Mirroring Solids

Mirroring can be used to:

• complete the second half of a symmetrical design

• create a new feature which is the mirror image of the original

Solids may be mirrored about

• a surface

• a workplane

To create a mirror image of a model and retain the original:

• create the first half of the model

• activate the Select Faces tool

• select the surface about which mirroring is to occur

• from the Features menu select

  • Modify solids then

  • Mirror solids

• ensure that the is ticked

• click OK to complete the operation

The mirroring operation creates the mirror exactly the same as the original.

This new solid is created as a feature and can be seen when the browser Features are viewed.

Check out that the program remembers the two halves separately:

• right mouse click on the mirror solids in the browser window

• select Suppress from the drop down menu

• click the update button (magic! - back to the original)

To restore the mirrored image repeat these steps

Mirror and Hide the original

To create and save two separate but mirrored components:

• create the first solid

• from the File menu select Save

  • save the solid using an appropriate name

• activate the Select Faces tool

• select the surface about which mirroring is to occur

• from the Features menu select

  • Modify solids then

  • Mirror solids

• ensure that the is NOT ticked

• click OK to complete the operation

• from the File menu select Save Copy As

  • save the mirrored solid using an appropriate name

Mirror about a workplane

To mirror about a workplane:

• prepare the model which is to be mirrored

• activate the Select Faces tool

• select the surface about which mirroring is to occur

• from the Workplane menu select new workplane

• specify the offset distance for the new workplane

• give the new workplane a name

• click OK to complete the creation of the workplane

• ensure that the workplane is selected

• from the Features menu select

  • Modify solids then

  • Mirror solids

• tick or untick the box as required

• click OK to complete the operation

NOTE

The mirroring operation may use one of the principal workplanes rather than one specifically created

for the purpose