how to evaluate extrude direction so it can be used in a transform

owen_sparks

Hi folks.

Hopefully an easy one this time.

I'm creating a body using an extrude from a sketch.

Having made it I may wish to transform it in the direction of the previous extrude operation.

I can use the qCreatedBy query to grab the body for the entity parameter but am having difficulty evaluating the extrude direction for the "transformDirection" parameter.  (If we can't use the extrude direction can we use "normal to the sketch" the extrude was performed with?)

if (definition.SubFlush)
                        {
                            transform(context, id + i, {
                                    "entities" : qCreatedBy(id + i + "extrudeNutDown1", EntityType.BODY),
                                    "transformType" : TransformType.TRANSLATION_DISTANCE,
 >> Here>>                   "transformDirection" // Evaluate The direction of the extrude in (id + i + "extrudeNutDown1") ,
                                    "distance" : SubflushExtraDepth * millimeter
                            });
                        }

I think this is the last line of fs code preventing this widget working properly so any help appreciated.

Cheers,
Owen S.

ilya_baran

You can't ask the extrude direction because the solid (mostly) doesn't remember it (imagine a cube -- it could've been extruded in any of three directions).  If you really need it, qCapEntity is a good starting point to look, but that may not be reliable if the caps are not planes perpendicular to the extrude direction.
In reality, if you have the sketch, you most likely want to pass qCreatedBy(sketchId) to evOwnerSketchPlane and take the resulting normal.  Or just keep the sketch plane around if you're creating it in the same feature.

lemon1324

This is for your nut pocket feature, right?  If so, you already know the direction of the extrude, and you don't have to recalculate it from the geometry; just save the direction when you do the extrude, and then pass it to the function that does the sub-flush offsets.

The other option you have is to extrude the nut back from the base of the pocket, and then you wouldn't need to transform it. (Assuming you're creating the nuts dynamically and not simply importing from a library)

ilya_baran

You can't ask the extrude direction because the solid (mostly) doesn't remember it (imagine a cube -- it could've been extruded in any of three directions).  If you really need it, qCapEntity is a good starting point to look, but that may not be reliable if the caps are not planes perpendicular to the extrude direction.
In reality, if you have the sketch, you most likely want to pass qCreatedBy(sketchId) to evOwnerSketchPlane and take the resulting normal.  Or just keep the sketch plane around if you're creating it in the same feature.

mahir

Can you query for the feature that created a body or surface? If you can locate the extrude, then the extrude direction is a vector property of that extrude's definition map. Or... I'm just talking out my ass.

lemon1324

This is for your nut pocket feature, right?  If so, you already know the direction of the extrude, and you don't have to recalculate it from the geometry; just save the direction when you do the extrude, and then pass it to the function that does the sub-flush offsets.

The other option you have is to extrude the nut back from the base of the pocket, and then you wouldn't need to transform it. (Assuming you're creating the nuts dynamically and not simply importing from a library)

owen_sparks

Thanks for your input chaps.  It's working now :-)

As ever there are many ways of getting to the same end result, I was missing an obvious one.  All useful to learn from so nothing wasted.

Thanks,

Owen S.