Matching is a fundamental design concept to 'Sheet Lightning'. The requirement for matching is best
understood from the requirements and effects of a Bend Connection .
Objects connected as bends must be
matched to properly terminate each other. In tee
connections it is less critical provided the Tee-off object
is smaller than the main object, otherwise the Tee-off object would not be properly terminated by the
intersection.
Matching is a process of automatically adjusting both the position and section sizes of an object to make it
match a connected object. Formed a bend match, or a tee match with two 'matching edges' may require
both displacement (i.e. position adjustment) and section size adjustment. Sometimes in tee connections a
match is not required, or only a match on a single matching edge. The matching process provides the
options to achieve whatever match condition is required.
How are matching relationships created?
A design is defined not just by its object orientations and section sizes but also by the relationships that
exist between objects. These relationships are determined firstly by how the objects are connected (i.e Bend , Tee, Junction), and secondly by how the
objects are matched.
For a match relationship to exist between two objects they must first have a connection (bend, tee or
junction). Connections are formed during the design process by dragging or activating
objects and snapping their nodes together. Match relationships
are formed after the connections either by selecting
the match commands from the match menu ('Match Selected' , 'Match From Selected') or when these
same operations are initiated automatically, such as on closing the edit part dialog
box on creation of a
new object.
When a match command is initiated the status line
shows the prompt 'Match Object <object_name>' and
the command dialog is occupied by the match
dialog box (See the matching commands below). Once
initiated matching operations occupy the command dialog until the matching operation is completed or
aborted and the view returns to object selection mode .
During a matching operation the 'Target' object (the object to be matched next) is highlighted in a cyan
color (light blue). The object/s to which the target part is to be matched are selected from the command
dialog and as the parts are selected they are highlighted in 'Red'. All other objects in the connection chain are lowlighted grey. See the specific match commands below for more details of the matching process.