DraftAngleAnalysis

Toolbar	Menu
Surface Analysis	Analyze Surface > Draft Angle Analysis

Toolbar

Surface Analysis

Analyze

Surface >

Draft Angle Analysis

The DraftAngleAnalysis command visually evaluates surface draft-angle using false-color analysis.

Draft angle is often used to design injection-molded parts that must eject from molds.

Input

Surface, Polysurface, Extrusion, Mesh, SubD

Steps

Select objects.
In the Draft Angle dialog box, set the angle for the color display.
Set the pulling direction.
Adjust the density of the mesh if the level of detail is not fine enough.

Draft Angle Analysis options

Upper value (Blue)

A draft angle above the upper value displays blue. The range between the upper value and 0 displays a blue-green gradient.

Lower value (Red)

A draft angle below the lower value displays red. The range between 0 and the lower value displays a green-red gradient.

If you set the upper and lower values to the same, all portions of the object that exceed the draft angle will be red.

Set direction by

Select an option that defines the pulling direction.

World Z

Uses the +Z of the world axes.

CPlane Z

Uses the +Z of the CPlane in the selected viewport.

Click Set... and select a viewport.

View based

Uses the inverted view direction (target towards camera) of the selected viewport.

Click Set... and select a viewport.

Two points

Uses the direction defined by picking two points.

Click Set... and pick two points in the viewport.

Curve or edge

Uses the tangent direction at the start point of the selected curve or edge.

Click Set... and select a curve or an edge in the viewport.

Show edges and isocurves

Displays edges or isocurves on the analyzed objects.

Add max. draft curve

Creates a curve along the line where the draft angle is equal to the upper value.

Add mid draft curve

Creates a curve along the line where the draft angle is 0.

Add min. draft curve

Creates a curve along the line where the draft angle is equal to the lower value.

Create Draft Curves

Click to create curves based on the state of the draft curve checkboxes above.

Adjust Mesh

Open Polygon Mesh Options to change analysis mesh density. Increasing mesh density improves the analyzing accuracy.

Add Objects

Select more objects to analyze.

Remove Objects

Remove selected objects from the analysis.

DraftAngleAnalysisOff

Toolbar	Menu
Surface Analysis	Not on menus. Close the dialog box.

Toolbar

Toolbar: Surface Analysis

Surface Analysis

Not on menus.

Close the dialog box.

The DraftAngleAnalysisOff command turns off draft angle analysis.

DraftAnglePoint

Toolbar	Menu
Not on toolbars.	Not on menus.

Toolbar

Not on toolbars.

Not on menus.

The DraftAnglePoint command places a point object at a surface's draft angle break location.

Draft angle is often used to design injection-molded parts that must eject from molds.

Steps

Select a surface near the draft point, and press Enter.

Tip

One way to find locations on the surface close to the desired draft angle is to turn on DraftAngleAnlaysis. Set the upper and lower limits to bracket the desired angle closely. For example, if the angle is 5, set the limits to 4.9 and 5.1.
Use a dense analysis mesh. Points can then be picked along the strip dividing the red from the blue parts of the surface. The points will be on the break line.

Command-line options

Angle

The angle in world coordinates of a line tangent to the surface at the draft angle point.

Wikipedia: Tangent

PullDirection

The direction of the part ejection in world coordinates.

Edge

Restricts the point placement to an edge.

DraftAngleAnalysis

Input

Steps

Upper value (Blue)

Lower value (Red)

Set direction by

World Z

CPlane Z

View based

Two points

Curve or edge

Show edges and isocurves

Add max. draft curve

Add mid draft curve

Add min. draft curve

Create Draft Curves

Adjust Mesh

Add Objects

Remove Objects

DraftAngleAnalysisOff

DraftAnglePoint

Steps

Tip

Angle

PullDirection

Edge

See also