Rule Preparation Blocks

Name

Enter the unique MTS name.

Description

Enter the description of this setting.

Rule Preparation Blocks - General

General

Blocks prepared for machine type

From the drop-down list select one of the following:-

  • Hugo Mark I
  • Hugo Mark VI
  • Datatech
  • Linbend
  • BB020

Use Bend Table

Select this check-box if bend table settings are to be used.

Bend Table

From the drop-down list of configured bend tables, select the required one.

Block Name

Enter the required prefix for Rule Preparation Block names. Sequential numbers will be automatically appended to this name to create a unique block name.

Hugo Palette

If this option is not selected then the layer's current palette will be assigned to newly created blocks. Otherwise it depends on the following options.

Specific

Select this radio button and choose a palette from the drop-down list to assign to newly created blocks.

First Entity

Select this radio button to assign the first selected entity's palette to newly created blocks.

Auto-adjust for sidebevel

If this option is selected then any entities that have a sidebevel palette will be offset by the required amount when they are added to the rule preparation block.

Auto Zoom

When editing a rule preparation block the start or end point can be Shift-clicked which brings up the form enabling changes to be made to the end allowances. Here you can apply either an extension or a reduction and the required offset amount can be either typed in or the Get button can be pressed. After pressing the Get button an entity within the rule preparation block is identified and half its rule width is automatically entered into the Offset field. If the Auto Zoom option is selected then Impact will automatically zoom into the identified end of the rule preparation block, so that the identity can be easily identified.

Box Width

Enter the size of the zoom window. This is only applicable if Auto Zoom has been selected.

Don't split entities within a bridge

Normally entities that are added to the rule preparation block will be split wherever they are intersected by another entity in the drawing. If this option is selected then entities will not be split if the split point falls within a bridge.

Rule Preparation Blocks - Notches/Free Grinds

Notches/Free Grinds

Bottom Notches/Free Grinds

Select this option if notches should be added to the bottom of the rule. The following options specify where bottom notches should be added. Free-grinds can be enabled on bottom notches later by editing an individual bottom notch.

At mid point: radius <

Select this option, and enter the limiting radius value, if bottom notches should be added at the mid point of arcs.

At end: radius >

Select this option, and enter the limiting radius value, if bottom notches should be added at the ends of arcs.

At straight join

Select this option if bottom notches should be added where entities meet tangentially.

At angled joins

Select this option if bottom notches should be added where entities meet at an angle.

Free Grind Marker Size

Enter the depth of the marker as displayed on the screen.

Top Notches

Top notches are notches that are added to the top of the rule. These could be for perforations or nick symbols for instance.

Top Notch Marker size

Enter the depth of the marker as displayed on the screen.

Auto-create for perforation entities

If this option is selected then top notches will be automatically added when perforation entities are added to a rule preparation block. A notch equal to the size of the perforation gap will be added at each gap within the perforation entity.

Auto-create for crease combination entities

If this option is selected then top notches will be automatically added when crease combination entities are added to a rule preparation block. A notch equal to the size of the crease section will be added at each crease within the combination entity.

Auto-create from nick symbols

If this option is selected then top notches will be automatically added wherever a nick symbol is coincident with a rule preparation block. The size of the notch will be determined by the name of the nick symbol. For example, if the nick symbol name is Nick_0.3 then a 0.3mm notch will be added.

Rule Preparation Blocks - End Conditions

End Conditions

End conditions are applied to both the start and end of a rule preparation block. The MTS has two identical sections, one for each.

Mode

From the drop-down list choose one of the following

  • none
  • reduce
  • extend

Offset

Enter the required offset value to be applied to either the reduction or the extension. (Only available if one of these has been selected.)

Adjust

Enter the required optional adjustment value which will be added to the offset value above. This value may be overridden when the automatic block creation tool is used or from the Overrides tab.

Rule onto height

This option is only available for the Datatech output format. When the end of the rule preparation block is adjacent to another entity, this value is the rule height of the adjacent entity.

Select the required radio button from the following:

  • None
  • Deduction
  • Lip
  • Reversed Lip

A rule preparation block can have either a lip or a deduction at either end, but not both at the same end.

Block String

This is the string that is appended to the data output string. It helps to identify the particular rule preparation block. The following parameters can be included within the string:-

%<b>    The rule preparation block name

%<d>    The current date

%<i>    The current time

%<f>    The project name

%<l>    The current layer name

%<p>    The rule preparation block's palette name

Marker Size

Enter the required end condition marker size.

Get number to output

If this option is selected then after each rule preparation block is created you will be asked how many of this block should be output. This overrides the Replicate option.

Deduction value

Lips have a fixed size but the deduction size is definable. Enter the required deduction size here.

Rule Preparation Blocks - Overrides

Overrides

This tab controls the way that end condition overrides are handled. Initially, Impact uses the MTS settings on the End Conditions tab to set the block's start and end conditions. It then checks if the newly created block satisfies any of the override cases and if it does then it overrides the end conditions.

For example, a new block may be created with a lip at each end. If Impact then finds that it meets another block coincidentally then it will use the Coincident Ends settings to override the end conditions. So, if the override specifies that lips and deductions should be removed then the lip at the coincident end will be removed.

Coincident Ends

Select this option to check for coincident ends. If either the start or end of the new rule preparation block is coincident with that of an existing block and the two entities are collinear then the following overrides should be applied.

Coincidence Tolerance

Enter the maximum angle between the two entities such that they are still considered collinear.

Adjust

Enter the adjustment value that will override the existing adjustment value.

Remove lips and deductions

Check this option to remove any lips or deductions that have been added by the default end conditions.

Ends In Space

Select this option to check for ends in space. If either the start or end of the new block does not intersect with an existing block then the following overrides should be applied.

Adjust

Enter the adjustment value that will override the existing adjustment value.

Remove lips and deductions

Check this option to remove any lips or deductions that have been added by the default end conditions.

Intersecting

Select this option to check for intersecting entities. If either end of the new block intersects with an entity in an existing block, but not at either end of the existing block, then the following overrides should be applied.

Reduction by half width

If this option is selected then the end of the new block will be reduced by half the width of the entity with which it intersects.

Adjust

Select one of the following radio buttons:

  • None
  • Deduction
  • Lip
  • Reversed Lip

Any existing lip or deduction setting will be overridden by this one.

Rule Preparation Blocks - Tidy

Tidy

This tab defines the settings for joining end to end entities and smoothing paths of connected lines.

Join end to end entities

If this option is selected then, after creating the path, any collinear entities will be joined together. This will typically happen when an entity is intersected by another entity in the drawing, as this will cause the rule preparation block entity to be split at the intersection point.

Don't tidy notches

Depending on the options on the Notches/Free Grinds tab, bottom notches may be added where end to end entities intersect. If end to end entities are then rejoined, selecting this option means that the notches will still be created.

Smooth entities

Select this option to automatically run the Tidy - Smoothing tool immediately after creating the path.

Gap tolerance

Enter the value to be passed through to the Tidy - Smoothing tool.

Plus/Minus Deviation

Enter the value to be passed through to the Tidy - Smoothing tool.

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