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Purpose
Objectives
• Position features. 5
• Edit the parameters and position of features.
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Placement Face
All form features require a placement face. For a groove, the placement face
must be cylindrical or conical. For all other form features, the placement face
must be plana r. This planar placement face defines the X-Y plane of the
coordinate system for the feature being created. Features are created normal
to the placement face.
A datum plane may be used as the planar placement fac e. In the following
example, the datum plane is used as the Planar Placement face for the hole
feature.
1 — Horizontal 6 — Angular
2 — Vertical 7 — Point onto Point
3 — Parallel 8 — Point onto Line
4 — Perpendicular 9 — Line onto Line
5 — Parallel at a Distance
Only the dimension types that apply to the feature being creating
will be displayed.
Hole
• Select the placement face. If a datum plane is selected choose the Reverse
Side button as required.
• Choose OK or Apply.
Hole Types
Simple 1 – Diameter
2 – Depth
3 – Tip Angle
Boss
The Boss feature is used to add a cylindrical shape with a specified height to
a model, having either straight or tapered sides.
1 — Diameter
2 — Height
3 — Taper Angle
A positive or negative value may be entered depending on which way the wall
is to incline. A zero value results in a vertical cylinder wall.
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Positioning Terminology
• Target Solid — The solid body that a Boolean operation acts upon. In the
context of a Form Feature it is the solid body that the Hole, Slot, Pocket or
Groove will subtract from, or a Boss or Pad will unite with.
• Target Edge — An edge on the Target Solid that is selected for positioning
purposes.
• Tool Edge — An edge on the Tool Solid that is selected for positioning
purposes.
Positioning Methods
Horizontal
Specifies the hori zontal distance between two points, one on the target solid
and the other on the tool solid. Horizontal is measured along the X-axis of the
feature coordinate system (the Horizontal Reference). As edges are selected,
the nearest valid point is selected (midpoints are not selectable).
1 — Horizontal Reference
2 — Target Edge (End Point)
3 — Tool Edge (Tangent Point)
Vertical
Specifies the vertical distance between two points, one on the target solid and
the other on the tool solid. Vertical is measured along the Y-axis of the feature
coordinate system (perpendicular to the Horizontal Reference). As edges are
selected, the nearest valid point is selected (midpoints are not selectable).
1 — Horizontal Reference
2 — Target Edge (End Point)
3 — Tool Edge (Arc Center)
Perpendicular
Sp ecifies the shortest (normal) distance between a linear edge on the target
solid (also datum pla nes or axis) and a point on the tool solid. The linear
target edge is always selected first.
1 — Target Edge
2 — Tool Ed ge (Arc Center)
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Point onto Line
Specifies that the distance between an edge on the target solid (also datum
planes or axis) and a point on the tool solid is zero.
1 — Target Edge (Datum Plane)
2 — Tool Edge (Arc Center)
Parallel
Specifies the shortest distance between two points, one point on the target
solid and the other point on the tool solid. As edges are selected, the nearest
valid point is selected (midpoints are not selectable).
Specifies the distance between a point on the target solid and a point on the
tool solid is zero. This is commonly used to align arc centers (concentric) of
cylindrical or conical features. This method fully constrains their location
since rotation is not a degree of freedom for cylindrical or conical features.
1 — Target Edge (Arc Center)
2 — Tool Edge (Arc Center)
Point onto Point is the same as the Parallel positioning dimension with
the value automatically set to zero. You can change it to a non-zero
value when you edit the feature.
In this activity, you will create and position hole and boss features.
Diameter = 2
Height = .125
Taper Angle = 0
Select the top face of the block (1) as the placement face.
Choose OK (MB2).
Key in a Diameter of 1.
Select the top face of the boss (1) as the placement face and the
bottom face of the block as the thru face.
Choose Apply.
C-Bore Diameter = 1
C-Bore Depth = .5
Hole Diameter = .5
Select the top face of the block as the placement face and the
bottom face of the block as the thru face.
Choose Apply.
C-Bore Diameter = 1
C-Bore Depth = .5
Hole Diameter = .5
Select the top face of the block as the placement face and the
bottom face of the block as the thru face.
Choose Apply.
Choose Simple
Diameter = .25
Depth = 1
Tip Angle = 0
Select the top face of the block as the placement face in the
approximate locati on shown (1).
Choose Apply.
Choose Horizontal .
Select a front edge (2) of the block as the
Horizontal Reference, select the edge of the boss (3) as the
target edge, and choose the Arc Center option.
Choose Vertical.
Select the edge of the boss again as the target edge and choose
the Arc Center option.
Choose OK.
Step 8: Create another simple thru hole that is aligned with the edges of
the front face of the block.
Key in a Diameter of 1.
Select the right face of the block (1) as the placement face and
left face (2) as the thru face.
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Choose OK.
Choose Perpendicular .
Select the bottom right edge (4).
Key in a Diameter of 7.
Select the top face of the block as the placement face and
bottom face as the thru face.
Choose OK.
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The completed part should appear as shown.
Slot
This option allows you to create a slot in a solid body as if cut by a milling
machine tool. In each case, the shape of the cutting tool corresponds to the
slot type and dimensions.
The slot feature will be created so that the axis of the cutting tool is normal to
the face or datum plane selected. Initially, the path of the slot will be parallel
to the selected Horizontal Reference.
There are several different slot types available. You will be prompted for the
parameters that apply to the type of slot chosen.
Rectangular Slot
The Rectangular slot type uses a tool that has cylindrical end faces and will
produce sharp edges along the bottom of the slot.
1 — Length
2 — Width
3 — Depth
The Width of the rectangular slot represents the diameter of the cylindrical
cutting tool.
The Depth of the slot is measured in a direction parallel to the tool axis from
the placement face to the bottom of the slot. Depth values must be positive.
The Length is measured parallel to the horizontal reference (X in the feature
coordinate system). Length values must be positive.
Ball-End
U-Slot
T-Slot
Dove-Tail
You should not dimension to the end arcs of the slot when positioning a Thru
Slot. The length of a Thru Slot is determined by the selected thru faces. The
only positioning dimension required is to locate an edge or centerline along
the length of the slot (tool) to a target edge or datum. Parallel at a Distance
can be used to constrain the feature and control the two remaining degrees of
freedom.
• Rectangular
Rectangular Pocket
Pocket features may be positioned from a tool edge or from the centerlines
provided for this purpose.
Pad
Rectangular Pad
This option allows a rectangular pad to be defined to a specified height, with
or without a corner radius and/or taper.
The following paramete rs may be specified:
1 — Length
2 — Width
3 — Height
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— Corner Radius
— Taper Angle
Parallel at a Distance
Specifies that a linear edge on the target solid (also a datum plane or datum
axis) and a linear edge on the tool solid must be parallel and at a given
distance. This is typically used for features with length (slot, pocket or pad).
1 — Target Edge
2 — Tool Edge (Cen terline of Slot)
Using Parallel at a Distance will solve two of the three degrees of freedom
necessary to fully specify a feature having a length (rotation and translation
in one direction). Adding another Parallel at a Distance or Line onto Line
dimension would overspecify the location of the feature.
To fully specify the feature in the example an additional positioning
dimension is required to solve the final degree of fr e e d o m (i.e. Horizontal,
Vertical, Perpendicular).
Specifies that the distance between a linear edge on the target solid (or a
datum plane or datum axis) and a linear edge on the tool solid is zero and
they are constrained parallel to each other. This is typically used for features
with length (slot, pocket, or pad).
1 — Target Edge (Datum Plane)
2 — Tool Edge (Cen terline of Slot)
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Using Line onto Line will solve two of the three degrees of freedom necessary
to fully specify a feature having a length (rotational and translation in one
direction). Adding another Line onto Line or Parallel at a Distance dimension
would overspecify the location of the feature. To fully specify the feature in
the above example an additional positioning dimension is required to solve the
final degree of freedom (i.e. Horizontal, Perpendicular, or Point onto Line).
Line onto Line is the same as the Parallel at a Distance positioning
dimension with the value automatically set to zero. This zero value
can be changed to a non-zero value when editing the feature.
Angular
Specifies that a linear edge on the target solid (also a datum plane or datum
axis) and a linear edge on the tool solid must be at a given angle to each other.
The angle is measured in a counte r-clockwise direction (with respect to the
feature coordinate system), from the ends of the edges nearest to where they
are selected.
1 — Target Edge
2 — Tool Edge (Edge of Pocket)
Parameter Entry Options let you easily define your model parametrically as
you specify values during feature creation. They are accessed by choosing
the “down-arrow” icon located next to many of the parameter entry fields
throughout the Modeling application.
Options are provided to let you specify a value based on a formula, a reference
to an existing value, or a derived value from a measurement without having to
copy and paste or reenter the values.
You can use these options to easily lookup functions and define relationships
5 between features. You can use values that already exist in your model,
making downstream changes easier and in agreement with your design
intent.
The design intent is that the length of the pocket be the same
as the Y Length of the block.
The parameter for the size of the block appears in the Length
field for the pocket. This “p-number” may be different in your
part.
Choose OK.
Choose Line onto Line and select the target (1) and the
tool (2) as indicated below.
Choose Point onto Line and select the target (3) and
the tool (4) as indicated below.
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The design intent is that the depth of the slot be the same as
the X Length of the block.
Length = 1
Width = .55
Press the Tab key to highlight the Depth field (or double-click
in the Depth field).
Choose OK.
Choose OK.
Groove
Positioning a Groove
You only have to position a groove along the axis of the cylindrical or conical
placement face. The Positioning dialog will not appear. Instead, you are only
required to specify a horizontal dimension along the axis by selecting a target
edge followed by a tool edge or centerline.
Two grooves are shown in the following example.
1 — Target Edge
2 — Tool Edge (or centerline)
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In this activity, you will create a groove feature and position it along the
axis of a cylindrical solid body.
Choose Rectangular.
Choose OK.
Select the front outside circular edge (1) as the target edge and
the centerline of the groove (2) as the tool edge.
Edit Parameters
The Edit Parameters and Edit with Rollback options allow you to rede fine the
parameter values of any parametric feature and update the model to reflect
the new values. To edit the parameters of a feature:
• Select the feature to edit.
– With the cursor over the feature, choose MB3? Edit Parameters or
MB3? Edit with Rollback.
– Double-click the feature or use the MB3 popup menu in the Part
Navigator. 5
– Choose Edit? Feature? Edit Parameters and select the feature.
– Choose the Edit Feature Parameters icon and select the feature.
– Any of the valid parameters types may be chosen from the Edit
Parameters dialog. This displays the original creation dialog where
the parameters may be edited.
• Choose OK until the editing dialogs are dismissed and the model updates.
Edit Positioning
– With the cursor over the feature in the Part Navigato r, choose
MB3? Edit Positioning.
– Choose Edit? Feature? Positioning and then select the feature to edit.
– Choose the Edit Feature Positioning icon and select the feature
to edit.
• Choose OK until the editing dialogs are dismissed and the model updates.
Add Dimension
This option may be used to add a positioning dimension to a feature.
When adding positioning dimensions, any edge (1) resulting from the
intersection of the feature being positioned (2) and a face on the target solid
(3) may not be selected as the tool edge.
The intersection edge is a child object of the tool and target solid’s face and
is defined by the boolean operation associated with the feature type being
created. The boolean operation does not occur until after the position of the
feature has been defined. Therefore, the intersection edge is not a valid
selection to specify location. 5
When adding positioning dimensions to a Thru Hole, no edges will be
selectable as the target edge because both edges are intersection edges. The
Identify Solid Face option is used to select the center of the cylindrical face (1).
Valid target edges for positioning purposes must belong to features existing
in the feature creation list of the model before the feature being positioned.
In the example below the features are numbered in the order in which they
were created. Feature (2) may not be positioned using any face or edge from
feature (3). If an edge or face from feature (3) is selected as a target, a message
is displayed stating that you cannot select an object from a later feature and a
dialog will let you highlight those edges and faces which can be selected.
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Edit Dimension Value
Continue editing as many dimension values as desired. Once all the desired
dimension values have been edited, choose OK.
Delete Dimension
Use this option to delete a positioning dimension from a feature. The feature
will then remain in its current location as its position is no longer associated
to the model.
Error Messages
You can choose Show Current Model followed by the Show Failure
Area option to help identify the problem visually.
The Part Navigator is a powerful tool that may be used to identify and edit
features. Holding down MB3 on a feature node in the Part Navigator displays
a feature speci fic pop-up menu. This menu provides an alternative method to
edit the parameters and the position of a form feature.
To access the Part Navigato r, choose the icon on the resource bar on the right
side of the NX wind ow.
With the cursor over the highlighted hole feature, click MB3
and choose Edit Parameters.
With the cursor over the highlighted hole feature, click MB3
and choose Edit Positioning.
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With the cursor over the highlighted hole feature, click MB3
and choose Edit Parameters.
With the cursor over the highlighted hole feature, click MB3
and choose Edit Positioning.
Choose Perpendicular.
Because the hole was created as a thru hole, you are limited in
what you can select for a tool edge. In cases where you cannot
5 select an appropriate tool edge or, if the resulting edge is not
a true circle (like shown at one end), you can use the Identify
Solid Face option.
Information? Feature
Choosing Information? Feature will display a Feature Browser dialog where
you can obtain detailed information about features in a model. Selecting a
feature and choosing OK or Apply will display an Information window.
Accessing the Info rmation pull-down menu options will not cancel feature
construction dialogs. This allows you to find necessary information needed
while creating new features.
Display Dimensions
The Display Dimensions option in the Feature Browser temporarily displays
the parameters of size and location in the graphics window for the feature.
Refreshing the graphics window removes the temporary display of the
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parameters.
Display Dimensions can also be accessed using the Part Navigato r.
When positioning from edges, select edges that are less likely to be
affected by downstream features and editing operations. This will
reduce the chances of future model update failures.
Summary
In this lesson you were introduced to Form Features. Form features are used
to add detail to the model during creation. Form features are fully associative
to the geometry and parameter values used to create them. The different
form features are: Hole, Boss, Pocket, Pad, Slot, and Groove.
This lesson you:
• Identified a Placement Face.