You can create a blend feature by sketching the sections through a series of Sketcher sessions while within the Blend tool.
• A blend feature must contain two or more sections.
• Sketched sections are connected using a smooth curve.
• Section sketch plane is projected:
– Offset dimension
– Reference
• Sections are blended based on order of insertion.
• You can remove sections.
Figure 1 – Blends Adding and Removing Material
Figure 2 – Sketching a Section
Figure 3 – Projecting the Sections
Creating Blends by Sketching Sections
You create blend features when you need to create models that contain different transitional cross-sections. For example, a blend feature enables you to create geometry that starts as a circular cross-section, but then changes to a square cross-section as you transition along the length of the feature. Blend features can add or remove material.
Sketching the Sections
A blend feature consists of a series of parallel sketches. The blend feature must contain two or more sections. You can sketch the sections through a series of Sketcher sessions while within the Blend tool. If desired, you can reference previous geometry from section to section.
Each section must contain the same number of entities (or vertices). There are two exceptions to this rule:
• The blend can start or end as a single point.
• You can add a number of blend vertex points, each of which counts as an entity. For example, a blend vertex placed on a triangular section enables the system to blend to a square. The system essentially connects the points of each section to create the blend feature.
Specifying the Depth of Sketched Sections
By default, the system connects the sketched sections together using a smooth curve. After Section 1, the depth by which each subsequent section is offset can be defined using two methods:
• Offset dimension – Enables you to specify the distance by which the section’s sketch plane is offset. By default, the section is offset by a
specified distance from the previously created section. However, you can select any other section in the blend feature from which to offset a new section.
• Reference – Enables you to define the section’s sketch plane location by selecting a reference. For example, you can select a datum plane. This option is similar to the To Selected Section Start Points depth option of an extrude feature.
Each section has its own start point. The start points should correspond between sections to avoid a twisting effect in the resulting blend feature. You can manage start points within each sketched section. In Figure 2, the start point in the sketch is at the upper-left corner.
Manipulating Sketched Sections
Consider the following regarding manipulating sketched blend sections:
• By default, sections are blended together in the order they are inserted.
You cannot switch the order.
• You can remove sections.
• When defining a blend feature, only one section is considered the active section at any time. To set a given section as the active section, you can either select it from the Sections tab in the dashboard, or you can select the section leader note in the graphics window. The selected section then changes color, and all right-click options pertain to this active section
