Glossary

This page sets Polykrom’s ubiquitous language: one agreed term for each idea, defined once and used the same way in labels, command ids, parameter keys, the design file, the docs, the MCP tools and every translation.

Two rules apply:

One idea, one term. When this page names a term for an idea, use that term, not a synonym.
One term, one idea. A word that means two things gets two qualified terms (for example construction entity and construction plane), and each meaning gets its own entry in the message catalogues.

A pull request that adds a new idea (a command, a parameter, a file key, a panel) adds its term here. A pull request that renames a label, id or key to match this page keeps the old id or key working as an alias and lists it in docs/compatibility.md.

How an entry reads

Each entry gives the term and a definition: one short sentence in plain technical English that could replace the term in a sentence. It names no product and doesn’t use the term to define itself, in the way ISO 704 and ISO 10241-1 describe for terminology. A note follows, with the context:

In Polykrom: the command ids, parameter keys and design-file keys that use the term.
Don’t use: the other words for the same idea.
Elsewhere: general names that people coming from other CAD software may know.
For translators: what the term must not be confused with.

Some of the ids and labels below still use a word this page says not to use. They change in later pull requests, one topic at a time, each pointing at its entry here.

Terms

appearance

How a body, face or component looks on screen and in renders.

An appearance sets colour and surface finish only. It has no effect on mass or strength. Compare material.

In Polykrom: appearance.assign, appearance.library, appearance.list; the appearances design-file key.
Don’t use: look, colour (for the whole appearance), render material.
Elsewhere: appearance, visual material, colour.
For translators: not the physical material.

body

One connected solid or surface shape that features create and change.

A design can hold many bodies. A component groups bodies; an occurrence places them.

In Polykrom: body.rename; the bodies browser folder; body_name parameters.
Don’t use: part, solid (for a surface body too), object.
Elsewhere: body, solid body, surface body.
For translators: not a component and not a design.

browser

The panel that lists the design’s components, bodies, sketches, construction planes and joints as a tree.

In Polykrom: browser.group, browser.move, browser.order, browser.visibility, and the other browser.* commands.
Don’t use: model tree, scene browser, parts browser.
Elsewhere: browser, model tree, feature tree, design tree.
For translators: not the web browser. A language with its own CAD word for the tree may use it (in French, arborescence), so that “browser” and “web browser” don’t share a word. See web browser.

component

A named container of bodies, sketches, construction geometry and other components that can be placed one or more times.

Each placement of a component is an occurrence. Editing a component changes every occurrence of it.

In Polykrom: component.create, component.activate, and the other component.* commands; the components design-file key.
Don’t use: part, assembly, sub-assembly (for the component itself).
Elsewhere: component, part, sub-assembly.
For translators: not an occurrence.

constraint

A rule that fixes the relation between sketch entities, such as coincident, parallel or tangent.

A constraint with a value is a dimension.

In Polykrom: sketch.constraint.coincident, sketch.constraint.parallel, and the other sketch.constraint.* commands; the constraint parameter key; the sketch’s constraints design-file key.
Don’t use: relation, condition.
Elsewhere: constraint, geometric constraint, relation.
For translators: a joint between occurrences is not a constraint.

construction entity

A sketch entity that guides the drawing but isn’t part of any profile.

A construction entity can be a line, an arc, a circle or any other curve, and it can carry constraints and dimensions like any sketch entity.

In Polykrom: the construction parameter of the sketch drawing commands; the construction field of a sketch curve; the ui.construction catalogue entry.
Don’t use: “construction” on its own where it could mean a construction plane.
Elsewhere: construction line, construction geometry, reference line.
For translators: not a construction plane, axis or point. The browser’s Construction folder and this line type still share the Construction catalogue entry, so German, Korean and Turkish show the folder as “construction line”.

construction plane, construction axis, construction point

A plane, axis or point that a feature creates to place other features, and that is not part of any body.

They are listed together in the browser’s Construction folder.

In Polykrom: construct.plane.offset, construct.axis.two_points, construct.point.vertex, and the other construct.* commands; the CONSTRUCT toolbar panel.
Don’t use: “construction” on its own where it could mean a construction entity; work plane.
Elsewhere: construction plane, reference plane, datum plane (and axis, point).
For translators: not a sketch’s construction entity.

curve

A sketch entity that is not a point: a line, an arc, a circle, an ellipse, a spline or a conic.

In Polykrom: the sketch’s curves design-file key; curve ids in parameters such as path.
Don’t use: geometry, edge (for a sketch curve).
Elsewhere: curve, sketch curve, segment.
For translators: not an edge of a body.

design

The model that is open in Polykrom: its timeline, components, bodies, sketches, parameters and settings.

A design is saved as a design file.

In Polykrom: file.new (“New Design”), document.units (“Change Design Units”), document.metadata (“Design Properties”), doc.open, doc.recover.
Don’t use: document, doc, project, file (for the model itself), part.
Elsewhere: design, document, model, part file, assembly file.
For translators: not the Project design property and not the sketch Project command.

design file

A file in which Polykrom saves one design, with the .solidcraft extension.

In Polykrom: file.save, file.save_as, doc.open; the solidcraft/N format tag.
Don’t use: document, project file.
Elsewhere: design file, model file.
For translators: “file” is only for what is on disk: opening, saving, importing and exporting.

dimension

A constraint that sets a size, such as a length, a distance, an angle or a radius, by its value.

A dimension can drive the sketch, or be driven by it and only show the value.

In Polykrom: sketch.dimension, sketch.dimension_text, sketch.toggle_driven; a dimension’s id is a constraint id.
Don’t use: measurement (for a dimension), size.
Elsewhere: dimension, dimensional constraint, driving dimension.
For translators: not a drawing dimension and not a measured value.

feature

One step in the timeline that creates or changes geometry, such as an extrude, a fillet or a construction plane.

In Polykrom: timeline.edit, timeline.suppress, timeline.reorder, and the other timeline.* commands; the features design-file key.
Don’t use: operation, step (in labels); feature (for something Polykrom can do in general: say tool or capability).
Elsewhere: feature, operation.
For translators: French uses fonction for a timeline feature, so “AI features” had to become fonctionnalités IA. Translate “feature” only in the timeline sense.

folder

One of the browser’s fixed sections of a component: Bodies, Sketches, Construction, Joints.

A folder is part of every component and can’t be renamed or removed. A container that someone makes is a group.

In Polykrom: the folder parameter of browser.group, browser.order and browser.visibility (bodies, sketches, construction).
Don’t use: folder for a group.
Elsewhere: folder, node.
For translators: not a group and not a folder on disk.

group

A named container that someone makes, in the browser or in the timeline, to keep items together.

A group changes only how items are listed. It has no effect on the geometry or the order in which features are computed.

In Polykrom: browser.group, browser.ungroup, browser.rename_group; timeline.group, timeline.ungroup, timeline.rename_group, timeline.move_to_group; the group parameter key; the browser_groups and timeline_groups design-file keys.
Don’t use: feature folder, folder (for a group).
Elsewhere: folder, group.
For translators: not a rigid group (a joint) and not a fixed browser folder.

material

The physical substance of a body, which sets its density and mechanical properties.

A material sets mass, centre of gravity and strength values. How the body looks is its appearance.

In Polykrom: material.assign (“Physical Material”), material.list, material.create, and the other material.* commands; the materials and user_materials design-file keys.
Don’t use: material for a render or visual material.
Elsewhere: material, physical material.
For translators: not an appearance.

occurrence

One placed copy of a component inside its parent component.

A component can have several occurrences. Moving an occurrence moves only that copy; editing the component changes every copy. The browser names occurrences with a number, such as Bolt M20:3.

In Polykrom: occurrence.copy, occurrence.move, occurrence.ground, occurrence.properties; the occurrences design-file key; the path of occurrence ids.
Don’t use: instance, placement.
Elsewhere: occurrence, instance, component instance.
For translators: not a pattern instance.

part number

A design property that holds the identifier an organisation gives a design.

In Polykrom: the part_number design property, shown in Design Properties and set with document.metadata.set.
Don’t use: part number for a standard part’s size.
For translators: see Words with more than one meaning, “part”.

pattern instance

One copy that a pattern makes of its features, bodies or sketch entities.

The first instance is the original.

In Polykrom: solid.pattern.rectangular, solid.pattern.circular, solid.pattern.path, sketch.pattern.rectangular, sketch.pattern.circular; the count and spacing parameters (“between instances”).
Don’t use: instance for an occurrence; element, item.
Elsewhere: instance, element, occurrence.
For translators: not an occurrence of a component.

rollback marker

The marker in the timeline after which no feature is computed.

Moving the rollback marker back shows the design as it was at that step. Features after the marker are kept, not deleted.

In Polykrom: timeline.rollback, timeline.roll_to; the marker design-file key.
Don’t use: timeline marker, history marker, rollback bar.
Elsewhere: rollback bar, rollback marker, end-of-part marker.
For translators: “history” is the undo history, not the timeline. French had three names for this marker while English did.

sketch

A set of points and curves, with their constraints, on one plane, that features use as profiles, paths and guides.

In Polykrom: sketch.create, sketch.finish, and the other sketch.* commands; the sketches browser folder.
Don’t use: drawing, profile (for the whole sketch).
Elsewhere: sketch, 2D sketch.
For translators: not a drawing (a sheet with views and dimensions).

sketch entity

A point or a curve in a sketch.

In Polykrom: the entities parameter of the sketch commands (it takes point and curve ids); the sketch’s points and curves design-file keys.
Don’t use: geometry (for sketch content), element, object.
Elsewhere: sketch entity, sketch geometry, sketch element.
For translators: “entity” names both points and curves.

standard part

A ready-made component, such as a screw, nut, washer, pin or bearing, that Polykrom builds from a standard size.

In Polykrom: parts.library (“Standard Parts”), parts.insert, parts.fastener, parts.resize; the parts design-file key.
Don’t use: library part, part (on its own), content.
Elsewhere: standard part, library part, fastener, catalogue part.
For translators: see Words with more than one meaning, “part”.

timeline

The ordered list of a design’s features, which Polykrom computes from first to last.

In Polykrom: the timeline.* commands; the features design-file key, in timeline order.
Don’t use: feature history, history (for the timeline).
Elsewhere: timeline, history, feature tree.
For translators: not the undo history.

web browser

A program that shows web pages, such as the one that runs Polykrom’s web build.

In Polykrom: the web build; the home.in_this_browser catalogue entry.
Don’t use: browser on its own.
For translators: not the browser panel. Where a language uses one word for both, use the CAD word for the panel.

Words with more than one meaning

An English word that means two things can be translated correctly for only one of them while both share a catalogue entry. Each meaning below gets its own term and, in time, its own entry.

Word	Meaning	Use	Where
Construction	a sketch entity that isn’t part of a profile	construction entity	sketch drawing commands, `ui.construction`
	the browser folder of construction planes, axes and points	construction plane, axis, point	the Construction folder, `construct.*`
Instance	one copy a pattern makes	pattern instance	pattern commands
	one placed copy of a component	occurrence	“Paste (Instance)” on `occurrence.copy`
History	the undo and redo history	history	Undo, Redo
	the list of features	timeline	“Feature history” (`ui.feature_history`), “Roll History Marker”
Part	a standard part	standard part	`parts.*`
	a body, an occurrence or the design	body, occurrence, design	catalogue texts that say “part”
	a design property	part number	Design Properties
Gap	the space a hem leaves	hem gap	the Hem dialog’s Gap row
	an open end in the sketch continuity legend	open end	the sketch continuity legend
Clearance	the Clearance command	clearance check	`inspect.clearance`
	a minimum distance field	clearance	the Interference and plastic rules dialogs
Flat	a hole’s flat bottom	flat bottom	the Hole dialog’s tip
	a hem that lies flat on the sheet	flat hem	the Hem dialog’s type
Round	a round relief or corner shape	round (shape)	relief shapes, plastic rests, ruled surface corners
	a fillet	fillet	`solid.fillet`
Normal	a sketch entity that isn’t a construction entity	normal (line type)	the sketch palette’s line type
	the direction perpendicular to a surface	normal (direction)	the ruled surface’s Normal mode
	the middle display quality	normal (quality)	`ui.display_quality_normal`

Some translations show the clash today: Japanese and Chinese show a hole’s flat bottom with the word for “unfold” or “plane”, Chinese shows “Round” as “fillet”, and Chinese and Russian show the Normal line type as “normal vector”.

Two commands, one label

A label names one command. Today two pairs share one:

“Edit Feature”: timeline.redefine and timeline.edit.
“Break Link”: component.break_link (an occurrence’s link to another design) and sketch.break_link (a projected sketch entity’s link to its source).

Search lists both under the same name, and the label lookup gives both the same translation.

A feature’s type

A feature type has one name: its design-file key, such as sheet_flange. The label (Flange) is its display name. Replies and scripts should use the design-file key; today timeline.inspect reports a different name (EdgeFlangeFeature), so a script can’t match one against the other.

Open questions for the maintainer

British or American spelling for labels and docs. Today both are in use (colour and color, centre and center, favourite and favorite); ids and keys use American spelling. #2501 proposes an English (UK) language option, so either base spelling can be read in the other.

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