Part Offset2D

Part Offset2D
Menu location
Part → 2D Offset
Workbenches
Part
Default shortcut
None
Introduced in version
-
See also
Part_Offset, Part Thickness, Draft Offset

...UNDER CONSTRUCTION...

Description

Part 2D Offset constructs a wire, parallel to the original wire, at a certain distance from it. Or enlarges/shrinks a planar face, similarly.

The wire/face must be planar. There can be multiple wires in one object.

How to use

1. Select an object to offset
2. Invoke Part Offset2D command.
3. Set up the offset in Task Panel, and accept the dialog.

A 2D Offset parametric object is created. Original objects are switched to wireframe display mode.

Known issues

• Using the tool can crash FreeCAD (see next point). On Windows, these crashes are converted to exceptions and don't generally cause FreeCAD to close; on other OS'es it is not the case. So, it is advised to save project before attempting to use the tool.
• Enlarging faces with circular holes by an amount large enough to cause holes to close up, a crash occurs (OCC 7.0.0). The problem seems to be specific to circles; other shapes seem to close out properly.
• when offsetting circles that have non-zero Placement, the result is placed wrongly. (OCC 7.0.0)
• when offsetting circles, sometimes they are offset in unexpected direction (e.g. inward instead of outward). (OCC 7.0.0)
• Fill="true" doesn't work when collectively offsetting open wires in "Skin" mode
• "Tangent" join mode doesn't work (OCC 7.0.0)
• Offsetting wires made of single line segment is not supported (because line segment doesn't define a plane). Single line segments cannot participate in collective offset either.

Properties

Offset

• DataSource: Link to original shape
• DataValue The distance to enlarge the wire/face by. If negative, the wire/face is shrunk instead.
• DataMode ("Pipe" or "Skin"): sets how non-closed wires are processed. If "Pipe", the wire is outlined as if it was an extremely thin closed contour. If "Skin", an open wire is created.

• DataJoin ("Arc", "Tangent", "Intersection"): sets the behavior around kinks. If "Arc", offset segments are connected with an arc of circle, centered at the vertex. "Tangent" is unsupported on OCC7.0.0. "Intersection": offset segments are extended till they intersect.

• DataIntersection ("false", "true"): sets if multiple wires are treated collectively or independently. If "false", wires are offset independently, intersections between resulting wires are ignored. If "true", the wires are offset in collective manner.

Only wires within a compound are coupled. For example, if the structure is like compound(wire1, wire2, compound(wire3, wire4)), wire1 and wire2 will be treated collectively, but independently from wire3 and wire4. Likewise, wire3 and wire4 are treated collectively, but independently of wire1+wire2.

Also, in collective mode, directions of wires are important, and influence direction of offset. This is in tight relationship with how holes in faces are treated.

• DataFill ("false", "true"): if "true", the space between original wire/face and the offset is filled with a face.

Scripting

The tool can by used in macros and from the python console by using the following function:

f = App.ActiveDocument.addObject("Part::Offset2D", "Offset2D")

2D offset is also available as a method of Part.Shape:

Part.Circle().makeOffset2D(distance, ...)

Version

The tool was introduced in FreeCAD v0.17.???. Most of non-default modes will only work with OCC 7.0.0 or later.