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      <title>MetaForm overview</title>
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      <div class="title_topic3" id="xps10_pagetitle">MetaForm overview</div>
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               <p class="para_td">MetaForm Overview</p>
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               <p class="para_td"><a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('sheetmetaldes/meta_geo_sel.html');return(false);">Options</a></p>
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               <p class="para_td"><a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.openFile('sheetmetaldes/metaform_tips.html');return(false);">Related Topics</a></p>
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      </table><br><p align="left"><img align="bottom" src="graphics/ico_t_metaform.gif"></p>
      <p class="para_topic"><b class="uiTerm">MetaForm</b> is an associative feature that allows you to unform complex geometry (not restricted to Sheet Metal features) to an alternate shape, while accounting for material characteristics. You could unform a finished part surface to a die face surface. Also, you could unform a complex surface to a planar face in order to generate a flat pattern.
      </p>
      <p class="para_topic">You can access the <b class="uiTerm">MetaForm</b> dialog box from <b class="uiTerm">Modeling&rarr;Insert&rarr;Sheet Metal Feature&rarr;MetaForm</b> or from the <b class="uiTerm">Sheet Metal Feature</b> . To edit a MetaForm feature, use <b class="uiTerm">Modeling&rarr;Edit&rarr;Feature</b> or the <b class="uiTerm">Edit Feature</b> .
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      <div class="title_division">Terminology</div>
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               <p class="para_td">Region Boundary</p>
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               <p class="para_td">The set of faces that define the original surface of a model. The feature creates a finite element mesh on the region boundary. That mesh is then formed to the target boundary.</p>
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               <p class="para_td">Target Boundary</p>
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               <p class="para_td">The set of faces that define the surface that the model will be formed to. The region finite element mesh is mapped to this set of faces.</p>
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               <p class="para_td">Boundary Conditions</p>
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               <p class="para_td">The pairs of objects that define how the region is formed to the target boundary. You may specify one or more point to point or curve to curves conditions.</p>
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               <p class="para_td">Mapping Geometry</p>
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               <p class="para_td">User selected objects that will be mapped from the region boundary to the target boundary. You may map solids, surfaces, curves, and points.</p>
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               <p class="para_td">Stress</p>
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               <p class="para_td">Force per unit area applied to a body during forming (s).</p>
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               <p class="para_td">Strain</p>
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               <p class="para_td">The amount by which a dimension of a body changes when the body is subjected to a load, divided by the original value of the dimension:</p>
               <p class="para_td">e = (Lfinal &ndash; Linitial) / Linitial</p>
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               <p class="para_td">Stress&ndash;Strain Diagram</p>
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               <p class="para_td">A representation of the relationship between the stress and strain of a given material.</p>
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      </table><br><div class="title_division">Procedure</div>
      <p class="para_division">To create a <b class="uiTerm">MetaForm</b> feature, perform the following steps:
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            <p class="para_item">Select faces that define a region boundary.</p>
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         <li>
            <p class="para_item">Select faces that define a target boundary.</p>
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         <li>
            <p class="para_item">Define boundary conditions that control how the region faces will be formed to the target faces.</p>
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         <li>
            <p class="para_item">Select the geometry that will be mapped.</p>
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         <li>
            <p class="para_item">Specify any material properties or analysis options that are to be associated with the feature.</p>
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            <p class="para_item">Select <b class="uiTerm">Apply</b> or <b class="uiTerm">OK</b> to build the <b class="uiTerm">MetaForm</b> feature.
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      <div class="title_division">MetaForm dialog box</div>
      <p class="para_division">The <b class="uiTerm">MetaForm</b> dialog box includes selection steps. For more information about this type of dialog box, including the <b class="uiTerm">Confirm Upon Apply</b> option, see the <a class="links" href="javascript:void(0)" onclick="top.popUpPage('modeling/index.html?goto=modeling/title_page.html&vars=-aux,-home','linkInter','menubar=yes,status=yes,resizable=yes,toolbar=yes,scrollbars=yes,location=no,directories=no');return(false);">Modeling Help</a>.
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