Draft Offset

Description
The Offset tool moves the selected object by a given distance (offset) perpendicular to itself.

Typically this tool is used in copy mode to create offset copies of a base wire while leaving this wire in the same place. The offset copies are scaled versions of the original object. To create other scaled copies use Draft Scale. To produce exact copies shifted a distance use Draft Move.



Usage

 * 1) Select the object that you wish to offset.
 * 2) Press the  button, or press  then  keys. If no object is selected, you will be invited to select one.
 * 3) Click a point on the 3D view, or type in a distance.

The distance used to create the offset is perpendicular to one of the edges of the original shape, depending on the position of the pointer. If the pointer is moved closer to another edge, this edge now becomes the reference for the distance. Hold the key to keep the current reference edge despite moving the pointer closer to other edges.

Options
The single character keyboard shortcut and the modifier keys mentioned here can be changed. See Draft Preferences.


 * If the checkbox is checked a special offset style is used: open Draft Wires are offset on both sides, and new edges are connected with rounded corners. This only works for planar Draft objects with at least two straight edges. Note that with this style a new non-parametric object is created, and if copy mode is off the original object is deleted.
 * Press or click the  checkbox to toggle copy mode. If copy mode is on, the command will create an offset copy instead of offsetting the original object.
 * Holding down before picking points in the 3D view will also toggle copy mode. While  is held down multiple offset points can be picked. Release  to finish the command and see the created copies.
 * Holding down will keep the offset distance linked to the current segment.
 * Press or the  button to abort the command.

Preferences
See also: Preferences Editor and Draft Preferences.


 * To change the number of decimals used for the input of the distance:.
 * To store and reuse the same copy mode setting across commands:.

Scripting
See also: Autogenerated API documentation and FreeCAD Scripting Basics.

To offset objects use the method of the Draft module. The method can only handle Draft Wires, Draft Circles, Draft Rectangles, Draft Polygons and Draft BSplines.


 * is the object to be offset.
 * contains the offset information:
 * For Draft Wires, Draft Rectangles and Draft Polygons it is an offset vector that must be perpendicular to the first segment of the object.
 * For Draft Circles it is the new radius.
 * For Draft BSplines it is a list of new points.
 * If is  the original object is kept and a new object is created.
 * If is  a face is created by connecting the shape of the original object and the shape of its offset. This only works for open Draft Wires.
 * If is, and  is  as well, the offset is made on both sides of the original object, the total width being the length of the given vector. This only works for open Draft Wires.
 * If is  OCC-style offsetting is used. See Options. If  is  the  and  arguments are ignored.
 * is returned with the original offset object, or with the new object. If  is  or  is, the new object is a  object.

Example: