General

A parameter is a specific element. It contains an integer or decimal value and can be referenced by the associative elements. A center radius circle, for example, is an associative element that makes reference to a point element driving its center and to a parameter element driving its radius. A modification made to the value of a parameter causes the updating of the radius-center circle.

A parameter can be referenced by several elements, in the case we say that it is shared. If several radius-center circles share the same parameter, a modification made to the latter causes updating of all the circles that reference it.

All integers or decimal values that play a part in the definition of elements are not all parameters. The basic elements contain the values required for their computation (a basic circle contains a radius and an angle) but these are not parameters. These values cannot be shared with other elements.

Type and units

A parameter has a type and units. The type indicates which kind of physical measurement it represents: a length, an angle, a speed, a temperature, etc. The units indicate in which units the value is expressed when it is presented to the user: a length parameter can be displayed in meters, in millimeters, in inches, etc.

You can create a parameter using the Tools - Parameters function. The different functions ask to name the parameter. This action is necessary. If you do not specify the units for the parameter, the current units corresponding to the type will be the units for the parameter. You can however specify the units explicitly:

Create a length parameter with a value of 13, if the current units for length is mm, then the parameter's value is 13mm.

Under the same conditions, you can specify 13in to create a parameter of 13 inches or 13 m to create a parameter of 13 meters.

It is also possible to create parameters during the use of a function. Either in the graphic label, or by clicking on the button in the entry field for the value of the function and choose the parameter to create.

You can name directly a parameter (R=10): a parameter is created and named.

You can also enter an expression (a+10): an expression type parameter is thus created.

Lastly, you can use a parameter that already exists, either by entering its name, or by designating an element or part of an element directly linked to a parameter that you are seeking: you can also show a face resulting from a fillet in order to recover the value of a fillet (a link is thus created), you can designate a polar point in order recuperate one of the two parameters for length or angle.

The current units linked to the principal dimensions are modifiable at any time thanks to the File | Properties function. These default units are stored in the memory, document by document.

Parameter without units

You can create particular parameters without units. These parameters are used to represent numbers of occurrences and coefficients. These parameters can be used as number of repeated elements.

Otherwise, you can't use a parameter with a dimension to represent a number.

Parameter with unspecified value

A parameter can have an unspecified value. This can be the case for the parameter system Mass which can be in Not managed mode in the physical properties of the document. If this parameter was used in an expression (e.g. M2 = 10 × $Mass), two cases would occur:

• The document uses the healing update mode: the document remains valid, the M2 parameter is basified.

• The document does not use the healing update mode: the document is invalid.

Parameters Copy-Paste

You can copy/paste one or more parameters from one document to another, whatever the parameter type. To do this, in the source document, right-click on the parameter and select the Copy command (or Ctrl+C), then in the destination document right-click on the Parameters folder and select the Paste command (or Ctrl+V).

• If in the source document the parameter to copy is contained in subfolders of the Parameters folder, TopSolid will also copy/paste the folder tree.

• If in the destination document a parameter with the same name already exist, TopSolid will add the suffix Copy1 to the paste parameter (e.g. L - Copy1 = 10mm).

• If the parameter to be copied references other parameters (e.g. an expression between parameters), the other parameters will also be pasted to keep the links.

• If the parameter to be copied references a system parameter, when pasting the parameter in the destination TopSolid will ask if you want to link to the system parameter of the destination document or create another parameter.

• If the parameter to be copied is a user property parameter, TopSolid will create a second parameter because it is possible to have several user property parameters of the same type in the same document.

Parameterized system properties (description, part number, ....)

The description or another system property can display a parameter value (for example the length of the part) and change if the length changes.

For example, the description of a part must be like "Axis Ø20 x 100" where 100 is the length of the axis (its parameter is for example L).

In the entities tree, unroll the Parameters folder, then the System parameters. Richt click on the Description property, select the Others > Parameterized and enter the description: Axis Ø 20 x [L]