Round : Options and Results

Access: Open this function from one of the following locations:

Click the button in the toolbar.
Select Solid > Main Tools > Round from the menu bar.
Select Round on the popup menu if no geometry is selected, if one face is selected, if one or more edges are selected, or if one or more vertices are selected.

If a combination of entities are selected, or if more than one face is selected, Round will not appear on the popup submenu.

Create a round (fillet) on a sharp corner.

The rounding radius can be constant or variable.

Note: The example demonstrates how to apply a constant rounding radius. See Round: Variable Radius if you want to specify different radii at specific locations.

Required Step 1

Pick edges, vertices, or a face. Set the parameter.

You can select an edge by picking a point that lies on the edge.
You can drag a box to select multiple edges.
Edges and vertices can be selected in combination, but only one face can be selected.

When you have made your selections, press <exit><exit>(middle mouse button).

Edge Selection: Picking Edges - Smooth Chain On/OffEdge Selection: Picking Edges - Smooth Chain On/Off

Edge Selection - Smooth Chain Off Pick an edge. Only the picked edge is selected. Pick other edges as required.	Edge Selection - Smooth Chain On Pick an edge. All edges connected to the picked edge in a smooth chain (no sharp corners) are automatically selected.

Edge Selection: Picking Vertices (to select edges) - Smooth Chain On/Off
Selecting a Face:Selecting a Face:

You can select one face, which cannot be selected in combination with edges or vertices. In addition, the face must have sharp corners on all sides - a face joined smoothly to other faces cannot be rounded. If the face has islands (as in the example below) only the external boundaries will be rounded.

Note: If you want to apply rounding between groups of faces, you can use the Round Face-Face function.

Required Step 2

All selected edges are marked with a preview symbol that reflects the size of the given radius (as set by the Global Radius parameter - see below). If the Constant Radius option is used, each selected edge is marked with a blue circle that enables you to set a different radius value for a specific edge.

The following parameters are displayed (toggle the Constant Value / Variable Radius options as required):

You can specify a constant rounding radius value (described below) or a variable radius.

Note: If a face was selected for rounding, you can only apply a Constant Value.

Set the parameters as required:

Constant Value / Variable Radius

This is a toggle option Constant Value / Variable Radius.

Constant Value

Define a round with a Constant Value.
Example:Example:

Variable Radius

Define a round with a variable radius. See Variable Radius for additional information of the options available.
Example:Example:

By Curvature / By Chord Length

This is a toggle option By Curvature / By Chord Length.

Define the round by a radius value (using the values set in Global Radius) or by a chordal distancechordal distance
The chordal distance identifes two points on the profile of the intersecting faces of a corner that are used as the end points of an arc. The arc is tangental to both faces and describes the shape of the Round. The radius of the arc may vary if the angle at which the faces intersect changes, but the distance between the two points remains constant. .

By Curvature	Define a round by editing the settings in the Global Radius field (below).
By Chord Length	Define a round by entering the distance between the two surface tangency points. This creates a constant, fixed cross sectional width along the blend by varying the radius of the round.

Global Radius / Global Length

This option will vary between Global Radius and Global Distance depending on the selection made in the By Curvature / By Chord Length field.

If By Curvature is selected

The Global Radius field defines the Constant Value to be used in the operation; this parameter is only displayed in the Constant Value option. The Global Radius can either be set by entering the required value into the field or by clicking the button to take the information from existing geometry (see the explanation for this button below).

Enter the required Constant Value in the Global Radius field.
Examples:Examples:

Set the size of the round. A round preview is displayed on the selected edge(s).	Note that the round preview is adjusted to reflect the value entered.	Result:

To set a local radius value for a specific edge, click the blue circle on the appropriate edge to display a parameter label. Set the specific radius value for this edge in the displayed label, as shown in the example below. Different radius values for multiple edges can be set in this way.
ExampleExample:

If By Chord Length is selected
The Global Distance field defines the chord length to be used in the operation (the distance between the surface tangency points which determines the line that is a chord of the Round). Enter the required chord length in the Global Distance field.

Define the radius value by picking an arc, cylindrical face, torus face or a point (point - see the note below). The Global Radius value is set according to the radius value of the selected geometry (the value is not associative to the selected geometry; this is simply a quick way of setting the radius based on existing geometry).
Examples:Examples:

Note the current radius value. Click the button and pick the appropriate geometry; an arc and cylindrical face example are shown below:



The Global Radius value is set according to the radius value of the selected geometry.

Note: A point can also be used to define the radius value. To enable you to pick a point, manually select the Point option in the Selection Filter. This automatically selects the Close to Face point filter option. This enables you to pick the closest point to any face (except a planar or planar nurb) and the minimum radius at this point is selected.

Options

Click the Options field if you want to specify further information about the rounding, such as creation of solids or faces.

Optional Step 1

Set the round stopped distance value. This is used to stop the round at a set distance from one or both ends of the entity selected in required step 1. If the round is to be stopped at both ends, different stopped distance values can be set for each end.

Distance parameters are displayed at both ends of the round.	Set the required stop distance.


The round is produced up to the stop distance; for constant and variable rounds.

Press <exit><exit>(middle mouse button) when finished. Click OK or Apply in the Feature Guide to complete the function. The resulting Round feature will appear in the Feature Tree as follows:

Some functionality may be dependent on the product package. Contact your Reseller if you require a license.