Constant plane via mate connector (FS)

ben_partouch

Hello,

How do I establish a plane using a mate connector, in a way that no matter how I orient the part, the directions will remain the same.
The plane will be used for a sketch and then extrude the sketch normal to the sketch region.

Thank you

Jason_S

Either:

1. Construct a mate connector from selections in the feature. You need a point for the origin and two directions orthogonal to each other.
2. Place a mate connector on the part being derived. If you move it after it is derived, you'd need to construct a query to transform the mate connector and the part.
   

Without explicit definition, you will be subjected to the right and left-handedness of edge direction (+Z direction) and implicit direction guesses when transformed in world space that will affect clocking (XY plane orientation about the Z).

ben_partouch

The feature is creating new geometry in this case, so I assume opt 1 is preferable. 
I can't figure out how to make a plane that is parallel to the Z normal direction. Only xy planes.

Thank you Jason.

jelte_steur814

would this work?

plane(coordsystem.origin, coordsystem.xAxis, yAxis(coordsystem)); 

//this would be normal to yaxis. swap the last two arguments to let the x axis be normal. either optionare parralel to Z.

NeilCooke

It's not clear what you are trying to do? I don't follow Jason's comments either.

If you just want to convert a MC to a plane, use evPlane

ben_partouch

Thank you @jelte_steur814, I'll definitely try this. 

@NeilCooke- Using evPlan with the MC only works in one orientation. As soon as the parts move the whole thing is messed up. 
I want it constant and robust at all orientations. 

ben_partouch

@jelte_steur814
can't get it normal to Z. 
Tried both ways.

ben_partouch

@jelte_steur814
I got it. zAxis... 
Thank you!

Let's see if the rest works well.

ben_partouch

How do I set a vector for a transform operation that is following the new coor' system?
So if I want to move 50mm only in the Y axis.

Thank you

jelte_steur814

i think something like this?

i didn't test any of this, but you get the gist I hope.

const direction = evAxis(yAxis).direction;
const translationVector = direction * (50 * millimeter);

ben_partouch

It was close. Finally got it though. 
Here's the solution:

var yDirection = yAxis(location2);

 var line1 = line(location1, yDirection);

            debug(context, line1, DebugColor.MAGENTA);

            

            const translationVector = yDirection * secRowDis;

            // debug(context, direction, DebugColor.RED);

            opPattern(context, id + "patternC", {

                        "entities" : qCreatedBy(id + "boolean2", EntityType.FACE),

                        "transforms" : [transform(translationVector)],

                        "instanceNames" : ["secondraw"]

                    });

Thanks so much @jelte_steur814