How to Use Chamfer and Fillet

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Example

This example will demonstrate how to use the Chamfer and Fillet functions. Each of these functions can be accessed in one of three ways:

• Open the appropriate CAD menu, and select the function.
  
  This is the method that will be used in steps below.

• On the appropriate toolbar, click the icon for the function.

• Right-click anywhere in the graphics area, hover over CAD to expand the menu options, then hover over the proper menu to expand it available functions, and lastly, select the function.

NOTE:      In the images below, both the Show Axis X-Y and Show Gnomon toggles have been disabled in the Axis X-Y group of the Settings Part > Display dialog.

Part 1) Creating a Shape

1      Open a new file by selecting the New function from the File menu, or click on the New icon on the File toolbar.

2      Open the Shape Library by selecting it from the Other menu.

The Shape Library appears.

3      Select the Beveled Rectangle using the icon.

The Beveled Rectangle parameters display in the Data Entry tab of the Data-CAM Tree Manager and the Preview appears showing the default values.

4      Click OK to accept the default values.

The Beveled Rectangle is created in the graphics area, and an Beveled Rectangle feature is added to the CAD Tree.

5      Utilize the shortcut for Fit All by pressing F.

The Beveled Rectangle is centered in the graphics area.

6      Press Ctrl+A to Utilize the shortcut for Select All.




The geometry highlights.

7      Press Ctrl+C to Utilize the shortcut for Copy. We will use this copy later to quickly paste this geometry back into the graphics area.

Part 2) Using the Between 2 Entities Method

1      Open Fillet / Chamfer by selecting Chamfer from the Line menu, or by selecting Fillet from the Arc menu.

The Fillet / Chamfer  parameters display in the Data Entry tab of the Data-CAM Tree Manager with Chamfer selected as the Type.

Notice the Picking Method is set to the default of Between 2 Entities, and the Chamfer Method is set to the default of Angle-Distance 1.

2      With the Parameters left at their default settings, click the left hand vertical line as seen in the image below.

3      Hover over, but do not select,  the angled line on the right as seen in the image below.




Notice this line could be selected even though it is not currently connected to our first line. Because the two could intersect, they can be extended to create the chamfer.

4      Click the top horizontal line as seen in the images below.

  

a 45° Chamfer is created.

Part 3) Using the Single Corner Click Method

1      In the Picking Method group, select the Single Corner Click method.

2      Hover over, but do not select,  the top half of the angled line on the right as seen in the image below.





Take a moment to notice how these Parameter values are being applied.

3      Hover over, but do not select,  the bottom half of the angled line on the right as seen in the image below.





Take a moment to notice how these Parameter values are being applied.

Part 4) Using the Angle-Distance 2 Parameter

1      Change the Chamfer Method to Angle - Distance 2.

2      Hover over, but do not select,  the bottom half of the angled line on the right as seen in the image below.





Take a moment to notice how these Parameter values are being applied.

3      Click the bottom half of the angled line on the right to achieve the result seen in the image below.

Part 5) Using the Chains Method

1      Change the Picking Method to  Chains.

2      Hover over the bottom horizontal line as seen in the image below.

3      Hold Shift and click the line to chain select the entire chain.




As you can see, we can pick entire chains to apply chamfers and fillets to. We can also deselect entities as we will see in the next step.

4      Move your mouse above the geometry and to the left without going past it. Hold the left mouse button and drag a window down and just above the last chamfer we created, as seen in the image below.

5      Release the left mouse button to deselect the enclosed geometry.

6      Now we will remove the chamfer from our selected chain by using the Selected Geometry list. Click on Line-8 in the Selected Geometry list.




The entity highlights in the graphics area.

NOTE:      The names of the entities in the Selected Geometry list are based on the number of entities in the file. If other entities have been created in this file the name of the entity in the Selected Geometry list may differ.

7      With Line-8 highlighted, click the (Delete) or press Delete on your keyboard.




The entity is removed from the list and is no longer highlighted in the graphics area.

Part 6) Using the Distance 1-Distance 2 Parameter

1      Change the Chamfer Method to Distance 1-Distance 2.

2      Change the Distance 1 value to 0.7500.





The preview updates. Notice how the 0.7500 value is being applied.

3      Click OK to confirm the chamfers.

Part 7) Pasting Geometry

1      In the Layers tab of the Layer-UCS-Post Manager, right-click and select Add New Layer.

A new layer is created with the name "Not Named". Upon creation the name is highlighted to allow you to rename.

2      Name the new layer Fillet and press Enter.

The layer is renamed.

3      Right-click the Fillet layer and select Active Layer.

The Fillet layer is active and future CAD creation will be on this layer.

4      Right-click the CAD layer in the Layers tab of the Layer-UCS-Post Manager and select Hide to hide shape with Chamfers.

5      Click in the graphics area and press Ctrl+V to paste the geometry copied in the beginning of this example.

Part 8) Creating Fillets with the Chains Method

1      Change the Type to Fillet.

2      Hover over the bottom horizontal line as seen in the image below.

3      Hold Shift and click the line to chain select the entire chain.




The preview appears. Notice that each angle has a fillet applied.

4      In the Parameters group, change the Radius value to .7500.




The preview appears. Notice that a fillet is only applied where possible.

5      Click OK to confirm the fillets.

Part 9) Using the Single Corner Click Method

1      In the Picking Method group, select Single Corner Click.

2      In the Parameters group, set the Radius value to 0.3750.

3      Click the right side of the lower horizontal line, as seen in the image below.

  


The fillet is created.

Part 10) Using the Between 2 Entities Method

1      In the Picking Method group, select Between 2 Entities.

2      In the Parameters group, set the Radius value to 0.1250.

3      Click the left vertical line as seen in the image below.

4      Click the top horizontal line as seen in the image below.

  

Part 11) Creating a New Layer

1      In the Layers tab of the Layer-UCS-Post Manager, right-click and select Add New Layer.

A new layer is created with the name "Not Named". Upon creation the name is highlighted to allow you to rename.

2      Name the new layer New Fillet and press Enter.

The layer is renamed.

3      Right-click the New Fillet layer and select Active Layer.

The New Fillet layer is active and future CAD creation will be on this layer.

Part 12) Creating a Separate Fillet

1      Clear the Trim check box above the OK button.

This will allow us to create a fillet without trimming any of our existing entities.

2      In the Parameters group, change the Radius value to 1.2500.

3      Click the left vertical line as seen in the image below.

4      Click the bottom horizontal line as seen in the image below.

  


The fillet is created.

5      Right-click the Fillet layer in the Layers tab of the Layer-UCS-Post Manager and select Hide to hide shape with Fillets.

TIP:   This can be helpful when we are trying to avoid altering the original shape. In the images below, we have used the new fillet to create a closed shape that can be used to do an Extrude Cut from a extrusion of our original shape.

That concludes these examples.