How - tangent work plane?

Went thru help & around the 'net, and couldn't find a good answer to this...

How do you create a work plane that is parallel to a plane and tangent to a
cylindrical surface? Imagine an extruded "D" shape, for example. I want a
work plane tangent to the right side of the D, and parallel to the left side
of the D. I tried to do this with the "on surface" plane choice, but I get
a plane that instead falls on the axis of the curved section (with the
option to rotate it at any angle).

Am I missing something simple? Thanks.

Brian

 

Just a thought, add a sketch with a line perpendicular to the required plane
and having an end point on the cylinder. Exit the sketch and then add a
plane on the cylinder surface and at the end point of the line. It should
create the plane perpendicular to the line (parallel to the original plane)
and on the surface. I haven't tried this but I have used this approach to
add a plane at a specific angle on a cylinder.

Good luck

Tony

 

Per your example, in the D sketch, put a construction line from the midpoint
of the LH vert side horizontally to the RH circular side. The endpoint
should be constrained to the arc. Then define your plane as parallel to the
flat side & through the point.

WT

 

A star for me... that's what I did! It seems to work fine, but seems like
too many steps for a simple task. It seems that the plane creation tools
are less powerful than what I'm used to in MDT. I'll make an enhancement
request. Thanks for your quick responses!

Brian

 

easy, select (default) plane which is perpendicular to flat surface of "d" +
tangent surface of "d". select "other solutions" if necessary.

 

I just tried this on a cylinder and it worked. However, if I try it on
anything other than a cylinder, it does not. Is that what you experience as
well?

Brian

 

the method i described was for cylindrical surfaces. please define
"anything other than a cylinder". and yes, plane creation tool can be
rather limited without the aid of construction sketch(es).

 

Strangely this does'nt work on a D shape. But try this: select the
curved surface of the D shape, select a middle point on one of the
curved edges of the D shape. This work in SW2004 for a plan tangent to
the curve of the D shape and parallel to the flat on the opposite
face. If you want others orientations you must add construction
geometry.

P. Comand
www.atomat.com

 

Strangely this does'nt work on a D shape. But try this: select the

now that is strange, it works on my "d" shapes.