Direction 3D CoPilot

Description: 5 minutes

Use the new Direction 3D CoPilot instead of the Direction 3D menu. This feature increases functionality while decreasing your number of clicks.

Watch a video about Using the CoPilots.

Overview

The Direction 3D CoPilot is used throughout Designer Modeling to define a direction.  When the Direction 3D CoPilot is active, the cursor changes shape.

 

Follow the directions in the Prompt Bar to use the Direction 3D CoPilot.

  1. Hover over an element.  An arrow is displayed for the direction to be derived from that element.  For example, when hovering over an edge, the arrow is displayed at the edge tangent direction. Press the Tab key to flip the direction.
  1. For some geometric shapes, more than two directions are possible.  For example, on a circular edge the arrow appears on the axis first. 
  2. Click once to apply the direction of the arrow. On curved elements or workplanes, click twice to apply a direction.

Right-click to access the context menu:

See below for a description on how to define a direction on an element using the Direction 3D CoPilot.

Define a direction with the Direction 3D CoPilot

Vertex

  1. Click a vertex to select a start point.
  2. Click an end point.  The direction is applied.

Straight edge

The default direction is tangent to the edge.

  1. Hover over an edge.  Press Tab to reverse the direction.
  2. Click a point on an edge.  The direction is applied. 

Circular edge/arc

The default direction is the axis.

  1. Hover over a point on an edge.  
  1. Click the edge. The direction is applied.

Curved edge

  1. Click a point on an edge. The edge is selected.
  2. Move the arrow to the desired point on the edge. Press Tab to reverse the direction.
  3. Click to apply the direction.  The direction is applied. 

Planar face

The default direction is face normal.

  1. Hover over a face.  Press Tab to reverse the direction. 
  2. Click a point on the face. The face normal direction is applied.

Face with axis

The default direction is the axis.

  1. Hover over a face. 
  1. Click a point.  The direction is applied.

Curved face

Determine the direction of a face at a point within the face or at a point on its edge boundaries.

  1. Click a face.  The face turns orange. 
  2. Click a point on the face or on its boundary.  Press Tab to reverse the direction.  The direction is applied.

Workplane frame

  1. Hover over a workplane.  The Direction 3D CoPilot appears.
  2. Click on the workplane to position the CoPilot. 
  3. Hover over an axis.  The axis turns yellow.  Press Tab to reverse the direction. 
  4. Click one of the axes to specify a direction.  The direction is applied.

 

For a quick reference guide to the Direction 3D CoPilot that contains this information in a table, please see the Direction 3D CoPilot topic in online help.