Tool >> Make Volume >> Extrude to Plane

• Tool >> Make Volume >> Extrude to Plane converts a shell into a completely closed shell volume with no boundaries, by extruding its boundary to a specific projection plane.

• This operation can be applied to two or more holes and boundary.

Step   

Execute Tool >> Make Volume >> Extrude to Plane command as follows:

1. Select Tool >> Make Volume >> Extrude to Plane from the menu or click the corresponding icon from the RP toolbar.

2. Select a shell to be extruded. ( See Shell selection )

3. Adjust the position and orientation of the projection plane using virtual trackball interface as shown below

Rotation : Left-click and drag the mouse. Translation : Ctrl + Left-click and drag the mouse Z Axis Translation : Ctrl + Shift + left-click and drag the mouse

4. If a user clicks the right mouse button while executing this command, the following pop-up menu appears.

Select Pause to temporarily stop the current command and change to input ready state. Then, a user can use virtual trackball. A check mark appears in the front of Pause command in this state. Select Pause once more to resume the stopped command.

By default, RapidForm extrudes a shell to the plane along the normal direction of the (reference) plane. If you want to extrude the shell along the direction tangent to the boundary face, select Tangent Extrusion option and select Done.

5. Select Pick Ref. Plane from the pop-up menu to use a previously created reference plane as the projection plane. After selecting it, left-click on a reference plane. A user can still manipulate the projection plane after this.
Pick Ref. Plane is disabled if there is no reference plane.

6.  When the projection plane is decided, select Done from the pop-up menu to complete this command.

Note  

• When there is no boundary edge, Tool >> Make Volume >> Extrude to Plane command cannot be performed and the following warning appears.

• The initial projection plane is the plane which has minimized sum of distance to all the boundary vertices.

• When the projection plane intersects with the shell, the following warning appears.

Press Yes button to proceed. This may create crossing faces. ( See Clean )

• If the extrusion is about to generate self-intersection faces on the plane, this operation cannot be performed and the following warning appears.