Extrusion option: Expand/contract (offset) profile by specified amount for clearance

[DRoam]

A profile in a sketch often actually represents two mating objects, such as a shaft and a hole, or a cavity and a mold, or (as in the image above) a structural beam and an intersecting member that copes to it. Currently, if those two parts need to have some clearance between them, we have to create an offset profile in the sketch. For complex shapes, such as cavities and molds or structural beams, this adds a lot of extra complexity and crisscrossing lines to the sketch.

It would be much simpler if we could just specify an offset when extruding a sketch profile, to either inset or extend the shape of the profile by some specified value. The specified offset value would result in a clearance between a part extruded directly from the profile, and another part CUT by the profile but with an offset of the desired clearance, like in the image above.

[Craig]

Hi,

I work in the sheet metal industry and constantly create "tabs" on one end of a sheet metal part that will fit inside a cutout on a mating part to aid alignment for welders etc.  The way I do this is to create the tab (the male), then by creating a sketch on the mating (female) part, project cut edges onto the female part.  I then use the offset tool to offset the projected lines by +0.2mm to create a small amount of clearance to aid slotting part one into the mating part.  This can be very time consuming and ideally I would love to be able to cut the firstly projected lines with an offset built into the cut/extrude function.

[Dan_Margulius]

Hello,

I wonder if it will be possible to offset edjes or without Project Geometry. 

I want to pick a face and Inventor will recognize those edges and off he goes, give the dimension and thats it. 

Now I have to Project and then offset...

Thanks

Dan

[novly.abdurohman]

waiting this feature also..

Thanks

[DRoam]

I could see this being really useful... the problem with the Sketch "Offset" tool is if the original profile changes (i.e. curves are added, extensions are added or removed, etc.), then the offset becomes a mess and will probably result in a broken profile, and therefore a broken extrusion.

But if we could just define an offset from the extrusion profile, whatever its shape is, from within the Extrude command itself, then even if the original profile changes drastically, as long as it's still closed, the offset extrusion will be OK.

Unfortunately I don't see this being a highly-demanded feature, so I'd be surprised if this is at the top of Autodesk's focus list any time soon. But if it ever is noticed and considered, I think it would definitely be a great functionality and would make some workflows much more robust and streamlined.

[DRoam]

Related idea: Offset Cuts/extrude (Define an offset from Extrusion profile)

[mbn]

Hi,

I would like if it is possible to offset extrude ex.:

pipe 38x2mm going through 60x40x2mm needing a gap of 0,05mm.

Normally I projected the sketch geometry of the pipe and offset that projected sketch by 0,05mm. Because the offset often is small, it is easy to miss it when you hit the extrude command. 

If you could just project geometry and then offset the extrude parallel to the sketch plane it would be much easier.

Maybe there is an easier way to remove materiel from one part when there is  interference from another part.Please let me know:)

Thanks Michael

[PaulMunford]

Extrude and then Thicken (Cut)?

[mbn]

 Yes thanks Paul, in this case it will work out fine and I will do that next time. 

However in most cases we use square pipe or a plate as shown and then you would have to Thicken 4 times. 

[DRoam]

Here's an idea asking for the same thing: Offset Cuts/extrude. Hasn't received much traction, possibly because of the cryptic title.

I think this is a good idea though. I think the title just needs to say "Extrusion offset from sketch profile". Profile is the magic word here and neither of these ideas mentions it anywhere. Without that word it sounds like you want an offset for the extrusion's length extents, which is completely different thing and has its own ideas scattered about (see this comment).

Anyway, I think it's a good idea and I hope it catches on eventually.

[DRoam]

I just created a re-post of this idea but with a different way of presenting it, that I'm hoping will make sense to people and attract more votes. If you would like to see this feature added, please consider adding your vote to the new idea as well to help it gain more exposure: Extrusion option: Expand/contract (offset) profile by specified amount for clearance.

[mbn]

This option could save a lot of work on daily basis. Very often parts needs just a bit of clearance to help the assemble. To make extrusion profile I often use sculpt feature, but it doesn`t have offset as an option to make some clearance. Then I have to thicken/offset all faces in extrusion profile to make some clearance.