To Create a Constant-Angle Tangent Draft
A constant-angle tangent draft adds material by following the trajectory of the reference curve and creating surfaces at a specified constant angle to the Pull Direction. Use this feature to add draft to surfaces that cannot be drafted with the regular Draft feature. You can also use this feature to add drafts to ribs with rounded edges (see example).
1. Click
Mold >
Parting Surface. The
Parting Surface tab opens.
2. Click Surfacing > Blend Tangent to Surfaces. The SURFACE: Tangent Surface dialog box opens.
3. If the Pull Direction has not been specified yet, define it.
|  If you are creating a one-sided draft, the Pull Direction must point from the reference curve in the same direction that the draft is being created. |
4. Click
.
5. Select the type of geometry:
◦ Solid Draft—The draft is created as a solid feature, by adding material to the reference part.
◦ Surface Draft—The draft is created as a surface feature.
◦ Draft Curve—The system does not add material or create surfaces. It just calculates the draft curves resulting from intersection of the tangent draft surfaces with the reference part geometry.
6. Select the Direction option:
◦ One Sided—The draft is created only on one side of the reference curve.
◦ Two Sided—The draft is created on both sides of the reference curve.
7. Click the
References tab, click
under
Draft Line, and select the reference curve. It can be any chain of edges or curves (such as a draft curve). The reference curve must lie on a surface of the reference part.
| You cannot select an assembly level silhouette curve as a reference curve for a tangent draft. To create a tangent draft in the reference model, you must create a silhouette curve in the reference model itself. |
8. In the Angle text box, enter the value for the draft angle.
9. In the Radius text box, enter the value for the radius of the round connecting the drafted surfaces with the adjacent surfaces of the reference part.
10. Click
to preview the tangent draft geometry. You can change the draft geometry, if necessary, by specifying the
Spine Curves or
Closing Surfaces, located on the
Options tabbed page. You can also edit the reference curve by using the
Curves tabbed page.
11. If required, in the TANGENT DRAFT dialog box, click Feature > Info to obtain information about the tangent draft or Feature > References to obtain information about the references used to create the tangent draft.
12. When satisfied with the feature geometry, click
to close the dialog box and create the feature.