Importing and Using Protected Models

A password-protected model can be incorporated in simulation with other geometry by users who do not have the password and cannot view the contents of the model or make changes to it.

To import a protected model as a component to be used as part of a simulation with other geometry, mesh or requests, click the Protection icon (on the Home tab) and click Import Protected Model. No password is necessary to import the protected model in this way. Once a protected model has been imported, the bounding box of the protected model as well as any representation geometry it contains are shown in the 3D view. The imported model will be listed in the model tree (Construction tab) under the Protected Models branch.
Figure 1. An offset reflector with an imported protected model of a horn (feed) shown in grey in CADFEKO. Note that this protected model does not have a representation defined, therefore only its bounding box gets displayed.


Using an Imported Protected Model

Transforms (such as Translate, Rotate and Scale) can be applied to imported protected models in order to prepare and position them correctly relative to other geometry and requests before simulation. Accurate alignment of a protected model can be achieved using the Align tool and by referencing the accessible workplanes for that model. Accessible workplanes from all imported protected models are included in the list of predefined workplanes in the relevant dialogs and may be used just as any other workplane.

Sources and loads may be applied to ports inside the protected model if the creator of the model set up any workplanes or ports in such a way that they can be accessed by the subsequent user.

Rename, Reload, Expose or Conceal a protected model from the right-click context menu in the model tree (Construction tab).

Exposing the model requires that the password for the protected model be entered. When exposed, the geometry, mesh and definitions inside the protected model will be shown. This is useful when debugging or visualising the usage of protected models for which a user knows the password. Concealing the model will again hide the protected contents inside the protected model.

Reloading a protected model will re-import the model from the location that it was initially imported from. A successful reload is only possible if a model with the same filename as the model that was initially imported is located in the same path (absolute or relative) when the reload is triggered. Transforms applied to the protected model will be maintained during reload. Some changes made to simulation configurations linked to that model (such as renaming, deleting or disabling a configuration) will not be maintained. The mapping of entities during a reload is performed based on entity labels. If the protected model has an accessible port Port1, and then that label is changed to ConnectionPort in the protected model and the protected model is reloaded, the original port will not be associated with Port1 even if there are no other ports in the model.

Simulation configurations from the imported protected model (with some details hidden) are loaded into new configurations denoted ProtectedModelName.ConfigurationName where ProtectedModelName is the name of the protected model in the model tree (Construction tab) and ConfigurationName is the name of the configuration in the imported protected model. Both the protected model and its configurations may be renamed after import.
Figure 2. On the left, a model into which a user wishes to import the protected model from the previous section. Note that there are no parts that would overlap with the imported protected model. On the right, the protected model was imported into the model and the model was meshed. The parts touch and were meshed to be connected. Note that the user, who is not in possession of the password, can only see the representation geometry that was defined as unprotected information inside the protected model. They cannot see the other contents and the mesh of the protected model. If the user were to obtain the password, they would be able to Expose the protected model which would show the contents of the model and its mesh.