Offsetting Elements

You can also duplicate by offset one of the following: an edge, a face (all the boundaries of this face are offset) or a geometrical feature (for example, by selecting a join or another sketch in the specification tree).

Select a topic:

• Offset 2D geometry,
• Use offset tools,
• Offset 3D geometry,
• Modify a 3D geometry offset.

Offsetting 2D Geometry

1. Click Offset from the Operations toolbar (Transformation subtoolbar).

2. There are two possibilities, depending on whether the line you want to duplicate by offset is already selected or not:

   If the line is already selected, the line to be created appears immediately.  If the line is not already selected, select it. The line to be created appears.

3. Select a point or click where you want the new element to be located.
   The selected line is duplicated. Both lines are parallel. 

• If you were offsetting circles or arcs, these two circles would be concentric.
• If Geometrical Constraints and Dimensional Constraints are active in the Sketch tools toolbar when offsetting an element, constraints are automatically created, based on the type of element you are offsetting.  Thus, if you move an element, or change its geometry, the other element will be moved or modified accordingly.

Using Offset Tools

You can also apply one or more offset instances to profiles made of several elements:

• by using tangency propagation or point propagation,
• by creating an offset element that is tangent to the first one,
• by creating several offset instances.

If the multi-selected elements do not make up a closed profile, the offset will be applied to the selected elements only. As a result, you will have as many offset elements as the first multi-selected elements. 

Previews are not available when creating several offset instances (i.e. when the value in the Instance(s) field of the Sketch tools toolbar is higher than one).

Creating Offset and Displaying Relations

When you select the option to display Relations in the specification tree, the Equivalent Dimensions node is available under it in the certain cases. For information on Equivalent Dimensions, see Infrastructure User Guide: Advanced Tasks: Using Knowledgeware Capabilities: Relations: Using the Equivalent Dimension Feature.

1. Single object to be offset into single instance: EquivalentDimensions.x node is not created.
2. Single object to be offset into multiple instances: EquivalentDimensions.x node is created.
3. Multiple objects to be offset into single or multiple instances: EquivalentDimensions.x node is not created.

1. Click Offset .

2. Select the desired option from the displayed Sketch tools toolbar. (These options are described further down in this section).

3. Select the element you want to offset and if needed, enter the desired number of instances. The element to be created is previewed. 

4. Select a point or click where you want the new element to be located.

To offset a single element:

Activate No Propagation .

To offset an element and elements which are tangent to it:

Activate Tangent Propagation .

To offset an element using Point Propagation:

Activate Point Propagation .

To offset an element symmetrically to another:

Activate Both Side Offset .

To offset and duplicate multiple elements:

Type the number of elements you want to create in the Instances field.

• Note that the Offset command is performed as soon as the Offset field is validated, by pressing Tab or Enter.

• Note that if you position the cursor outside the zone that is allowed for creating a given element, the symbol appears.

Drafting Workbench

You can create offset geometry using 2D component elements and dress-up elements (axis lines, center lines and threads). Note that by doing this, you will not create offset 2D components or dress-up elements, but you will create offset geometry. 

• You can offset them only element by element.
• You cannot offset complex curves.
• This will only work if you first select the command and then the element to offset.

Offsetting Geometrical Elements Other than Lines and Circles

Applying Offset to geometrical elements other than lines and circles generates:

• Splines if Dimensional Constraints is selected.

• Offset curves if Dimensional Constraints is not selected. In this case, associativity is maintained between the offset element and the initial geometry.

In Drafting workbenches, associativity is maintained if the offset operation was done with Create Detected Constraints on.

Offsetting 3D Geometry

You can create an associative offset with a 3D element.

1. Click Offset .

2. Select the 3D surface to offset, Face.1 for example.
   The profile to be created is previewed. The No canonical curve detection option is available in the Sketch tools toolbar.

3. Optional: Click No canonical curve detection to create a complex curve instead of canonical curve.

   The No canonical curve detection option is unavailable by default. In this case, a canonicity detection is performed according to the application tolerance, in other words the application tries to recognize sketcher elements like line or conic curves. The No Canonical Curve option is unavailable when editing a use-edge mark of composite curve type in the specification tree. The No Canonical Curve option is not taken into account if you activate the Create Datum mode.

4. You can do one of the following:

   Specify the offset position or value in the Sketch tools toolbar and press Enter to validate. Move the pointer till the correct offset appears in the sketch, then click to validate the position.

   The offset is created, with the offset value displayed. It appears as Mark.1 in the specification tree.

    

• If you want to edit the offset value, you can double-click it and enter a new value in the dialog box which is displayed.
  
• When offsetting a face, if there is an intersection between the face and the sketch plane, by default, it is this intersection which is offset (rather than the projection of the face edges). In this case, if you want to offset the projection of the face edges, you can modify the offset as explained in the section below.
• You can offset the intersection between a face and a sketch plane without explicitly creating this intersection.
• lf you offset a multi-domain face, the face that is closer from the cursor is offset.

If you isolate a composite mark, as many simple geometry elements as the mark was containing are created, and associativity will not be available anymore. 

Modifying a 3D Geometry Offset  

1. Double-click the offset in the specification tree or on the sketch.
   The Offset Definition dialog box appears.

Offset Definition Dialog Box

In this dialog box, you can modify the offset definition.

Parallel corner type

This option specifies whether corners should be round or sharp (when applicable).
Note: This option applies only when the offset results in extrapolated curves (as is the case in our example, for instance).

Parameters

These options let you specify the offset parameters.

• Object to offset: indicates which 3D element is offset. To offset another element, select this field and then select the new element in the sketch. 

  The selection of new reference element can be propagated, and replaced by a semantic edge (intersection edge, tangent intersection edge, or tangent edge), if either Intersection edges activation or Tangent Intersection edges activation is chosen in the User Selection Filter toolbar before the selection.

• Offset value: indicates the offset value. You can modify it by typing a new value in this field.
• Offset mode: when offsetting a face, specify whether you want to intersect and offset or to project and offset the face by selecting the appropriate option from the list.

Propagation

1. Following options let you offset a 3D element using the propagation of an edge.

   • Type: specifies what type of offset propagation should be applied to the selected reference element:
     

     No propagation: offsets a single element. Since the offset result is singular, Reference Element is not taken into account. In a case of a multi domain face, the nearest edge of the picking point is used automatically as reference element, and determines which domain of the face is used for the offset. Tangent propagation: offsets the selected element as well as the elements tangent to it. Point propagation: offsets the selected element along with the elements connected to it.

   • Reference element: indicates which edge should be used as a reference for the propagation. Select this field and then select the reference edge in the sketch.

    

2. In the Offset value field, type 20mm.

3. In the Offset mode field, select Project and offset.

4. Optional: Select the No Canonical Curve check box to create a complex curve instead of canonical curve.

   The No Canonical Curve check box is cleared by default. In this case, a canonicity detection is performed according to the application tolerance, in other words the application tries to recognize sketcher elements like line or conic curves.

5. Click OK to validate. The offset is modified.

Construction element

This option lets you convert a standard element into a construction element.

• Only 3D elements can be offset with associativity.
• There is no propagation on 3D edges.
• Typing a negative offset value reverses the offset direction.
• Multi-domain elements cannot be offset in one shot.
• If you apply the Parents/Children... command to a sketch containing an offset obtained after selecting a face or an edge, the Parents command shows the last solid feature that modified the offset geometry. To see an example of this, refer to Parents/Children paragraph of Projecting 3D Elements onto the Sketch Plane.
• You can specify the position of an offset curve by taking into account the limiting point of an existing curve. For more information, refer to SmartPicking while Offsetting Elements.