Offset Curve in NX Sketch

In the NX sketch, the offset curves can be created at a specified distance from the existed curves or edges outside of the sketch and the curves inside the sketch.

To create offset curves the “Offset Curve” command is used.

To activate command in a sketch:

1. Menu => Insert => Recipe Curve => Offset Curve
2. Home Ribbon Bar / Curve Ribbon Bar => Direct Sketch group=> More Curve => Offset Curve
3. Home Ribbon Bar => Curve Group => Offset Curve (Sketch created by the “Sketch in Task Environment”)

To offset curve in NX Sketch:

1. Start the “Offset Curve” command
2. The command dialog box will open
3. Select Curves or edges to offset. “Select Curve” in the “Curves to Offset” tab is highlighted automatically.
   (If you have a problem selecting curves, I wrote selection methods in the “Project Curve” post. To read selection methods click here.)
4. The preview of the offset curve will be created in the graphics window.
5. To change the offset direction click on the “Reverse Direction” icon in the dialog box or click twice on the direction arrow in the graphics window.
6. Type the offset value in the “Distance” box or drag the arrowhead in the graphics window. 
7. If you want to create more than one offset curve, change the “Number of Copies” value in the Offset tab. 
8. Click “Ok” to create an offset curve and finish the command.

Note 1: To create a symmetric offset on both sides of the selected curve, turn on the “Symmetric Offset” in the dialog box.

Note 2: Corners on the Offset can be formed as a normal corner or radius corner. To change the corner style on the offset curve change the “Cap Options”

• Extension Cap: do not change corner style.
• Arc Cap: creates radius on the offset curve corners. The created radius on the corner is equal to value of the offset.

Tutorial: Create a sealing channel on the enclosure as shown in the figure. Inside distance: 2mm, Channel width: 1,5mm, Channel Depth: 1.2mm

1. Create a sketch on the bottom of the enclosure model.
2. Start the “Offset Curve” command. Select the inner edge and set the distance size to 2mm. 
   
3. Start the “Offset Curve” command. Select the created offset curve in step-2 and set the distance to  1,5mm.
   
4. Exit Sketch
5. Start the Extrude command and select the created sketch in step-1. Set the boolean type as Subtract. Set the dimension values as shown in the figure.
   
6. The sealing channel will be created on the enclosure as shown in the figure.
   

Note 3: The created “Offset Curves” are associative and change themselves according to the changes of the linked curves.

• In the figure fillet created on the curves connection. According to this change, Offset curves changed automatically and a fillet was created automatically on the offset curve. (marked in a circle)