The offset command simply does not work all the time - sometimes it just
can't perform the function.
Regarding the Split command - it works great if you have a part line to
start with. Complex parts require a parting line function in order to
generate a split and there is no tool to do it with.
As a simple example, imagine you are molding a donut. Let the donut start
with its centerline parallel to the z-axis (the hole is facing up). Now tip
the donut about x or y so that its axis is at a 10 deg angle to the z-axis.
Assume your tooling (press) operates in the z direction, so the mold must
completely enclose the part without locking the part in either mold half.
The parting line to do this is two odd-shaped splines around the outer and
inner surfaces of the donut. MDT will do this - IV cannot.
- Russ
"Jerry Bishop"
wrote in message
news:EAE7658F7D4DB68C0E45E0AF2E70920A@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> Russ,
>
> The new Thicken/Offset command works great for me on surfaces : Thicken =
> solid output, offset = surface output. Does this not do what you want?
>
> Also, the Split command will do what the part line in MDT does, but only
on
> solids in Inventor. If you must split a surface a work around might be to
> thicken the surface, use the split tool to break the surface and then the
> delete face tool to reduce the resultant solid back to multiple surfaces.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> Jerry Bishop
>
>
> "Russ Walker" wrote in message
> news:9BEF1D7FB4C8E137CCDFF91C56DE4A23@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> > Anyone else having good or bad experience with IV surfacing? The first
> > limitation we encountered was the inability to offset a surface. (Brand
> SW
> > had no such problem). The second limitation is that there is no parting
> > line function. This fundamental and invaluable feature is missing.
It's
> > frustrating to have to go back to MDT for part of the job and then
import
> > into IV to complete the job.
> >
> > It appears that we will have to wait for another release before IV is
> ready
> > to do serious surfacing work. I hope Autodesk is planning to address
> these
> > issues.
> >
> >
> > -Russ
> >
> >
>
>