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I'm seeing engraved text, but the offset feature is adding material to the surface, then engraving into it!
Here's the initial thickness:
Here's the offset thickness:
What gives? I'm setting the offset thickness at .031, so you can see that it's adding the offset amount in material, then engraving, instead of simply engraving the text into the existing material. I am using the draft function of the offset feature, and I'm using loops created from the text of a previously created sketch.
When you select the curve (Sketch_2) to extrude, are you changing the direction of the extrude to go into the part and selecting the option to remove material?
All right, I managed to solve this eventually. It was my own mistake, which then cascaded into many failures...
I was using this feature a number of times in this part (for different text). In the initial feature, I was using expand instead of draft by mistake, thus adding another surface on top of the original. When I created another offset, I was unknowingly choosing this newly created offsetsurface as my surface tooffset from. Thus, when I fixed the initial problem, all of the subsequent offsets failed, as they were referencing the new surface(s) instead of the correct one. So, I had a lot of correcting to do!
Be careful with this feature, it can really screw you up if you make one small mistake!
It does work very nicely when you do it right, though...
for future clarification, it's best to remember that ENGRAVE should have text cut into or recessed into the part while EMBOSS will have text raised off of the part. it sounds like you were using engrave interchangeably between the two definitions.
Well, no, I was using the expand feature, so the text was "cut into" the part (material was removed from the part). The problem was that I was using the "expand" feature by mistake, so material was added to the part first (the thickness added was equal to the depth that I had called out for the text), and then that new material was cut into in order to create the engraved text.
There was no embossed text involved. The real issue wasn't the direction of the offset; rather, it was the fact that I was using "expand" rather than "draft".
Expand... Draft.... I just simply use Extrude when I do my text and I also make it one of the last features in the tree. When I build a casting model, I tend to put features in the following order: Features, Draft, and Rounds. It is certainly not a hard fast rule but that is my intent. I understand that sometimes you just have to put a draft or round in earlier.
Well, no, I was using the expand feature, so the text was "cut into" the part (material was removed from the part). The problem was that I was using the "expand" feature by mistake, so material was added to the part first (the thickness added was equal to the depth that I had called out for the text), and then that new material was cut into in order to create the engraved text.
There was no embossed text involved. The real issue wasn't the direction of the offset; rather, it was the fact that I was using "expand" rather than "draft".
I guess I'm entirely confused at what you were trying to do. "expand" and "draft" (the real feature name is expand with draft) do exactly the same thing. they add or remove material offset a distance from a surface. they either add material for the text in this case (emboss) or they remove it/cut it away (engrave). the only difference between the two is that one adds the material with sides parallel to the direction of the extrude (vertical walls) versus drafting the walls so they are no longer vertical.
This image shows embossed and engraved text.
Each feature was made using the Expand option from the offset menu.
Here you can see which dashboard options were used to create the embossed text. I used the expand feature and have the direction arrow pointed to add material.
Here, I used the expand feature to engrave the text by setting the direction arrow to remove the material.
Here isthe same embossed created using the Expand with Draft option. note that now the side walls are no longer vertical but are angled. in this case, I angled them 5
All right, I made a copy of the part and played around with it. Of course, since I solved the problem, I've rearranged the model tree, etc. in order to clean everything up.
I am now seeing the same results you are. I was not able to do this yesterday. I don't know; I screwed up somewhere and can't figure out what was causing this to happen. All I know is that using one function instead of another was causing material to be added before the engraving occurred. I must have been referencing something incorrectly or something along those lines.
I may never really figure this out. I don't care, though, because I'm finished with this part (at least for now)!
I am now seeing the same results you are. I was not able to do this yesterday. ...... All I know is that using one function instead of another was causing material to be added before the engraving occurred.
What? Pro engineer does something strange and can't be reproduced? I don't believe it! at least you got what you wanted. that's most of the battle sometimes!
That's the technique I was using. I guess the only differences would be that:
<UL>
<LI>the surface I was projecting onto was a different angle, and was convex rather than concave</LI>
<LI>the part had a lot of other features</LI>[/list]
I don't know exactly what caused this problem. Still thinking about that...
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