Lesson

9 Editing the Model

Purpose

To modify solid body features by editing their defining criteria.

Objectives

In this lesson, you will:

• Edit feature parameters and positioning dimensions.

• Delete features.
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• Reorder features in the Model History.

• Reattach a feature to a different face.

• Move features.

• Rename a feature.

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Accessing the Options to Edit Features

There are several different ways to access options to edit features in NX.
• Part Navigator — Many feature editing options are available in the Part
Navigato r. You may also use it to review the Model History and feature
dependencies.

• Feature MB3 Pop-up Menu — Some common feature editing options are
available in the MB3 pop-up menu when you select a feature in the
graphics window. The options available in this menu will depend on the
type of feature and the method used to create it.

• Edit Pull-Down Menu — Choosing Edit→Feature from the menu bar

provides many options related to editing features. If you choose an editing
options from this menu without first selecting a feature, a dialog will be
displayed so that you can select features from a list.

• Edit Feature Toolbar — Many of the options in the Edit→Feature

pull-down menu are also available in the Edit Feature toolbar. This
toolbar can be turned on and customized to display the icons of frequently
used editing options.

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Part Navigator

The Part Navigator allows various actions to be performed on features.

Holding down MB3 on a feature node in the Part Navigator displays a feature
speci fic pop-up menu offering pertinent editing options.
To access the Part Navigato r, choose the icon on the resource bar on the right
side of the NX window.

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The options available in the pop-up menu will vary depending on the
type of feature selected. Many of the options are not available if the
Modeling application is not active.

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Display Dimensions
Choosing Display Dimensions causes the feature’s parameter values to be
displayed (just as they are with Edit Parameters). The temporary display
remains until a Refresh is performed.

Show/Hide
Allows the body or parents for the selected feature to be hidden or displayed.
This function blanks/unblanks the object(s) and their display can be brought
back by using the Show/Hide options or the options under Edit? Blank.
The Hide Body option "blanks" the solid body that the feature is applied to.
The Hide Parents option is more applicable to swept features. If the Hide
Parents option is used on a swept feature, the system will hide (blank) the
parent curves which generated the swept feature. If the swept feature is
derived by a solid edge(s) then the Hide Parents option will hide (blank) the
parent solid body. This option is not effective in showing or hiding "resulting
curves," whi ch are produced directly from a curve feature operation, such
as with Offset Curve.
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Make Current Feature

Provides a quick and easy method for inserting features into a part. This
option may be used to make an existing feature the current feature of the
solid body, and then add more features at that point in the model history. If
this option is used on a feature whose time stamp positions it in the middle of
the model history, making it the current feature, all of the features after it
become inactive. As new features are created they are inserted into the build
hierarchy before the inactive features.

Filter
Lets you apply a system filter to the Part Navigator display tree based on the
features currently selec ted. These filters let you simplify the display tree by
hiding features by type or timestamp order.

To turn off a filter, place the cursor in the Part Navigator away from a
feature node, click MB3, and turn off the Apply Filter option in the
pop-up menu.

Edit Parameters

Lets you edit the feature’s parameters (same as Edit? Feature? Parameters).

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Edit with Rollback

This option first rolls the model back to its state just prior to the feature being
created, before reopening the feature’s creation dialog to edit parameters.
This is shown in bold in the pop-up menu which indicates it is the default
action when you double -click on a feature name in the Part Navigator.

Edit Positioning
Lets you edit the feature’s positioning dimensions (same as
Edit? Feature? Edit Positioning)

Suppress and Unsuppress

Suppress temporarily removes the feature from the body and display. This
can also be accomplished by clearing the checkbox associated with the feature
node in the Part Navigato r. The option changes to Unsuppress while a feature
is suppressed. Unsuppress returns the suppressed feature back to the body
and the display.

Reorder Before/After
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Allows the construction order of the features in the model to be altered by
positioning the selected feature before or after other features in the build
hierarchy. Choose the feature that the selected node is to be reordered
relative to from the Reorder Before or Reorder After cascade menu s. Nodes
may also be dragged and dropped in the Part Navigator window to
perform a feature reorder. Multiple features may be selected by holding the
Ctrl key down during selection.

Group
Same as Format? Group Features. This option lets you group features into
a special collection called a Feature Set. Members of a Feature Set can be
controlled together during suppress, delete and move feature operations.
Choosing Group causes the Sets of Features dialog to appear. The features
included in the Feature Set can also be hidden so they do not show in the Part
Navigator and can only be accessed under the Feature Set Name.
If you delete a Feature Set, all of its member features are also deleted.
To delete a Feature Set without deleting its members, first remove the
members from the set.

Replace
This allows a feature’s definition to be replaced or "redefined" by another
feature. For example, a surface that is used as a trim face could be replaced
for a different surface without having to delete or redefine several other
features. For more information on replace see the technical documentation.
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Rename
This option allows you to append a user-defined name to the feature. The user
defined name will appear in addition to the system defined name in the Part
Navigator (i.e. Simple Hole(6) “Alignment Hole”).

Delete

Deletes the selected feature (same as Edit? Delete).

Object Dependency Browser

The Object Dependency Browser allows the parent and child relationships of
a feature to be interrogated.

Information

Provides information about the selected feature in the Information window.

Properties
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This option provides access to General and Attribute information for the
feature selected. General properties include the feature name, which can be
edited similarly to the Rename function. Attributes can be added to any
feature to include information which could be called out in a specified column
of the Part Navigato r. For more information on feature attributes and Part
Navigator columns see the technical documentation.

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Deleting Features
You can delete features by selecting the feature and choosing Delete from the
MB3 pop-up menu. The feature can be selected in the graphics window or
Part Navigator.
If you choose the Delete icon from the Standard toolbar (or Edit→Delete),
an icon options bar is displayed in upper left corner of the graphics window.
Choosing the Features icon allows you to select features to delete

• When a feature is deleted from a body, the space it occupied or voided is

filled in exactly as it was before the feature was created.

• If a feature is mistakenly deleted, Undo (Edit→Undo List or Ctrl-Z)

may be used immediately after the deletion to restore the feature.

• Any features whose placement, not position, is dependent on the deleted

feature will also be deleted. For example, if a hole was created using a
datum plane for its placement face, and the datum plane is deleted, the
hole will also be deleted.
A Notification dialog will be displayed to warn you that other features
will be affected. Choosing the Information button will list the dependent
features.

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Update Failures
When an edit is made to a feature, the model is updated (or rebuilt) to
incorporate this change. Sometimes the edit may cause a failure in a feature
that occurs later in the model histor y. The Edit During Update dialog will
appear if an update failure occurs and allow you to resolve the problem.
In the example below, an edit was made to a Shell feature that results in the
removal of an edge that is later blended. After the edit is made, the blend
fails during the model update and the Edit During Update dialog appears.

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The options that allow you to advance forward through the model history
(Step, Step To, and Continue) are disabled until the failure is resolved and the
feature successfully updates. You may delete, suppress, or edit the current
feature or step back and edit an earlier feature.

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Additional Edit During Update Options

Some of the options in the Edit During Update dialog apply spec ifically to
update failures.

Accept — used to acknowledge a single warning message about a failed

feature (but not an error message) to allow the update to continue. The
feature that fails is marked "out of date" in the Part Navigato r.

The status of features may also be viewed by choosing Information→Feature. 15

The features that are “out of date” are listed with a (!) in the Feature Browser.

Accept Remaining — acknowledges the update failures of the current

feature as well as all subsequent features so that each warning message does
not have to be accepted individually.
Show Failure Area — temporarily displays failed geometry. This option is
available only if an object involved in the failure, such as a tool body, is
available for display.

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Show Current Model — displays the part of the model that has been
successfully rebuilt.

For performance reasons, the display does not change during update
when an update method other than Show Current Model is used.
After the model update has finished, the display is updated.

Post Recovery Update Status — specifies what should happen after an edit
is made during an update failure.
• Continue — restarts the automatic update process from where it left off.

• Pause — stops at the next feature after an edit is made and lets you
choose other Edit during Update options, rather than automatically
resuming the update.

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Activity — Edit and Delete Features

In this activi ty, you will edit the parameters of a feature, capture design
intent by associating a positioning dimension to another feature, and delete a
feature.
Step 1: Open the edit_feature_1 part.

Step 2: Start the Modeling application. 15

Step 3: Review the model.

Choose the Part Navigator icon from the resource bar.

Choose the push pin icon in the upper right corner

to permanently display the Part Navigato r.

Select some of the features in the Part Navigator and view

what highlights in the graphics window.

Step 4: Edit the width of the part.

Double-click the Extrude(4) feature in the Part Navigato r.
(Edit→Feature→Edit with Rollback)
The model “rolls back” to the state it was in when the Extrude
feature was created. The Extrude dialog is also displayed.

Cha nge the End value to 2.75.

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Choose OK. (MB2)

After the update, the pad on the bottom is no longer centered.
The design intent is that the pad should always remain in the
center of the part.
This situation will be remedied in the next step.

Step 5: Edit a positioning dimension of the pad by selecting it in the

graphics window.
In the graphics window, place the cursor over the rectangular
15 pad shown in the above figure (Rectangular Pad(7)) and choose
MB3? Edit Positioning.

Choose Edit Dimension Value.

In the graphics window, select the p29=1.560 expression.

To see the pad feature and expressions better, the view may
need to be rotated.
Since the pad should always stay in the center of the part,
keying in a simple equation will capture this aspect of the
design intent.

Key in p11/2.
The expression p11 is the End value of the Extrude feature and
controls the width of the part.

Choose MB2 three times.

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Step 6: Edit the width of the part.

In the graphics window, place the cursor over the Extrude
feature at the location as shown below.

Place the cursor over the Extrude feature at the location as

shown below and choose MB3? Edit Parameters.

If you have difficulty selecting the feature, wait until

the QuickPick indicator appears, click MB1 and select 15
Extrude(4) in the QuickPick dialog.

Cha nge the End value to 5.00 and choose OK. (MB2)

Fit the view. (MB3→Fit) The pad feature

remains in the center of the block.

Step 7: Delete a feature.

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Place the cursor over the T Slot feature and choose

MB3? Delete.

A Notification dialog appears informing you that other features

will be affec ted.

Choose Information from the dialog to list the other features

15 that will be deleted.
The three holes will be deleted because faces of the slot were
used as their placement face or thru face.

Close the Information window.

Choose OK.
The T Slot and the dependent hole features are removed.

Step 8: Close the part.

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Activity — Using the Update Tool

In this activity, you will make an edit to a feature which causes an update
failure. You will resolve the problem using the Edit during Update dialog.
Step 1: Open the edit_feature_2 part.

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Step 2: Start the Modeling application.

Step 3: Edit the width of the part.

Double-click the Extrude(4) feature in the Part Navigato r.
(Edit→Feature→Edit with Rollback)

Cha nge the End value to 1.75.

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Choose OK (MB2).
The Edit during Update dialog appears.

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The feature that has caused the failure to occur is shown in the
graphics window.

Choose Show Current Model.

The model appears in the graphics window relative to the new
1.75 width value.

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Choose Show Failure Area.

The reason for the failure is now evident. The hole is positioned
outside the solid body.

Choose Edit in the Edit During Update dialog.

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Choose Edit Position.

Choose Edit Dimension Value.

Select the p63=2.125 dimension from the graphics window.

Key in p11-.5 and choose OK (MB2) four times.

The hole is now located within the solid model and resolves the
problem. The update completes successfully.

Step 4: Close the part.

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Activity — Reordering Features with the Part Navigator

In this activi ty, you will reorder features to see how this impacts the design
of the part.
Step 1: Open the edit_reorder_1 part.

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Step 2: Start the Modeling application.

Step 3: Review the model.

Choose the Part Navigator icon from the resource bar.

Choose the push pin icon in the upper right corner

to permanently display the Part Navigator.

Select some of the features in the Part Navigator and view

what highlights in the graphics window.

Step 4: Reorder the Shell feature.

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Place the cursor over Shell(3) feature in the Part Navigator,

press and hold down MB1, drag the feature just below Unite(5).
The hollow feature is reordered after the other extruded
feature is united.

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Press and hold down MB1 on Shell(5) and drag the feature
just below Blend(6).
Notice the sharp corners on the inside of the part.

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Press and hold down MB1 on Shell(6) and drag the feature
just below Blend(7).
Now there is a radius on the inside edges.

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Step 5: Rename a Feature.

Select the Blend(5) feature in the Part Navigator and choose
MB3? Rename.

Key in Throat Blend and press Enter.

The new name is appended to the system-defined name in the
Part Navigato r. This can make the feature easier to identify
when reordering or reviewing the model.

Step 6: Close the part.

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Delaying Model Updates

Delayed Update After Edit

As more features are added to a model, the model will take longer to update. If
you are making several minor edits to a complex model with many features, it
may be beneficial to control when the model is updated. Instead of waiting for
the model to update after each edit, you can delay the updates until after all
edits are specified.
To delay model updates, choose Tools→Update→Delayed after Edit. If
this is an option that will be used often, you can add the Delayed Update
after Edit icon to the Edit Feature toolbar.
• If Delayed Update after Edit is off, the part is updated after the
completion of each edit operation. This is the default setting.

• If Delayed Update after Edit is on, feature updates are delayed while
edits are made. For example, the positioning dimension of a feature may
be changed followed by an edit to the parameters of another feature 15
without updating the model.

This option may not be used to delay a Delete, Suppress, or Unsuppress

feature operation.

Update Model

Once Delayed Update after Edit is enabled and edits are made, the Update
Model option becomes available so that you can update the model when it is
convenient.
This option is accessed by choosing Tools→Update→Update Model. If
this is an option that will be used often you can add the Update icon to the
Edit Feature toolbar.

The model will be updated automatically when the part is saved.

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Move Feature
The Move Feature option (Edit→Feature→Move) allows you to move a
feature that is not associatively positioned to a new location.
• This option excludes all swept features, rela tive datum features, and
instance arrays as well as features whose location has been constrained
using positi oning dimensions.

• Features whose position is determined by associative positioning

dimensions must be moved by editing the positioning dimensions.

• Move Feature can be used to move a primitive that is used as the base
feature for the model.

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DXC, DYC, DZC Moves the feature by specifying a rectangular

coordinates, based upon the Work Coordinate
System. (Delta XC, Delta YC, and Delta ZC)
To a Point Moves the feature from a reference point to a
destination point. The Point Constructor will
become available during the operation to assist
in the move.
Rotate Between Two Rotate the feature from a reference axis
Axes orientation to a destination axis orientation about
a specified pivot point.
CSYS to CSYS Repositions the feature from a Reference
Coordinate System to a Destination Coordinate
System. The coordinate systems are defined by
using the CSYS Constructo r.

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Reattaching a Feature
One of the options available for editing under Edit Parameters is Reattach.
Reattach allows the feature references of the feature to be redefined.
A feature reference may be an attachment face, a thru face, a target edge for
positioning, etc. Objects that may have their references redefined include
most form features (holes, pocket s, grooves, pads, slots, and bosses), and
linear instance sets of these features, trim faces of extruded and revolved
features, and user-defined features (UDFs).
In the example below, a pad feature and associated holes are reattached from
the original placement face to a new face.

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Using the Reattach Dialog

The Reattach dialog only enables the options that pertain to the selected
feature. For example, a feature must include a t hru face for the Specify Thru
Face option to be enabled and must include one or more positioning
dimensions for the Redefine Positioning Dimensions option to be enabled.
When an option is chosen, the existing references of the type in question are
highlighted. For example, if a thru slot is selec ted and the Specify First Thru
Face icon is chosen, the current thru face for the slot is highlighted.

1 — Current positioning dimensions

2 — Reference direction type
3 — Change reference direction
4 — Change the normal direction
5 — Specify location of feature

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Reattach Options

The following options are available to redefine feature references:

Specify Target Placement Face — allows a new attachment face for

the feature being edited to be specified.

Specify Reference Direction — allows a new horizontal reference to

be specified for the feature being edited.

Redefine Positioning Dimensions — allows new positioning

dimensions to be specified for the feature being edited.

Specify First Thru Face — allows the first through/trim face of the
feature being edited to be redefined.
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Specify Second Thru face — allows the second through/trim face of
the feature being edited to be redefined.

Specify Tool Placement Face — allows the tool face of a User Defined
Feature (UDF) to be redefined.
In addition, while using any of these redefine feature references options, the
following options on the Reattach dialog are available:
Filter — allows filtering of selectable object types including faces, datum
planes, edges, and datum axes. The default is All Types. The list of filter
options available is dependent on the speci fic Reattach option icon chosen.
Positioning Dimensions — A list window displays the types of positioning
dimensions currently on the selected feature. If MB1 is used to select a
dimension in this list, its available references are highlighted in the graphics
window. Double-clicking with MB1 on a dimension in the list allows it to
be redefined.
Direction Reference — allows the definition of a new Horizontal or Vertical
feature reference. The default is always set for the existing reference type.
Reverse Direction — allows the feature’s reference direction to be reversed.
Reverse Side — allows the feature’s normal direction to be reversed when
reattaching that feature to a datum plane.

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Specify Origin — allows quick relocation of the reattached feature by moving

it to a speci fied origin. This option is useful when reattaching features to
datum planes. Since features are initially placed at the center of a plane, the
update may fail since the plane’s center may not be near the feature’s actual
position. This option may be used with all features.
Delete Positioning Dimension — allows deletion of a selected positioning
dimension. If a feature does not have any positioning dimensions, this option
is grayed out.

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Activity — Reattaching and Moving Features

In this activity, you will reattach a feature to a new placement face. You will
also move fixed datum features to change the orientation of an associated
body.

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Step 1: Open the edit_reattach_1 part.
Step 2: Start the Modeling application.
Step 3: Reattach the pad feature.
In the graphics window, place the cursor over the pad (Status
line should read Rectangular Pad(6)) and choose MB3? Edit
Parameters.

Choose Reattach in the Edit Parameters dialog.

The Reattach dialog displays icons for the selection steps and
other options for reattaching the feature. The icon for Specify
Target Placement Face is active.
The current placement face for the Rectangular Pad feature is
highlighted in the graphics window and the Cue line prompts
you to select a new target face.

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Select the right face of the solid (1).

The second icon, Specify Reference Direction, is active. The
current horizontal reference is highlighted in the graphics
window and the Cue line prompts you to select a new
Horizontal Reference.

Select the lower edge of the face (2) as the horizontal reference.

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The third icon, Redefine Positioning Dimensions, is active and
the Cue line prompts you to select a Dimension to Redefine.

Select the vertical positioning dimension from the graphics

window (20.0).

Select the lower front edge (1) of the solid as the target object.

Select the bottom outside edge of the pad (2) feature as the
tool edge.

Select the horizontal positioning dimension from the graphics

window (30.0).

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Select the right vertical edge (1) of the solid as the Target
Object.

Select the right outside edge (2) of the pad feature as the tool
edge.

Choose MB2 twice to complete the reattachment of the feature.

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The holes also move with the pad because they are child
features of the pad. They were placed on a face of the pad and
were positioned relative to the edges of the pad.

The model was created by extruding a sketch. The XC-YC

Plane option was chosen when the sketch was created so it
is attached to a fixed datum plane and constrained to
fixed datum axes.
Now, you have been informed that the sketch should be in
the YC-Z C plane so that part orientation is consistent with
a standard product orientation used at your company. This
can be accomplished by moving the fixed datum features.
The sketch and all of the other dependent features will
move with them.

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Step 4: Move the fixed datum features.

Make layer 21 selectable.

Choose Edit? Feature? Move.

Select the three fixed datum features in the Move Feature

dialog. (Click and drag MB1 over all three features or
15 Ctrl-Select each feature.)

Choose OK. (MB2)

Choose Rotate Between Two Axes.

Choose Reset and OK to define the pivot point at 0,0,0.

Choose XC Axis as the referenc e axis.

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Choose ZC A xis as the reference axis.

The datum features and dependent features are rotated.

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Step 5: Close the part.

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Summary
The editing options provide robust capabilities to change design, form, fit, and
function. Because parametric values can be accessed and edited, investment
of parametric design time is not wasted when the need for design changes
occur.
In this lesson you:
• Edited features to satisfy design intent.

• Deleted features.

• Used the Edit During Update dialog to resolve an update failure.

• Reordered features using the Part Navigato r.

• Reattached a feature to a different placement face.

• Moved datum features

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