Creating Edge Fillets

You can create a constant radius fillet along the internal edge of a joined surface. The fillet surface is obtained by rolling a sphere over the selected edge.

Edge fillets are useful for providing a transitional surface along a sharp internal edge of a surface.

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin: Create a 3D shape containing a surface with a sharp edge.
See Also
Creating Points
In the Knowledge Base
The edition of an edge fillet sometimes generates an update error
Cases where the edge fillet operation fails

Create an Edge Fillet

You can define fillet by selecting edges.

  1. From the Refine section of the action bar, click Edge Fillet .
  2. In the Object(s) to fillet box, select the edge to be filleted.
    You can also select a face, provided there is no ambiguity in the edge(s) to be filleted.

  3. In the Extremities list, select the desired type of extremity for the fillet.
    • Straight: no tangency constraint is imposed at the connecting point between the fillet and the initial support, generating sometimes a sharp angle.
    • Smooth: a tangency constraint is imposed at the connection between the fillet surface and the support surfaces, thus smoothing the connection.
    • Maximum: the fillet surface is limited by the longest selected edge.
    • Minimum: the fillet surface is limited by the shortest selected edge.

    (Refer to Creating Shape Fillets)

  4. In the Radius box, enter the value of the fillet.
    A preview of the fillet appears.

  5. In the Propagation list, select the desired propagation:
    • Tangency: the fillet is propagated up to the first edge that is not continuous in tangency.

      The tangent continuous edges of the selected edge are managed to ensure a better fillet stability and robustness (More fillets are automatically rerouted in case of design changes).

    • Minimal : the fillet is propagated up to the first geometric limitation.
    • Intersection: the fillet is propagated to all the edges that have been generated by intersecting the features.
  6. Select the Conic parameter check box.
    This check box allows you to vary the section of the fillet.
    Important: For a parameter comprised between or equal to:
    • 0.5, the resulting curve is a parabola.
    • 0 < parameter < 0.5, the resulting curve is an arc of an ellipse
    • 0.5 < parameter < 1, the resulting curve is a hyperbola.
    Important:
    • Conical fillets may produce internal sharp edges. However, healing is used to smooth these sharp edges. Refer to for more information.
  7. Optional: Select the Trim support check box to relimit the support elements and assemble them to the fillet.
  8. Click OK to create the fillet surface.
    The surface (identified as EdgeFillet.xxx ) is added to the tree.

    Important:
    • The selection of the feature prevails over the selection of the sub-element. To select a sub-element, you need to apply the Geometrical Element filter in the User Selection Filter from the App Options panel. For further information, see 3DEXPERIENCE Native Apps: Native Apps Advanced: Selecting: Selecting Using a Filter.
    • While editing the edge fillets created by selecting Tangent intersection edges in Intersection mode, a warning message appears. It states that only edges resulting from intersecting features can be selected in the intersection mode.
    • You can apply the edge intersection filter (which affects all the features in a model) in the User Selection Filter toolbar.
    • The behavior of Propagation box (which deals with sub-elements) in the Edge Fillet Definition dialog box is dependent on the edge selection filter in the following ways:
      • If Tangent Intersection Edges (i. e. C1 mode) is selected, the Propagation box remains unavailable and displays Tangency.
      • If Intersection Edges (i.e. C0 mode) is selected, the Propagation box remains unavailable and displays Intersection.
      • If no mode is selected, a standard feature edge is created with the propagation of your choice. In this case, you can select either Tangency or Minimal in the Propagation list.
    • When you edit an existing edge fillet, the edge intersection filter automatically changes to a mode (C1 or C0), which was active at the time of edge fillet creation. If you change the mode during edition, existing data is discarded. The edge fillet cannot contain heterogeneous features.
    • If you want to replace an existing edge, the new edge should be of the same propagation type. That is, if the edge is a C0 edge, the replace edge should also be a C0 edge. Similarly, for C1 edge, replace edge should be a C1 edge.

Trim Overlapping Fillets

In some cases, fillets may be overlapping. The Trim ribbons option lets you solve this by trimming the fillets where they overlapping.

  1. Click Edge Fillet and select the edges at the base of the cylinder and the one along the vertical surface.


  2. Click Preview.
    The two fillets clearly overlap:

  3. Select the Trim ribbons check box and click OK.


    Note that the Trim ribbons option is enabled with the Tangency and Intersection edges propagation modes:

    • In Minimal mode, the Trim ribbons option is grayed out, as it is implicitly active. The results would be trimmed fillets, and no propagation.

    • In Tangency mode, with the Trim ribbons option cleared, the fillets intersect, with no trimming, and the propagation is performed.

    • In Tangency mode, with the Trim ribbons option selected, the fillets are trimmed and the propagation is performed.

  4. Optional: Select the Tracks Creation check box to create permanent features for the tracks of the edge fillet ribbons.
    Note: These two tracks remain at the same position with respect to the support face.

Keep Edges

You may also need to explicitly indicate edges that should not be filleted, if a radius is too large for example.

In this case, you cannot select boundary edges to be kept, but only internal edges, i.e. edges limiting two faces.

  1. Once the edge to be filleted has been selected, click Preview then More>>.



  2. In the Edge(s) to keep box, select the edge(s) you want to keep.

If you have difficulties selecting the edge, use the up/down arrows to display the preselection navigator. This edge in displayed pink, meaning that it will not be affected by the fillet operation.



Important: If the Conic parameter check box is selected, the Edge(s) to keep box is dimmed. Conversely, if the Edge(s) to keep box is selected, the Conic parameter check box is dimmed.

Limit Fillets

While creating the fillet, you can limit it by selecting a surface that intersects it completely.

  1. Click in the Limiting element(s) box and select the trimming element(s).

    These elements can either be surfaces, planes, or points on edges.

    An arrow indicates which portion of the fillet is to be retained.

    Tips:
    • You can use one or more limiting elements.
    • You can define a limiting element just by clicking a point on one of the selected edges to be filleted.
  2. Click on this arrow to inverse it, if needed, to retain the opposite side of the fillet.


  3. Click OK to create the limited fillet.
    In the illustration, the limiting surface has been hidden.



    You can create limiting elements just by clicking on the edge to be filleted.

    The apps displays this element as a blue disk.



    Important:
    • Ensure that the limiting element is not larger than the initial element, as illustrated here. If so, decrease the size of the limiting element as prompted by the warning message.

    • You can select planes or points as limiting elements. Points must be located on the edge to be filleted and they must have been created using the On curve point type available in the Point Definition dialog box.

Important: For more information about the Blend corner(s) and Setback distance options, refer to .

Fillet Volumes

You can fillet the edges of the volumes.

  1. Click Edge Fillet .
  2. In the Object(s) to fillet box, select the edge of the volume to be filleted.
  3. In the Radius box, enter the radius value.

    Here, we entered the radius value as 10mm.



  4. Click OK to create the fillet volume.


    Important: The Extremities list and the Trim support check box are disabled, they cannot be used with volumes.