More about Grooves

This section describes the various options available in the Groove Definition dialog box.

Thin Groove

You can add thickness to both sides of the profile to be used to create the groove. Selecting the Thick Profile check box expands the Groove Definition dialog box, which lets you then define Thickness 1 and Thickness 2.

In the example below, the groove is created using Thick Profile.

Initial profile:

I

The profile is previewed in dotted line. Thicknesses of different values have been added to both sides of the profile.

Resulting groove:

The Merge Ends option is used: the application attaches the profile endpoints to adjacent geometry (axis or if possible to existing material).

Important: The Thin Groove capability does not allow you to extrude networks

This section provides information on the profiles used to create a groove.

• You can create grooves from sketches including several closed profiles. These profiles must not intersect and they must be on the same side of the axis.
• You can define whether you need the whole sketch, or sub-elements only. For more information, see Using the Sub-Elements of a Sketch.
• If needed, you can change the sketch by clicking the Selection box and by selecting another sketch in the geometry or in the specification tree.
• You can also use any of these creation contextual commands available from the Selection box:
  
  • Insert Wireframe > Create Sketch: Opens the Sketcher workbench after selecting any plane, and lets you sketch the profile you need as explained in the Sketcher User's Guide.

  • Insert Surfaces > Create Fill: Creates fill surfaces between the boundary segments. For more information, see Generative Shape Design User's Guide: Creating Surfaces: Creating Fill Surfaces.

  • Insert Operations > Create Join: Joins surfaces or curves. For more information, see Generative Shape Design User's Guide: Performing Operations on Shape Geometry: Joining Surfaces or Curves.
  • Insert Operations > Create Extract: Generates separate elements from non-connex sub-elements. For more information, see Generative Shape Design User's Guide: Performing Operations on Shape Geometry: Extracting Geometry: Extracting Elements.

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

  If you have chosen to work in a hybrid design environment, the geometrical elements created on the fly via the contextual commands mentioned above are aggregated into sketch-based features.

• Clicking opens the Sketcher workbench. You can then edit the profile. Once you have done your modifications, the Groove Definition dialog box reappears to let you finish your design.
• You can use wireframe geometry as your profile and axes created with the Axis System command. For more information, see Generative Shape Design User's Guide: Using Tools: Defining an Axis System.
• If you execute the Groove command with no profile previously defined, just click the icon and select a plane to access the Sketcher workbench, then sketch the profile you need.
• An open profile (not even closed by the revolution axis) cannot be be used as the first feature in a body.

This section provides information on the surfaces used to create a groove.

You can create grooves by selecting a surface as illustrated in this example:

This section provides information on the axes used to create a groove.

You can select axes from the geometry area, not from the specification tree. Additionally, keep in mind the following recommendations:

• The Selection box in the Axis area is reserved for the axes you explicitly select.
• Contextual commands creating the directions you need are available from the Selection box:
  
  • Create Line: For more information, see Generative Shape Design User's Guide: Creating Wireframe Geometry: Creating Lines.
  • X Axis: The X axis of the current coordinate system origin (0,0,0) becomes the axis.
  • Y Axis: The Y axis of the current coordinate system origin (0,0,0) becomes the axis.
  • Z Axis: The Z axis of the current coordinate system origin (0,0,0) becomes the axis.

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