About the Blend User Interface
The Blend tab consists of commands, tabs, and shortcut menus. Click > > 
Blend to open the Blend tab.
Blend to open the Blend tab.Commands
• 
Solid—Creates a solid blend.
Solid—Creates a solid blend.• 
Surface—Creates a surface blend.
Surface—Creates a surface blend.• 
Sketched Sections—Creates a blend using internal or external sketched sections.
Sketched Sections—Creates a blend using internal or external sketched sections.◦ Sketch plane definition
▪ 
—Defines the sketch plane location using an offset from another sketch plane.
—Defines the sketch plane location using an offset from another sketch plane.▪ Sections list—Displays the section from which the current sketch is offset.
▪ Offset value box—Sets a distance value between the current sketch and the sketch from which it is offset.
▪ 
—Defines the sketch plane location using a reference.
—Defines the sketch plane location using a reference.▪ Reference collector—Displays the reference that defines the sketch plane location.
◦ 
—Adds a thickness to the sketched section.
—Adds a thickness to the sketched section.▪ Value box—Sets a thickness value.
▪ 
—Toggles the thicken direction to one side, the other side, or both sides of the sketch.
—Toggles the thicken direction to one side, the other side, or both sides of the sketch.• 
Selected Sections—Creates a blend using selected sections.
Selected Sections—Creates a blend using selected sections.◦ Curve collector—Displays a curve to use for the active section.
• Sketch—Opens Sketcher to define or edit the sketch for the active section.
Sketch—Opens Sketcher to define or edit the sketch for the active section.• 
Remove Material—Removes material along the blend to create a cut.
Remove Material—Removes material along the blend to create a cut.◦ —Switches the side of the sketch for the removal of material when creating a cut, or switches the side for the addition of material when creating a protrusion.
—Switches the side of the sketch for the removal of material when creating a cut, or switches the side for the addition of material when creating a protrusion.• Quilt collector—Displays a quilt to trim when Surface and Remove Material are selected.
Surface and Remove Material are selected.◦ (to the left of the Quilt collector)—Toggles the side of the quilt to remove to one side, the other side, or keep both sides of the quilt.
(to the left of the Quilt collector)—Toggles the side of the quilt to remove to one side, the other side, or keep both sides of the quilt.◦ 
(to the right of the Quilt collector)—Toggles the side of a quilt to retain the ID of the original quilt if you keep both sides of the quilt.
(to the right of the Quilt collector)—Toggles the side of a quilt to retain the ID of the original quilt if you keep both sides of the quilt.Tabs
• Sections
◦ Sketched sections—Creates a blend using sketched sections.
▪ Sketch collector—Displays a sketch to use for the first section of a blend.
▪ Define—Opens Sketcher to define an internal sketch for the first section.
▪ Edit—Opens Sketcher to edit the internal sketch of the first section.
▪ Unlink—Breaks the association with the external sketch and copies the sketch as the internal sketch of the first section.
▪ Sketch plane location defined by
▪ Offset dimension—Sets the sketch plane location by an offset dimension.
▪ Offset from collector—Displays the section from which the current sketch is offset.
▪ Offset value box—Sets a distance value between the current sketch and the sketch from which it is offset.
▪ Reference—Sets the sketch plane location through a reference.
▪ Through collector—Displays the reference that defines the sketch plane location.
▪ Sketch—Opens the Sketcher where you sketch a section.
◦ Selected sections—Creates a blend using selected sections.
▪ Section collector—Displays a curve to use for the active section.
▪ Details—Opens the Chain dialog box.
▪ Add Blend Vertex—Adds a blend vertex in the active section.
◦ Sections table
▪ Sections—Lists the sections in the order in which they are blended. You can change the order and have a different blending order than the sketch definition order.
▪ #—Displays the number of entities in the section.
▪ Insert—Inserts a new section below the active section.
▪ Remove—Deletes the active section.
• Options
◦ Straight—Forms straight surfaces between the sections.
◦ Smooth—Forms smooth surfaces.
◦ Capped ends check box—Closes both ends of a blend feature when Surface is selected.
Surface is selected.• Tangency
◦ Boundary—Sets the blend tangency at the start or end section.
▪ Free—Sets the surface with no influence from side references.
▪ Tangent—Sets the surface to be tangent to the surface reference.
▪ Normal—Sets the surface to be normal to the surface reference.
◦ Entities—Sets the reference surface for the active entity.
• Body Options
Available when the feature is created as a solid.
◦ Add geometry to body—Displayed when geometry is added.
▪ Create new body check box—Creates the feature in a new body.
▪ Body collector
▪ Selects the body to which geometry is added when you add the feature to an existing body.
▪ Shows the name of the new body when you create the feature in a new body.
◦ Cut geometry from body—Displayed when geometry is removed.
▪ All—Cuts geometry from all the bodies that the feature passes through.
▪ Selected—Cuts geometry from the selected bodies.
▪ Body collector—Selects the body from which geometry is removed.
• Properties
◦ Name box—Sets a name for an extrude feature.
◦ 
—Displays detailed component information in a browser.
—Displays detailed component information in a browser.Shortcut Menus
Right-click the graphics window to access the shortcut menu commands.
• 
Solid—Switches from surface geometry to solid geometry.
Solid—Switches from surface geometry to solid geometry.• 
Surface—Switches from solid geometry to surface geometry.
Surface—Switches from solid geometry to surface geometry.• 
Remove Material—Removes material along the blend to create a cut.
Remove Material—Removes material along the blend to create a cut.• Thicken Sketch—Adds a thickness to the sketched section. Available for sketched sections.
Thicken Sketch—Adds a thickness to the sketched section. Available for sketched sections.• Sketched sections —Creates a blend using internal or external sketched sections.
—Creates a blend using internal or external sketched sections.• Selected sections —Creates a blend using selected sections.
—Creates a blend using selected sections.• 
Define Internal Sketch—Opens Sketcher so you can create an internal sketch.
Define Internal Sketch—Opens Sketcher so you can create an internal sketch.• Edit Internal Sketch—Opens the internal sketch in Sketcher for editing.
Edit Internal Sketch—Opens the internal sketch in Sketcher for editing.• 
Capped ends—Closes each end of a blend feature when Surface is selected.
Capped ends—Closes each end of a blend feature when Surface is selected.• Sketch Collector—Activates the Sketch collector.
• Curve Collector—Activates the Section collector.
• Trim Quilt Collector—Activates the quilt collector.
• Clear—Clears the active collector.
• Flip Depth Direction—Switches the direction of the feature creation to the other side of the sketching plane.
• Flip Material Side—Switches the side of the sketch for the removal of material when creating a cut, or switches the side for the addition of material when creating a protrusion.
• Insert—Inserts a new section below the active section.
• Sketch—Opens Sketcher.
• Show All Section Dimensions—Shows all section diameters.
• Hide All Section Dimensions—Hides all section diameters.
• Select bodies—Activates the body collector so you can select bodies.
• Create new body—Creates the feature in a new body.
• All—Removes geometry from all the bodies that the feature passes through.
• Selected—Removes geometry from the selected bodies.
Right-click a start or end section to access the shortcut menu commands.
• Free—Sets the blend boundary with no influence from side references.
• Tangent—Sets the blend boundary to be tangent to the surface reference.
• Normal—Sets the blend boundary to be normal to the surface reference.