Offset Surfaces or Solids

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Example

In this example, you will create geometry and then learn how to use the Offset Surface function on that geometry. This example will have you:

 

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) Create a Cube


1      In the File menu, click New.

A New window opens.

 

2      Enter into an ISO 2 view by pressing Ctrl+7.

3      Open Cube.png Cube by selecting the function from Solids menu.

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

The Preview appears.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_CubePre.png


4      The cube being created will be left at the default size, and location.

Click OK to confirm the cube.

The Cube is created in the graphics area and a Cube.png Cube feature is created in the CADTreeIcon.bmp CAD Tree.


CAD_Surfaces_Offset_CubeSet.png


Part 2) Unstitch the Cube

1      In the Utilities menu, hover over Stitching, and select Unstitch Surface from Solid.

1      Hover over the surface as seen in the image below.

The surface highlights.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_CubeHoverSurface.png


2      Click the surface.

The surface is no longer highlighted until the mouse is moved again.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_CubeSurfaceSelectedNoHighlight.png   

No change is visible, but the surface is unstitched from the cube and an UnstitchSurfaceFromSolidIcon.png Unstictch Surface from Solid feature is created in the CADTreeIcon.bmp CAD Tree.


3      Click Cancel to exit the function.

4      Hover of a different surface of the cube as seen in the image below.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_CubeRestHighlight.png

Notice the surface has been unstitched from the cube.


Part 3) Move to the Front Plane

1      In the UCSTabUCSIcon.pngUCS tab of the Layer-UCS-Post Manager, right-click UCSTabUCSIcon.png Front (X/Z) and select Active UCS in order to create another surface on the Front Plane.

The Front Plane highlights.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_FrontUCS.png



Part 4) Create a Rectangular Plane

1      Open the RectangularPlane.pngRectangular Plane function by clicking on that option in the Surfaces menu.

The Rectangular Plane dialog opens in the Data Entry tab of the Data-CAM Tree Manager.

2      In the Origin group, select Enter.

The Preview appears inside the cube at X0, Y0, Z0.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_RecPlanePre000.png


3      In the Origin group, change the Z value to -2.0000.

The Preview updates.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_RecPlanePre00-2.png


4      Click OK to confirm placement of the Rectangular Plane.

The surface is created in the graphics area and a RectangularPlane.pngRectangular Plane feature is added to the CADTreeIcon.bmp CAD Tree.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_RecPlaneSet.png


Part 5) Create an Arc

1      Open the ArcCoords.png Arc Coordinate function by clicking on ArcCoords.png Coordinates in the Arcs menu.

The Arc Coordinate dialog opens in the Data Entry tab of the Data-CAM Tree Manager and the Preview displays.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_ArcPre.png


2      Update the values in the Arc Coordinate dialog to match the following:

Center X

Center Y 

Center Z 

Radius     

Start Angle 

End Angle

=  0.0000
=  0.0000
= -3.0000
= 1.0000
= 0.0000
= 180.0000

 

The Preview updates.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_Arc180.png


3      Click OK to confirm the placement of the arc.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_ArcSet.png

 

 

Part 6) Move to the Top Plane

1      In the UCSTabUCSIcon.pngUCS tab of the Layer-UCS-Post Manager, right-click UCSTabUCSIcon.pngTop (X/Y) and select Active UCS
The Front Plane disappears.


CAD_Surfaces_Offset_FrontUCSoff.png


Part 7) Extrude the Arc

1      Open the ExtrudeCurve.png Extrude Curve function by clicking on that option in the Surfaces menu.

The Extrude Curve dialog opens in the Data Entry tab of the Data-CAM Tree Manager.

2      Hover over the arc as seen in the image below.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_ArcHover.png


3      Click the arc.

The Preview appears.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_ArcExPre.png


4      In the Positive Direction group, change the Distance value to 0.0000.

The Distance in the Other Direction group automatically becomes 1.0000, and the Preview updates.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_ArcExNegPre.png


5      Click OK to create the Extrude Curve.

The Extrude Curve is created in the graphics area and an ExtrudeCurve.png Extrude Curve feature is added to the CADTreeIcon.bmp CAD Tree.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_ArcExSet.png


Part 8) Offset Without Keeping the Original

1      Open the SurfaceOffset.png Offset function by clicking on that option in the Surfaces menu.

The Offset Surface dialog opens in the Data Entry tab of the Data-CAM Tree Manager.

2      Hover over the extruded arc as seen in the image below.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_ArcExHover.png


3      Click the surface.

The surface is selected and is added to the Selected Geometry list.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_ArcExSelected.png


4      In the Parameters group, change the Distance to 0.5000.

5      Next to Options, click WPF_DownArrow.png to access the options.

6      Clear the check box for Keep Original.

The offset we create will now replace the original surface.

7      Click Show Preview.

The Preview appears.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_ArcExOffPre.png


8      Click OK to confirm the surface.

The offset is created in the graphics area and an SurfaceOffset.png Offset Surface feature is created in the CADTreeIcon.bmp CAD Tree.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_ArcExOffDone.png


Part 9) Offset and Keep Original

1      Hover over the rectangular plane as seen in the image below.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_RecPlaneHover.png


2      Click the rectangular plane.

The rectangular plane is added to the Selected Geometry list.

With the Show Preview button still selected, the Preview automatically appears.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_RecPlanePre.png


3      In the Parameters group, change the Distance value to -0.5000.

The Preview updates.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_RecPlanePreReverse.png


4      In the Options group, select the check box for Keep Original.

The offset we create will now be in addition to the original surface.

5      Click OK to confirm.

The offset is created in the graphics area and an SurfaceOffset.png Offset Surface feature is created in the CADTreeIcon.bmp CAD Tree.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_RecPlaneOffsetResult.png


Part 10) Offset with Filleted Edges

1      In the Options group, clear the check box for Fillet Edges.

2      Hover over the cube as seen in the image below.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_CubeRestHover.png


3      Click the cube.

The cube is selected and added to the Selected Geometry list.

The Preview appears.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_CubeOffsetPre.png


4      In the Parameters group, change the Distance value to 0.5000.

The Preview updates.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_CubeOffsetPreReverse.png


5      In the Options group, select the check box for Fillet Edges.

The Preview updates.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_CubeOffsetPreReverseFillet.png


6      Click OK to confirm.

The offset is created in the graphics area and another SurfaceOffset.png Offset Surface feature is created in the CADTreeIcon.bmp CAD Tree.

CAD_Surfaces_Offset_Result.png


7      To end this function, click Cancel.


This concludes the example.