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Smart Regions

Smart Regions

As devFoam is not a true Cad application, but the Cad part of devFoam Pro is mostly used to draw Parts for foam cutting, we added some smart features to speed up the drawing process.

To draw in an efficent way the Parts to cut, the suggested way to go is to use Regions.
Using Region you solve the well known problem of Cam application with bad drawn geometries, see also CNC and dirty geometries. How can I clean them?
A Region is always ready to be cut, as it satisfies the requirements that a Cnc application ask to the geometries:

• To know which contour are outer or inner, this to apply the kerf at the right side
• To have all lines and arcs well connected
• No intersections between contours

In the normal devCad application you must use special commands to create a region, by selecting the contours or picking a point, for example.
As this way to go can be boring and for sure slower, we added the possibility to generate Regions and Island on the fly when you draw a closed element or you import them from a Cad file.

You can control this by the Smart Regions feature customization dialog

You can access this the Smart Regions feature customization dialog by the 'Fast commands - Customize Smart Regions feature...' menu of the Cad drawing.

For each feature you can select the way it will operate:

• Never - the feature won't be applied, devFoam will work here like the usual devCad applicatio
• Ask -  you will be prompted each time if you want apply the conversion
• Always - the conversion will be applied every time, in a silent way

When you Import a Dxf, Dwg, Hpgl, Plt or Dat file

In this frame you can customize what happens when you import an external Cad file.
You can also select to ignore not Region elements, if you want a clean import of only Regions.

A second way to Import regions or polylines in the Cad section:

To try this way create a new Cad drawing, then use the "File - Import... - Import Regions from many file types..." or the "File - Import... - Import Polylines from many file types..." menu.
If enabled you will see the 'AutoTrace elements' dialog if you select a raster file. Finally you will se the Imported regions in your Cad drawing.
Read also this pages Importing regions in a new Cad drawing and Importing polylines in a new Cad drawing.
If the result is not good, enable (if currently disabled) the 'AutoTrace elements' dialog by the Setting link of the Startup dialog and try to adjust as first the Thresold value. Read also well the 'AutoTrace elements' help page to have more info to the right way to have success.

When you draw a Text

In this frame you can customize what happen when you draw a Text element

When you draw a Closed not autointersecting Element

In this frame you can customize what happen when you draw a Closed not autointersecting Element.
The application will try to apply as first 1) (adding the element as an island), if the feature is enabled.
If 1) is not enabled or no Regions able to get the island exists, will be tried 2)

Other FAST features to convert an already drawn closed and not autointersecting Element into a Region or island:

	F_REGION_AI It adds an island
	F_REGION_AI It adds an island

See also: Special cad functions of devFoam to apply BOOLEAN operations  a faster and simpler way

I suggest also to take a look at this page, to better understand some important concepts of devFoam: DevFoam FAQ and important concepts