pytha.set_grain_direction

Sets the grain direction of a plate.

Similar to the Workshop -> Grain direction function in the PYTHA user interface. The grain direction tells the parts list and the CAM postprocessor how the plate has to be oriented on the panel.

pytha.set_grain_direction(edge)

Parameter	Type	Description
edge	{...}	An edge specification { {x,y,z}, {x,y,z} [, part_handle] }

Return value

Type	Description
element_handle	The part the grain direction was set on, or nil if neither an edge nor a plate was found

The two cases

An existing edge. If an edge of a part connects the two coordinates, that edge becomes the grain direction edge:

pytha.set_grain_direction({ {0, 0, 19}, {600, 0, 19}, part })

A free line. If no edge connects the two coordinates, the line is taken as a direction line: PYTHA searches the plate the line lies on, creates the direction edge on it and merges it into the plate. This is how a grain direction at an arbitrary angle is defined:

pytha.set_grain_direction({ {50, 50, 19}, {550, 350, 19}, part })

Notes:

• A plate keeps one grain direction. A second call replaces the first, it does not add a second direction.
• The edge on the opposite face of the plate is marked as well, and created if it does not exist yet, so the direction is visible from both sides.
• For the free line case the line has to lie on one of the two largest faces of the plate. Without a part handle in the edge specification all parts are searched and the first matching plate wins; pass the part handle to be explicit.
• The part keeps its handle: after the merge the resulting part carries the persistent id and the parent group of the plate, so handles you already hold stay valid.
• The grain direction is stored as the pen of the edge. Changing the pen of that edge by hand removes the grain direction.
• The function requires the Workshop license, test for it with check_license_workshop.

Example:

Grain along the long side of a plate, coordinates taken from its bounding box:

local lo, hi = table.unpack(pytha.get_element_bounding_box(part))
pytha.set_grain_direction({ {lo[1], lo[2], hi[3]}, {hi[1], lo[2], hi[3]}, part })

Version Support:

Minimum PYTHA Version: V27

See also:

pytha, Workshop Functions, Edge Specification, remove_grain_direction, set_x_axis_direction