Applying Properties
Visualization and Surface Properties
See “Display RepTile” on page 2.46.
Rays
A |
B |
C |
Object with |
Object with |
Grid raytrace on |
real features |
RepTile property |
RepTile surface |
FIGURE 4.34 - Cross section of different representations of objects - each with a surface containing spherical “bumps”.
Figure 4.34 shows different representations of objects containing an array of spherical “bumps” applied to the left hand side of an object in the TracePro Model Window. Figure 4.34A shows the side profile of an object as it would appear when the surface “bumps” are created as a true solid model. In order to create this object, several spheres had to be unioned together into a single solid model object. Figure 4.34B shows the side profile of an alternate approach: a RepTile surface is applied which represents the same geometry as that in Figure 4.34A. You can clearly see that the RepTile surface features are not displayed in the object of Figure 4.34B. Figure 4.34C illustrates the recommended way to visualize a RepTile surface: a Perfect Absorber surface property is applied to the RepTile surface and a single column of closely spaced rays is traced using a grid raytrace. The ends of the rays, as they become absorbed by the RepTile surface, display the profile of the surface geometry.
Two different surface properties can be applied in different ways on the same RepTile surface. As shown in Figure 4.35, a surface property can be applied to RepTile features by changing the Surface Property in the RepTile tab of the Apply Properties dialog. Figure 4.35 illustrates that a different surface property can still be applied to the underlying surface by specifying the Surface Property Name in the Surface tab of the Apply Properties dialog. Note that any “border” regions of a tile (i.e. regions around the edge of each tile devoid of a RepTile “bump”, “hole” or any other feature) are assigned the surface property of the underlying surface. Likewise, surface properties applied to the underlying surface of the RepTile surface are also applied to the surface frame which surrounds the RepTile cell boundary (see notation on schematic in Figure 4.36).
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RepTile Surfaces
Surface Property
applied here
FIGURE 4.35 - Applying a surface property directly to RepTile features in the Apply Properties dialog. The surface property will apply to the surfaces drawn with bold lines in the schematic.
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Applying Properties
Surface
surrounding
RepTile
Surface Property
applied here
FIGURE 4.36 - Applying a surface property to the underlying surface of a RepTile surface in the Apply Properties dialog. The surface property will apply to the surfaces drawn with bold lines in the schematic.
If you are interested in tracing rays that are absorbed by all regions of the RepTile surface (as shown in Figure 4.34C), then the surface property of the RepTile region (Figure 4.35) as well as the surface property of the underlying surface (Figure 4.36) should both be set to Perfect Absorber.
Specifying a RepTile Texture File Surface
A Texture File property is another method to apply RepTile-type Geometry to surfaces. Texture Files contain numerical data about the Features that comprise the RepTile Geometry. After you have defined a property for a RepTile Texture File, you can assign it to a surface in the same manner that you assign a standard RepTile property to a surface. For more information about defining a RepTile Texture File property, see the section titled “Texture File” on page 3.59 in Chapter 3, 'Defining Properties'.
There are a number of differences between RepTile Textures and standard RepTile Geometry:
•The data describing the Features comes from an external file that is generated by other means (e.g., CAD or spreadsheet programs),
•The Texture File must follow a prescribed data format (See “Texture File Format” on page 7.101.),
•Each Feature within the Texture File is distinct, meaning that the Features are not tiled across the selected RepTile region, but each must be specifically listed in the TextureFile (thus this file can get quite large),
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•The Feature data does not have to be in any particular order, such that Feature spatial positions, size, and so forth can be variable (i.e., random) within the file,
•Multiple Features can inhabit the same RepTile Tile/Pixel,
•Features can overlap with the potential of creating complex structure on the RepTile surface,
•A Texture File can contain both Bumps and Holes, but the user must practice caution with this option since overlap of Features can lead to non-physical RepTile Geometry (i.e., undercut). A protocol is followed within TracePro to disallow such (“Base Plane Designation for Textured RepTile” on page 4.52),
•The ability to invert the Bump/Hole designation of each Feature with the use of the Bump/Hole Button in the RepTile Property Editor,
•The RepTile Buffers are 1 x 10-10 mm, and
•Texture File Features overlapping the RepTile boundary are ignored.
Otherwise, the defining, applying, and ray tracing of RepTile Texture Files is accomplished the same way as other RepTile Properties. The current capabilities for the Feature Geometry Types that can be contained within a RepTile Texture File are shown in Table 3.12 on page 3.51.
Figure 4.37 shows the Apply Properties|RepTile dialog for the case where a Texture File is applied to the surface. Note that the steps to define this actual property (TextureExample) are shown in “RepTile Geometries” on page 3.50. The following parameters are set by the user:
•Catalog: the catalog in which the RepTile Texture property is located,
•Name: the name of the RepTile Texture property within the selected Catalog,
•Boundary: the shape of the boundary, either Rectangular or Circular, in which the Features from the RepTile Texture will be located,
•Width and Height: the width and height in model units for the boundary,
•Depth: the depth in model units for the selected boundary. Note that the depth coordinate varies dependent the on Bump selection (see combo box at the bottom of Figure 4.37). Detailed information is supplied in “Base Plane Designation for Textured RepTile” on page 4.52,
•Boundary Center: the boundary center in model units in global coordinates,
•Texture Origin: offset of the Features within the Texture File respect to the Boundary Center,
•Texture Up: the vector designating the local up vector for the Features,
•Boundary Up: the vector designating the local up vector for the boundary,
•Pixel Heigh and Width: the Tile/Pixel size in the two transverse coordinates. The default values arise from those entered originally through the RepTile Property Editor. Designation here indicates the Tile/Pixel Width for the current surface implementation. It does not overwrite the stored property data, and
•Bump designation combo box: denotes the orientation of the Features (see “Bump Designation for Textured RepTile” on page 4.48)
1.Bump: all Features treated as bumps,
2.Hole: all Features treated as holes,
3.Mixed: Features as designated in RepTile Texture file, and
4.Inverted: Features are inverted as designated in RepTile Texture file.
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