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Extrude in non-normal direction - workaround.

romeograhamromeograham Member Posts: 656 PRO
edited February 2019 in Using Onshape
Anyone that is coming from SolidWorks may be used to using the "extrude direction" capability in Extrude features: you can select a direction that is not normal to the sketch's plane for the extrude. 

I was trying to figure out how to do this in Onshape (but there isn't that exact feature).

I stumbled on a work-around, using a temporary body / sketch.

Turns out that an extrude feature will go in the direction normal to the first sketch / face selected. Then you can select a different sketch / face, and it will be extruded in the same direction as the normal of the first sketch:


Sketch 4 (on my "Line of Draw" plane) is selected first. Then Sketch 3 is selected. This is the body that I really want in my model. You can see the body extruded from Sketch 3 goes in the direction I'd like, but originates from a different plane.

This could save using a sweep or other combination of features to achieve the correct geometry. Combined with a draft in the Extrude, it reduces the number of features required for some types of geometry where the Line of Draw is not necessarily normal to planes / faces in the model.

For the extra seed extruded body, you would have to delete it after this feature. For Subtract or Intersect extrudes, the "seed" body is not created, and doesn't have to be eliminated after you're done.

Does anyone have a FeatureScript that allows an "extrude in direction" option?

I created an IR a while ago, but now can't find it....

Thanks
Romeo

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