Extrude Boss

Introduction

The Extrude Boss function creates solid bodies by extruding closed wireframe chains or planar surface geometry and automatically joins the intersecting (touching) entities into a single solid. When using a surface, the software automatically extracts the edges of the surface to use for the boss.

TIP: Extrude Boss automatically merges all intersecting solids into a single solid body, unless they are hidden using the View menu Blank function. Hiding a layer does not exclude the entities on that layer from being merged by Extrude Boss. To extrude geometry that does not automatically merge with other solid bodies, use Extrude Curve or Extrude Surface.

Dynamic Drawing

Extrude Boss supports Dynamic Drawing which allows you to use sketch handles to modify the extrusion distances, which can also be defined using data entry. The benefit of Dynamic Drawing is that you can use the sketch handles to roughly define the extrusion and then use data entry to accurately update the distances as needed.

To learn more about Dynamic Drawing, view Dynamic Drawing for Solids.

Snap Increment

Extrude Cut supports the use of the snap increment when using the sketch handles to set the distance values. The snap increment allows you to get precise results when using mouse selection and helps to reduce data entry modifications.

To learn more, view Snap Increment.

Navigation

To open Extrude Boss, do one of the following:

In the Solids menu, click Extrude Boss.

On the Solids toolbar, click the icon.

Right-click anywhere in the Workspace, point to CAD, Solids, and click Extrude Boss.

The parameters display in the Data Entry tab of the Data-CAM Tree Manager.

The Data Entry Parameters

Selected Geometry

The Selected Geometry list, shows all the selected entities to be extruded.

(Delete) - removes the selected entity from the Selected Geometry list.

(Delete All) - removes all entities from the Selected Geometry list.

Positive Direction

Distance - sets the distance of the extrusion from the selected geometry in the positive direction. You can use dynamic sketch handles or data entry to set this value. The snap increment applies to the distance value when using sketch handles.
Draft Angle - creates an angle along the edge of the extruded shape in the positive direction. This also applies to any internal shapes when you select more than one curve to extrude. This can be a positive or negative value.

Other Direction

Distance - sets the distance of the extrusion from the selected geometry in the negative direction. You can use dynamic sketch handles or data entry to set this value. The snap increment applies to the distance value when using sketch handles.
Draft Angle - creates an angle along the edge of the extruded shape in the negative direction. This also applies to any internal shapes when you select more than one curve to extrude. This can be a positive or negative value.

Options

Along Normal - the extrusion occurs parallel to the normal direction of the plane created by the selected curve.
Along Z-Axis - the extrusion direction is the Z-axis regardless of how the selected curve is oriented.

Show Preview / Hide Preview
Once geometry has been added to the Selected Geometry list, selecting this toggle will enable, and disable the CAD preview, which displays the result that will be created when you click OK.

OK - performs the function to create the geometry as shown in the CAD preview.
Cancel - closes the Data Entry Manager.

Quick Steps - Extrude Boss

1 Open the function and define all Data Entry parameters.

2 Select geometry in the Workspace.

This can be closed wireframe chains or planar surface geometry. When using a surface, the software automatically extracts the edges of the surface to use for the boss.

3 Click (OK) to confirm the selection and create the CAD preview.

You can modify the snap increment value or turn it off if you are using sketch handles.

If needed, use the dynamic sketch handles or data entry to update the CAD preview.