This describes the Method Input section as it differs for the various Plane Method buttons. The various methods of defining a plane are:
When the Datum Type is Plane, the Plane Method can be any one of the following. The controls presented in the Method Input section depend on the Plane Method selected.
Plane Method is CAD
Face - by selecting an existing face on a CAD object.
Plane Method is Best
Fit - by selecting an almost-planar region on which the software
calculates the best fit for a plane.
Plane Method is Offset
- by specifying a distance from any other known plane.
Plane Method is Axis
and Point - by specifying an axis and a point.
Plane Method is Three
Points - by specifying three points.
This method can only be used on CAD objects. When Plane Method is CAD Face, the Method Input section is:
Instruction: “Select planar face on CAD object.” Click on the desired planar face. This will activate the Apply and Next buttons.
Include All Co-Planar Faces checkbox - click to select all faces that lie in the same plane as the defining plane and consider them to be defining planes as well.
Apply button - generates an image of the datum in the Viewing Area.
Next button - stores the datum in the Current Datums list and the Model Manager.
Offset field - specifies a distance in the normal direction to offset datum from its otherwise specified position.
When Plane Method is Best Fit, the Method Input section is:
• Type - specifies a sub-type of the best-fit plane:
Selected Region icon button - You will use selection
tools to select a region of the object. A plane datum will be best-fit
to the selected region. After the datum plane is created, you may adjust
its placement by a positive or negative Offset
amount.
Symmetry Plane icon button - A best-fit symmetry plane
datum is a plane datum about which the object is symmetrical, or almost
symmetrical. By one of several standard methods (see Methods of Superimposing Planes),you will specify
the rough location of a symmetry plane. Then you will press Apply
to calculate an exact placement of the best-fit symmetry plane datum.
Then you may adjust the final placement by a positive or negative Offset amount. The exact placement will
fail if the object is not symmetrical about the roughly placed plane.
Apply button - generates an image of the datum in the Viewing Area.
Next button - stores the datum in the Current Datums list and the Model Manager.
Offset field - specifies a distance in the normal direction that the datum shall be offset from its otherwise specified position.
When Plane Method is Offset, the Method Input section is:
Type group - affects the contents of the Action section.
Parallel at Distance button - to specify a plane that is parallel to and a certain distance from another plane.
Parallel Through Point button - to specify a plane that is parallel to another plane and intersects a specific point.
Perpendicular Through Point button - to specify a plane that is perpendicular to another plane and intersects a specific point.
Angle About Axis button - to specify a plane and an axis about which to rotate it by a number of degrees.
2-Plane Average button - to specify a plane that is between two others.
Plane dropdown (XY, XZ, YZ, and existing datum planes) - specifies the primary plane that is required by any Action that requires one.
Action group - the contents of the Action section depend on the button that is pressed in the Type section.
• Action section when Type is Parallel at Distance:
Instruction: “Specify offset distance.”
Offset field - specifies a distance in the normal direction that the datum plane shall be offset from the primary plane named above.
Apply button - generates an image of the datum in the Viewing Area.
Next button - stores the datum in the Current Datums list and the Model Manager
• Action section when Type is Parallel Through Point:
Instruction: “Specify point for plane offset.”
Five buttons for point selection technique (surface, center, vertex, datum, curve) - The new datum will be parallel to the primary plane and will intersect the point selected here.
X,Y,Z - indicates the coordinates of the point selected in the Viewing Area.
Apply button - generates an image of the datum in the Viewing Area.
Next button - stores the datum in the Current Datums list and the Model Manager
Offset field - specifies a distance in the normal direction that the datum shall be offset from its otherwise specified position.
• Action section when Type is Perpendicular Through Point:
Instruction: “Specify two planes and a point.”
Plane 1 radio button and dropdown (XY, XZ, YZ, and existing datum planes) - specifies the first plane.
Plane 2 radio button and dropdown (XY, XZ, YZ, and existing datum planes) - specifies a second plane, which is perpendicular to the first.
Five buttons for point selection technique (surface, center, vertex, datum, curve) - The point selected here will define the position of a third plane that is perpendicular to both the first and second planes.
X,Y,Z - indicates the coordinates of the point selected in the Viewing Area.
Apply button - generates an image of the datum in the Viewing Area.
Next button - stores the datum in the Current Datums list and the Model Manager.
Offset field - specifies a distance in the normal direction that the datum shall be offset from its otherwise specified position.
• Action section when Type is Angle About Axis:
Instruction: (none). specifies a plane and an axis about which to rotate it by a number of degrees.
Plane radio button and dropdown (XY, XZ, YZ, and existing datum planes) - specifies a plane.
Axis radio button and dropdown (X, Y, Z, and existing datum axes) - specifies the axis about which to rotate the plane. This selection has no visible effect until Angle is non-zero.
Angle (Degrees) field - specifies the number of degrees to rotate the Plane about the Axis.
Apply button - generates an image of the datum in the Viewing Area.
Next button - stores the datum in the Current Datums list and the Model Manager.
Offset field - specifies a distance in the normal direction that the datum shall be offset from its otherwise specified position.
• Action section when Type is 2-Plane Average:
Instruction: “Select second plane.”
Second Plane dropdown (XY, XZ, YZ, and existing datum planes) - specifies the second plane to be used in the averaging (the first plane having been named in the Plane dropdown).
Apply button - generates an image of the datum in the Viewing Area.
Next button - stores the datum in the Current Datums list and the Model Manager
Offset field - specifies a distance in the normal direction that the datum shall be offset from its otherwise specified position.
When Plane Method is Axis and Point, the Method Input section is:
Type section
Perpendicular to Axis button - you will specify an axis to which the plane datum is perpendicular, and a point that it intersects.
Through Axis button - you will specify an axis that the plane datum intersects, and a point that it intersects.
2-Axis Average button - you will specify two axes between which the plane datum lies.
Action group - the contents of the Action section depend on the button selected in the Type section.
• Action section when Type is Perpendicular to Axis:
Instruction: “Specify axis and point.”
Axis radio button and dropdown (X, Y, Z, and existing datum axes) - specifies an axis to which the plane datum is perpendicular.
Point radio button, Five buttons for point selection technique (surface, center, vertex, datum, curve), and X,Y,Z indicator - specifies a point that the plane datum intersects.
Apply button - generates an image of the datum in the Viewing Area.
Next button - stores the datum in the Current Datums list and the Model Manager
Offset field - specifies a distance in the normal direction that the datum shall be offset from its otherwise specified position.
• Action section when Type is Through Axis:
Instruction: “Specify axis and point.”
Axis radio button and dropdown (X, Y, Z, and existing datum axes) - specifies the axis that the plane datum intersects.
Point radio button, Five buttons for point selection technique, and X,Y,Z indicator - specifies a point that the plane datum intersects.
Apply button - generates an image of the datum in the Viewing Area.
Next button - stores the datum in the Current Datums list and the Model Manager
Offset field - specifies a distance in the normal direction that the datum shall be offset from its otherwise specified position.
• Action section when Type is 2-Axis Average:
Instruction: “Specify two axes.”
Axis 1 radio button and dropdown (X, Y, Z, and existing datum axes) - specifies the first axis.
Axis 2 radio button and dropdown (X, Y, Z, and existing datum axes) - specifies the second axis. The datum plane lies between and parallel to the two axes.
Apply button - generates an image of the datum in the Viewing Area.
Next button - stores the datum in the Current Datums list and the Model Manager.
Offset field - specifies a distance in the normal direction that the datum shall be offset from its otherwise specified position.
When Plane Method is Three Points, the Method Input section is:
Instruction: “Specify three points.”
Five buttons for point selection technique (surface, center, vertex, datum, curve) - two are selectable:
Surface - the exact locations that you click on the polygon mesh will be considered points of the plane.
Vertex - the polygon corners that are nearest to the locations you click on the polygon mesh will be considered points of the plane.
First Point radio button and X,Y,Z field - indicates the first point selected in the Viewing Area.
Second Point radio button and X,Y,Z field - indicates the second point selected in the Viewing Area.
Third Point radio button and X,Y,Z field - indicates the third point selected in the Viewing Area.
Apply button - generates an image of the datum in the Viewing Area.
Next button - stores the datum in the Current Datums list and the Model Manager.
Offset field - specifies a distance in the normal direction that the datum shall be offset from its otherwise specified position.