PartDesign Pad

From FreeCAD Documentation
Revision as of 16:23, 3 April 2024 by Roy 043 (talk | contribs)

PartDesign Pad

Menu location
Part Design → Create an additive feature → Pad
Workbenches
PartDesign
Default shortcut
None
Introduced in version
-
See also
PartDesign Pocket

Description

The Pad tool extrudes a sketch or a face of a solid along a straight path.

Sketch (A) shown on the left; end result after pad operation (B) on the right.

Usage

  1. Select one sketch or face to be padded. introduced in version 0.20: Alternatively you can select several sketches or faces.
  2. Press the Pad button.
  3. Set the Pad parameters, see the Options below.
  4. Click OK.

When selecting a single sketch, it can have multiple enclosed profiles inside a larger one, for example a rectangle with two circles inside it. But the profiles may not intersect each other. introduced in version 0.20

Options

When creating a pad, the Pad parameters dialog will be shown. It offers the following settings:

Type

Type offers five different ways of specifying the length to which the pad will be extruded:

Dimension

Enter a numeric value for the Length of the pad. With the option Symmetric to plane the pad will extend half the given length to either side of the sketch or face.

To last

The pad will extrude up to the last face of the support in the extrusion direction. If there is no support, an error message will appear.

To first

The pad will extrude up to the first face of the support in the extrusion direction. If there is no support, an error message will appear.

Up to face

The pad will extrude up to a face selected in the 3D model.

Two dimensions

This allows to enter a second length in which the pad should extend in the opposite direction. The directions can be switched by ticking the Reversed option.

Length

Defines the length of the pad. This option is only available if Type is Dimension or Two dimensions. The length is measured along the direction vector, or along the normal of the sketch or face. Negative values are not possible. Use the Reversed option instead.

Offset to face

Offset from face at which the pad will end. This option is only available if Type is To last, To first or Up to face.

Direction

Direction/edge

You can select the direction of the extrusion:

  • Sketch normal or Face normal: The sketch or face is extruded in the direction of its normal. If you have selected several sketches or faces to be extruded, the normal of the first one will be used. introduced in version 0.20
  • Select reference...: The sketch or face is extruded in the direction of a straight edge selected in the 3D model.
  • Custom direction: The sketch or face is extruded in the direction of the specified vector.

Show direction

If checked, the pad direction will be shown. In case the pad uses a Custom direction, it can be changed. introduced in version 0.20

Length along sketch normal

If checked, the pad length is measured along the sketch or face normal, otherwise along the custom direction. introduced in version 0.20

Symmetric to plane

Tick the checkbox to extrude half the given length to either side of the sketch or face. This option is only available if Type is Dimension

Reversed

Reverses the direction of the pad.

Taper angle

introduced in version 0.20

Tapers the pad in the extrusion direction by the given angle. A positive angle means the outer pad border gets wider. This option is only available if Type is Dimension or Two dimensions. Note that inner structures receive the opposite taper angle. This is done to facilitate the design of molds and molded parts.

Limitations:

  • Sketches containing B-Splines often cannot be properly tapered. This is a limitation of the OpenCASCADE kernel that FreeCAD uses.
  • For larger angles tapering will fail if the end face of the pad would have fewer edges than the start face/sketch.

2nd length

Defines the length of the pad in the opposite extrusion direction. This option is only available if Type is Two dimensions.

2nd taper angle

introduced in version 0.20

Tapers the pad in the opposite extrusion direction by the given angle. A positive angle means the outer pad border gets wider. This option is only available if Type is Two dimensions. Note that inner structures receive the opposite taper angle. This is done to facilitate the design of molds and molded parts.

Properties

  • DataType: Type of ways how the pad will be extruded, see Options.
  • DataLength: Defines the length of the pad, see Options.
  • DataLength2: Second pad length in case the DataType is TwoLengths, see Options.
  • DataUse Custom Vector: If checked, the pad direction will not be the normal vector of the sketch but the given vector, see Options.
  • DataDirection: Vector of the pad direction if DataUse Custom Vector is used.
  • DataAlong Sketch Normal: If true, the pad length is measured along the sketch normal. Otherwise and if DataUse Custom Vector is used, it is measured along the custom direction. introduced in version 0.20
  • DataUp To Face: A face the pad will extrude up to, see Options.
  • DataOffset: Offset from face in which the pad will end. This is only taken into account if the DataType option UpToLast, UpToFirst or UpToFace is used.
  • DataRefine: True or false. Cleans up residual edges left after the operation. This property is initially set according to the user's settings (found in Preferences → Part design → General → Model settings). It can be manually changed afterwards. This property will be saved with the FreeCAD document.

Limitations

  • Like all Part Design features, Pad creates a solid, thus the sketch must include a closed profile or it will fail with a Failed to validate broken face error.
  • The algorithm used for To First and To Last is:
    • Create a line through the center of gravity of the sketch
    • Find all faces of the support cut by this line
    • Choose the face where the intersection point is nearest/furthest from the sketch
This means that the face that is found might not always be what you expected. If you run into this problem, use the Up to face type instead, and pick the face you want.
For the very special case of extrusion to a concave surface, where the sketch is larger than this surface, extrusion will fail. This is a unresolved bug.