More about Draft Features

Defining Draft Features

There are two ways of determining the objects to draft: either by explicitly selecting the object or by selecting the neutral element, which makes the application detect the appropriate faces to use.

The characteristic elements are:

• pulling direction: This direction corresponds to the reference from which the draft faces are defined.
• draft angle : This is the angle that the draft faces make with the pulling direction. This angle may be defined for each face.
• parting element : This plane, face or surface cuts the part in two and each portion is drafted according to its previously defined direction. For an example, refer to Part Design User's Guide: Dress-Up Features: Draft Features: Creating Drafts with Parting Elements.
• neutral element : This element defines a neutral curve on which the drafted face will lie. This element will remain the same during the draft. The neutral element and parting element may be the same element, as shown in Part Design User's Guide: Dress-Up Features: Draft Features: Creating Drafts with Parting Elements

Editing Drafts:

If you edit the sketch used for defining the initial pad, the application integrates this modification and computes the draft again. In the following example, a chamfer was added to the profile.

You can transform constant angle drafts into variable angle drafts. To do so, double-click the draft of interest, then click the variable angle draft option in the dialog box to access the appropriate options. For more information, refer to Part Design User's Guide: Dress-Up Features: Draft Features: Creating Variable Angle Drafts.

About Pulling Directions

Controlled by reference: Whenever you edit the element defining the pulling direction, you will modify the draft accordingly.

Note that when using the other selection mode (explicit selection), the selected objects are displayed in dark pink.

Contextual commands creating the pulling directions you need are available from the Selection box:

• Create Line: For more information, see .
• Create Plane: see Generative Shape Design User's Guide: Creating Wireframe Geometry: Creating Planes.
• X Axis: the X axis of the current coordinate system origin (0,0,0) becomes the direction.
• Y Axis: the Y axis of the current coordinate system origin (0,0,0) becomes the direction.
• Z Axis: the Z axis of the current coordinate system origin (0,0,0) becomes the direction.

If you create any of these elements, the application then displays the corresponding icon next to the Selection box. Clicking this icon enables you to edit the element.

You can use the compass direction when you use the pulling directions in the contextual menu.

About Limiting Elements

Contextual commands creating the limiting elements you need are available from the Limiting Elements box:

• Create Plane: For more information, see Generative Shape Design User's Guide: Creating Wireframe Geometry: Creating Planes
• XY Plane: The XY plane of the current coordinate system origin (0,0,0) becomes the limiting element.
• YZ Plane: The YZ plane of the current coordinate system origin (0,0,0) becomes the limiting element.
• ZX Plane: The ZX plane of the current coordinate system origin (0,0,0) becomes the limiting element.

• Create Join: Joins surfaces or curves. See Generative Shape Design User's Guide: Performing Operations on Shape Geometry: Joining Surfaces or Curves
• Create Extrapol: Extrapolates surface boundaries or curves. See Generative Shape Design User's Guide: Performing Operations on Shape Geometry: Extrapolating Surfaces and Extrapolating Curves.

If you create any of these elements, the application then displays the corresponding icon next to Limiting Elements. Clicking this icon enables you to edit the element.

About Neutral Elements

It is possible to select several faces to define the neutral element. By default, the pulling direction is given by the first face you select. This is an example of what you can get:

You can use neutral elements that do not intersect the faces to be drafted. This is an example of what you can get:

The Propagation option can be set to:

• None: there is no propagation
• Smooth: the application integrates the faces propagated in tangency onto the neutral face to define the neutral element.

About Filleted Edges

Using Draft Reflect Line , you can draft faces after filleting edges, as illustrated in the example below:

Methodology

• If you need to draft several faces using a pulling direction normal to the neutral element, keep in mind the following operating mode that will facilitate your design:
  
  • Click and first select the neutral element of your choice. The pulling direction that appears is then normal to the neutral element. Select the face to be drafted and click OK to create your first draft.
  • Now, to create the other drafts in the same 3D shape, note that by default the application uses the same pulling direction as the one specified for creating your first draft. As designers usually use a unique pulling direction, you do not need to redefine your pulling direction.
• If you perform a difficult draft operation, for example if you obtain twisted faces, use the Deactivate and Extract Geometry commands to solve your difficulties. For more information, see Generative Shape Design User's Guide: Performing Operations on Shape Geometry: Extracting Geometry: Extracting Elements.