Lesson

6 Edge Operations

Purpose

This lesson introduces Edge Blend and Chamfer operations.

Objectives

Upon completion of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Create Edge Blends.

• Create and edit a Variable Radius Blend

• Create Chamfers.

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 Edge Operations

Overview
Edge operations are available to provide additional defi nition to the edges of a
model. These operations include Edge Blend and Chamfer. They are available
in the Feature Operation toolbar or by choosing Insert? Detail Feature.

You may also create edge blends and chamfers by first selecting the
edge(s) and choosing Blend or Chamfer from the MB3 pop-up menu.

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 Edge Operations

Edge Blend
This option creates cylindrical or conical faces in place of an edge on a solid
body. Material is added or subtracted depending on the topology of the solid
body and the faces intersecting the selected edges (1,2) are shortened.

Creating Edge Blends

After choosing the Edge Blend option, a dialog is displayed and you are
prompted to select a set of edges. You can key in the radius in the Set1 R field.

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 Edge Operations

After the selecting edges, the result is previewed in the graphics window. The
radius value can be adjusted by dragging one of the radius drag handles (1) or
by keying in the value in the dynamic input field (2).

Choose OK, Apply, or MB2 twice to create the edge blend feature.

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Multiple Edge Sets

A single blend feature may consist of one or more sets of edges and each set
may have a different radius value. After the first set of edges is selected and
a radius is specified, choose the Complete set and start next set icon in the
dialog (or MB2 once) to select another set of edges.
The drag handles for the first edge set disappear and an anchor and label
(Set1) are displayed. You may then select edges to include in the second edge
set (Set2) and specify the radius using the new drag handles or dynamic
input field.

You may continue to define another edge set or complete the blend operation
by choosing OK (or MB2 twice).

Selection Intent
The Selection Intent toolbar is available while creating an edge blend to
specify edge selection rules. These rules can be applied to automatically select
a collection of edges in a single step instead of selecting each edge individuall y.
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E d g e Operations

Activity — Creatin g Edge Blends

In this activi ty, you will crea te Edge Blends.

Step 1: Open the edge_blend_1 part.

Step 2: Start the Modeling application.

Step 3: Create the first Edge Blend .

Select the edge (1), click MB3, and choose the Blend option
from the pop-up menu.

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 Edge Operations

Key in .75 for the radius and press Enter (or use the drag
handles).

Choose OK (or MB2 twice) to create the blend.

Step 4: Create the second Edge Blend.

Choose the Edge Blend icon.

(Insert→Detail Feature→Edge Blend)

In the Selection Intent toolbar, verify the Curve option is set to

Tangent Curves.

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 Edge Operations

Select the edge (1) shown below.

Notice the tangent edges are automatically selected based on

the Add Tangent Chain selection rule.

Key in a radius of .5 (or use the drag handles).

8 If you were to choose OK now, only the three tangent edges

would be blended. Instead, you will blend the entire left side of
the part so the additional edges must be selected manually.

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 Edge Operations

Select the two additional edges on the left side of the part shown
below.

Choose OK (or MB2 twice) to create the blend.

Step 5: Close the part.

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Edge Operations

Variable Radius Blends

You can create a variable radius blend by specifying multiple points along
selected edges and entering a radius at each point. This creates a blend
whos e radius varies as specified.
A tolerance is used to approximate the variable radius blend. The system
uses the smallest of these three tolerances:
• Tolerance in the Edge Blend dialog

• Distance Tolerance in the Modeling Preferences dialog

• The sma llest ente red radius of the variable radius blend divided by ten,
unless the radius is zero

If the blend fails, tighten the tolerance. If the blend takes a long time to
generate, loosen the tolerance.

Procedure

To create a variable radius blend:

• Choose Edge Blend.

• Select the desired edges to blend.

• Choose the Variable Radius icon.

• Indicate point locations and radii where you want the radius to vary.

1• Modify the point location as necessary by dragging, % Arc Length, or Arc

Length.

The Edge Blend dialog maintains a list of points, associa ted

values, and expressions.

• Choose OK when you have the shape you want.

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 Edge Operations

Creating Variable Radius Points

While you are creating or editing an edge blend and after you have specified
its edge sets, you can add some variable radius points to the sets. This has
the effect of varying the blend’s radius along its edge.
The Snap Point options (End Point, Mid Point, Control Point, Intersection
Point, Arc Cente r, Quadrant Point, Existing Point, Point on Curve, Point on
Surface and Point Constructor) can help you specify points.

You can change the position of a point to any other position along the edge it
is on by:
• dragging the point handle.

17

• entering the desired value in the % Arc Length or Arc Length dynamic
input window.

• entering the desired value on the full dialog.

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You can toggle between % Arc Length (the default) and Arc Length by MB3
over a variable point handle.

You can delete a point by using MB3 over it in the graphics window then
choosing Delete.
Once you have selected all desired edges (1) and selected all desired point
locations for varying radii (2) , choose OK and the blend is created.

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 Edge Operations

Editing Variable Radius Blends

You can edit features in general from Edit→Feature→Edit Parameters or the

Part Navigator.
You may also click MB3 over a feature in the graphic window to choose from
the MB3 menu or click and hold MB3 for radial pop-ups of the most common
options.

Tips and Techniques

• If you do not give enough information to create the blend, the system
infers information for you depending on other selected geometry:

• If you indicate only one point and corresponding radius for a selected
edge, the system creates a constant radius blend for that edge. 17
• If you do not give a point and radius to a selected edge, the system uses
the default radius to create the blend for that edge.

• If you are editing an existing edge blend and you are not using Edit with
Rollback, the Enable Preview option is not available.

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 Edge Operations

The following are some rules you should follow to produce the desired blends:
• To produce a linearly varying blend (3), you must define a different radius
at each end of an edge (1,2).

• If you must perform an operation that will blend away entire faces (1),
blend only one edge at a time.

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 Edge Operations

• If you select an open loop set of edges and supply radii only to the two open
endpoints, the blend will vary continuously from endpoint to endpoint.
In the example belo w, three edges on the top face of the block are blended.
A radius of 0.1 is assigned at end point (1) and a radius of 0.4 is assigned
at end point (2).

The result is shown below in both a TOP and ISO view.

You can create a variable radius blend with the radii value of zero at one
of the selected vertices (1,2).
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 Edge Operations

Activity - Creating a Variable Radius Blend

You will apply a variable blend along series of tangent edges.

Step 1: Open the part file blend_frame and choose Start→Modeling.

17

Step 2: Create a variable radius blend.

Choose Edge Blend.

Set the selection intent to Tangent Curves.

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Select the edge (1) shown below.

All of the tangent edges are selected.

Once you have selected the first edge the collection of

edges identified by the selection intent is specified as Set
1, and the Variable Radius, Set Back, and Stop Short
options become active.

If you enter a radius value now it will become the default

radius for the blend.

Enter 0.5 as the default radius.

Choose Variable Radius.

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Zoom in on the model and select the left end point of the same
edge as befor e.

You can drag labels for Set, Arc Length, and Radius on to
a more convenient location when necessary.

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 Edge Operations

Drag the point back and forth and observe how the dynamic
input window updates with the percent along the curve as the
point moves along the selected edge.

You could also key in a specific value.

Move the slider so that the asterisk is located on the endpoint

shown below, 100% of the arc length.

Key in 1.12 in the dynamic input box and press Enter.

17

You will get a warning, “Unable to terminate the blend faces.” You
will correct that with the next point.

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Select the edge (1) shown below at its center control point.
(Modify Snap Point if necessar y.)

Verify that the % Arc Length is 50.

In the dynamic input box for Pt2 R, the default value is displayed.
Key in the Pt2 R value 1.12 and press Enter.

The blend can now be calculated over the entire edge string.
All the selected points and parameters can be accessed as
often as needed by selecting the line in the dialog list, the
point handle, or the input window.
MB3 over a handle offers a toggle between % Arc Length
and Arc Length.
Delete is always an MB3 option.
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 Edge Operations

Select the left end point on the cente r-most edge (1) shown
below. (0% Arc Length)

Key in 0.5 in the dynamic input box and press Enter.

The preview should now show a change in radius between points 2

and 3.
Select the same edge again at the right end. (100 % Arc Length)

17

The default value 0.5 appears in dynamic input box Pt4 R.

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Select the edge (1) shown below at its center control point.

Enter 1.12 in the dynamic input box Pt5 R.

The preview should now show a constant radius of .5 between

points 3 and 4 and a “bulge” at point 5. Notice that to the right
of point 5 the radius returns to the default value of .5. You will
correct that by specifying a value at the end of the string.
Select the endpoint (1) as shown below.

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 Edge Operations

Enter 1.12 as the Pt6 R value.

The blend preview should now appear symmetric about the part
cente r.

Choose OK to create the blend.

17 Step 3: Edit one of the variable radii.

With the cursor over the blend feature, click and hold MB3 and
choose the Edit Parameters icon from the radial pop-ups.

Select the Pt3 R input window.

Edit the variable radius Pt3 R from .5 to 1.75.

Change the % Arc Length value for Pt3 to 20 and choose OK.

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The blend should now look like the illustration below.

Step 4: Close the part, do not save.

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 Edge Operations

Chamfer
This option bevels the edges of a solid body by defining the desired chamfer
dimensions.
Material is added or subtracted depending on the topology of the solid body
and the faces intersecting the selected edges (1,2) are shortened.

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Creating Chamfers
The Chamfer dialog is displayed and you are prompted to select the edges to
chamfe r. You can specify an Input Option and offset values in the dialog.

After edges are selected, you can also use the drag handles or dynamic entry
fields in the graphics window to specify the offsets.
Choose OK (or MB2 ) to create the chamfer.

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Chamfer Input Options

The same offset value (1) is measured along

Symmetric Offsets both adjacent faces.

Diffe rent offsets (1, 2) are measured along

Asymmetric Offsets the adjacent faces.

An Offset value (1) and an Angle (2) are

Offset and Angle required.

You can change the Input Option in the dialog or by highlighting the
drag handle in the graphics window with the cursor and choosing
8 MB 3.

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Activity — Creating Chamfers

In this activity, you will apply chamfers to the edges of a model.

Step 1: Open the chamfer_1 part.

Step 2: Start the Modeling application.

Step 3: Create a chamfer by specifying an offset and angle.

Choose the Chamfer icon.

(Insert→Detail Feature→Chamfer)

Choose Offset and Angle in the Chamfer dialog.

Key in the following values:

Offset = 1.75
Angle = 30
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 Edge Operations

Select the edge (1).

If your model does not look like the figure below, choose the

Reverse Offsets icon in the Chamfer dialo g.

Choose Apply.

Step 4: Create a chamfer with asymmetric offsets.

Choose the Asymmetric Offsets icon in the Chamfer dialog.

Key in the following values:

8 First Offset = .25
Second Offset = .5

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Select the edge (2).

If your model does not look like the figure below, choose the
Reverse Offsets icon.

Choose OK.

Step 5: Close the part.

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 Edge Operations

Summary
The Edge Blend and Chamfer operations are available to provide additional
definition to the edges of a model. All of the blended edges or chamfered edges
created in a single operation are considered to be one feature.
In this lesson you:
• Blended a single edge.

• Blended edges using a selection intent rule.

• Created and edited a Variable Radius blend

• Chamfered edges using different input options.

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