About Duplicating 2D Elements Using Offset

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

This page discusses:

See Also
Duplicating 2D Elements Using Offset

About the Offset Command

After clicking Offset from the Sketch section of the action bar, four possible offset options as well as four different boxes appear in Tools Palette.

These options are:

  • No Propagation (default option).
  • Tangent Propagation
  • Point Propagation
  • Both Side Offset : This option duplicates the element you select on both sides of this element. It can be used while using any of the three options mentioned above.
Important: When a geometry is performed outside the sketch, point and tangents cannot be propagated.

These boxes are:

  • Instance(s): Defines the number of elements you want to obtain after the offset operation.
  • H: Displays horizontal coordinate.
  • V: Displays vertical coordinate.
  • Offset: Defines offset value as per your requirement. The value entered in the box during edition is locked till the focus is on the box. This allows you to move the pointer over the work area without changing the value in the box.
The Offset operation is performed as soon as the Offset box is validated, by pressing Tab or Enter.

What You Can Do

  • 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 pointer is offset.
  • If you position the pointer outside the zone that is accessible for creating a given element, the symbol appears.

Creating Offset and Displaying Relations

When you select the option to display Relations in the tree, the EquivalentDimensions.x node is available under it in certain cases.

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

Drafting App

The salient features are:

  • You can offset 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.