To Create a Variable Section Sweep Using Relations
You can use section relations with the trajpar parameter to make the section variable. The references to which the section is constrained changes the shape of the section. The sketch regenerates at points along the trajectory and updates its shape accordingly.
1. Click
Model >
Sweep. The
Sweep tab opens.
2. To select a trajectory, click the References tab, click the Trajectories collector, and then select chains of existing curves or edges. If needed, click Details to open the Chain dialog box to select the trajectory segments. Hold down CTRL to select multiple trajectories. Use SHIFT to select multiple entities in a chain.
|  The first chain you select becomes the origin trajectory. An arrow appears on the origin trajectory pointing from the trajectory start to the path the sweep will follow. Click the arrow to change the trajectory start to the other end of the trajectory. You can also select the trajectory or trajectories before clicking Sweep. Hold down the CTRL key to select multiple trajectories. Hold down the SHIFT key to select multiple entities in a chain. |
3. To create a section whose size and shape can vary along the sweep, on the
Sweep tab, click
.
4. Click
to create a solid sweep, or
to create a surface sweep.
5. To remove material along the sweep, click
. Click
to change the side of the sketch that material is removed from.
6. To give the sweep a thickness, click
, and then type or select a thickness value. Use
to switch the thicken direction between one side, the other side, or both sides of the sketch.
7. For surface sweeps that remove material, click the Quilt collector, and then select a quilt to trim.
8. Click the References tab, and define sweep references.
9. If required, click the Options tab to set sweep options.
10. If required, click the Tangency tab to set trajectory tangency.
11. Create or retrieve a section to sweep along the trajectory by choosing one of the following actions:
| In some cases, the sketch snaps to the model geometry automatically, which could change the resulting geometry. To prevent the sketch from snapping to the model geometry, perform one of these actions: • To disable snapping as the default, click File >  Options > Sketcher. Under Sketcher references, clear the Allow snapping to model geometry check box. • To disable snapping for the current action, while the Sketch tab is open, hold down the SHIFT key while you sketch. |
◦ To create a section, click
to open Sketcher. Sketch the section at the cross hairs at the beginning of the origin trajectory.
◦ To retrieve a sketch to use as the section:
1. Click
. Sketcher opens with cross hairs at the beginning of the trajectory.
2. Click
Sketch >
File System. The
Open box opens.
3. Select a sketch to use as the section, then click Open. The Open box closes.
4. Click the cross hairs. The section you select appears at the beginning of the trajectory, and the Import Section tab opens.
5. Change any values in the dialog box to dimension the section relative to the cross hairs displayed on the trajectory, then click
.
12. While the sketch is open, click
Tools >
Relations. The
Relations dialog box opens.
13. In the graphics window, click the section dimension to vary. The dimension appears in the Relations dialog box.
| Reference dimensions created inside the section of a variable section sweep should never be used in relations to drive any dimension. |
14. In the Relations dialog box, click =, and then type the section relation using the trajpar parameter as the independent variable to make the sketch variable.
15. In the Relations dialog box, click OK.
16. Click
Sketch >
OK.
17. Click
Sweep >
.