First, I will try to list the basic ways to select coordinates. They are in the manual in Volume 1, starting on page 126.
1. Projection (from a 3D curve or a surface)
2. Using the project command (coordinates are stored in automatic parameters xprj, yprj, zprj)
3. Z-buffer (from anything in the picture)
4. By node (from the mesh or a block boundary interface)
5. By vertex
You can choose any portion of the mesh to be attached. You can choose any or all of the three coordinates for the attach by clicking on/off the x, y, or z check mark
in the Pick panel of the environment window.
You can also move portions of the mesh using the mouse. This is described in the manual in Volume 1,
page 148. Any selection of the mesh can be moved as a rigid body using the following options:
1. Rotate
2. Screen plane
3. Front view
4. Constrained to the x, y, z, xy, yz, or xz directions
You can assign any region of the mesh to a labeled point of a 3D curve or a surface using the pbs command. You can attach an edge of the mesh to a 3D curve.
You can attach a face to an entire surface (with no holes and with 4 boundary edges) (both initialization and projection in one command). This is the PATRAN feature, but it is very inflexible and not recommended.
You can have a cubic spline for and edge of the mesh using the splint command. You control the shape of the edge by assigning coordinates to the vertices along the edge.
Underlying initialization features are the basic commands listed in the table of contents on page 11 of Volume 1, section 2 and 3.
I think you are going to find more answers to your question by developing techniques. For example, after a session where you have moved many vertices around, remove those commands that have no effect. The tghist file will show you which commands are deactivated. You can also remove, for example, a pb command for a vertex if there is another pb command that follows it for the same vertex.
Use the ilin command strategically to interpolate intermediate vertices, where appropriate.
Initialize several vertices to the same place, relying on projection to separate them.
Plan your part out so that you use the insprt command. It will interpolate all new vertices automatically.
When you plan ahead, you can move a group of vertices together as a rigid body using the mbi or tri command.
Keep the number of vertices you have to initialize to the smallest number possible. Know the limitations of the projection method. Use 3D curves to initialize edges so that your blocks can be larger and have large curvature.
