elegant way to create block with internal voids on multiple levels?

[Anonymous]

I've been creating blocks with interval voids on multiple levels and am wondering if there's a better workflow especially for controlling the vertical alignment of the voids. I start with a sketch of the void shape; there are mirrored wedge-shaped voids at the bottom of the sketch.

Sketch

I extrude the block and all the voids as separate bodies

Extruded tool bodies

I move the voids into position vertically.

Placed tool bodies

Then I combine to subtract the voids from the block.

Ready to cut

The simple voids in this block could be extruded from a sketch of the side instead of extruded and moved up from the bottom, and it would be straightforward to project their alignment with a mating part, but I don't see how that would work for the wedge shaped voids. It may be inconvenient to change the height of the voids without messing up the vertical alignment. What would be a more elegant way to create this part?

[Anonymous]

I've found a way that I think will be more flexible but not necessarily faster. Since this part has rotational symmetry I can model just the bottom half of the part. I can extrude the voids to the full (half) height of the block, and then intersect those with bodies extruded from a perpendicular sketch to control the height of those voids. Cut voids out of the half block. Then create an axis going across the center top of the half block and create a circular pattern (x2) to complete.

[davebYYPCU]

One sketch, might make it easier, with two side extrudes and symmetric extrude from it,

circular pattern and combine cut as you are doing.

Might help.....

[chrisplyler · Accepted solution]

Sometimes I like to use a second sketch as a control for features made from the first sketch.

Here is a screencast I made for you:

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/community/screencast/36316a6a-fa3e-4165-b7a2-bcf749d6bb0d

[Anonymous]

Thank you. I had missed the "extrude from offset" feature (instead of the default "from sketch plane").