"conv" returns the vector "x" and imposes on it five attributes: name, shape, numknots, knots and space.
The name attribute is used in the subroutine plotpersp; the numknots, knots and space attributes are the same as the numknots, knots and space arguments in "conv"; the shape attribute is 3("convex"), and according to the value of the vector itself and its shape attribute, the cone edges of the cone generated by the constraint matrix, which constrains the relationship between the systematic component \(\eta\) and "x" to be convex, will be made. The cone edges are a set of basis employed in the hinge algorithm.
Note that "conv" does not make the corresponding cone edges itself. It sets things up to a subroutine called makedelta in cgam.
See references cited in this section for more details.