MechDesigner Reference & User Interface > 2.2 Mechanism-Editor > MD-Solids

What is a Profile / Extrusion?

MD-POP-SKETCHLOOP-2LINES2ARCS

When you sketch a sketch-loop in a Part with the Part-Editor, you can select the sketch-loop to add a Profile and Extrusion with the Add Profile command.

Profiles and Extrusions are elements that have the same shape as a sketch-loop. You can add many Profile / Extrusions to the same sketch-loop.

Profile element:

•two contours (we call them the the Primary-Contour, and the Secondary-Contour) that copy the shape of a sketch-loop

•you can control the distance between the contours with the Extrusion Depth parameter in the Extrusion dialog.

•you can control the distance to the Primary-Contour with the Extrusion Offset and Part-Offset parameters in the Extrusion dialog

MD-POP-Extrusion-Element

Extrusion element:

•is the “solid” in the MD-Solid element.

•is a child to a Profile

Note:

The Follower-Profile that you select when you Add 2D-Cam or Add 3D-Cam must be a Profile element.

Terminology:

Sketch-Loop :	A series of sketch-elements, that you join end to end to form a closed loop. The start-Points and end-Points, where the sketch-elements join together, must be merged to one Point. Sketch-loops cannot cross over each other and they cannot branch. See examples: sketch-loop
Profile :	Two contours that are offset along the Z-axis of the Mechanism-Plane and a copy of the sketch-loop you select when you do Add Profile.
extrusion :	The Solid between the two offset contours of the Profile.

Preparation for Add Profile / Extrusion

3x Sketch-Loops in a Part

You must edit a Part to add a sketch-loop

The image shows three sketch-loops in the model.

A Sketch-loop is a sketch you add to a Part with the tools in the Geometry menu.

Add Profile / Extrusion

STEP 1:Start the Add Profile command

1.Click MD-Solids menu > Add Profile

1.Click MD-Solids toolbar > Add Profile

The Command-Manager starts.

3x Sketch-Loops in a Part

STEP 2:Select a sketch-element that belongs to a sketch-loop

1.Click a sketch-element in one sketch-loop, or a Polyline

The name of the sketch-element is in the Command-Manager.

3 x Profile Contours in graphic-area

STEP 3:Complete the command:

1.Click in the Command-Manager.

We add for you a Profile and Extrusion to the sketch-loop that you select.

Do 1 - 3 again to add a Profile to a different, or the same, sketch-loop.

RESULT : graphics-area

We add for you

•the Primary-Contour and Secondary-Contour, which are copies of the sketch-loop, and

•the Extrusion, which is the Solid between the contours.

The default position of the Primary-Contour is coplanar with the sketch-loop that you select.

Use the Extrusion dialog to move the contours and Extrusion relative to the sketch-loop, as required.

To see the Extrusion, enable Visibility toolbar > Show Solids in Mechanisms

The image shows 3 Profile and Extrusion elements.

The default color of the Extrusion is Blue.

3 x Extrusions in graphic-area

Profile and Extrion elements in the Assembly-Tree

Result : Assembly-Tree

The Profile is a child to the Part in which there is the sketch-loop.

The Extrusion is a child to the Profile.

How to edit an Extrusion

To EDIT an Extrusion Element - with the Selection-Window.

In the graphics-area:

1.SHIFT + CLICK the Profile (or CLICK the Extrusion eleemnt)

The Profile and/or the Extrusion elements show in the Selection-Window.

In the Selection-Window:

2.Right-click the Extrusion

In the shortcut menu

3.Click Edit element

The Extrusion dialog opens.

See Extrusion dialog

SELECTION-WINDOW: Right-Click

ASSEMBLY-TREE -
Right-click Extrusion

To EDIT an Extrusion Element - in the Assembly-Tree

In the Assembly-Tree

1.Click the Profile to expand and see the Extrusion element - a child to the Profile element

2.Click the Extrusion to make sure it has a square orange box around the Extrusion icon

3.Right-click the Extrusion

In the shortcut menu

4.Click Edit element.

How to delete a Profile

ASSEMBLY-TREE - Delete Profile

To DELETE a Profile Element

In the graphics-area

1.CLICK the Profile

The Profile shows in the Selection-Window.

In the Selection-Window:

2.Right-click the Profile

In the shortcut menu

3.Click Delete

We delete for you the Profile and the Extrusion elements from the model.