Variable Angle Draft

Sometimes, you cannot draft faces by using a constant angle value, even if you set the Square mode. This task shows you an another way of drafting: by using different angle values.

Open the Draft2.CATPart document.

Click the Variable Angle Drafticon .
As an alternative, you can use Draft Angle , then click the Variable Angle Draft icon available in the dialog box. For more information, see Basic Draft.
The Draft Definition dialog box that appears, displays the variable angle draft option as activated. If you click the icon to the left, you then access the command for performing basic drafts.
Select the face to be drafted.
Multi-selecting faces that are not continuous in tangency is not allowed for this command.

The

icon now available after the Faces to draft field lets you edit the list of the faces to be drafted. For more information about that capability, refer to Editing a List of Elements.

Select the upper face as the neutral element.
An arrow appears on the part, indicating the default pulling direction. The application detects two vertices and displays two identical radius values.
Increase the angle value: only one value is modified accordingly in the geometry.
To edit the other angle value, select the value in the geometry and increase it in the dialog box. For instance, enter 9.

Alternatively, double-click this value to display the Parameter Definition dialog box, then edit the value.

Click Preview to see the draft to be created.
To add a point on the edge, click the Points field.

Point

Click a point on the edge.
The application displays the angle value on this point.

You can add as many points as you wish. You can also add points by selecting 3D planes or 3D points. In this case, the application computes the intersections between these planes and the edge to determine the useful points or the projections onto the edge.
If after clicking the points of interest, you decide to change the faces to draft or the neutral element, the application removes the points and lets you define points again.
Note that to remove a point from the selection, you just need to click this point.

Contextual commands creating the points you need are available from the Points field:
- Create Point: For more information, see Creating Points
- Create Midpoint: creates the midpoint of the line you select
- Create Endpoint: creates the endpoint of the line you select
- Create Intersection: see Creating Intersections
- Create Projection: see Creating Projections
- Create Plane: see Creating Planes
If you create any of these elements, the application then displays the corresponding icon in front of the Points field. Clicking this icon enables you to edit the element.

You can use the compass direction when you use the pulling directions in the contextual menu.

Enter a new angle value for this point: for example, enter 17.
The new radius value is displayed.

Clicking the More button displays additional options. To know how to use the options:

Parting Element, refer to Drafts with Parting Elements.
Limiting Element(s), refer to Basic Draft.

Click OK to confirm.
The final drafted part looks like this:

Closed Edges

The application defines a default vertex on closed edges when applying the Variable Angle Draft command. To define your draft, first of all you need to remove this vertex, and then use 3D points or 3D planes only.