Chapter 7: Selecting Features ......................................................................................................
FIGURE 7.1A closed loop sketch and an extruded solid feature
Figure 7.2 shows the Thin Feature panel in the Extruded Boss PropertyManager. In addition to the
default options that are available for the extrude feature, the Thin feature adds a thickness dimension,
as well as three options to direct the thickness relative to the sketch: One-Direction, Mid-Plane, and
Two-Direction. The Two-Direction option requires two dimensions, as shown in Figure 7.2.FIGURE 7.2The Thin Feature portion of the Extrude PropertyManager
Thin feature sketches are typically simpler than closed loop sketches, which usually means that
they are more robust through changes. You can create the simplest cube from a single sketch line
and a thin feature extrude. However, because they are more specialized in some respects, they are
not as flexible when the design intent changes. For example, if a part is going to change from a
constant width to a tapered or stepped shape, thin features do not handle this kind of change.
Figure 7.3 shows different types of geometry that are typically created from thin features.