Solid Union

SUnion command for AutoCAD and BricsCAD.

Union of solids, preserving face coloring, preserving the source objects.

The SUnion command allows you to combine two or more source solids. Like the regular _Union command, the SUnion command works with solids (3D solids = Solid3d), regions (Region) and surfaces (Surface). The SUnion command has many additional features and settings that are not available in the standard command.

Command capabilities

You can process multiple objects at once: solids, regions, surfaces, blocks, arrays.
You can automatically call the MeshToSolid command to convert meshes to solids and merge meshes of all types, Body objects, polylines, and circles with 3D thickness.
You can combine surfaces and regions into a solid (like the _SurfSculpt).
The merge result can be automatically split into separate solids if the bodies inside the result do not intersect.
The command processes objects selected in advance, before calling the command.
You can prohibit deleting source objects and the program will work with copies.
You can even process objects inside blocks, nested blocks, arrays. All suitable objects will be copied from the blocks to the model before merging.
The commands do not change the material and color of the solid, do not erase the coloring of the solid faces, as a regular merge command does. The merge result will inherit the properties from the largest source object or from the object to which the material is assigned.
At your request, the command can assign a layer to the results. In this case, all the properties of the source object will be replaced by ByLayer.
All settings are available in the settings dialog and the A>V>C> Options Palette (AvcOptions).
You can create up to 9 command settings styles and quickly switch them in the command line or in a macro.

If you want to search for unions of contours (polylines) as you do with solids, then there is the Curve Union (CInt) for you.

The Solid Union (SUnion) command is not supplied as a separate plug-in, but is part of the A>V>C> Solid Subtract plug-in or in the 3D Kit and AVC Pro collections.

How to use

You can pre-configure the command in the A>V>C> Options Palette (AVCOptions) on the Solid Subtract tab. Note that these settings are used for 3 more commands. You can create several settings styles to quickly switch between them. You can create your own buttons and macros with switching to one of the styles.

Select solids or other objects from which to subtract.

Call the SUnion command.

If nothing has been previously selected, or only one object has been selected, the command will ask you to select objects.

In the selection prompt, you will see options for switching the settings style and for opening the settings dialog.

You can select multiple solids, regions, surfaces at once.

If "subtraction from blocks" is configured, you can also select blocks containing solids. The program will extract these solids into the model and will combine them with other solids from the model and from blocks.

If MeshToSolid is configured, you can select meshes and other objects supported by this command.

Next, the program for converting meshes to solids will be called. You must have a license for this command, paying only for the Solid Subtract plugin is not enough.

Next, the SUnion command will search for groups of contacting surfaces and regions and try to assemble a solid from each such group. If an existing solid intersects with a group, it will also participate in creating a new solid. If it is possible to create a solid, all objects in contact with the group will be deleted. The option to create solids can be disabled.

All objects will be divided into groups of the same type. Solids will be combined only with solids, surfaces with surfaces and regions. Regions will be processed by groups lying in the same plane.

Flat surfaces will be converted to regions if another region on the same plane is also selected.

Next, the program will begin processing the parts, finding object unions. It is quite possible that nothing will remain of the original solids and no result will be saved. This is not a failure and the program will not report this in the command line.

The material and color of the results will be taken from the largest original object or from the one with the assigned material.

During processing, the program will output messages to the command line about problems that have arisen, but will not interrupt the work, even if the intersection of one pair of objects failed.

You can interrupt the process by pressing ESC.

After processing, all original objects will be deleted. But you can configure the program to save the original objects. In any case, no blocks will be deleted. If a layer is specified for results, then all processed objects will be assigned this layer and ByLayer properties. At the same time, the coloring of the faces will be reset.

If the union did not connect the solid into a single connected solid, the program will save them separately. But this function can be disabled and multi-solids from several bodies can be saved.

At the end of the work, the program will report the number of operations performed to combine pairs of objects and the number of errors that occurred.

Be sure to check the command line messages if the program does not work as you would like.

Program settings

You can configure the Solid Union program in the A>V>C> Options Palette on the Solid Subtraction tab or in the dialog called from the command options (click the TUNE option).

You can create up to 9 settings styles and quickly switch them by number from the command line or from macros. The style switcher and the buttons for adding and deleting a style are in the header of the settings tab.

There are also buttons there to return the settings to the default settings and to save the settings. The settings are common for the SSub, Gap, SInt, SUnion commands. Switching styles in one command will switch the settings in other commands too.

Style name

The name for this set of settings. Does not affect the operation of the program, just for your convenience in choosing a style.

Result layer

If you fill in this field, then at the end of the work the program will assign a layer to all objects-results of the work. All properties will be reset to ByLayer, and the coloring of the faces of solids will be erased. Moreover, the layer will be assigned only to objects with which it was possible to perform at least one operation.

Gap

The option is not used in this command, only for Gap.

Mesh to solid

Convert meshes to solids before performing operations. The option works with all types of meshes and objects of the Body type. 3dFace objects will also be glued and converted. If you select closed polylines or circles with a pseudo-3d Thickness property, they will also be converted to solids. These commands do not process meshes inside blocks - use a preliminary call to the MeshToSolid command. A license for the MeshToSolid command is required.

Subtract inside blocks

The option also affects Union, but not as in Subtraction. If the source objects contain a block, nested block or array, and inside them there are solids or surfaces or regions, then the intersection program will copy the objects from the blocks to the model and will look for intersections in the model. The block remains unchanged and will not be deleted.

Pairwise intersection

The option is not used in the Union command.

Union to Solid

The SUnion command will search for groups of contacting surfaces and regions and attempt to assemble a solid from each such group. If an existing solid intersects with a group, it will also participate in the creation of a new solid. If a solid can be created, all objects in contact with the group will be deleted, even if there is no surface left on the solid.

Split multisolids

In this mode, all operations are performed only with intersecting objects, and the results are checked for the appearance of separate bodies in a solid and separate islands in regions. Each such part is saved as a separate drawing object. If the option is disabled, multi-solids, multi-regions (several solids within a single solid) may appear in the results. Unfortunately, there is no API to detect and split multi-surfaces.

Delete source

All source drawing objects that participated in at least one operation will be deleted. If you disable this option, the program will make copies of all objects and work with the copies. When converting meshes to solids, solids will remain in the drawing. Meshes that could not be converted will be saved in any case. Blocks are not deleted under any settings.

Delete subtrahend