Transforming and copying solids, Boolean operations
Copying solids
The screw and nut were selected. To allow copying, click the icon copy, then the icon OK (insert) or right click. Objects are copied and you can define their new location. Unlike in the previous example, there was used the plain copy mode. Objects do not share any future editing changes.
Translation of solids
The translation of copied solids is defined by two points in this case. In the next step, the translation distance is defined. The distance between the two points is offered by default. Click OK to accept the default value and the objects are translated. Then confirm the insertion.
Cutting solids – creation of a hole for the screw
To create a hole for the screw, the screw was selected as a cutting tool. The hole was cut into the upper part (yellow cross bar). In this step, the screw is selected as a cutting tool again and the solid to be cut is the blue beam. If the cutting tool is a library part (like this screw) with the defined ability to modify the counterpart, a pop-up menu is displayed and you can select the option. In this example, the hole is created according to the respective standards – with the exactly defined diameter for the screw diameter. For Boolean cut, the function “Cut, Keep Cutting Solid” was selected. Because the two blue beams are identical copies, the hole is created into both of them at once.
VariCAD allows you to modify solids in any files regardless of how many other solids are in the particular file. There are no exactly defined assembly files or part (detail) files. One of the major advantages is the fact that you can modify any part according to other part, like in this example. On the other side, you may define assembly links to make editing changes at once for more identical objects. See 3D Assemblies.
Drilling hole – shape definition
Drilling a hole, cutting material off with a box tool and creating a groove are so-called predefined Boolean operations. This example demonstrates the creation of a hole. To define depth of the hole (dimension l), measuring distance in 3D is performed. The thickness of the cross bar is measured in the following steps and then the certain excess is added to the result. The extension of the measured thickness allows drilling through the entire material.
Drilling hole – tool insertion
The tool creating a hole was transformed similarly as other inserted objects were transformed in the previous examples. The hole is created after confirmation of the tool position. For more information about Boolean operations, see Boolean Operations
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