Creating Rough Offset Surfaces

This command is only available with the Generative Shape Optimizer product.
This task shows you how to create a rough offset surface, that is a constant offset surface which approximates the initial surface to keep only its main characteristics.
Open the RoughOffset1.CATPart document.

  1. Click Rough Offset .

    The Rough Offset Surface Definition dialog box appears.

  2. Select the Surface to be offset.

    An arrow indicates the proposed direction for the offset. Click it to reverse the direction.

  3. Specify 20mm as the Offset value.

  4. Set the approximation tolerance by specifying a value as the Deviation value.

    The default value is 1mm. The minimum value is 0.2mm.
    • If the deviation value is too less, a warning message Impossible Computation is displayed in the dialog box. Click the arrow to read the warning message:
      Available memory is insufficient to proceed with these parameters. Please change the inputs.
    • If the deviation value is computable, yet too less,  a warning message Computational Risk is displayed in the dialog box. Click the arrow to read the information:
      Available memory is just enough to proceed. computation may fail and/or be very long.
    • You can change the inputs. Once the deviation value is computable, a message Ready to process appears in the dialog box. You can cancel the message by clicking the cross mark.

  5. Click Preview to preview the offset surface.

    The offset surface is displayed normal to the reference surface.

    A progress bar is displayed to allow the control of the computation.

    The Deviation Analysis check box becomes available.

  6. Select the Deviation Analysis check box to display and analyze the points which exceed maximum deviation.
    The Deviation Analysis color scale appears.

  7. Click OK to create the surface.

    The surface (identified as Offset.xxx) is added to the specification tree.
    Note that the boundaries of the rough offset surface are not computed. Only a global boundary that contains one sub-element is created.
    • You can display the offset surface on the other side of the reference surface by clicking either the arrow or Reverse Direction.
    • You can generate two offset surfaces, one on each side of the reference surface, by checking Both sides.
  Note: If you are a DS Passport customer, you can read the QA00000018192 article from the Knowledge Base for more about rough offset surface.
 
In case an error message is issued asking you to modify the inputs, we advise you to change the deviation, either by increasing or decreasing it.