.render() |