Figure 6­67 Final model

In SOLIDWORKS, you can also select the model edges as a part of the contour.
For example, consider Figure 6­68. This figure shows a line drawn on the top
face of a rectangular block. You can use the edges of the top face that form a
contour with the line as the sketch to be extruded, see Figure 6­69. Figure 6­70
shows the resulting extruded feature.

In SOLIDWORKS, you can also create a revolve feature by using the contour
selection method. Figure 6­71 shows the revolved feature created using the
model edges as a part of the contour.
Figure 6­68 Line drawn on the top face of a rectangular model
Figure 6­69 Selecting the contour formed by the line and the edges of the model

Figure 6­70 Extruded feature created using the edges of the model as a part of
 the contour

Figure 6­71 Revolved feature created using the edges of the model as a part of
the contour

Tip When you select a contour using the Contour Select Tool option and invoke
the Boss­Extrude PropertyManager, you will observe that the name of the
selected contour is displayed in the selection box of the Selected Contours
rollout.

You can select the contours for all the sketched features such as revolve, cut,
sweep, loft, and so on.

You can also select a single sketched entity from a sketch using the Contour
Select Tool option instead of selecting the contour for creating the sketched
features.
Note
If you click on the sign to expand the extruded feature in the FeatureManager
Design Tree, you will notice that instead of showing the icon of a simple sketch,
it will show the icon of the contour selected sketch.
CREATING CUT FEATURES
Cut extrude is a material removal process. You can define a cut feature by
extruding a sketch, revolving a sketch, sweeping a section along a path, lofting
sections, or by using a surface. You will learn more about sweep, loft, and
surface in the later chapters. The cut feature can be created only if a base feature
exists. The extruded and revolved cut features are discussed next.
Creating Extruded Cuts
CommandManager: Features > Extruded Cut SOLIDWORKS menu: Insert >
Cut > Extrude
Toolbar: Features > Extruded Cut To create an extruded cut feature, create a
sketch for the cut feature and then choose the Extruded Cut button from
the Features CommandManager; the Cut­Extrude PropertyManager will
be displayed, as shown in Figure 6­72. Also, the preview of the cut feature
with the default options will be displayed in the drawing area.

Figure 6­72 Partial view of the Cut­Extrude PropertyManager

Figure 6­73 shows the preview of the cut feature when you invoke the Cut­
Extrude PropertyManager after creating a sketch. Remember that when you
create a cut feature, the current view will not change automatically to a 3D view,
you need to change it manually. The material to be removed will be displayed in
the temporary graphics. Figure 6­74 shows the model after creating the cut
feature.
Figure 6­73 Preview of the cut feature
 Figure 6­74 Cut feature added to the model

The options in the Cut­Extrude PropertyManager are discussed next.

From
In SOLIDWORKS, you are provided with the options for specifying parameters
at the start of the extruded cut. These options are in the Start Condition drop­
down list of the From rollout and are the same as those discussed for the
Extrude Boss/Base tool.

Figure 6­75 shows the sketch to be extruded and the curved face selected as the
reference face for starting the extrusion. Figure 6­76 shows the resulting
extruded cut feature.

Figure 6­75 Sketch to be extruded and the reference face

 Figure 6­76 Resulting extruded cut feature

Direction 1
The Direction 1 rollout is used to define the termination of the extrusion in the
first direction. The options in the Direction 1 rollout are discussed next.
End Condition
The End Condition drop­down list in the Direction 1 rollout is used to
specify the type of termination. The feature termination options in this drop­
down list are Blind, Through All, Through All ­ Both, Up To Next, Up To
Vertex, Up To Surface, Offset From Surface, Up To Body, and Mid Plane.
These options are the same as those discussed for the Extrude Boss/Base tool.
By default, the Blind option is selected in the End Condition drop­down list.
Therefore, the Depth spinner is displayed to specify the depth. If you choose
the Through All ­ Both option from the drop­down list, then the extruded cut
will be created through all the geometries on both side of the sketching plane.
If you choose the Through All or the Up to Next options, the spinner will not
be displayed. The type of spinner or the selection box displayed depends on
the option selected from the End Condition drop­down list. The Reverse
Direction button is used to reverse the direction of the feature creation. If you
select the Mid Plane option from the End Condition drop­down list, the
Reverse Direction button will not be available.
 Flip side to cut
The Flip side to cut check box is used to define the side from where the
material has to be removed with respect to the profile drawn for the cut
feature. By default, the Flip side to cut check box is cleared. Therefore, the
material enclosed by the profile will be removed. If you select this check box,
the material left outside the profile will be removed. Figure 6­77 shows a cut
feature created with the Flip side to cut check box cleared and Figure 6­78
shows a cut feature created with the Flip side to cut check box selected.

Figure 6­77 Cut feature created with the Flip side to cut check box cleared

Figure 6­78 Cut feature created with the Flip side to cut check box selected

Tip You can also flip the direction of cut by clicking on the arrow on the sketch
while creating the cut feature. This arrow is available only if you have selected
or cleared the Flip side to cut check box once.

Draft On/Off
The Draft On/Off button is used to apply the draft angle to the extruded cut
feature. The Draft Angle spinner on the right of the Draft On/Off button is
used to set the value of the draft angle. By default, the Draft outward check
box is cleared. Therefore, the draft is created inward with respect to the
direction of feature creation. If you select this check box, the draft added to the
cut feature will be created outward with respect to the direction of the feature
creation. Figure 6­79 shows the draft added to the cut feature with the Draft
outward check box cleared and Figure 6­80 shows the draft added to the cut
feature with the Draft outward check box selected.

Figure 6­79 Cut feature with the Draft outward check box cleared

Figure 6­80 Cut feature with the Draft outward check box selected
The Direction 2 rollout is used to specify the termination of the feature creation
in the second direction. The options in the Direction 2 rollout are the same as
those discussed the Direction 1 rollout.

The Selected Contours rollout is used to select specific contours from the
current sketch.

Tip The sketch used for the cut feature can be a closed loop or an open sketch.
Note that if the sketch is an open sketch, the sketch should completely divide the
model into two or more parts and the depth of the cut should not exceed the
depth of the target part.

Thin Feature The Thin Feature rollout is used to create a thin cut feature.
When you create a cut feature, you need to apply thickness to the sketch in
addition to the end condition. This rollout is used to specify the parameters to
create a thin feature. To create a thin cut feature, invoke the Extruded Cut tool
after creating the sketch and specify the end conditions in the Direction 1 and
Direction 2 rollouts. Now, select the check box in the Thin Feature rollout to
activate it. The options in this rollout are the same as those discussed for the thin
feature in the Extruded Boss/Base tool.

Creating Multiple Bodies in the Cut Feature While

creating a cut feature, sometimes because of geometric
conditions, feature termination, or end conditions, the cut
feature results in the creation of multiple bodies. Figure
6­81 shows a sketch created on the top planar surface of
the base feature to create a cut feature. Figure 6­82 shows
the multiple bodies created using the cut feature with the
end condition as Through All. On choosing the OK
button from the Cut­Extrude PropertyManager with
this type of sketch and end condition, the Bodies to Keep
dialog box will be displayed, as shown in Figure 6­83.
This dialog box is used to define the part of the model to
be kept, as multiple bodies are created while applying the
cut feature.
By default, the All Bodies radio button is selected in the Bodies to Keep dialog
box. Therefore, if you choose the OK button from this dialog box, all bodies
created after the cut feature will remain in the model. If you want the cut feature
to consume any of the bodies, select the Selected bodies radio button to expand
the dialog box, as shown in Figure 6­84.

Figure 6­81 Sketch created for the cut feature

Figure 6­82 Multiple bodies created using the cut feature

Figure 6­83 The Bodies to Keep dialog box

 Figure 6­84 The Bodies to Keep dialog box with the Selected bodies radio
button selected

You can select the check box provided on the left of the name of the body to
specify the body to keep. On selecting a check box, the corresponding body will
be displayed in different colors in temporary graphics. Choose the OK button
from the Bodies to Keep dialog box. Figure 6­85 shows a sketch created for the
cut feature. Figure 6­86 shows the cut feature created using the Thin Feature
option and the All bodies radio button selected in the Bodies to Keep dialog
box.
Figure 6­85 Sketch to create a cut feature using the Thin Feature option
Figure 6­86 A thin cut feature created with all the resulting bodies retained
Note
You will learn about configurations in the later chapters.
Creating Revolved Cuts
CommandManager: Features > Revolved Cut SOLIDWORKS menu: Insert >
Cut > Revolve Toolbar: Features > Extruded Cut > Revolved Cut Revolved
cuts are used to remove the material by revolving a sketch around a selected
axis. Similar to the revolved boss/base feature, you can define the revolution
axis using a centerline or using an edge in the sketch. When you invoke the
Revolved Cut tool, the Cut­Revolve PropertyManager will be displayed, as
shown in Figure 6­87. The options in this PropertyManager are similar to
those discussed earlier. Figure 6­88 shows a sketch for a revolved cut
feature and Figure 6­89 shows the resulting cut feature. Note that in Figure
6­89, a texture has been applied to the cut feature.

Figure 6­87 The Cut­Revolve PropertyManager

Note
You can also select the tool first and then the plane to create the sketch. On
doing so, the feature tool will be activated automatically after you exit the
sketching environment and you can define the parameters in their respective
rollouts. For example, you can invoke the Revolved Cut tool without creating
any sketch. In this case, the Revolve PropertyManager will be displayed and you
will be prompted to select a plane or a planar face to create a sketch or to select
a sketch. As soon as you exit the sketching environment after creating the sketch,
the Cut­Revolve PropertyManager will be displayed automatically.

Figure 6­88 Sketch for the revolved cut feature

Figure 6­89 Resulting cut feature with a texture
CONCEPT OF THE FEATURE SCOPE
As discussed earlier, you can create different disjoint bodies in a single part file
in SOLIDWORKS. After creating two or more disjoint bodies, when you create
another feature, the Feature Scope rollout will be displayed in the Cut­Revolve
PropertyManager. This rollout is used to define the bodies that will be affected
by the creation of the feature. The feature scope option is used with the Extrude
boss and cut, Revolve boss and cut, Sweep boss and cut, Loft boss and cut, Boss
thicken, Surface cut, and Cavity features.

In the Feature Scope rollout, the Selected bodies radio button and the Auto­
select check box are selected by default. With the Auto­select check box
selected, all disjoint bodies will be selected and they will be affected by the
feature creation. If you clear the Auto­select check box, a selection box will be
invoked. You can select the bodies that you want to be affected by the feature
creation. The name of the selected body will be displayed in the selection box. If
you select the All bodies radio button, all bodies in the part file will be selected
and affected by the creation of the feature.
TUTORIALS
Tutorial 1
In this tutorial, you will create the model shown in Figure 6­90. The dimensions
of the model are also shown in the same figure. Create the model by extruding
the contours of the sketch. (Expected time: 30 min)
 Figure 6­90 Dimensions and views for Tutorial 1

It is clear from the above figures that the given model is a multifeatured model.
It consists of various extruded features. In conventional methods, you need to
create a separate sketch for each sketched feature and then convert it into a
feature. But in this tutorial, you will draw the sketch of the front view of the
model and extrude it by selecting different contours in it.

The following steps are required to complete this tutorial:

a. Create the sketch on the default plane and apply the required relations and
dimensions to it, refer to Figure 6­91.
b. Invoke the Extrude Boss/Base tool and extrude the selected contour, refer to
Figures 6­92 and 6­93.
c. Select the second set of contours and extrude them to the required distance,
refer to Figures 6­94 and 6­95.
d. Select the third set of contours and extrude them to the required distance, refer
to Figures 6­96 and 6­97.
e. Save and close the document.

Creating the Sketch of the Model 1. Start a new SOLIDWORKS part

document using the New SOLIDWORKS Document dialog box.

2. Draw the sketch of the front view of the model on the Front Plane. Apply the
required relations and dimensions to the sketch, as shown in Figure 6­91.
Make sure that you do not exit the sketching environment.

Selecting and Extruding the Contours of the Sketch In this tutorial,

you need to use the contour selection method to create the model.
Therefore, you first need to select one of the contours from the given
sketch and then extrude it. For a better view, you can orient the sketch
to Isometric view.

1. Choose View Orientation > Isometric from the View (Heads­Up) toolbar;
the sketch is displayed in the isometric view.

2. Select a sketch entity and then right­click in the drawing area to invoke the
shortcut menu. Expand the shortcut menu, if required. Choose the Contour
Select Tool option; the select cursor is replaced by the contour selection
cursor and the selection confirmation corner is displayed.

3. Move the cursor to the lower rectangle of the sketch; the rectangle is
highlighted. This indicates that this rectangle is a closed profile.

4. Click on the highlighted rectangular area; the lower rectangular area is

selected as a contour, as shown in Figure 6­92.
 Figure 6­91 Fully defined sketch for creating the model

Figure 6­92 Lower rectangle selected as a contour

5. Choose the Extruded Boss/Base tool from the Features

CommandManager; the Boss­Extrude PropertyManager is invoked and
 the preview of the base feature is displayed in the drawing area in temporary
graphics.

The name of the selected contour is displayed in the selection box of the
Selected Contours rollout.

6. Right­click in the drawing area and choose the Mid Plane option from the
shortcut menu; the preview of the feature is modified.

7. Set 52 in the Depth spinner and choose the OK button from the Boss­
Extrude PropertyManager; the selected contour is extruded, as shown in
Figure 6­93.

8. Right­click in the drawing area and choose the Contour Select Tool option
from the shortcut menu; the select cursor is replaced by the contour selection
cursor.

9. Select an entity of the sketch using the contour selection cursor to invoke the
selection mode of the sketch.

10. Select the middle contour of the sketch using the left mouse button; the
selected region is highlighted, as shown in Figure 6­94.
 Figure 6­93 Base feature of the model

Figure 6­94 Middle contour selected using the Contour Select Tool

11. Invoke the Extruded Boss/Base tool. Right­click in the drawing area and
choose the Mid Plane option from the shortcut menu.

12. Set the value of the Depth spinner to 40 and choose the OK button from the
Boss­Extrude PropertyManager. The feature created by extruding the
 middle contour is shown in Figure 6­95.

13. Choose the Contour Select Tool option again and then select a sketched
entity. Next, select the contour on the right side. Press and hold the CTRL key
and then select the contour on the left side, see Figure 6­96.

Figure 6­95 Second feature created by extruding the middle contour

Figure 6­96 The right and the left contours selected

14. Invoke the Extruded Boss/Base tool. Right­click and choose the Mid Plane
option from the shortcut menu.

15. Set the value of the Depth spinner to 8 and choose the OK button from the
Boss­Extrude PropertyManager.

The model is completed, but the sketch is still displayed in the model.
Therefore, you need to hide the sketch.

16. Move the cursor to any of the sketched entities and when the entity is
highlighted, select it; a pop­up toolbar is displayed. Choose the Hide button
from the pop­up toolbar.

The isometric view of the final model after turning off the display of the
sketch is shown in Figure 6­97. The FeatureManager Design Tree
displaying various parts of the model is shown in Figure 6­98.

Figure 6­97 Final solid model

Figure 6­98 The FeatureManager Design Tree
Saving the Model
1. Choose the Save button from the Menu Bar and save the model with the name
c06_tut01 at the location given below:
\Documents\SOLIDWORKS\c06\

2. Choose File > Close from the SOLIDWORKS menus to close the document.

Tutorial 2
In this tutorial, you will create the model shown in Figure 6­99. You will use a
combination of the conventional modeling method and the contour selection
method to create this model. The dimensions of the model are given in Figure 6­
100. (Expected time: 30 min)

Figure 6­99 Solid model for Tutorial 2

 Figure 6­100 Dimensions for the solid model

The following steps are required to complete this tutorial:

a. Draw the sketch of the front view of the model, refer to Figure 6­101.
b. Extrude the selected contours, refer to Figures 6­102 through 6­104.
c. Add the recess feature to the model by drawing the sketch on the right planar
face, refer to Figures 6­105 and 6­106.
d. Create four holes using the cut feature on the top face of the base feature, refer
to Figures 6­107 and 6­108.
e. Save and close the document.

Drawing the Sketch for the Contour Selection Modeling 1. Start a new
SOLIDWORKS part document. Draw the sketch of the front view of
the model on the Front Plane using the sketching tools.

2. Apply the required relations and dimensions to fully define the sketch, see
Figure 6­101.
 You need to orient the view to isometric because it helps you in selecting the
contours.

3. Press the SPACEBAR key and change the current view to the isometric view.

4. Select a sketch entity, then right­click and choose the Contour Select Tool
option from the shortcut menu; the select cursor is replaced by the contour
selection cursor.

5. Now, by using the contour selection cursor, select the area enclosed by the
lower rectangle, as shown in Figure 6­102.

Figure 6­101 The fully defined sketch

 Figure 6­102 Lower rectangle selected as a contour

6. Choose the Extruded Boss/Base tool from the Features

CommandManager; the Boss­Extrude PropertyManager is displayed.

7. Set the value in the Depth spinner to 86 and then choose the OK button from
the Boss­Extrude PropertyManager. The base feature created after
extruding the selected contour is shown in Figure 6­103.

8. Use the Contour Select Tool and Extruded Boss/Base tools to create other
features and then hide the sketch. For the depth of the extruded features, refer
to Figure 6­100. The model created after extruding all contours and hiding the
sketch is shown in Figure 6­104.
 Figure 6­103 Base feature created after extruding the selected contour

Figure 6­104 Model created after extruding all contours

Creating the Recess on the Base of the Model After creating the
extruded features of the model, you need to create the recess provided
at the base of the model. The recess is created as a cut extrude feature.
This cut extrude feature is created by drawing a sketch on the right
planar face of the model.

1. Select the right planar face of the base feature as the sketching plane; the
selected face is highlighted and a pop­up toolbar is displayed.

2. Choose the Sketch option from the pop­up toolbar to invoke the sketching
environment.

Now, you need to orient the view such that the selected face is normal to your
eye view.

3. Choose View Orientation > Normal To from the View (Heads­Up) toolbar
to orient the selected plane normal to the view.
4. Draw the sketch for the recess using the sketching tools and apply the required
relations and dimensions to it. The fully defined sketch for the cut feature is
shown in Figure 6­105.

5. Choose the Extruded Cut tool from the Features CommandManager to

invoke the Cut­Extrude PropertyManager. The preview of the cut feature is
displayed in the drawing area in temporary graphics.

6. Right­click in the drawing area and choose the Through All option from the
shortcut menu.

7. Choose OK from the Cut­Extrude PropertyManager to complete the

feature creation. The isometric view of the model after creating the cut feature
is shown in Figure 6­106.

Figure 6­105 Sketch for the cut feature

Figure 6­106 Cut feature added to the model
Creating Holes
Next, you need to create holes at the base of the model. These holes will be
created as the extruded cut features. You need to draw the sketch of the hole
feature on the top planar face of the base feature of the model. To draw the
sketch of holes, you first need to draw a circle and then create the pattern of
remaining circles.

1. Select the top planar face of the base feature; a pop­up toolbar is displayed.
Select the Sketch tool from the pop­up toolbar.

2. Orient the current view normal to the viewing direction. Draw a circle of 10
mm diameter and pattern it using the Linear Sketch Pattern tool. You may
need to apply horizontal relations between the center points of the top circles
to fully define the sketch. The fully defined sketch is shown in Figure 6­107.

3. Change the current view to the isometric view and then choose the Extruded
Cut button from the Features CommandManager to invoke the Cut­
Extrude PropertyManager.

Figure 6­107 Holes sketched for the cut feature

4. Right­click in the drawing area and choose the Through All option from the
shortcut menu. Choose the OK button from the Cut­Extrude
PropertyManager. The isometric view of the final model after hiding the
sketch is shown in Figure 6­108. The FeatureManager Design Tree
displaying various features of the model is shown in Figure 6­109.
Figure 6­108 Final solid model
Figure 6­109 The FeatureManager Design Tree
Saving the Model
1. Choose the Save button from the Menu Bar and save the model with the name
c06_tut02 at the location given below.

\Documents\SOLIDWORKS\c06\

2. Choose File > Close from the SOLIDWORKS menus to close the file.

Tutorial 3
In this tutorial, you will create a model whose dimensions are shown in Figure 6­
110. The solid model is shown in Figure 6­111. (Expected time: 30 min)
The following steps are required to complete this tutorial:
a. Create the base feature by extruding the sketch drawn on the Front Plane, refer
to Figures 6­112 and 6­113.
b. Extrude the sketch created on the Top Plane to create a cut feature, refer to
Figures 6­115 and 6­116.
c. Create a plane at an offset distance of 150 mm from the Top Plane.
d. Draw a sketch on the newly created plane and extrude it to the selected
surface, refer to Figures 6­117 and 6­118.
e. Create a counterbore hole using the cut revolve option, refer to Figures 6­119
and 6­120.
f. Create holes using the cut feature, refer to Figures 6­121 and 6­122.
g. Save and close the document.
Figure 6­110 Dimensions of the model
Figure 6­111 Solid model for Tutorial 3
Creating the Base Feature
It is evident from the model that its base comprises of a complex geometry.
Therefore, you first need to create the base feature of the model and then apply
the cut feature to it to get the desired shape. You need to create the base
feature on the Front Plane which is the sketching plane. After drawing the
sketch, you need to extrude it using the mid plane option to complete the
feature creation.

1. Start a new SOLIDWORKS part document and invoke the Extruded

Boss/Base tool; you are prompted to select a plane.

2. Select the Front Plane and then draw the sketch of the base feature. Apply the
required relations and dimensions to the sketch, as shown in Figure 6­112.

3. Exit the sketching environment; the Boss­Extrude PropertyManager and the

preview of the base feature are displayed. Right­click in the drawing area and
choose the Mid Plane option from the shortcut menu displayed.

4. Set the value of the Depth spinner to 150 in the Boss­Extrude

PropertyManager and then choose the OK button from it. The isometric
view of the base feature of the model is shown in Figure 6­113.

Figure 6­112 Sketch of the base feature

Figure 6­113 Base feature of the solid model
Creating the Cut Feature
Now, you need to create a cut feature to get the required shape of the base
feature. The sketch for this cut feature is created using a reference plane
defined tangent to the curved face of the previous feature.

1. Choose the Plane tool from the Reference Geometry flyout in the
Features CommandManager to display the Plane PropertyManager.

2. Select the upper curved face of the existing feature as the first reference; the
Tangent button is chosen automatically in the First Reference rollout. Now,
move the cursor close to the midpoint of the curved edge of the upper curved
face as the second reference; the midpoint is highlighted, see Figure 6­114.
Select this point; the preview of the plane tangent to the curved face and
passing through the midpoint of the curved edge is displayed. Choose OK to
create the reference plane.

3. Draw the sketch for the cut feature using the standard sketching tools and then
apply the required relations and dimensions to the sketch, as shown in Figure
6­115.

Figure 6­114 Selecting the midpoint to define the tangent plane