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      <div class="title_topic3" id="xps10_pagetitle">Formboard overview</div>
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               <p class="para_td">Overview</p>
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               <p class="para_td"><a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('routingtools/wiring_interaction_new.html');return(false);">Options</a></p>
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               <p class="para_td"><a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('routingtools/wiring_frmbrd_tips.html');return(false);">Related Topics</a></p>
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      </table><br><p class="para_topic">The <b class="uiTerm">Formboard</b> application is a part of Routing Electrical. Routing Electrical allows users to create an intelligent electrical design within an NX assembly.
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      <p class="para_topic">A formboard model is a flattened and straightened representation of a 3D electrical model. An electrical model appears in a formboard as if you took it out of 3D space and placed onto a 2D plane and pulled until straight. This representation can maintain the basic contours of the cable with the exception of the 3rd dimension or it appears with some or all of the bundles straightened. Essentially, you construct formboard models to facilitate manufacture of the harness assembly. A typical formboard representation is composed of the harness, components (including connectors, clips, clamps, etc.), with notes and labels describing the physical characteristics of the assembly. Often these annotations are part numbers, bundle lengths and diameters, and connector pin assignments. The formboard is the essential input to the harness manufacturing process.</p>
      <p class="para_topic">The capabilities of the formboard program allow an efficient process path to progress from the 3D math model to the manufacturing ready formboard assembly and drawing. These steps are:</p>
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            <p class="para_item">Generate a stick 2D preview before 3D flattening.</p>
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            <p class="para_item">Generate a flattened and straightened model of the harness.</p>
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            <p class="para_item">Arrange bundles and components in the flattened assembly to facilitate manufacturing and readability.</p>
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            <p class="para_item">Annotate the formboard model is annotated with the information necessary for manufacturing.</p>
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      <p class="para_topic">The formboard&ndash;specific user interface allows manipulation of the 3D data into a customizable formboard representation. The formboard interface contains rearranging methods, report generation, and other tools.</p>
      <p class="para_topic">When complete, you should have a 3D formboard assembly that you can send directly to manufacturing or a vendor. The formboard application uses the routing electrical data model and is an electrical assembly hence a netlist file can be used to do wire analysis of the formboard. Formboard parts are generated with the 3D wiring assembly as the sole initial component (jigs and other manufacturing components may be added to the formboard assembly later).</p>
      <p class="para_topic">After the initial generation of the formboard model, it may be synchronized with the 3D model should the 3D model undergo changes. This is <b class="uiTerm">Formboard Synchronization</b>. The formboard assembly synchronizes to the 3D electrical assembly by comparing the connection list and component list. <b class="uiTerm">Formboard</b> will not automatically perform update actions. User intervention is required to accept or decline any formboard updates due to synchronization.
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      <p class="para_topic">Any number of formboards can exist for a particular electrical assembly. You have the ability to create, edit, and delete formboards. The formboard assembly can be exported to create a part file suitable to send to manufacturers.</p>
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