Part Modeling > Edit Features > Offset > Offset Surface > About the Offset User Interface
About the Offset User Interface
The Offset tab consists of commands, tabs, and shortcut menus. Select a surface and click Model > Offset to open the Offset tab.
Commands
• Type
◦ Surface—Offsets or replaces a surface or a quilt.
◦ Curve—Offsets a curve.
◦ Quilt Boundary Chain—Offsets a one-sided boundary edge chain.
• Offset Type
Available when Surface is selected.
◦ Standard
◦ With Draft
◦ Expand
◦ Replace
• Offset Method
Available when Curve is selected. The collector shows the reference quilt or surface for each method.
◦ —Offsets the curve along the reference surface.
◦ —Offsets the curve normal to the reference surface.
◦ —Offsets the given number of curves evenly between two reference curves on the reference surface.
* 
The option for the fan type curve is available only if you set the enable_offset_fan_curve configuration option to yes. By default, enable_offset_fan_curve is set to no.
• Settings
◦ Surface
▪ Surface > Standard:
▪ Offset—Sets the offset value.
▪ —Flips the direction of the offset.
▪ Special handling collector—Displays surfaces to exclude from the offset.
▪ Surface > With Draft:
▪ Section collector—Displays a sketch for an offset.
▪ Offset—Sets the offset value.
▪ —Flips the direction of the offset..
▪ Draft angle—Sets the angle for the offset.
▪ Surface > Expand:
▪ Section collector—Displays a sketch for an offset.
▪ —Flips the geometry to the other side of the sketch.
▪ Offset—Sets the offset value.
▪ —Flips the direction of the offset.
▪ Surface > Replace:
▪ Replacing quilt collector—Displays a quilt or datum plane to replace the selected surface.
◦ Curve
▪ Curve > and Curve >
▪ Offset—Sets the offset value or graph scale values.
▪ —Flips the direction of the offset for , or flips the start point of the graph for .
▪ Curve >
▪ 2nd curve collector—Displays the second reference curve.
▪ Measurement plane—Displays the measurement plane.
▪ Number of curves box—Sets the number of curves.
◦ Quilt Boundary Chain
▪ Offset box—Specifies the offset value and provides a list of recently used values. Not available for a variable boundary curve offset.
▪ —Flips the direction of the offset.
Tabs
The tabs are context-sensitive depending on the type of offset selected.
• References
◦ Surface
▪ Offset surface collector—Displays a surface to offset when Standard or Replace is selected. References can be selected from only one body.
▪ Offset surface sets collector—Displays the surface sets to offset when With Draft or Expand is selected. References can be selected from only one body.
▪ Details—Opens the Surface Sets dialog box so you can modify the surface set properties.
▪ Sketch collector—Displays a sketch for an offset when With Draft is selected
▪ Define—Opens Sketcher.
▪ Edit—Opens the section in Sketcher.
▪ Replace quilt collector—Displays a quilt or datum plane to replace the selected surface when Replace is selected.
◦ Curve
▪ Offset curve collector—Displays the curve or curve chain to offset.
▪ Details—Opens the Chain dialog box when or is selected.
▪ Reference quilt collector—Displays the reference quilt, plane, or surface.
▪ First reference curve collector—Displays the first reference curve when is selected.
▪ Second reference curve collector—Displays the second reference curve when is selected.
▪ Measurement plane collector—Displays the measurement plane when is selected.
◦ Quilt Boundary Chain
▪ Boundary edge collector—Displays a boundary edge chain to offset.
▪ Details—Opens the Chain dialog box.
• Measurements
◦ Curve
This tab is available when is selected.
▪ Point—Lists the points used in the offset. Right-click and choose Add or Delete to add or delete a point.
▪ Distance—Specifies the offset distance. You can either drag the handle in the graphics window or click the Distance cell to enter a new value.
▪ Reference—Activates the reference collector for this point.
▪ Location—Specifies the length ratio of the point.
▪ —Measures the offset distance in the direction normal to the curve.
▪ —Measures the offset distance in the direction parallel to the selected datum plane.
▪ Datum plane collector—Displays the reference datum plane.
◦ Quilt Boundary Chain
▪ Point—Lists the points used in the boundary offset. Right-click and choose Add or Delete to add or delete a point.
▪ Distance—Specifies the offset distance. You can either drag the handle in the graphics window or click the Distance cell to enter a new value. If you select To Vertex as the Distance Type, this cell is unavailable.
▪ Distance Type—Specifies the type of offset:
▪ Normal to Edge—Measures the offset distance in the direction normal to the boundary edge.
▪ Along Edge—Measures the offset distance in the direction of along the measurement edge.
▪ To Vertex—Creates an offset to the vertex, parallel to the boundary edge.
* 
Click the Distance Type cell to change the value.
▪ Edge—Displays the boundary edge for this point.
▪ Reference—Activates the reference collector for this point.
▪ Location—Specifies the length ratio of the point or snapped object. This cell can contain three types of value:
▪ When a point is not snapped to a reference, the numerical value of the length ratio is displayed.
▪ If the point is at a vertex, no value is shown.
▪ If the point is at the beginning of the boundary edge chain, “End 1” is shown. If the point is at the end of the boundary edge chain, “End 2” is shown.
• Options
◦ Surface
The Options includes commands for setting a surface fit, creating approximate offsets or excluding surfaces from the feature, and defining side surfaces.
▪ Standard
▪ Fit—Select a surface fit type:
▪ Normal to Surface—Creates an offset in the direction normal to the surface.
▪ Special Handling collector—Displays surfaces to Exclude from the offset operation, or surfaces to use to create an Approximate offset.
You can select an individual surface from the list, and then select the type of special handling, or you can select one of the commands below.
▪ Auto—Populates the Special Handling collector with surfaces that cannot be offset without special handling.
▪ Exclude All—Excludes all the surfaces in the collector from the offset operation.
▪ Approximate All—Creates approximate offsets for all of the surfaces in the collector.
▪ Attach approximate offset surfaces check box—Creates attached approximate offset surfaces when the approximate surfaces cannot be merged with the standard offset surfaces.
▪ Automatic Fit—Offsets the surface along the axes of a coordinate system.
▪ Controlled Fit—Scales and fits a quilt along the specified axes of a coordinate system.
▪ Coordinate system collector—Displays the coordinate system used to scale and fit the offset.
▪ Allow translation X, Y, and Z check boxes—Translates along the selected axes.
▪ Rolling Ball—Creates an offset surface or quilt at a specified distance from the selected surface or quilt. Especially suited for areas of high curvature, sharp angles, gaps, or complex topologies.
▪ Create side surface check box—Creates side surfaces to connect the selected surface and the offset surface. You cannot create side surfaces when the offset geometry contains approximate offset surfaces.
▪ With Draft:
▪ Fit—Select a surface fit type:
▪ Normal to Surface—Creates an offset in the direction normal to the surface.
▪ Translate—Translates the offset surface in a selected direction.
▪ Side surface normal to—Sets the normal reference to Surface or Sketch.
▪ Side surface profile—Sets the surface profile to Straight or Tangent.
▪ Expand:
▪ Fit—Select a surface fit type:
▪ Normal to Surface—Creates an offset in the direction normal to the surface.
▪ Translate—Translates the offset surface in a selected direction.
▪ Direction reference collector—Displays a direction reference for a translation offset.
▪ Expand area
▪ Whole Surface—Expands the entire selected surface.
▪ Exclude loop—Specifies a region to exclude from the expand operation.
▪ Sketched Region—Expands a portion of the selected surface that is defined by a sketch.
▪ Sketch collector—Displays a sketch for an offset.
▪ Define—Opens Sketcher.
▪ Edit—Opens the section in Sketcher.
▪ Side surface normal to—Sets the normal reference to Surface or Sketch.
▪ Replace:
▪ Keep replace quilt check box—Creates a new surface face from a copy of the reference quilt.
◦ Curve
This tab is available when is selected.
▪ Graph—Displays the graph used as the offset reference.
▪ Flip—Reverses the offset direction.
▪ Scale—Sets an offset value.
◦ Quilt Boundary Chain
• Properties
◦ Name box—Sets a name for a feature.
◦ —Displays detailed component information in a browser.
Shortcut Menus
• Surface
Right-click the graphics window to access shortcut menu commands.
◦ Standard—Sets offset type to Standard.
◦ With Draft—Sets offset type to With Draft.
◦ Expand—Sets offset type to Expand.
◦ Replace—Sets offset type to Replace Surface.
◦ Offset Surface—Activates the Offset surface collector.
◦ Surface Collection—Activates the Offset surface sets collector.
◦ Exclude/Approximate—Activates the Special Handling collector.
◦ Coordinate System—Activates the Coordinate system collector.
◦ Sketch—Activates the Sketch collector.
◦ Define Internal Sketch—Opens Sketcher.
◦ Direction Control—Activates the Direction reference collector.
◦ Replace Quilt—Activates the Replace quilt collector.
◦ Clear—Clears the active collector.
◦ Flip Side—Flips the direction of the offset.
• Curve
Right-click the graphics window to access shortcut menu commands.
◦ Offset Curve—Activates the Offset curve collector to select the curve to offset.
◦ Reference Quilt—Activates the Reference quilt collector to select a reference quilt, plane, or surface.
◦ Measurement Point—Edits the distances and locations of reference points.
◦ Graph—Activates the Graph collector for offset curves.
◦ Second Offset Curve—Activates the curve collector to select a second curve when is selected.
◦ Measurement Plane—Activates the surface collector to select a reference plane when is selected.
◦ Clear—Clears the active collector.
◦ Flip—Flips the direction of the offset when there is more than one valid direction possible.
• Quilt Boundary Chain
Right-click the graphics window to access shortcut menu commands.
◦ Boundary Edge—Activates the Boundary edge chain collector.
◦ Measurement Edge—Activates the measurement edge collector.
◦ Measurement Point—Activates the Measurement Point Reference collector.
◦ Clear—Clears the active collector.
Right-click the handle of a measurement point to access shortcut menu commands.
◦ Flip—Flips the direction of the offset.
◦ Normal to Edge—Changes the distance type to Normal to Boundary Edge.
◦ Along Edge—Changes the distance type to Along Measurement Edge.
◦ To Vertex—Specifies the distance between points or vertices on a boundary curve offset.
◦ Next Edge—Selects the next available boundary edge or measurement edge.
Right-click the dragger of a measurement point to access shortcut menu commands.
◦ Add—Adds a new measurement point with reference to the current measurement point.
◦ Delete—Deletes the current measurement point.
About the Offset Feature
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